Here is the ideal place to recharge the batteries without having to isolate yourself at the end of the world. These 6 criteria have placed this city in France as the quieter (but not the most boring). Are we going for a vacation or for life?
In recent months, the trend has been confirmed: the French want to slow down. They are looking for calm, space, a less tense rhythm. The proof, the “quiet getaway” research increased by 600% last month on Google. What is more, social networks get involved, with videos on the Slow Travel who are a hit, advocating tourism without agitation or crowds. Thus, in this context, the car rental company Sixt has sifted through the French cities most conducive to relaxation. Result: a classification based on concrete criteria, far from the usual tourist favorites.
The study relied on six objective indicators to decide between cities: noise pollution, light pollution, population density, quality of green spaces, average duration of a 10 km route and number of peak hours per year. At the end, one index out of 100, to establish a list of the ten most soothing cities in the country. Among them, some great forgotten on mass tourism, such as Saint-Etienne, Bayonne or Limoges. Others better known, but who appeal to for any other reasons than their animation. This is the case of Angers, where population density remains moderate and excellent green spaces (91.67 out of 100). The traffic jams are rare: a resident takes an average of 16 minutes to travel 10 kilometers.
Same observation in Tours, which displays an impressive score for the quality of its parks (91.67) and one of the most fluid traffic in the classification. Less saturated than other tourist cities in the Loire, it attracts an audience in search of calm more than cultural performance. In Reims, it is the noise pollution that are particularly low, with sound peaks much lower than those observed in metropolises. Le Havre, despite its port and its urban density, rises in the top 5 thanks to very low light pollution and a good balance between living environment and economic activity.
But it is another city that wins at the top of the ranking. She checks almost all the boxes in the table. Less than 800 inhabitants per square kilometer, a reasonable journey time for 10 kilometers (27 minutes), a traffic that remains very acceptable for a city of this size (93 peak hours per year), and above all, an atmosphere perceived as calm by a majority of visitors. Many tourist assessments combine its monuments, streets and walking places with “peaceful” or “relaxed” words. In short, this city owes this first place to an airy urban fabric, controlled traffic, a reduced sound atmosphere, numerous natural areas and tourist attendance which remains measured out of season. This city is Aix-en-Provence.
There are thermal sources, aisles bordered by plane trees, a chic lively city center, but without excess, and places where we can hear the conversations without raising the voice. As you can see, it perfectly matches the image that travelers are made by a destination where you could spend a few days without having to fight for a table, a parking space or a quiet area to read. To remember!
