March 13, 2025, 8:44 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Fancy a relaxing vacation that will leave you happy even after you return to your supposedly hectic everyday life? Then read on now. The travel search engine Weloveholidays has identified the 20 European cities that offer the best conditions for a relaxing vacation in 2025. TRAVELBOOK presents the three happiest travel destinations and shows the top 20.
Take a moment to breathe deeply, step out, unwind, and decelerate. Isn’t that something we all wish for when we go on vacation? For many, everyday life is so hectic that a vacation seems like a break in the year that we look forward to day after day. The travel platform Weloveholidays has also recognized this and set out to find the most relaxing and happiest destinations in Europe for 2025 and listed them in a ranking.
Overview
The team at Weloveholidays evaluated 80 European cities, scoring them on their potential for relaxation. Five factors were examined: satisfaction index, air quality, hours of sunshine, health, and green spaces. As the overall scores climb, so does the sense of bliss and repose found within these urban havens. Unsurprisingly and yet strikingly, many of this year’s happiness hotspots are located in Scandinavia. These are the results.
Portugal Is Home to the Number One Feel-Good Destination
The Portuguese Algarve is a favorite European destination for many travelers every year. And its capital was also voted the happiest destination in 2025 by Weloveholidays. According to the study, Faro received 74.2 out of 100 points, the highest score of all. At the same time, Faro has the lowest satisfaction score in the entire top 20, and both the air quality and health levels leave much to be desired in comparison. However, Faro makes up for this with — together with Valencia — the most hours of sunshine (9.4). The same applies to the proportion of green spaces (64.09 percent).
The authors of the Weloveholidays study attribute Faro’s allure as the perfect relaxation spot to a blend of factors: abundant sunshine, the enchanting Ria Formosa nature reserve with its salt fields and lagoons, home to flamingos, along with sandy beaches and prime conditions for surfing and kayaking. In particular, it is the abundance of “green spaces (that) create the best conditions to find peace and quiet.”
Two Happy Scandinavian Destinations in 2nd and 3rd Place
The second most relaxing destination in Europe in 2025 is Gothenburg in Sweden. With a satisfaction index of 1719.5, the Swedish city is one of the happiest on the continent. A total of 72.83 points were awarded to the city of Gothenburg, whose relaxed way of life can be felt everywhere, as the text of the study states — “on a relaxed boat trip through the archipelago or on a visit to the cozy Haga district with its characteristic wooden houses.” The good healthcare system is also outstanding, and Gothenburg has the second-largest proportion of green spaces in the top 20 at 48.54 percent.
Neighbor Finland is third in the ranking, with its capital, Helsinki. It received 69.3 points and, with a satisfaction score of 1714.7, also testifies to a high level of happiness among its inhabitants — after all, it is not without reason that Finland is considered the happiest country in the world. According to Weloveholidays, Helsinki offers a number of opportunities to slow down. These include a visit to the Löyly sauna with a view of the sea, the huge Central Park, and day trips to the archipelago islands. The proportion of green spaces here is also high at 43.14 percent, and the healthcare system is good.
These Are the 20 Most Relaxing Travel Destinations in Europe in 2025
- Faro, Portugal
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Helsinki, Finland
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Aarhus, Denmark
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Berne, Switzerland
- Valencia, Spain
- Bergen, Norway
- Oslo, Norway
- Vienna, Austria
- Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Munich, Germany
- Málaga, Spain
- Bordeaux, France
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Bilbao, Spain
- Bolzano, Italy
- Cologne, Germany
- Copenhagen, Denmark
Denmark Boasts the Most Contented Urban Residents
According to the results of the Weloveholiday ranking, the city with the most satisfied residents is Aarhus in Denmark. Here, the typical Danish “hygge” lifestyle is part of everyday life, and the platform also cites “cozy street cafés in Latinerkvarteret, long walks on Moesgaard beach, or freshly caught fish in the small harbor restaurants” as good reasons to feel completely at ease in the Danish city.
Four major German cities among them The 20 European cities with the highest quality of life
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According to the "Happiness Atlas 2024" This is where the happiest people in Germany live
Germany Represented By Two Cities in the Ranking
Contrary to the stereotype of Germany’s reputation for gloominess, the ranking includes not one but two German cities: Munich and Cologne appear in the ranking. Munich, in 13th place, stands out in particular for its good air quality and good healthcare system. The satisfaction index is also in the good midfield. The situation is similar for Cologne in 19th place.