THE MOST COLOURFUL CITIES IN THE WORLD

As the nights draw in and the grey weather takes its toll, we have searched far and wide to bring you the world’s most vivid places. From bright Indian metropolises starkly contrasting with vast, dry deserts to primary-coloured huts on a Canadian street nicknamed Jellybean Row – these are the globe’s technicoloured corners to know about.

 
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    1. Warsaw, Poland
    1. WARSAW, POLAND

    Straddling the Vistula River, the Polish capital is known for its architecture. Buildings of rich reds, oranges, greens and yellows are reminders of the city’s colourful history: the pink-hued Renaissance Barbican; the post-war houses lining streets of the Old Town (pictured); the dusty pastels of Communist-era apartment blocks; the vivid baroque façade of Wilanów Palace; and even the sleek, postmodern university library (home to one of Europe’s largest rooftop gardens).

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    2. Copenhagen, Denmark
     
    2. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

    Standing in proud defiance of the city’s typically grey weather, houses lining the Danish streets and waterways inject a sense of cheer – particularly in Nyhavn port, Copenhagen’s canalside social hub. This was originally the red-light district, but the 1960s brought with it a period of rebranding, and now the 17th-century buildings along the pedestrianised strip have earned the area the apt nickname of the Sunny Side.

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    3. Venice, Italy
    3. VENICE, ITALY

    The city’s main island is renowned for its Italo-Byzantine and Gothic architecture, particularly the 14th-century Doge’s Palace and 11th-century St Mark’s Basilica, with its forest of polychrome columns, patterned marble slabs, intricate statues and gilded winged lion. But take a boat ride through the lagoon to stumble upon Venetian isles crammed with rickety, rainbow-coloured structures. In Burano, pictured, houses are repainted every two years, and inhabitants wanting to change the shade of their property must first get approval from the local government.

     
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    4. HAVANA, CUBA

    Perhaps most famous for its vibrant streets, Cuba’s eclectic blend of architecture reflects its equally varied history. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was drenched in a striking shade of blue, a typically Moorish style that stretched across Havana. But later periods introduced even more colour – stained-glass windows, soft-hued stone, majestic Art Deco façades – creating the distinct city it’s known as today.

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    5. Buenos Aires, Argentina
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    5. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

    The small neighbourhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires is one of South America’s most bold. This barrio thrums with activity; stroll down El Caminito, an alley of technicolour buildings where street performers tango, buskers play local music and stalls twinkle with handmade jewellery.

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    6. Valparaíso, Chile
     
    6. VALPARAÍSO, CHILE

    The city equivalent of a matryoshka doll, Valparaíso reveals a new treasure at every turn. Known as the Jewel of the Pacific, this South American port town offsets a gritty, ramshackle vibe with a uniquely vivid palette. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, the historic quarter is worth a pootle to stumble upon cobblestone streets lined with lurid painted houses. Take a trip in a funicular or clamber up steep hillsides to watch the city fade into the inky blue sea.

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    7. Chefchaouen, Morocco
    7. CHEFCHAOUEN, MOROCCO

    A peaceful foil to the clamorous frenzy of Morocco’s major cities, soothing Chefchaouen is tucked away near the Rif Mountains. Almost entirely blue, the place’s design is said to symbolise spiritual life, a calm fusion of sky and sea – although, a contradictory (and much less romantic) explanation claims that the walls were painted this shade to attract travellers in the 1970s.

    Here are more beautiful pictures of Morocco

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    8. Jodhpur, India
    8. JODHPUR, INDIA

    Boldly standing out against the vast, dry Thar Desert, Jodhpur is dubbed the Blue City. The range of shades span deep sapphire, regal lapis, soothing cerulean and vibrant cobalt, instilling a sense of calm and peace. The place is one of a cluster of bright Indian metropolises including the White City of Udaipur, the Orange City of Nagpur and the Pink City of Jaipur.

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    9. St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
    9. ST JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA

    This city’s primary-coloured huts have earned its downtown area the nickname Jellybean Row. Streets zigzag up and down the hilly landscape, with houses haphazardly set atop rugged cliffs and forested slopes. One of the oldest cities in North America, St John’s dates back to the early 16th century, and is the most easterly settlement on the continent.

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    10. Sighișoara, Romania
    10. SIGHIȘOARA, ROMANIA

    Challenging traditional associations with the gothic castles, stormy weather and endless farmland of Romania, Sighișoara looks as if a box of Crayola might have exploded in its streets. Each cobbled alley in the walled citadel is bursting with shades of orange, yellow and pink – a surprising aesthetic for the hometown of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century prince whose ruthless exploits are thought to have formed the basis for the tales of Count Dracula.

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    11. Guayaquil, Ecuador
    11. GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR

    In a quiet corner of Ecuador’s largest city lies Las Peñas, a centuries-old neighbourhood with a distinctly bohemian vibe. Wander through the winding streets to find colour-splashed, white-shuttered wooden houses, where artists have their studios and revolutionaries and leaders, including Che Guevara and 19th-century president Francisco Robles, once lived.

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    12. Cape Town, South Africa
    12. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

    Sat on the slopes of Signal Hill overlooking the city, Bo-Kaap is one of the oldest surviving residential neighbourhoods in Cape Town. Renowned for its cobbled streets and muticoloured buildings, the area dates from the mid-18th century. In the 1760s, aboriginal tribes in the capital resisted enslavement by the Dutch, forcing them to turn to Malaysia and Indonesia instead. These slaves were provided with huurhuisjes (rental houses) in Bo-Kaap, formerly known as the Malay Quarter, resulting in a small multicultural cluster that still exists today – more than 50 per cent of the neighbourhood identifies as Muslim, as opposed to the larger percentage of Christian residents in the rest of Cape Town. After the emancipation in 1834, homeowners painted the white houses bright colours to represent liberation and independence.

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    13. Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain
    13. LAS PALMAS, CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN

    Beyond the swaying palms and white-sand sweeps of this archipelago, the Canary Islands are home to some of Europe’s most interesting buildings. A mix of Gothic, neoclassical and modernist structures that still stand today, from the architectural mishmash of the Cathedral of Santa Ana on Las Palmas to Tenerife’s floating Tilos Bridge in Santa Cruz and colour-pop houses carved into the steep riscos, or cliffs, of San Juan.

    Source: cntraveller.com