Perfect spot for a clean getaway

NATALIE KING explores Kraków, the world’s most pristine city - 70,000 Google reviews aren't wrong

- NATALIE KING

GOTHIC GLORY St.Mary's Basilica in the main square

If you speak to anyone who has been to Poland, time and time again the same compliment is made about its cities.

Whenever I've asked friends about their trips, they will inevitably mention that their destination was spotlessly clean.

And now it's official, one of Poland's popular city break destinations has been crowned the world’s cleanest city, based on an analysis of data by Radical Storage using 70,000-plus Google reviews. Kraków beat cities in Japan, the UAE and Singapore to take the title, with 98.5% of reviews giving a positive rating to the city’s cleanliness.

It's not the first time Kraków has been praised for its public spaces. In 2023, the European Commission released a report called Quality of Life in European Cities, which included surveying residents about their experiences living in their local area. In Kraków, more than 80% of residents said they were totally satisfied with their public spaces, which include parks, squares and markets, showing there’s a real sense of pride in the city.