These are Europe’s friendliest cities — and Cork and Dublin rank very highly
Cork was named as the second friendliest city in Europe, after Siena in Italy
Cork may be the second-largest city in Ireland, but it’s now officially the second friendliest in Europe. That’s according to the prestigious Condé Nast Reader’s Choice Awards, which today awarded the accolade, narrowly missing out on the top spot by Siena in Italy.
The travel publication described the port city as having “a big personality, an exciting culinary scene, plenty of coffee shops, galleries, museums, and an iconic food market.”
The list of Europe’s friendliest cities is one of several categories in Conde Nast’s Readers’ Choice Awards for 2023.
More than 240,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe to provide a full snapshot of the top places they enjoyed this year. The Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry.
Dublin was awarded fifth place in the Best Cities in Europe list with criteria including a world-class food scene, plenty of smart hotels, friendly locals and intriguing landscapes.
The resort town of San Sebastian in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country bagged the top spot in this category for its “relaxed atmosphere, long stretches of honey-hued beaches and various foodie outposts with world-famous chefs at their helm.”
Irish hotels and resorts also featured heavily on the list.
Adare Manor retained its title as Best Resort in Europe for the second year in a row. General Manager Brendan O’Connor says they are thrilled; “Being chosen as their absolute favourite resort in Europe by voters who have visited and experienced our ‘Beyond Everything’ approach to what we do is such a source of satisfaction and reward to all our team at Adare Manor. I’d like to sincerely thank every member of our team across all departments at the resort.”
Sister property The Lodge at Ashford Castle is listed at eighth place among the top ten in the same category, while The Europe Hotel and Resort in Co. Kerry was awarded 9th place. It's the first time it has featured in the Condé Naste ratings. Managing Director, Michael Brennan also attributed the exciting accolade to “the hard work and dedication of our outstanding team.”
The Westbury in Dublin was named as readers' favourite hotel in Ireland, followed by the Merrion Hotel and The Cashel Palace Hotel in Co Tipperary.
It will likely surprise hardly anybody that Dublin has made it into the list of friendliest cities in the world, coming in fourth with the publication writing that “the population here are famed for their warm spirit, and striking up an animated conversation with a stranger in a pub is almost as certain here as enjoying a freshly-pulled pint of Guinness."
Ireland was also named the friendliest country to visit in Europe. As the magazine unveiled the results, it said that 2023 was the year "we recalibrated what was really important. Few seemed to have disappeared into the metaverse, preferring real-life encounters ranging from off-grid wilderness escapes to well-connected urban luxe."
Adare Manor, Ireland
JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Italy
Terre Blanche Hôtel Spa Golf Resort, France
Ashford Castle, Ireland
Ikos Andalusia, Spain
Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa,
Cyprus Mandarin Oriental Bodrum, Turkey
The Lodge at Ashford Castle, Ireland
The Europe Hotel & Resort, Ireland
Gleneagles, UK
The Westbury, Dublin
The Merrion, Dublin
Cashel Palace, Co Tipperary
Ballyfin Demesne, Co Laois
Carton House, Co Kildare
The Morrison, Dublin
The Killarney Park, Co Kerry
Kilkea Castle, Co Kildare
Glenlo Abbey, Galway
Lough Eske Castle, Co Donegal
You can check out the full list here.
