The world’s most beautiful streets

By Joe Minihane, CNN
Updated 4:08 PM EST, Wed December 4, 2019
<strong>Herbert Baker Street, Pretoria, South Africa:</strong> The Jacaranda tree-lined streets of South Africa's capital city bloom with beautiful purple flowers in September to November.
Herbert Baker Street, Pretoria, South Africa: The Jacaranda tree-lined streets of South Africa's capital city bloom with beautiful purple flowers in September to November.
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<strong>Cogels-Osylei, Zurenborg, Antwerp, Belgium: </strong>Stately Art Nouveau and Fin De Siecle buildings help make Cogels-Osylei the star of Antwerp's opulent Zurenborg district.
Cogels-Osylei, Zurenborg, Antwerp, Belgium: Stately Art Nouveau and Fin De Siecle buildings help make Cogels-Osylei the star of Antwerp's opulent Zurenborg district.
Dave Van Laere/Visit Antwerpen
<strong>Chefchaouen, Morocco: </strong>Theories vary as to why the alleyways of Chefchaouen are painted blue, but these narrow thoroughfares are a photographers' paradise.
Chefchaouen, Morocco: Theories vary as to why the alleyways of Chefchaouen are painted blue, but these narrow thoroughfares are a photographers' paradise.
Fabrizio Crippa/Archivio Fabrizio Crippa/Mondadori/Getty Images
<strong>Convent Avenue, Harlem, New York City: </strong>Knockout buildings and tree-lined sidewalks help Convent Avenue stand out among New York City's architectural highlights.
Convent Avenue, Harlem, New York City: Knockout buildings and tree-lined sidewalks help Convent Avenue stand out among New York City's architectural highlights.
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<strong>Jinli Street, Chengdu, China:</strong> Qing Dynasty style wooden houses and shops, replete with red lanterns and traditional signage help make Chengdu's biggest tourist attraction look pleasingly historic.
Jinli Street, Chengdu, China: Qing Dynasty style wooden houses and shops, replete with red lanterns and traditional signage help make Chengdu's biggest tourist attraction look pleasingly historic.
Chen yuanhong/Imaginechina/AP
<strong>Lombard Street, San Francisco:</strong> Famed for its eight hairpins, which twist between a single block, Lombard Street is one of San Francisco's busiest attractions.
Lombard Street, San Francisco: Famed for its eight hairpins, which twist between a single block, Lombard Street is one of San Francisco's busiest attractions.
Shutterstock
<strong>Caminito, La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina: </strong>A colorful spot in a colorful city, Caminito is a street museum, its blue, yellow and green tenements showcasing works by local artists.
Caminito, La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina: A colorful spot in a colorful city, Caminito is a street museum, its blue, yellow and green tenements showcasing works by local artists.
Marcelo Endelli/World Rugby/Getty Images
<strong>The Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto, Japan: </strong>The cherry blossoms that crowd the banks of the canal between Ginkaku-Ji and Nanzen-Ji help make the Philosopher's Walk Japan's most picturesque street.
The Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto, Japan: The cherry blossoms that crowd the banks of the canal between Ginkaku-Ji and Nanzen-Ji help make the Philosopher's Walk Japan's most picturesque street.
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<strong>Flask Walk, Hampstead, London, England: </strong>Tucked away from the main road in Hampstead, Flask Walk is a quintessentially London street, with a traditional pub, Victorian shopfronts and gorgeous residential housing.
Flask Walk, Hampstead, London, England: Tucked away from the main road in Hampstead, Flask Walk is a quintessentially London street, with a traditional pub, Victorian shopfronts and gorgeous residential housing.
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<strong>Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, Scotland:</strong> Developed in the 1850s, the steep, curving Cockburn Street cut through medieval neighborhoods to offer easy -- and attractive -- access to the city's new train station.
Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, Scotland: Developed in the 1850s, the steep, curving Cockburn Street cut through medieval neighborhoods to offer easy -- and attractive -- access to the city's new train station.
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<strong>Umbrella Sky Project, Agueda, Portugal: </strong>The Umbrella Sky Project has transformed the four main streets of Agueda, including Rua Luis de Camoes, into colorful, umbrella-shaded paradises.
Umbrella Sky Project, Agueda, Portugal: The Umbrella Sky Project has transformed the four main streets of Agueda, including Rua Luis de Camoes, into colorful, umbrella-shaded paradises.
Jose Coelho/EPA/Shutterstock
<strong>Blue City, Jodhpur, India:</strong> The narrow alleys of Jodhpur's Blue City are lined with buildings that were painted blue to signify the presence of the Brahmin, or priest, caste.
Blue City, Jodhpur, India: The narrow alleys of Jodhpur's Blue City are lined with buildings that were painted blue to signify the presence of the Brahmin, or priest, caste.
Subhendu Sarkar/LightRocket/Getty Images
<strong>Square de Montsoris, Paris, France:</strong> It's easy to miss the entrance to this private cobbled road, but it's ivy-covered houses are some of the most architecturally refined in the French capital.
Square de Montsoris, Paris, France: It's easy to miss the entrance to this private cobbled road, but it's ivy-covered houses are some of the most architecturally refined in the French capital.
Shutterstock
<strong>Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia:</strong> This graffiti covered alleyway is the epicenter of Melbourne's internationally renowned art scene.
Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia: This graffiti covered alleyway is the epicenter of Melbourne's internationally renowned art scene.
Prisma by Dukas/UIG/Getty Images
<strong>Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg, Russia:</strong> The buildings of St. Petersburg's main drag are some of the best preserved historic structures in Russia. Highlights include the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood and the curving majesty of Kazan Cathedral.
Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg, Russia: The buildings of St. Petersburg's main drag are some of the best preserved historic structures in Russia. Highlights include the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood and the curving majesty of Kazan Cathedral.
Vitaliy Ankov/Sputnik/ AP
<strong>The Dark Hedges, Bregagh Road, County Antrim, Northern Ireland: </strong> A starring role in "Game of Thrones" has helped make the Bregagh Road, also known as the Dark Hedges, into a popular tourist attraction.
The Dark Hedges, Bregagh Road, County Antrim, Northern Ireland: A starring role in "Game of Thrones" has helped make the Bregagh Road, also known as the Dark Hedges, into a popular tourist attraction.
Loop Images/UIG/Getty Images
<strong>The Royal Crescent, Bath, England: </strong> The majestic sweep of the Royal Crescent is a highlight in a city which claims plenty of other architectural standouts. Staying at the <a href="https://www.royalcrescent.co.uk/" target="_blank" target="_blank">five-star hotel </a>of the same name is the perfect way to get immersed in this spa city's history.
The Royal Crescent, Bath, England: The majestic sweep of the Royal Crescent is a highlight in a city which claims plenty of other architectural standouts. Staying at the five-star hotel of the same name is the perfect way to get immersed in this spa city's history.
Alamy
<strong>Via dei Coronari, Rome, Italy: </strong>Best enjoyed by stopping at one of its quintessentially Roman cafes, grabbing an espresso and watching the world go by, Via dei Coronari's buildings mostly date to the Renaissance.
Via dei Coronari, Rome, Italy: Best enjoyed by stopping at one of its quintessentially Roman cafes, grabbing an espresso and watching the world go by, Via dei Coronari's buildings mostly date to the Renaissance.
Shutterstock
<strong>Mykonos Old Town, Greece: </strong>Narrow alleyways lined with whitewashed shops and homes offer a peaceful escape from some of the busier spots on this heavily-touristed island.
Mykonos Old Town, Greece: Narrow alleyways lined with whitewashed shops and homes offer a peaceful escape from some of the busier spots on this heavily-touristed island.
Shutterstock
<strong>Heerstrasse, Bonn, Germany: </strong>Heerstraase's cherry trees were imported from Japan and planted in the 1980s, giving citizens of the former capital of West Germany a chance to experience sakura without having to jet off to Asia.
Heerstrasse, Bonn, Germany: Heerstraase's cherry trees were imported from Japan and planted in the 1980s, giving citizens of the former capital of West Germany a chance to experience sakura without having to jet off to Asia.
SOPA Images/LightRocket/LightRocket via Getty Images
<strong>Brouwersgracht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands:</strong> Renowned as one of the most picturesque streets in Amsterdam, Brouwersgracht is lined with 17th century warehouses, built for brewers, as well as the tanneries and spice traders which once operated here.
Brouwersgracht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Renowned as one of the most picturesque streets in Amsterdam, Brouwersgracht is lined with 17th century warehouses, built for brewers, as well as the tanneries and spice traders which once operated here.
Tim Graham/Getty Images
A photo tour of the world's best streets
CNN  — 

Architecture is typically famous for its big, bold statements – the huge skyscrapers, opera houses, bridges and airports that tower over cityscapes, dwarfing their occupants.

But it’s arguably at its most beguiling when it comes to human-scale thoroughfares dedicated to everyday activities such shopping, eating, sleeping or just strolling and soaking up the travel scenery.

From grand dwellings in uptown New York City to street art covered laneways in Melbourne, via historic crescents in Bath and tree-lined roads in Pretoria, these are the most beautiful streets in destinations around the world:

Jinli Street, Chengdu, China

Jinli is one of the oldest shopping streets in Sichuan province.
Jinli is one of the oldest shopping streets in Sichuan province.
Chen yuanhong/Imaginechina/AP

Qing Dynasty style wooden houses and shops, replete with red lanterns and traditional signage help make Chengdu’s biggest tourist attraction look pleasingly historic.

While it was restored into its current form in 2004, Jinli Street traces its history back some 1,800 years, making it one of the oldest shopping streets in Sichuan province.

Convent Avenue, Harlem, New York City

Convent Street's tree-lined sidewalks are a New York standout.
Convent Street's tree-lined sidewalks are a New York standout.
Alamy

New York City is blessed with some of the most architecturally arresting streets in the world. But Harlem’s Convent Avenue stands out from the pack, thanks to its knockout buildings and tree-lined sidewalks.

The stretch between West 140th and 145th streets is the most impressive, including the Convent Avenue Baptist Church and 339 Convent Avenue, a.k.a., The Royal Tenenbaums’ house.

25 of the most beautiful places around the world

Lombard St, San Francisco

Lombard Street switchbacks through eight hairpin turns.
Lombard Street switchbacks through eight hairpin turns.
Shutterstock

Famed for its eight hairpins, which twist between a single block, Lombard Street is one of San Francisco’s busiest attractions.

And while the crowds lining up to take shots for Instagram can get a bit much, they shouldn’t put you off going.

Said to be the most crooked street in the world, the views from the top are worth the trip alone, while the surrounding buildings of Russian Hill are added eye candy.

Caminito, La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina