This Small City In Northern England Is The Most Beautiful City In The World

Welcome to Chester, in Northern England which was named the most beautiful city in the world. While many might expect the most beautiful city to be in Paris or somewhere quaint in Northern Italy, the winner is a small, almost missable city in the North of England. Why you ask? Chester is said to have the highest percentage of buildings with the ‘golden ratio’ – making it the winning city.

The mathematical ratio of proportions is supposed to be a barometer of beauty. The golden ratio reflects the natural “aesthetic perfection”.

Related: There’s More to England Than London: 7 English Cities And Regions to Check Out

How it works:

Researchers from Online Mortgage Advisor ranked the most eye-catching cities by scanning Google Street View for front-facing photos of many streets and more than 2,400 buildings from cities across the globe. They plotted points at the corners of each building to calculate the proportion between its longest and shortest sides. They then compared it to the golden ratio and found something truly curious.

Chester scored 83.7% which beat Venice to the top spot with 83.3%. London came in third with 83%, Belfast came fourth with 82.9 percent. Another anticipated city, Rome scooped up fifth place with 82%.