Chester has been declared the world's most beautiful city in a study that analysed the golden ratio of architecture globally, surpassing Venice, Italy, to claim the top spot.
Mathematicians used Google Street View data to examine cities worldwide, calculating how many buildings adhered to the golden ratio of 1:1.618. This ancient mathematical concept, found in nature in flowers and seashells, is believed to be naturally appealing to the human eye.
The study, published by Online Mortgage Advisor, analysed over 2,400 buildings in the UK alone. Chester led the rankings with 83.7 percent of its buildings conforming to the golden ratio, followed by Venice at 83.3 percent and London at 82 percent. In the UK, Belfast, Liverpool, and Durham completed the top five.
Chester is home to a cathedral over a millennium old, Britain's largest Roman amphitheatre, and the country's oldest racecourse. Colin Potts, head of international tourism management at the University of Chester's Business School, commented: 'I think that sometimes its beauty is taken for granted here when really it is the main driver as to why people choose to visit, live and invest in the city.'
