The 10 Best Cities in the World for Art Lovers, According to Data

For art aficionados looking to plan their next trip, the resident experts at Money.co.uk conducted a study to find the best art and culture-filled cities around the world. The study used a variety of data points to rank 40 global cities already known for their unique arts and culture scenes. Ranking criteria included more obvious factors, like the number of galleries, museums, and sculptures, but also took into account variables such as street art and highly rated art universities and colleges to give a more complete picture of each city's offerings.

Topping the list is Venice with a survey score of 6.81 out of 10. The canal-filled city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its lagoon and culturally significant architecture. Beyond the impressive architecture, Venice had the highest marks among the top 10 cities for its number of monuments and statues (94 per million people), as well as museums (183.3 per million people).

Coming in second place is Miami, a city once known only for its beaches and wild nightlife. Recent years have seen a boom in Miami's art scene with no end in sight. The city took the No. 2 slot by achieving top marks in three categories: number of galleries (113.1 per million people), street art searches (30,391 per million people), and street art Instagram posts (130,949 per million people).

Rounding out the top three is another Italian favorite: Florence. This Tuscan city is full of examples of Renaissance art and architecture, and it ranked particularly well for its number of museums: 204.5 per million people.

Overall, U.S. cities dominated the rankings with San Francisco (No. 5), Sante Fe (No. 7) and Seattle (No. 8) also ranking in the top eight best cities for art and culture lovers. Europe also made a strong showing with Vienna coming in fourth place, followed by Berlin in ninth, and Milan in 10th.

For more details on these rankings and to see what other cities made the larger top 40 list, head to Money.co.uk.

Jessica Poitevien is a Travel + Leisure contributor currently based in South Florida, but always on the lookout for the next adventure. Besides traveling, she loves baking, talking to strangers, and taking long walks on the beach. Follow her adventures on Instagram.