If you want to be alone: the best places in Europe for a quiet vacation

The fast pace of modern life makes us look for a relaxed and even secluded vacation. And seven out of the ten best places for this are in Europe.

This is evidenced by the results of a new study published by Euronews. Moreover, a significant part of these quiet and peaceful countries are located in the north and overtake warmer Mediterranean destinations due to their rich culture of wellness, safety, and tradition of silence.

A total of 76 countries were included in the study. They were analyzed according to the Global Relaxation Index based on five key factors. These factors include safety, privacy, tranquility, nature, and wellness. The assessment was based on the country's forested area, crowd density, noise pollution, and availability of recreational activities. Each destination was then given a score from 1 to 100.

Iceland scored near-perfect marks for its safety and tranquility, ranking third and becoming the highest scoring European country. The sparsely populated island nation is replete with volcanoes, natural hot springs, and the mesmerizing northern lights.

Finland was not far behind, taking fourth place. Like Iceland, it has a population density below 20 people per square kilometer. Other leading destinations for secluded getaways in Europe were Austria, which took 6th place, Sweden (7th place), Estonia (8th place), Norway (9th place), and Portugal (10th place). This group of countries was included in the ranking not because of their wildlife, but because of smart green cities, a more measured lifestyle, and a wealth of healthy lifestyle traditions.

Australia took the first position in the list. Experts compared it to a popular European country, Italy, which took the 30th position on the list. The southern continent has an area 25 times larger, but 50 million fewer annual visitors.

Canada, the only North American destination at the top of the list, was ranked second. This is because the country offers its guests more than 4700 wellness treatments, 34.8% forest cover, and incredible natural wonders such as the northern lights.

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