With over 100,000 bicycle parking spaces and well-developed cycle paths, Utrecht leads the current "Copenhagenize Index". Even a rather inconspicuous German city makes it into the top list.
I want to ride my bicycle, Freddie Mercury would probably sing at the sight of the many cities with well-developed cycle path networks. Whether for locals or travelers: bike-friendly cities are perfect places for city trips as they are usually less hectic, more sustainable and easier to explore.
Back in 2011, the Danish company "Copenhagenize" launched the Copenhagenize Index to measure how bicycle-friendly cities are worldwide. The index not only serves to make the best cycling cities visible, but also to allow cities to learn from each other and provide tools for better cycling planning.
The current issue makes it clear once again: Europe is leading the way when it comes to bicycle friendliness. Falstaff TRAVEL shows which cities made it into the top 10 and which criteria are decisive for the ranking.
For the 2025 Index, 100 cities in 44 countries were analyzed, including major cities with 250,000 inhabitants or more as well as smaller capitals with relevant bicycle use. The assessment is based on three main areas:
Infrastructure: safety and networking of cycle paths
Usage: how many people use the bike and how well the network covers them
Politics: support from city administration and planning
Within these areas, 13 individual criteria were taken into account, including cycle paths, parking facilities, bike-sharing services and specific urban planning for cycling. Each pillar could achieve a maximum of 100 points.
10th Nantes, France - 62.8 points
The French city scores particularly well with its growing cycling infrastructure and increasing numbers of cyclists.
9th Bordeaux, France - 62.9 points
Bordeaux impresses above all with its well-developed rail network and high level of use by the population.
8th Antwerp, Belgium - 64.4 points
The Belgian port city is characterized by intensive use and a dense network of cycle paths.
7th Münster, Germany - 64.7 points
Münster is known as the "cycling capital of Germany". Almost half of all journeys here are made by bike. The city benefits from its compact structure, many students and constant investment. Around two thirds of the roads are 30 km/h zones and around 40 percent have protected cycle paths.
6th Helsinki, Finland - 64.9 points
Helsinki is a pioneer when it comes to road safety; in 2025, the city reported an entire year without any traffic fatalities for the first time.
5th Paris, France - 65.0 points
The transport transition is being actively implemented in Paris. Cars are increasingly being pushed out of the city center, while the network of cycle paths is constantly growing.
4th Amsterdam, Netherlands - 66.6 points
The Dutch capital has been committed to cycling for decades and has a dense network of safe cycle paths.
3rd Ghent, Belgium - 67.6 points
Ghent has consistently expanded cycling since the early 1990s. With the "Circulation Plan", cars were diverted to ring roads, streets were calmed and cycle lanes were created - the proportion of cyclists rose from 22 to 34 percent within ten years.
2nd Copenhagen, Denmark - 70.8 points
Copenhagen has the highest density of protected cycle paths in the world and continuously invests around 38 euros per inhabitant in cycling infrastructure. Around 29 percent of all journeys are made by bicycle.
1. Utrecht, Netherlands - 71.1 points
The number one is consistently committed to bicycle-friendliness; almost a third of all journeys here are made by bike. With over 100,000 bicycle parking spaces, including the largest bicycle parking garage in the world, and urban planning "around the bicycle", Utrecht is considered a pioneer in sustainable mobility.
