The world’s most scenic country is located a stone’s throw from the UK, a study has revealed. While the UK is home to some incredible scenery, it is also not too far from some of the most breathtaking sites in all of Europe. According to a study by DiscoverCars.com, the world’s most scenic country is the UK’s next-door neighbour, with which it actually shares a border. Ireland was named the most scenic country in the world.
The study involved data from a recent customer survey that asked people questions about the views they saw on their travels. Respondents rated the views of the location they visited on a scale of 1-10, and more than 6,000 people responded. Only international visitors’ responses were considered. “We wanted to see where in the world has the most picturesque views according to our customers,” said Aleksandrs Buraks, Head of Growth at DiscoverCars.com. “One of the best parts about going on holiday is taking in the sights and scenery that you don’t see every day.”
Ireland is home to an amazing coastline (Image: Getty)
The island of Ireland primarily consists of the Republic of Ireland, along with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. In the republic, some of the most popular attractions are in the country’s capital, Dublin.
However, the true charm of Ireland is found in its countryside. In the East of the country, you have the incredible glacial valley of Glendalough in County Wicklow. South of that, there is the Copper Coast of County Waterford, and to the West, there is the famous Wild Atlantic Way.
Perhaps the most famous natural scenes in Ireland include the Cliffs of Moher, which you might recognise from several Hollywood movies and TV shows.
While these cliffs are impressive, they are not the tallest in the country. In fact, Ireland is home to the tallest sea cliffs in Europe. The Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) Cliffs in County Donegal stand at an incredible height of nearly 2,000 feet.
The Sliabh Liag cliffs are the tallest sea cliffs in Europe (Image: Getty)
Other notable places across the Republic of Ireland include the Ring of Kerry and Killarney National Park, both of which have incredible coastal and mountainous scenery. Meanwhile, the coastal trails of West Cork also prove popular with visitors from abroad.
There is also The Burren, an incredible limestone landscape that almost looks otherworldly. Connemara National Park is also a highlight in Ireland and is easily explored from nearby Galway City.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is home to scenic spots such as the Giant’s Causeway and the North Antrim coast.
Ireland received a score of 9.52 out of 10 from international visitors who took part in the survey, the highest out of any country mentioned in the study. It beat out stiff competition like New Zealand, Portugal, the UK and Croatia.
The Cliffs of Moher is one of Ireland’s most famous scenes (Image: Getty)
New Zealand placed second, wth a score of 9.43 out of 10. Meanwhile, Portugal and the United Kingdom were tied in third place, while Croatia and Greece were tied for fourth.
The rest of the top 10 list was made up of Poland and Italy in shared fifth place, Cyprus in sixth, France in seventh, Spain in eighth, the United States in ninth, and Mauritius in 10th.
Only locations that received at least 50 responses from participants were included in the study. “We found that there were several ties in our top 5 ranking, with plenty of locations across Europe making up the majority of the list,” Buraks said. “Ireland took the top spot, though, which is no surprise as the Emerald Isle is full of natural beauty and landscapes that wow visitors.”