A New Analysis Looks at Europe’s Most Supportive Cities for Well-being

Wellness is no longer a luxury reserved for a select few—it has become a defining part of modern lifestyle culture. More people than ever are adopting routines that support physical and mental well-being, aiming for long-term vitality. Globally, 55 percent of consumers say they are willing to spend over $100 per month on self-care, reflecting a growing commitment to both body and mind [1].

Celebrity habits have only amplified this trend. Paris Hilton’s home wellness and spa room, designed as a personal longevity hub, made headlines—but it reflects a broader shift. People everywhere are seeking accessible, evidence-based ways to feel better, recover faster, and live longer [2]. The question is no longer whether this matters, but how easy it is to put it into practice.

How accessible everyday well-being is depends a lot on where you live. A city’s mix of facilities, clean air, green space, and cultural acceptance determines whether healthy routines are effortless or a constant effort. To show where wellness amenities are most accessible across Europe, health experts from Drip Hydration evaluated 25 European cities using a seven-factor Wellness Index that measures spa & wellness facilities, thermal springs access, outdoor fitness facilities, overall life satisfaction, access to green spaces, alternative wellness facilities, yoga & meditation facilities, and air quality. The result is a snapshot of where Europe makes everyday wellness most possible—and where it remains out of reach.

Dr. Neal Kumar, a board-certified dermatologist with an MBA in health management and co-founder of ConciergeMD, explains:

“Investing in one’s personal well-being is an essential part of the broader longevity movement, helping people live healthier, longer lives. But wellness isn’t built on premium treatments alone. Cities with clean air, ample green spaces, public workout facilities, and high life satisfaction give residents a strong foundation for health. Pair that with accessible wellness services—from spas to yoga studios—and healthy living becomes the default, not the exception.”

Gstaad Sets the Benchmark for Urban Wellness in Europe

Leading the ranking is Gstaad, a luxurious Swiss mountain village celebrated as a high-end wellness destination. Residents and visitors enjoy a unique combination of world-class spa experiences, including thermal baths, saunas, and specialized treatments, along with abundant opportunities to connect with nature through activities such as walking, hiking, or skiing. The small town is home to iconic wellness destinations like the Palace Spa, set in a fairytale-like palace with unparalleled views of the Swiss Alps.

With a life satisfaction score of nearly seven, Gstaad ranks among the happiest cities in Europe. Its high amount of yoga and meditation offerings enhances the calming, restorative atmosphere. The air in Gstaad is exceptionally pure, with one of the lowest levels of tiny airborne particles anywhere in Europe. Breathing this pure air helps reduce the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, supports cognitive function, improves sleep, and boosts overall mood and energy levels.

Gstaad sets the benchmark for urban wellness. It demonstrates that luxury can go hand in hand with serious wellness credentials. The town offers not just a retreat, but a holistic environment where healthy living is fully integrated into daily life.

Mykonos Takes the Crown as Europe’s Spa Capital

Mykonos leads Europe in spa density, with 51 spas per 10,000 residents, unmatched across the continent. Ranked third overall, the island is more than a summer getaway. Beyond its world-class spas, Mykonos is also among the spots with the highest amount of yoga and meditation facilities, offering residents and visitors ample opportunities to nurture both body and mind. The island also achieves the best score for air quality, providing a clean, refreshing environment that enhances wellness naturally. From cliffside hammams with views of the Aegean to boutique wellness retreats tucked into whitewashed alleys, Mykonos demonstrates that relaxation can be both luxurious and culturally immersive. Its spa culture blends ancient Greek bathing traditions with modern wellness trends, creating an atmosphere where recovery feels as effortless and natural as the sea breeze.

Zurich, Vienna & Budapest Are The Best Cities For Thermal Bath Experiences

Zurich, Vienna, and Budapest stand out as Europe’s leading thermal-spring capitals. Each scores a 3 on our “spring scale,” meaning they all have good local accessibility of thermal springs. These geothermal resources are more than a scenic feature; they are part of a long-standing wellness culture supported by medical research. Studies have shown that bathing in mineral-rich thermal water can ease chronic back pain and improve mobility [3]. There is also evidence that bathing in hot springs can help improve symptoms of osteoarthritis, including reduced inflammation and enhanced joint mobility [4]. These cities are great examples of how natural resources can strongly shape the wellness experience, offering benefits that even high-end spas can’t replicate.

Stockholm Tops Life Satisfaction Rankings

Spas and sports facilities matter, but they don’t tell us whether people actually experience well-being day to day. Life satisfaction fills that gap by measuring how residents feel about their lives—an essential indicator of whether an environment truly supports long-term wellness.

Based on data from the World Happiness Report, which surveys 140 countries annually, the scores indicate how satisfied people in each country are with their quality of life.

Among the cities analyzed in this study, Stockholm ranks highest with a score of 7.3. This underscores that the conditions shaping everyday life, including emotional stability, social support, and overall life satisfaction, can be just as influential for well-being as physical wellness infrastructure. At the other end of the spectrum, Istanbul takes last place with a score of 5.3, highlighting the wide variation in how people experience daily life across European cities.

Despite Its Glamour, Milan Ranks Low on Wellness and Air Quality

Although Italy records a life satisfaction level of 6.4, suggesting an overall well-being among its residents, satisfaction alone doesn’t create a wellness-friendly environment. Compared with other European wellness destinations, Milan ranks near the bottom. Spa access is limited, with only two spas available for every 10,000 residents, making relaxation harder to find than in many other European hubs. Outdoor exercise spaces and yoga or meditation facilities are also scarce. Air quality poses an even bigger challenge: PM2.5 levels average 20.4, high enough to noticeably affect daily well-being, especially for people with respiratory sensitivities. Florence leads Italian cities with the most well-rounded wellness profile, but even so, it ranks only 18th overall in Europe. The Italian art capital offers slightly better access to spas (three per 10,000 residents), a wider range of modern wellness facilities, and more opportunities for green-space time or
mindfulness activities. While it’s far from the top performers, compared with Milan, Florence feels more balanced and supportive of everyday wellness.

Tenerife Takes Spain’s Top Spot for Everyday Well-being

Tenerife ranks 8th in the European Wellness Capitals index, making it Spain’s strongest performer. The island has two spas per 10,000 residents, offering locals and visitors easy access to traditional relaxation services. It also provides a strong selection of modern wellness treatments, and seven outdoor fitness installations per 100,000 people, supporting both active and restorative lifestyles.

A key advantage is the island’s relatively clean air, with pollution levels well below those found in many major European regions. Combined with its mild climate and strong wellness infrastructure, Tenerife creates a naturally supportive environment for everyday well-being.

Istanbul Struggles to Keep Up with Wellness Leaders

Istanbul may be a vibrant megacity, but it struggles to support wellness at scale. In addition to having the lowest life satisfaction in the study, Istanbul struggles with poor air quality and limited access to green spaces, yoga studios, and meditation facilities compared to other European cities. With only 455 spas for 15 million residents, access to traditional wellness facilities is also constrained, showing that even cultural hubs face real challenges in promoting everyday well-being. Residents navigating this crowded city must work harder to find pockets of calm and spaces to recharge. Despite its fame as a travel hotspot, finding wellness in Istanbul can be challenging for visitors seeking recovery and relaxation.

Next-Generation Wellness: Where Cities Offer the Most Innovative Options

Alternative wellness services such as IV therapy, red-light therapy, cryotherapy, and pneumatic compression are rapidly shaping the future of urban wellness. Their popularity reflects growing interest in recovery, vitality, and preventive health. IV therapy delivers vitamins, minerals, and fluids directly into the bloodstream for targeted nutrient support, boosting energy, and supporting the immune system. Red-light therapy may improve skin health and support cellular repair, while cryotherapy helps reduce inflammation and post-exercise recovery. Pneumatic compression devices enhance circulation and aid muscle recovery. Together, these therapies appeal to consumers seeking tangible, rapid results within a holistic wellness approach.

In our analysis, London scores highest with a 4, reflecting both a large number of providers and the diversity of services. Cities such as Paris, Munich, Prague, and Lisbon score 3, indicating strong alternative therapy options, while Gstaad and Mykonos score 1, where experimental treatments remain rare. This demonstrates how some cities have fully embraced next-generation wellness, offering residents and visitors alike access to innovative health and recovery options.

Sources

[1] NIQ Report – 2025 Global Health & Wellness Trends
[2] Harper’s Bazaar – Inside Paris Hilton’s At-Home Beauty Spa
[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10658949/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33530266/

Methodology: How We Measured Urban Wellness

To identify Europe’s leading wellness capitals, we assessed 25 cities across eight key factors, combining infrastructure, environment, and lifestyle indicators. Each factor offers insight into how well a city supports physical health, mental well-being, and a holistic, balanced lifestyle. Cities were selected based on their existing reputation for wellness offerings and to ensure broad coverage of the European landscape.

Scoring
All factors were normalized to allow comparison between cities of different sizes, then weighted equally to create the final score. This approach balances tangible wellness infrastructure with overall quality of life, giving a well-rounded view of which European cities best support health, recovery, and well-being. The final scores were standardized from 0 – 100, with 0 being the lowest score and 100 the highest. An average score was calculated for each city to establish the final ranking.

Spa & Wellness Facilities
This factor captures the total number of spas, wellness centers, and hotels offering wellness-related services such as saunas, massages, beauty treatments, and relaxation facilities within the city limits. It reflects how accessible wellness infrastructure is to residents and visitors, and indicates the degree to which a city encourages rest, recovery, and self-care. The final scoring has been awarded for the amount of spas per 10,000 residents (Source: Tripadvisor)

Thermal Spring Access
Natural geothermal springs provide unique health benefits, from soothing sore muscles to promoting relaxation and circulation. Cities were scored based on the proximity and availability of thermal springs:

  • 3 = good availability, strong presence within city limits
  • 2 = confirmed spring within 50 km or one hour of travel
  • 1 = minor or uncertain presence
  • 0 = no accessible springs

(Source: Google Maps)

Outdoor Fitness Facilities
Public outdoor exercise installations, including fitness stations, calisthenics parks, and outdoor gyms, encourage daily physical activity and support a healthy lifestyle. We measured the number of such facilities per 100,000 residents, allowing for fair comparisons between cities of different sizes. (Source: calisthenics-parks.com)

Overall Life Satisfaction
Wellness is more than infrastructure—it is also about how people feel in their daily lives. Life satisfaction scores, drawn from the World Happiness Report, reflect residents’ overall sense of well-being, considering health, social support, safety, and fulfillment. Scored from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest), this factor captures the lived experience of wellness. (Source: World Happiness Report)

Access to Green Spaces
Access to parks, gardens, and natural habitats supports mental and physical health, encourages exercise, and provides spaces for relaxation and stress relief. Cities were scored from 1 (limited green space) to 4 (extensive, easily accessible green areas). (Source: Individual city reports)

Alternative Wellness Facilities
Next-generation wellness services—including drip hydration, cryotherapy, red-light therapy, and pneumatic compression—reflect a city’s openness to innovative, next-generation health and recovery services. Cities were scored from 1 (few providers) to 4 (many providers and a wide variety), reflecting how easily residents can explore experimental and preventive wellness options. (Source: Google Maps). This scoring was used in order to provide a realistic assessment of studio availability, as Google Maps does not display all facilities that fall under this category. The scale therefore reflects overall access rather than exact counts.

Yoga & Meditation Facilities
Mind-body practices like yoga and meditation are critical for stress management, mindfulness, and overall wellness. We measured the number of studios per capita and scored cities from 1 (limited options) to 4 (high availability), adjusted for population size. (Source: Google Maps). This scoring was used in order to provide a realistic assessment of studio availability, as Google Maps does not display all yoga or meditation facilities. The scale therefore reflects overall access rather than exact counts.

Air Quality
Clean air is fundamental to health and longevity. We used annual mean PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³) to measure levels of fine particulate matter in each city. Lower PM2.5 values correspond to cleaner air in each city and indicate healthier environments with reduced risks for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. (Source: Greenpeace Air Quality Report)