Abdelhak Senna / AFP/Getty Images

Any meander in Marrakesh should start in the famous square of Djema El Fna, with its storytellers, snake charmers, henna artists and smoky ad hoc kitchens.

As any traveler worth their soles knows, to walk around a city is to experience its true essence. “Your brain functions quite differently when you walk,” says Scott Bricker, director of America Walks, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health benefits of putting one foot in front of the other. “It’s good for your health, both physical and mental, and good for your fellow man, because you engage with the community you’re walking among.”

Slideshow: See the world's top walking cities

Pretty much any city can be experienced on foot, as the hordes of multilingual tour groups thronging the European capitals will attest. But what is it exactly that makes a city perfect for strolling? Is it a certain sort of pedestrian-friendly urban design? The streetscapes themselves, with their distinctive architecture and attractions? The climate? The warmth and vibrancy of the residents? Or is it perhaps something more ephemeral?

Of course, there are obvious peripatetic pleasures that most good walking cities have in common. A sense of history, gorgeous buildings and must-see landmarks (or views) all make for an experience better savored on foot. There’s also a specific kind of commerce that helps make a cityscape charming to explore by walking — like the ubiquitous sidewalk cafés without which cities like Paris, Vienna and Venice would be lesser versions of themselves.

Sometimes, though, it’s the less tangible things that make walking through the world’s urban centers uniquely fascinating. Like the smells of baking pan quotidien that emanate from countless boulangeries in early morning Paris, or the way the light glitters and reflects off of Tokyo’s glass skyscrapers. Or simply the childlike joy many of us feel when set loose in a strange, labyrinthine streetscape that promises adventure and the chance to get wonderfully lost. (Buon giorno, Venice!)

More and more cities these days seem to be inviting pedestrian exploration. Metropolises that have traditionally seemed daunting to walkers are reinventing themselves as strolling cities par excellence — for example, Cape Town (now luring visitors with new waterfront walking routes) and Hong Kong (with its leafy urban walking trails). Even Los Angeles and Atlanta — “two cities renowned for car culture,” as Bricker notes — are revitalizing their downtown areas to encourage walking.

From the High Line to Harajuku, we’ve found the world’s best urban environments in which to lose yourself for a few hours (or days), complete with iconic routes to explore.

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Slideshow: Great Northwest

Steve Terrill / Corbis

Rain forests, waterfalls, riverfronts and gardens are just a few elements that make Portland, Ore., a stunning place to visit.

Launch slideshow

San Francisco has a nationwide reputation for sustainable dining, but that’s not enough for many of its restaurants, which go to extra lengths to demonstrate their green practices.

Slideshow: See where the greenest cities are

“I’ve been handed a two-page printout, detailing how a particular fish came to be on my table,” says Michael McColl, the Bay Area founder of Ecotourism-Newswire.com.

Such attention to detail helps explain how San Francisco secured its spot among the top 10 of America’s Greenest Cities, according to the Travel + Leisure community. As part of the annual America’s Favorite Cities survey, readers ranked 35 metropolitan areas on a variety of travel-friendly qualities, from hotels to local microbrews and good wireless coverage.

To determine the greenest cities, we tallied the results from three survey categories: cleanliness, pedestrian-friendliness and public transit, and great public parks, which offset that urban asphalt and improve air quality. The high-ranking cities support other green initiatives that benefit travelers as well as locals: in Denver, the Brown Palace Hotel uses water from its own artesian well. Minneapolis offers cheap, easy-access bike rentals.

Then there’s Portland, Ore., rated America’s No. 1 greenest city, where every day feels like Earth Day. One fourth of the city is shaded by tree canopy, and the ground itself features 288 parks. The Heathman Hotel, near light-rail and streetcar stops, completed a green overhaul and now even recycles “gently used” soap and shampoos, having them treated before sending them to area shelters.

Editor’s note: This story originally included a photo of No. 7 Portland, Maine, instead of Portland, Ore. Msnbc.com regrets the error.

Other American cities, of course, are eco-friendly in ways that aren’t always readily obvious. In a Siemens 2011 study that measured CO2 emissions, land use, air quality, and environmental governance, San Francisco came out on top — the city currently recycles 78 percent of its waste — and New York City ranked in the top 3 for its efficient land use and mass transit.

The Big Apple, however, didn’t crack the top 20 with Travel + Leisure voters, who were perhaps distracted by a rude welcome or subway stations in need of a good scrubbing. To be fair, the survey is based on readers’ perceptions, which can be skewed, and may not take into account recent improvements like New York’s expanding bike lanes and the High Line, a former rail track converted into an extraordinary park.

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While the Eiffel Tower shouts romance, much of the city's appeal lies in everyday attractions, from patisseries and chocolate shops to the Art Nouveau metro entrances.

From the Victorian inns of San Francisco to the teahouses of Kyoto, the world is full of romantic destinations. Although Paris is the obvious choice, there are many other cities (domestic and exotic) where the vistas, architecture and food can inspire passion and even marriage proposals.

Slideshow: See which cities are the most romantic cities

The qualities that make a city romantic are subjective. For some people, nothing surpasses Buenos Aires’s tango clubs and cutting-edge restaurants. Visitors can stay in the Palermo Soho neighborhood at 1555 Malabia House, which was originally built as a 19^th-century convent and is now considered Argentina’s first designer B&B.

For dinner, the unmarked entrance to Tegui is hidden by graffiti, but once inside, you’ll find ambitious, locally sourced cuisine from hotshot chef German Martitegui.

Other travelers may be seduced by Fez. Morocco’s ancient fortress city has maze-like alleyways lined with mysterious windowless shops, tiled mosques, tea gardens and souks overflowing with fruits, spices and nuts.

Once the summer palace of a Moroccan pasha, the carefully restored Le Jardin des Biehn now welcomes hotel guests with a hammam, gallery space and large Andalusian-style garden.

Cecile Houizot-Nanot’s Fes et Gestes is another find in Fez. Housed in an old French colonial building with a high-walled garden, the restaurant is known for its traditional Moroccan tea service and tagines.

In Europe, Budapest offers architectural beauty and thermal baths; Paris, chocolatiers’ windows and the Seine at night. 

From great food to magnificent ruins, fabulous nightclubs to medieval streets, the most romantic cities have one thing in common: They’ll keep you in the mood for love. 

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Cameron Neilson / Courtesy of Hotel Terra

The Hotel Terra in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is ideally located for outdoor fun and exploration.

In great American cities where active lifestyles intersect with delicious food, it’s possible to plan a trip that’s both healthy and great fun. Walking often provides leisurely exercise for travelers, but fantastic hotels are making it easier for guests to stop feeling like tourists and explore outdoor attractions like locals. 

Slideshow: See the healthiest cities to visit

To take advantage of Portland, Oregon’s extensive bike paths, the trendy Ace Hotel established a free bicycle-lending program. The city also maintains an impressive variety of parks, from the world’s smallest (the 24-square-inch Mill Ends Park) to 5,000-acre Forest Park, where visitors can run, hike or mountain bike on 75 miles of trails. Wildlife watchers walk along the paved Interlakes Trail at Smith and Bybee lakes — the largest protected wetlands in an American city. Nearby, Alder Creek’s Jantzen Beach Store offers classes and rentals for kayaking on Columbia River.

After spending all day paddling and traipsing through city parks, Portland visitors will find a thriving dining scene, where, as in many of the country’s buzziest restaurants, the emphasis is on local ingredients. Everything at Park Kitchen chef Scott Dolich’s tavern The Bent Brick is from the Pacific Northwest. Dolich focuses on vegetables in small plates, like parsnips and carrots with rye berries, brown butter and sage. Even his cocktail program relies on locally made spirits.

Jackson Hole, Wyo., a serious winter-sport destination, is known for daredevil ski runs and powdery snow. Its deluxe spas and picturesque Teton Mountain setting make it a perfect spot for R&R as well. The boutique Hotel Terra couldn’t be better-located for active travelers: It’s an hour’s drive from Yellowstone National Park, less than a mile from Grand Teton National Park and nestled right near Jackson Hole’s major ski lifts.

For a warmer winter escape, Honolulu promises gorgeous lagoons, waterfalls and camera-ready beaches. "Lost" was filmed at Diamond Head, a must-climb volcano with amazing views of Waikiki Beach. Surfing beginners can test Oahu’s waves after taking lessons at Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf School.

Meanwhile, seafood is abundant for healthful meals. At the Royal Hawaiian hotel, Azure’s chefs hit the Honolulu Fish Auction at 5:30 every morning to choose from the daily catch, like opakapaka (pink snapper) roasted with white wine, Meyer lemon and fresh herbs.

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Which is worse when you’re traveling: the local driver who blithely cuts you off in traffic or the surly cabbie who gives you attitude right to your face?

Slideshow: See where the rudest reside

Such skirmishes no doubt fueled this year’s America’s Rudest Cities contest, voted on by Travel + Leisure readers. Three-time-champion Los Angeles, home of road rage, went head-to-head with classically brusque East Coast cities such as Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. — all of which landed in the top five.

New York ultimately claimed the title of No. 1 rudest city, a dubious award determined as part of T+L’s annual America’s Favorite Cities survey, in which readers rank 35 major cities in categories such as the best pizza, the most pedestrian-friendly streets, and even the most reliable wireless coverage.

A look at this year’s rudest top 20 reveals one overarching trend: the bigger the city, the bigger the attitude — or at least its perceived attitude. “People in big cities tend to be very direct,” says Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and owner of Protocol Etiquette School of Texas. While that alone can be fine, she adds, “it’s no excuse for being rude. ”

Smaller cities often have a slower pace, which may help explain why New Orleans, Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., all ranked in the top five for friendliness. They are also literally warmer cities, which may further mellow the locals.

But don’t give too much credit to southern hospitality. Atlanta made it into the rudest top 10 — perhaps because it’s a sprawling metropolis, or because visitors expected more charm from the Georgian capital. Similarly, some visitors assume that they’ll get an all-smiles welcome in Orlando; any subsequent disappointment helped land the city at a grumpy No. 9.

New Yorkers, meanwhile, have long endured the notion that everyone expects them to be hostile. But are they just misunderstood?

Tips Images / Tips Italia Srl A / Alamy

People are always rushing about in New York City, giving many the impression of rudeness.

“People in New York are constantly in a rush,” says Big Apple manners expert Thomas P. Farley, who writes the blog What Manners Most. “Certainly, they don’t linger on corners smiling, waving and waiting to help people. But once you’ve stopped a New Yorker and asked them for directions, they’re usually more than helpful.”

And if someone gives you guff anyway? “Move on,” says Gottsman. “You can’t take it personally. If you do, then you start getting rude.”

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Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd. / Alamy

Salt Lake City is a prime hub for skiing, in part because you can stay downtown and drive a half hour to the slopes.

This winter’s forecast: plenty of snow, and even more travelers fleeing it.

Slideshow: Where the hot spots for winter travel are

That’s the message, at least, in this year’s America’s Favorite Cities survey. Every year, Travel + Leisure readers vote on dozens of qualities in 35 U.S. cities — from the best microbrews and museums to the most pet-friendly vacations.

Last year, Salt Lake City took the gold medal in the winter category, but this year, the snowy Utah city — along with Denver — skidded down the mountain of readers’ affections, while warmer cities took their places, literally, in the sun. Compounding the situation, "The Farmers’ Almanac" is predicting another big-snow winter for parts of the U.S., especially in the Northeast.

“More people appear to be flocking to warmer climates,” confirms Suffolk County, N.Y., travel agent Tim Joseph, who is seeing an uptick in snowbird-style bookings for this winter. “But I suspect it has as much to do with the weather as the economy.” Caribbean destinations, he points out, offer many affordable all-inclusive resorts — and that’s one reason he loves Puerto Rico’s San Juan, a top 5 city in the survey. “It’s also a real foodie city, and it’s still relatively low on the list for many travelers, so it’s not too crowded.”

San Juan may be getting a little more crowded this year, along with classic snowbird destinations such as Miami, Honolulu and Phoenix, which all landed in the top 10. Winter-frigid Anchorage, Minneapolis and Chicago occupied the bottom slots out of the 35.

Yet it’s worth noting that plenty of top 20 cities aren’t beachy paradises. Instead, they have mild winters, seasonal events and often the best prices of the year. Take Houston — which barreled into the top 10 this year — where cooler temps, along with the world’s biggest rodeo championship, make the city come alive.

In other top 20 cities, winter just means having the city to yourself. You’ll find shorter lines at theme parks in Orlando and San Diego, and you’ll have an easier time getting tables at hot restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

“I’m not looking for 90-degree beach weather,” says publicist Sue Jean Chun, who regularly goes to New Orleans during winter — though not for Mardi Gras. “I just want a city where food and music are the focus.”

The Connecticut resident also enjoys another simple winter pleasure in the Crescent City: “being able to walk out the door in jeans and a light sweater,” she says, “rather than a puffy jacket and beat-up boots.”

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Philadelphia is a sandwich town, and its famously rowdy fans go for local favorites such as cheese steaks, meatball subs and hoagies.

The term refers to partying in a parking lot, but college and NFL football fans across the country treat tailgating as over-the-top celebrations with enviable food.

Slideshow: Where the best tailgating cities are

"We want to dispel the notion that it's a college kegger party," says Paula Dillon, a Chicago Bears season-ticket holder who, with her husband, John, has been tailgating outside of Soldier Field for close to two decades. Despite their allegiance to the Bears, the Dillons plan menus that reference the visiting team, like barbecue when the Kansas City Chiefs come to town.

Cooking food influenced by the opposition is common practice, but stadium-goers also prepare their own regional tailgate foods among the ubiquitous hot dogs, burgers and grilled steaks. Patriots fans take pride in bringing New England seafood; Mexican food dominates at Chargers games in San Diego; and Southern tailgaters, like those on Duke University's campus in Durham, N.C., favor fried chicken, deviled eggs and hush puppies.

The recurring theme across tailgating scenes nationwide: devotion — not just to football teams, but also to the pregame tradition. Loyal fans like to make the case that their city pioneered tailgating: "We have some unscientific evidence that it was invented here," says Aaron Popkey, a Green Bay Packers spokesman.

Perhaps the strongest arguments come from the students of the University of Mississippi. Ole Miss calls its dedicated tailgating grounds The Grove; fans serve fried chicken on silver platters, and it's not uncommon to see students tailgating in their Sunday best: dresses and high heels, suits and ties. Alumni even talk about the venue in spiritual terms: "You've probably heard it called 'the holy grail of tailgating' or 'the Mecca of tailgating' or some other religious metaphor that, in truth, is not overblown," says alum Matt Eichelberger.

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