After talking about the Best US Cities To Play In For Parkour Enthusiasts, it is time to see what Europe has to offer for parkour enthusiasts. From Greece to UK and from Spain to France, parkour enthusiasts can practice their flips and tricks in some wonderful cities across Europe so let’s see what the best European cities are for parkour enthusiasts.
London, UK
South Bank, an entertainment and commercial district in London, is considered one of the best places for parkour in the UK. South Bank is also the biggest place where people can practice free running. The concrete architecture, the climbing spots and the numerous stairs in South Bank make this London place amazing for those who want to practice their expert skills.
But London has many other corners, buildings and places where parkour enthusiasts can practice. If South Bank can be considered great for experts, other places are just perfect for beginners. UK’s capital is a friendly city for those who love to test their parkour skills.
Brighton, UK
Brighton is another destination in the UK that is perfect for free running. The seaside town offers diverse options for those who want to practice their skills here. Those who want to practice leaps and drop offs can head towards the beach and stay as long as they want. The old pylons, the walls and the bandstands railings on the coast provide parkour enthusiasts with many options for precision practice.
The liberal, artsy town embraces new sports so parkour enthusiasts do not have to worry they will be stopped during their practice.
Paris, France
888 of the most challenging 3000 free runner spots in the world are located in France and 151 of them in Paris, not to mention that the varied architectural style of the Parisian buildings can offer even more challenges. Paris is Paris and by that we mean the free spirit of the people living there is another reason the city is a mecca for free runners. Make sure you stay away from the tourist spots since they are usually very crowded and you won’t be able to practice your skills. Also, using the city’s landmarks for parkour is a big no-no but other than that, free runners are free to practice as long as they want.
Santorini, Greece
Santorini is a city with a vertical structure that makes it perfect for parkour. The Art of Motion, the free running competition organized by Red Bull, takes place every year in Santorini and this should tell you something about how wonderful this Greek city is for parkour enthusiasts. The views and coastline are also stunning so make sure you add Santorini to your summer vacation list if you practice parkour.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid has some wonderful parkour spots for all experience levels and free runners can enjoy the nice rails, the play parks and the wall pops, plus the local parkour community is pretty active. Free runners who love a good set of stairs can head over to Plaza de Santo Domingo, a place with different opportunities to practice their skills. Another different but wonderful place is Palacio, a wider space that allows parkour enthusiasts to practice and there is even some grass for those who want to experiment some backflips.
Those who really want to get home extra tired should visit Acacias – a place with stairways, many walls and rails. After a few hours of twisting and turning here even the most experienced free runner will be tired but happy.
