Noise is often the unnoticed backdrop of modern life. It is the invisible presence that shapes our cities and our sanity, creeping in through car horns, construction sites, crowded sidewalks, and restless nightlife. But across the globe, there are some cities that defy this norm, where the ambient sound levels make life incredibly bearable and even (dare we say) comfortable.
A city’s ambient noise level is typically measured in decibels (dB), and cities around the world tend to average around 85 dB, but some areas (especially in city centers) can exceed 90 db! To compare, experts recommend that office spaces should maintain a noise level of 45 dB, which means that many urban areas have more than double this value.
So, which cities around the world boast the quietest environments? Click through this gallery to find out.