Routes by terrain

Hard ground, kerbs, doorways, crossings. City walking is the noisiest of the four and the one that rewards attention most, because almost everything in it is man-made and can be counted.

1. 11 Edinburgh Old Town — Closes and the Castle Descent Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom · 3 km · 75 min · Medium
2. 8 Lisbon Alfama — Escadinhas to Miradouro Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal · 2.4 km · 80 min · Slow
3. 5 Valletta — Collachio Steps to Hastings Garden Valletta, Malta · 2.1 km · 70 min · Slow
4. 4 Yanaka Backstreets — Cemetery Terrace to SCAI the Bathhouse Yanaka, Taito Ward, Tokyo, Japan · 2.7 km · 75 min · Slow

Mown grass, gravel and a perimeter you can usually see the whole of. Parks are the easiest place to learn the script, because the route repeats itself and you cannot get lost.

1. 13 Shinjuku Gyoen Lawn Loop Shinjuku Gyoen, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan · 3.5 km · 70 min · Medium
2. 9 Central Park Ramble — Woodland Tangle The Ramble, Central Park, New York City, United States · 3.3 km · 75 min · Slow
3. 6 Tiergarten Diagonal — Spree to Landwehrkanal Tiergarten, Mitte, Berlin, Germany · 5.2 km · 90 min · Medium
4. 2 Kyoto Imperial Park Gravel Circuit Kyoto Gyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan · 4 km · 85 min · Slow

Roots, leaf litter, dappled light. Forest routes ask you to slow down for footing and then give you the most to hear, since the canopy takes the wind and hands it back in pieces.

1. 12 Yakushima Moss Corridor — Arakawa Headwater Trail Arakawa trailhead, Yakushima, Kagoshima, Japan · 3.1 km · 95 min · Slow
2. 1 Nikko Cedar Avenue — Imaichi Segment Nikko Kaido, Imaichi, Tochigi, Japan · 2.6 km · 65 min · Slow

An edge, a railing, a long level stretch. Water routes are the flattest here, and the only ones where the sound of the ground is replaced by the sound of something moving past it.

1. 10 Copenhagen Harbour — Islands Brygge to Kalvebod Bølge Copenhagen Harbour, Denmark · 3.9 km · 80 min · Medium
2. 7 Zurichsee Promenade — Quaibrücke to Tiefenbrunnen Lake Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland · 4.4 km · 85 min · Medium
3. 3 Lake Bled Shoreline Path Lake Bled, Gorenjska, Slovenia · 3.8 km · 90 min · Slow