The most colourful cities in the world in pictures | Cities

Posted by Larita Shotwell on Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The most colourful cities in the world – in pictures

From the arts hub of Valparaiso to the ‘blue city’ of Jodhpur, we take a look at the neighbourhoods and cityscapes that have been transformed by colourful paint

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Tue 19 Jan 2016 02.30 EST Last modified on Wed 19 Oct 2022 11.04 EDT

  • Havana, Cuba

    Colourful buildings in the old town’s Capitol Square

  • Buenos Aires, Argentina

    The neighbourhood of La Boca is famous for its colourfully painted houses along the Caminito

  • Valparaiso, Chile

    A centre of culture and street art, Valparaiso – sometimes called ‘The Jewel of the Pacific’ – is known for its brightly coloured buildings

  • Pachuca, Mexico

    The hilltop neighbourhood of Las Palmitas in Pachuca underwent a colourful transformation when a collaborative initiative between the government and a graffiti artist collective took to the streets with paint

  • Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

    Admittedly more a small town than a city, Vernazza – along with the other Cinque Terre centres – is celebrated for its colourful array of houses

  • Jodhpur, India

    Known as the ‘blue city’, Jodhpur’s blue-coloured houses in the old city were originally painted by the Brahmin priest caste who believed the hue was auspicious. Others apparently continued to paint their homes blue to keep them cool in the heat

  • Cape Town, South Africa

    Bo-Kaap, a multicultural neighbourhood of Cape Town formerly known as the Malay Quarter, is celebrated for its picturesque colourful homes

  • Copenhagen, Denmark

    The Nyhavn waterfront is lined with brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses

  • Guanajuato, Mexico

    A Unesco World Heritage Site, Guanajuato is populated by an array of brightly coloured buildings

  • Salvador, Brazil

    A colourful cityscape in Pelourinho, a historic district of Salvador and Unesco world cultural centre

  • Chefchaouen, Morocco

    Along with Jodhpur, Chefchaouen is known as the ‘blue city’ for its painted streets and buildings, apparently originating from the belief in the holy significance of the colour (from the tekhelet dye)

  • Tirana, Albania

    Drawing on his experience as an artist, former city mayor Edi Rama tried to increase civic pride by transforming public spaces and buildings with colourful paint

  • Wroclaw, Poland

    Colourful buildings surround the city’s historic Market Square

  • San Francisco, US

    San Francisco is home both to the rainbow LGBT pride flag and a wealth of architecture and street art in multicolour
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