What walkability actually means
Compact city center (under 4km diameter), pedestrianized core streets, dense sights/shops/restaurants per kilometer, separated pavements, low car traffic in tourist zones. Hills can disqualify; bad pavements (Naples) make walking hostile. Below are the cities that genuinely deliver.
Florence
Florence the textbook case. Centro Storico is 1.5km × 1km — every major sight (Duomo, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Santa Croce) within 20-min walk of any other. Mostly flat. Pedestrianized ZTL zones in old town. Santa Maria Novella station within walk of all hotels.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh compact Old Town + New Town walkable in single day. Royal Mile is a 1.6km spine connecting Castle and Holyrood. Pavements wide, traffic moderate. Hills in places (Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat) but core flat-ish.
Lisbon
Lisbon walkable but hilly. Compensating: trams (28, 12) supplement walking; funiculars handle steepest streets. Cobblestones tough on knees over multi-hour walks. Rewards good shoes and pacing.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam flat, dense, canal-grid easy to navigate, trams supplement walking. Bicycle traffic the main hazard — distinguish bike lane from pavement.
Vienna
Vienna Innere Stadt + Ring walkable in half-day. Pristine pavements. Some tram help across the Ring. Larger than Florence so 2 days minimum to explore at walking pace.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen compact center + bike-and-walk culture. Strøget pedestrian street is one of Europe's longest. Flat. Cold winters limit October–March walkability.
Cities to skip if walking matters
Naples (suicidal pavements), Athens (chaotic), Rome (overwhelming, hot summer), Madrid (vast). All are still doable; just less walking-pleasant.
Strategy
Plan loops, not radial walks. Café-rest every 90 minutes prevents overdoing. Cycling guide for the bike-share companion.