New GoStudent study reveals where children have the best opportunities to learn outside the classroom

• Outside of the UK’s capital cities, Glasgow is the cultural capital of the UK, with almost 100 museums and affordable options for children and families
• Liverpool is home to the most affordable cultural experiences in the UK
• Rome was named Europe’s leading cultural capital city for children, with more than 400 museums and the highest number of UNESCO sites

Museums, historic landmarks, creative spaces and city heritage give young people opportunities to explore ideas, build confidence and develop empathy. Yet access to these opportunities varies dramatically across the UK and Europe.

To identify the UK cities and European capitals that offer the strongest environments for cultural learning, GoStudent analysed a range of indicators, including the number of museums and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the availability and quality of cultural tours, and overall affordability. These metrics were indexed, revealing Glasgow as the UK’s cultural capital (outside of the capital cities of London, Edinburgh and Belfast) while Liverpool emerges as the country’s most affordable cultural city.

Cities like Belfast, Glasgow and Liverpool deliver rich cultural experiences with lower costs and fewer barriers for families

Cities were ranked by analysing multiple data points. Each metric was indexed to allow fair comparison, and the combined average of these scores determined each city’s final position. Table highlights the top 10 cities.

* Note: This reflects an average price of all tours available, but tours are available for a range of budgets

London and Edinburgh both rank highly, reflecting the scale and historic investment typical of capital cities. However, smaller cities across the UK boast rich cultural experiences with lower costs, fewer crowds and strong opportunities for young people to learn through exploration, walkable heritage areas and family-friendly attractions. 

These cities turn everyday streets, galleries and historic buildings into hands-on learning environments. 

Glasgow stands out as the most culturally rich city (excluding the UK’s capitals), combining scale with exceptional free access, showing you don’t need capital city status to provide incredible cultural experiences. The city is home to more than 90 museums, the majority of which are free to enter, alongside nearly 5,000 listed buildings. For families, cultural highlights include the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Riverside Museum, both free to visit and designed to encourage interactive learning for children.

Liverpool is revealed as the most affordable cultural city in the UK, delivering some of the best value for families. It offers exceptional budget-friendly days out, through free museums, high-quality yet affordable cultural tours and low transport costs. Many of the city's cultural highlights, including the Museum of Liverpool, are free to visit and include dedicated children’s spaces such as Little Liverpool, an interactive gallery designed specifically for younger visitors.

It’s also worth noting that, whilst a capital city, Belfast also performs strongly thanks to its growing number of museums and cultural attractions, many of which offer free or low-cost entry. Compact distances and affordable transport make it easy for families to explore Northern Ireland’s capital, cultural and industrial history in a single day.

Rome takes first place for Europe’s capitals with 421 museums, 3,149 highly rated cultural tours and 164 UNESCO sites

Cities were ranked by analysing multiple data points. Each metric was indexed to allow fair comparison, and the combined average of these scores determined each city’s final position. Table highlights the top 10 cities.

* Note: This reflects an average price of all tours available, but tours are available for a range of budgets

Rome takes first place in the European capital city ranking. Many major attractions are free or heavily discounted for children, including free entry for under-18s to state-run museums and archaeological sites, while iconic landmarks such as the Pantheon, public piazzas and historic streets act as open-air classrooms at no cost. Public transport remains affordable, which supports access for families and students.

Paris follows closely, offering free admission for under-18s at many major museums, including the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, alongside free permanent collections at venues such as the Petit Palais. The city’s gardens, river walks and historic neighbourhoods provide additional low-cost ways for children to engage with art, architecture and history, making Paris an iconic yet approachable destination for young learners.

Prague stands out for accessibility, combining affordability with easy access. Children under 14 travel free on public transport, while many museums and historic attractions offer free or reduced entry for children, including free access to National Gallery permanent collections for under-26s.  The city’s compact layout also means cultural learning is never far away.

Other notable cities include Lisbon, with more than 1,800 highly rated cultural tours, and Riga, which offers a surprisingly rich heritage landscape. Budapest also ranks strongly due to its low cultural costs.

Cultural access shapes childhood development, according to GoStudent experts

Felix Ohswald, CEO and Co-Founder at GoStudent, explains why cultural access plays such a significant role in childhood learning:

“Every child learns in their own wonderfully unique way, and much of that learning happens outside the classroom. When young people explore museums, walk through historic neighbourhoods or join local cultural activities, they begin to understand themselves and the world around them in a deeper way. It’s important to encourage children to engage with the culture and history that surrounds them, and luckily, the UK is home to a plethora of these opportunities.”

“Culture should feel welcoming and accessible. When cities invest in cultural experiences that are easy for families to reach, they open the door for children to develop curiosity, empathy and confidence, which stay with them for life.”

About GoStudent:
GoStudent is one of the world’s leading tutoring providers and education platforms. Founded in Vienna, Austria, in 2016 by Felix Ohswald (CEO) and Gregor Müller (COO), the venture-backed unicorn has raised more than €675m from investors including Prosus, Left Lane Capital and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Believing the future of education is hybrid, GoStudent has expanded its offering with the acquisition of Seneca Learning and Tus Media, as well as European tuition centres Studienkreis and LernQuadrat. This is further complemented by the recent opening of GoStudent Tuition Centres across Europe, including in Milan, Vienna, Madrid, Lyon and Istanbul.Together, these companies aim to unite the best of digital and in-person learning to unlock every child's potential. Across its portfolio, GoStudent supports more than 10 million families each month. Learn more here: www.gostudent.org/en-gb/   

Sources and methodology 

• Number of museums – Tripadvisor
• Number of cultural and historical tours and average prices – Tripadvisor
• Number of World Heritage Sites – UNESCO
• % of young people per country –  eurostat
• % of young people per country (England) - .GOV
• Cost of a one-way ticket - numbeo
• Number of listed buildings - British Listed Buildings
• % of young people (Wales) - .GOV
• % of young people (Scotland) - National records of Scotland
• % of young people (Belfast) - Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency