What are the characteristics of a good city? In my opinion, a city that ensures its residents lead a comfortable life. Along with good roads and buildings, often overlooked part of the city infrastructure are public benches and seats. Whenever people get tired walking around, they need a place to sit. And although regular benches do serve the purpose, if designed creatively, benches can provide great physical and mental relief.

Many cities all around the world have some beautiful benches. Here are some of those. Have a look. 

1. How about a seat right in the middle of a lake?

RolandBarthofer

2. This is an innovative bench that always has a dry spot to sit on. 

Yanko

3. Someone under the ground holds a bench for you in Kiev, Ukraine.  

BoredPanda

4. Right next to the Paprocany Lake in Poland, this is the perfect way to relax.

Tomasz

5. Although it looks pretty nice, this bench in Luxembourg might make some people claustrophobic. 

AllesWirdGut

6. Although this looks very beautiful, I’m not sure it’s comfortable to sit on. 

SvetaBSveta

7. And here’s a bench shaped like the tail of a whale. 

SantaBarbarian

8. This bench in Paris will have you sitting right in the middle of a book. 

HiddenInABook

9. Great way to relax, this is in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

CargoCollective

10. These are some beautiful curvy seats at the University of Sydney, Australia. 

TaylorLethlean

11. A bench at a bus stop. It would be tough sitting on the B, though.

Escapekit

12. This glass concrete bench in Pecs, Hungary looks minimalistic, and lights up beautifully after sunset. 

Ivankaconcrete

13. Here’s a seesaw bench, which would be great if you get bored while sitting.

NeulhaeCho

14. Book-shaped benches outside Kansas City public library.

John

15. But book-benches are not limited to libraries. Here’s one from a park in Paris. 

PetitMouvement

16. With giant hats, these benches in Marseille, France, also protect you from the sun. 

VictorViellard

17. These are the benches from an Art Gallery, in St. Louis, Missouri, and they look as classy as anything in an art gallery should be. 

MelissaKaseman

18. If you’re tired, these comfortable benches shaped like red-blood cells in Hamburg, Germany will surely help you relax. 

Terramanus

19. In Enschede, Netherlands, you can rest on a resting robot. 

Delta

20. Tearing up a tile from the sidewalk to make a bench at Split, Croatia.

3LHD

21. This bench in Bristol, England, has a message for everyone who sits on it.

Boex

22. That is one creative design. 

BoredPanda

23. How about a Mobius bench?

ForScale

24. Here’s a wavy bench from Ithaca, New York. 

AfterArchitecture

25. A cool bench that can be folded up.  

Radarq

26. Another wavy bench, this time from Chicago, Illinois. 

dSPACE

Makes you wish we had some of these.