If there's one thing we can be sure of, it's that with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, we're not getting enough exercise. Yet, since our smartphones and fitness trackers started measuring every step, many of us have rediscovered walking or running. While most apps focus on performance, The Beautiful Walk emphasizes escapism: no timer, no pressure, just an imaginary journey around the world fueled by your daily kilometers.
An XXL itinerary for traveling without leaving your neighborhood
Starting in Paris, your avatar travels to Istanbul, crosses Asia to Kuala Lumpur, then heads from Perth to Sydney, reaches Lima, travels up to New York, and finally takes a long African detour from Cape Town to Gibraltar before returning to France. That's approximately 40 000 km : the equivalent of a complete circuit of the globe.
Walking six kilometers a day, the equivalent of a good city stroll, it would take you nearly twenty years to complete the odyssey. Each section of the route, whether in major cities or forgotten villages, prompts a photo, a cultural anecdote, and sometimes a mini-game. Enough to stimulate curiosity as surely as it works your calves.
A rebirth in 2024: new account, old mileage
The service had quietly disappeared from view before starting from scratch in spring 2024Modernized interface, fluid vector map, rewritten code: the platform has been given a second life, but at the cost of a small detour for the loyal users of the first hour.
When you create your (new) profile, the application automatically detects your old ID and displays a personalization message:
"You were registered with TBW since September 2, 2015, and you stopped in Resadiye, Türkiye, after 3,595 km. Where do you resume?"
Two options: start from this point or begin the adventure again from scratch. A few clicks are all it takes and your historical kilometers are recovered.
Compatible applications
To power the counter, The Beautiful Walk connects to the tools you already use:
- Strava
- Withings / Health Mate
- Garmin Connect
- SuuntoApp
- RunKeeper
- Fitbit
- Google Fit (Android) et Health (iOS)
Your distances are automatically imported each night. If you use a pedometer or a paper logbook, manual entry is still possible.
How much does it cost today?
The platform is no longer entirely free; a subscription funds map hosting and API connections.
| Formulas | Price | Distinctives features |
|---|---|---|
| Single month | 2,99 € | One-time payment, ideal for testing |
| Monthly subscription | € 2,49 / month | Automatic renewal, can be cancelled at any time |
| Annual subscription | 19,99 € | The best value for money |
No difference in content: regardless of the package, you have access to the entire route, anecdotes, badges and future updates.
Why is it still worth the trip?
The Beautiful Walk doesn't aim to make you a champion; it simply transforms every daily commute (climbing the stairs, walking the dog, getting to the bus stop…) with visible progress on a legendary route. Seeing your marker cross the Adriatic or follow the Bay of Bengal naturally encourages you to walk more, without even thinking about it.
Between gentle motivation, cultural anecdotes, and transparent tracking of your workout routes, the app remains a traveling companion As pleasant as it is poetic. After all, if every step leads to Sydney or New York, why not get off a stop earlier and extend the walk?
Thank you for this geat article!
@TonyTraund_ (thebeautifulwalk.com)