I’ve travelled the world covering the biggest events on the planet, these are the 11 most wonderful walks to sporting venues – says Daily Mail’s Chief Sports Writer OLIVER HOLT

There is little need for an excuse to talk about the world’s most wonderful walks to sporting arenas but being in the grip of an English mid-winter is as good an excuse as any to to look for a little escapism and feel the warm breath of an Australian breeze or imagine the vivid bustle of Mumbai or take yourself to the beauty of the harbour in Monte Carlo.

So take a walk with me to 11 of sport’s most beautiful venues.

1. Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai, India) 

This walk from the Gateway of India to the Wankhede Stadium is a continuous delight. 

Firstly because it passes by the Oval Maidan, an oasis of greenery amid the hubbub of Mumbai, that is teeming with kids playing cricket in the way you used to see parks in England full of boys playing football.

That feels like glimpsing the sporting soul of India and it is a lovely stroll from there towards the magnificent sweep of Marine Drive as it curves around Back Bay. The Wankhede is tucked in amid the buildings just set back from the shore.

I saw Chris Gayle hit a 48-ball century against England there for the West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup and it felt as if some of his sixes were so huge they might land in the water.

2. Monaco grand prix circuit (Monte Carlo, Monaco)

When I worked in Formula One, I used to walk down the hill from Casino Square towards Sainte Devote, separated from the screaming, roaring, spluttering cars driven by Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher by a flimsy fence and a low barrier.

As the waters of the harbour sparkled below, the cars hurtled by so close that when they bottomed out, the sparks would fly into the air and land by my feet as they faded and died.

I’m not sure you can do that without a pass these days but you can still sit in the stands at Casino Square and get the best view of an F1 car anywhere.

3. Adelaide Oval (Adelaide, Australia)

The walk starts on the edge of the city centre, where the South Australia parliament building stands on the corner of King William Street and North Terrace.

It is a beautiful downhill stroll from there, sheltering from the heat under the umbrella of the plane trees that line the road and glorying in the colour of the jacarandas. 

Soon, with the bandstand of Elder Park in the foreground, the imposing stands of the Oval rise out of the lush green of summer. King William Street takes you across the City Bridge and over the River Torrens and the walking paths that line its banks. 

Detour to St Peter’s Cathedral, if you want, and sit in the pews where England cricketers once went to seek peace on Ashes tours long ago, but this is a stroll that has enough of the divine about it already.

4. Craven Cottage (London, England)

There is much about Craven Cottage that captures the timeless beauty of English football culture and that includes the walk from Putney Bridge underground station to Fulham’s stadium.

It takes you through the grounds of Fulham Palace and then on to the Thames Path, where you can gaze across the river where it is at its most regal, boathouses of rowing clubs on the opposite bank, until you reach Bishops Park.

This is one of London’s most genteel areas and it feels like an elegant nod to times past to be strolling along beautiful thoroughfares like Cloncurry Street to get to the football.

The last treat is the Johnny Haynes statue outside the ground and the old turnstiles that wait to greet you.

5. Sophia Gardens (Cardiff, Wales)

I was a student in Cardiff so Bute Park has had a special place in my memories for a long time.

The walk from the city centre, past Cardiff Castle, and into the park, along the banks of the River Taff, towards the cricket ground, is a joy on any day.

It would be worth restoring Test cricket to the city just for that walk.

6. The City Ground (Nottingham, England)

I love the walk along the River Trent to the City Ground, the home of Nottingham Forest.

The riverside paths are awash with runners and cyclists, university rowers glide along in the water and the ground that once hosted the glory of Brian Clough’s great sides, rises above it all.

It is always a thrill to stride over Trent Bridge, the cricket ground ahead of you, and turn to the left to stare into the City Ground, as if you are stealing a glimpse at the magic that happens within.

7. Clovelly Bowling and Recreation Club (Sydney, Australia)

There may be a touch of recency bias about this inclusion.

I walked the wondrous walk from Coogee to Bondi Beach a few weeks ago, during the Ashes series, and found this stunning bowls club on the clifftops between Clovelly Beach and Bronte Beach.

They hold state championships here sometimes and bowlers play against the backdrop of the South Pacific.

8. The Gabba (Brisbane, Australia)

It may be slightly quicker to get a cab but the best way to arrive at the Gabba from the centre of Brisbane is to catch the CityCat.

Brisbane is known as the River City and is built around the waterway that flows through it so get on the ferry at North Quay, stand on the deck and watch as it meanders its way past the Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Point and under the imposing Story Bridge until you get to Mowbray Park.

From there, it’s a short walk past a lot of cafes serving up variations of avocado toast to Vulture Street and a stadium that has become a graveyard for English cricket.

9. St James’s Park (Newcastle, England)

There is much to recommend a visit to St James’s Park, not least one of the best football atmospheres in the country.

But the walk to the ground from the Gateshead side of the River Tyne through one of the most spectacular city centres in England up to the football cathedral on the hill is a treat, too.

The walk takes you down to the river side and across the beautiful old Swing Bridge where Kieron Dyer once crashed his Ferrari, up the hill, through the Bigg Market and on to the majesty of the ground itself where statues of Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer wait to meet you.

10. Besiktas Stadium (Istanbul, Turkey)

Start outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul, where Jose Mourinho made his home when he was manager of Fenerbahce, and walk along the shores of the Bosphorus.

One of the great waterways of the world, passenger ferries criss-cross it and the hulks of giant tankers move silently between Europe and Asia on their way to the Black Sea.

After a short while, look to your right and you will see the Besiktas Stadium, currently known as Tüpraş Stadyumu.

It has one of the most beautiful vantage points of any ground in the world and the walk to it is worth double the admission fee.

11. Oracle Park (San Francisco, United States)

Get the ferry from Oakland, travel in the shadow of the Bay Bridge to Oracle Park, the spectacular home of the San Francisco Giants, and then make the short walk to the stadium.

In the days when Barry Bonds was hitting home runs for fun, collectors and opportunists sat in kayaks in McCovey Cove, waiting for Bonds to hit another ball out of the park.

But you don’t have to be on the water to appreciate this is one of the most beautiful places in the world to walk to a stadium.