European cities you should consider visiting
Okay, so a list of “best cities in Europe to visit” is not the most original topic for a blog post. However, Europe is a big continent with hundreds of amazing cities worthy of recognition.
Having recently returned from an amazing trip to Europe, we thought it would be fun to highlight a few cities we love and think you should consider visiting.
We’ll spare you the usual suspects and assume that you’re already aware that London, Paris and Rome are great cities in Europe worth visiting. For the record, they are fantastic and we highly recommend you them at least once in your lifetime!
For this post, we’re stepping away from the hugely popular travel destinations and highlighting a few of the lesser known locations.
1. Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
We loved the historical “City of the Tsars” and we think you will too!
The lovable Eastern European city hangs over the steep banks of the Yantra river, surrounded by forests and foothills (great for hiking and biking).
Veliko Tarnovo’s star attraction is Tsarevets Fortress, a stone medieval castle that served as the Second Bulgarian Empire’s primary fortress and stronghold.
The cobblestone streets in the Old Town, pictured above, are full of interesting architecture and serene views of the calm river below.
2. Split, Croatia
Often overshadowed by Drubovnik, Split is a beautiful harbour city on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
While strolling along the seaside promenade of Old Town Split, we quickly understood why Split is considered to be one of the finest Mediterranean cities in Europe.
Split is the second most populated city in Croatia next to Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and it’s the main city in Dalmatia. Many of Split’s historical and cultural monuments are located within the walls of the Roman emperor Diocletian’s Palace, a 1,700 year old landmark that’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Do yourself a favour while in Split – rent a vehicle and drive up and down the Croatian coast, visiting small coastal towns and villages (like Makarska and Omis).
Or, join one of the cruises to Dubrovnik 2024 and explore the surrounding area.
3. Traben-Trarbach, Germany
One of our favourite parts of Europe is the Mosel Valley in western Germany (located near the borders of Luxembourg and France).
We have family that lives in a town named Reil, located 15 minutes from the larger town of Traben-Trarbach, so we’ve visited this region many times.
The Mosel River Valley is dotted with sleepy villages, endless vineyards and fairy tale castles. It really doesn’t matter what town you visit in the Mosel region, just make sure you visit at least one or two.
Cochem and Bernkastel-Kues are quite popular, but Traben-Trarbach is central and comparatively less touristy.
The best time to visit the region is late summer, when the villages host wine festivals that serve locally crafted wines and homemade German cuisine.
Related: Why You Should Visit the Mosel Valley in Germany
4. Oia, Santorini, Greece
Few cities in Europe can compete with the WOW factor that Santorini greets its guests with.
The town of Oia literally rests on top of volcanic cliffs, overlooking the sparkling Aegean Sea. Because the cliff side of Oia faces west, it serves up arguably THE best sunsets on the planet.
And, if the white stoned buildings, blue domed churches and stunning panoramic views aren’t enough to wet your appetite, add an infinity pool and you’ll never want to leave this romantic Greek island.
Just imagine yourself sitting here.
5. Budapest, Hungary
The Pearl of the Danube is central Europe’s finest city. It boasts an extensive list of World Heritage Sites that include the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes’ Square and the Millennium Underground Railway (the 2nd oldest in the world).
Budapest’s most iconic landmark is the Hungarian Parliament Building. It’s one of Europe’s oldest legislative buildings and the largest building in Hungary.
Bring good shoes because Budapest’s old world charm, marvelous architecture and interesting history will keep you busy during the day. While its progressive nightlife will keep you moving well into the early hours of the morning.
You’ve been warned!
6. Antwerp, Belgium
Though our time was limited in Antwerp and we visited on a rainy weekend in November, we instantly connected with Belgium’s ‘other city’.
Most visitors who travel by train between Amsterdam and Brussels will pass through Antwerp, making it a convenient stopover city.
Without a plan, we popped into the tourism office at the central train station, grabbed a map and started walking. It’s a very walk-able city. It has pedestrianized shopping districts and a market square that’s dominated by the towering Cathedral of Our Lady.
We were pleasantly surprised to find Steen Castle (pictured above) along the river. It looks like something straight out of a Disney cartoon. We half expected Cinderella or Snow White to greet us at the entrance.
Related: Photo Essay: Discover Belgium’s Other City
7. Brasov, Romania
This fabled red-roofed city is located in the Southern Carpathians of Transylvania, the second highest group of mountains in the Carpathian Mountain range. It’s an ideal place for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, biking and skiing.
But the main draw to this Romanian city is its close proximity to the town of Bran. More importantly, home to Bran Castle, proclaimed to once be the home of the world’s most famous vampire – Dracula.
Let’s be clear, the legend of Dracula is totally over-hyped and fabricated for the almighty tourist dollar. However, it’s still worth a day trip to explore the hilltop castle and its tight, windy stairwells.
It has a spooky vibe, so let your imagination run wild!
8. Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh surprised us – in a good way. The purpose of our trip was to partake in Hogmanay, the world’s largest New Year’s Eve street party. Because of this, we visited during the peak of winter.
Now, if you’ve ever been to Scotland during winter, you’ll know that it gets freeeeezing cold. So, we limited our expectations – which ended up being a very good thing.
The medieval city is unlike any other city we have visited. It’s easy to feel Scotland’s dark history as you wander down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Did you know that there is an ancient city that was quarantined and buried under today’s modern city? We didn’t! Take a ghost tour and see for yourself. There’s plenty of acting but its good fun.
9. Porto, Portugal
It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with Porto. I believe it was 2 minutes. Located in northwest Portugal, this extraordinary city is best known for its river, the Douro, and its famous port wine.
It’s one of the oldest cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Porto has been continuously inhabited since the 4th Century. Its strategic location on the Atlantic coast, near the Strait of Gibraltar and northwest Africa, made it a target for multiple invasions over the centuries. Each period of rule, from the Romans to the Moors, left their mark on the city.
The result – a fascinating city with many layers of history, culture and tradition.
Related: 30 Photos of Porto that prove it should be on your list
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Have you visited any of these cities in Europe?
What cities in Europe would you add to this list?
Share your favorites in the comments section below. We’re always looking for travel inspiration!
Love this list ya’ll! I’ve been looking into visiting Split while in in E. Europe next summer. It looks incredible!
It’s a fun city – lots to see and do. The Croatian Riviera is a great place to visit in the summer. Have fun! 🙂
Love your story. We are taking exact cruise w/ 1 night stay in Porto. What hotel did you stay in Porto? Thanks
Hi Nancy – I don’t remember the name of the hotel in Porto. We did not have a great stay – the front desk was very rude – so I would not recommend it anyways.
Thanks for the list; I haven’t been to any of these places! I’m happy to see some Eastern European cities. I think I will have to plan a trip through there sooner rather than later.
Glad you enjoyed the post Shtina! Hopefully you’ll get a chance to visit Europe soon 🙂
I need to get to work. I have only been to one of the ones on this list, Cinque Terre.
Get on it Jeff!
Hopefully you’ll get a chance to visit a few of the cities included in this post, we give them all our stamp of approval 🙂
Great list. Santorini is at the top of mine! Awesome pics too…some of them looked like they were miniature models…
Thanks DJ!
Yes – Santorini is a must.
Without trying to over sell you – it’s outstanding! 🙂
Having been to Split, Oia, and Edinburgh for your list I absolutely have to agree with you. All great places. By the way, the pics are stunning – I love the “miniature” look to them.
Thanks for the kind words Jeremy!
Cinque Terre in mid-June a few years ago was a really beautiful visit. With a mix of hopping on- and off-the-train along with hiking along the seashore, a day-trip or more up and down the coastline is worth the memories. This fall, I’m planning on visiting friends in Edinburgh, which will be a first time.
The beautiful tilt-shift picture at the very top is clearly of Prague (TV Tower, Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, Old Town Hall Tower) from Prague Castle (?) and overlooking the Manes’ Bridge (Manesuv most). Into double-digit trips, I’ve always seen something new with every visit.
Hi Henry – you are correct! The top photo was taken in Prague, from the castle.
Have fun in Edinburgh – fall sounds like a great time to be there. 🙂
Yes – Cinque Terre should be on EVERYBODIES list – it is FABULOUS! and Conveniently – I just wrote my post about it TODAY! The rest of the cities look great. I’ve only been to one of them – Split Croatia – and just last week! But I haven’t really explored Europe. A little hard on the wallet. But the photos look incredible!
Thanks for stopping by Chrystal – I love the enthusiasm!
Great list guys! We’re in the pre-planning stages for a trip to Europe this winter, and you’ve given us some great inspiration.
Great! Let me know if I can help with your planning – happy to help.
Lucky me! I live in Brasov. Yes its beautiful. Every morning I wake up and go to work I fell like I’m on holiday. Till I get to work, of course.
We really enjoyed our time in your city! 🙂
We’ve only been to two of these (Budapest and Cinque Terre)! I love that you included cities that are a bit more unique, rather than the obvious ones that always end up on lists.
If you were to add #10, I think it should be Berlin. I know it’s pretty popular, but we absolutely fell in love with the city — it has an amazing culture, it’s affordable, and there’s just so much history to learn about.
It’s funny you say that – we actually had Berlin on the list!
We wanted to stay away from the obvious ones to hopefully introduce a few new ones (although I guess Edinburgh and Budapest aren’t that “new”).
Glad you enjoyed the post Christy! 🙂
Some great recommendations here. I can’t believe I’ve yet to visit anywhere in Europe. Best wishes with your upcoming trip!
You haven’t been to Europe yet?!?!
Get on it Sam! 🙂
Where are you guys heading in Europe?
We are going to Switzerland (1st time!), France and Germany. Can’t wait to introduce Baby B to the European countryside!
Great choices. Agree that Europe has a lot of interesting cities (not only the popular ones).
Thanks Ruth – glad you like the pics!
I’ve only ever been to Edinburgh out of this list and was surprised as well. I went in mid-January of this year with my sister for 6 days and fell in love. I wanted to go for two reasons, firstly I’m part Scottish and secondly, I’m a massive Harry Potter fan. I couldn’t pick my favourite thing about the city, there’s just too much.
Highly recommend doing the New Europe free walking tour. So good. Learnt a lot. Tour guide was hot too and that’s always a plus 🙂 Enjoyed the food at Urban Angel cafe and a must for all HP fans is the Elephant House. Even if you’re not, go for the view of Edinburgh Castle and a portion of all proceeds goes to a charity that supports Elephants. If you’re fit enough, climb up to Arthur’s Seat for a great 360* view of Edinburgh. You won’t be disappointed. Just take a jacket cause it gets really windy (and a camera).
Thanks for the feedback and tips Beth!
We also found the free walking tours to be a great way to see the city and learn a few tidbits along the way.
Good to know — I’m on my way to Budapest today! 🙂
Have fun! 🙂
I’m very disappointed. Why in the ranking you didn’t add Poland? And Tuscany? I disagree 🙂
It’s not a ranking Bella? It’s simply our recommendations for cities that have inspired us…
Glad to see Veliko show up on your list. I traveled to Bulgaria for 6 years and lived in Sofia for 2.5 years (it was the basis for my “Live Like a Local in Sofia, Bulgaria” guidebook), and VT was one of our favorite summertime resorts. We usually went 2-3 times per year for weekend getaways with friends and family. Great food, great views, perpetually awesome weather and just amazing countryside.
You guys should check out Burgas the next time you are there as well. It’s not as touristified as Varna, and is smack-dab on the outskirts of the wine country that the train ride from Sofia takes you through. Plus, Burgas 69 rakia is manufactured there (the best in the country). Very clean, very safe, absolutely beautiful city and one of those relaxed, peaceful places most tourists never even know about.
Thanks for the feedback T.W.!
We still feel like we’ve only scratched the surface with Bulgaria. We’d love to return and explore some of its smaller towns during the summer. Add it to the list! 🙂
There is really nothing like Santorini. It is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever visited. And while we have not visited Split, we fell head over heels for Dubrovnik.
I would two more cities tot list: Sitges, Spain and Bologna, Italy.
Agreed – Santorini definitely has some sizzle!
It’s funny (and ironic) that you’ve added Bologna to the mix. We’ve actually been talking about visiting that part of Italy next year – the food looks heavenly!
I live in Europe and have only been to one of these cities on your list (Edinburgh) and that was when I wasn’t even living in Europe. Despite traveling consistently Europe is huge and there’s so much to see! If you guys make it to Munich let me know.
I don’t think we’ll make Munich this time around, but we’ll be in the Mosel River Valley for about a week in late August. And then Frankfurt on the way out.
Will you be around either of those areas at the end of August / early September?
Interesting selection but I’m guessing you’re not really city people…?
I wouldn’t say that Mark. We love cities and we live in a relatively big city (Vancouver).
For this post, we wanted to highlight some of the lesser known cities around Europe. We’re also huge fans of London, Paris, Venice, Prague, Munich, Berlin… 🙂
Very interesting list!
We think so too! 🙂
I definitely love the Budapest City , Hungary. I am visiting this city very often because from Krakow (Poland) there is a cheap, flight connection. Two things that I have most enjoyed recently are Castle and the walk near the Danube River. In the small restaurants that are situated near the walk you can taste lovely food mostly based on the famous hungary red pepper. Jó étvágya !
Thanks for the feedback GeoJohn! We are also big fans of Budapest – great city!
I seen 5 of the 9, so not bad. I haven’t been East very must, which is where I’m missing. I shall definitely have to add the one that I am missing in Germany to the list. We should be able to make the Mosel valley at some point in the next year or so. So many places to go, even in our own backyard.
Hey Andrew!
Yes – there are many places to visit in Europe.
Hopefully you’ll get a chance to visit the Mosel River Valley – it’s my fav place in Europe!
I wish I could be in Europe this year but it didn’t work out (plus, traveling with my 2 kids is no easy feat right now!). I loved Budapest and despite having traveled extensively in Europe, I haven’t been to the other cities you have listed here, so thanks for the recommendations.There’s always so much to see!
I’m glad we’ve been able to introduce one or two new cities for you Jenna.
We find it difficult enough to travel with one baby, so I can imagine its challenging with two!
Great list! One of the reasons I’ve always wanted to live in Europe is that there are so many amazing, beautiful, and historic places to visit. Santorini is the only place on this list I’ve been to, but the rest look great. I will definitely be trying to see some of these soon!
Thanks Ali!
Europe is definitely a great place to be. So much history and diversity in such a small geographical region.
If you traded Budapest with Ljubljana it would be perfect! 🙂
Lol… excellent!
We’ve yet to visit Ljubljana but have heard wonderful things…
Crazy! I have so far been to 3 of these places already on my current trip (Veliko Tarnovo, Budapest, and Brasov), and will visit another 2 within the next month (Split and Edinburgh).
I absolutely agree with you on the 3 I’ve been to so far. Especially Budapest. I LOVED that city!
I know it’s been a while since you left this comment, but I forgot to reply! How did you like Edinburgh and Split?
How timely! I’ve been mulling over a European city destination that’s a little but atypical and here’s the list!
I think I’m leaning towards Budapest – thanks for the nudge!
You’re very welcome Rich! Budapest is an under-rated European city. There’s something interesting around each corner…
Picking just a few beautiful European cities to visit is a tough ask! This is a great list, some I’ve been to, some on my bucket list, some I’d not even heard of. So thanks!!
you’re welcome Natasha! True, it was not an easy task to pick just 9 cities, this list could easily have been 75!
A fabulous list! I haven’t been to Eastern Europe yet so now I have a few places to choose from. You definitely must go to the Cinque Terre- its a beautiful part of the world!
Great article but i think that Barcelona should be in the list too. i just voted for your article in tra.velne.ws 🙂
Loving this post! To represent the UK, I’d put in Newcastle Upon Tyne over Edinburgh. The city has experienced a revival in the past 10 years or so and is a great cultural, historical and party central. The locals are the friendliest in all of the UK, too!
This is a great list. Brasov has been in my sights for quite some time now, and I’d never heard of Veliko Tarnovo or Traben-Trarbach until reading this. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Glad you like the post Tom. We’ll have to check out Newcastle Upon Tyne when we visit the UK next year for the Rugby World Cup!
I’ve only been to Edinburgh, but the two places that are now on my list of where to go are The Oia in Santorini, Greece and Cinque Terre, Italy
Both fantastic destinations!
Oia in Santorini has some of the best sailing, and Cinque Terre has some of the best water sea scapes. Excited to see these on your list!
Great list! I have been to a few of them and in particular can vouch for the beauty of the sunset in Oia and the houses in the Cinque Terre. Would like to go to the Bulgarian Town. It looks awesome.
Love the Photos, Specially the photo of Cinque Terre, Italy and Oia in Santorini, Greece, the places are pretty cool to visit. I suggest you visit Playa del Carmen in Mexico, I’m sure you’ll like the place.
The only city on this list I have visited is Antwerp, so thank you for 8 great new suggestions for my next European trip. Actually, 7 new suggestions as Dracula’s castle in Transylvania has been on my bucket list before I even had a bucket list.
More places for my list. I went to Istanbul last year (wonderful) and Athens (a bust: garbage and transportation strikes). Can wait to see Split.
I love the photos! The places are pretty cool to visit. It looks awesome.
Loved this post! I’m from England yet I’ve done surprisingly little travelling around Europe. Now I’m spending a year in Australia I’m already planning where I want to travel when I get back! I’m hoping to do some travelling around Europe either before my final year at University or before I enter into the big bad world of work. I’m definitely going to keep this blog close by as reference as some of these cities look truly amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome list. I have just inserted these cities in my travel bucket list. Showed my wife the list and she gave me a devilish smile I will never forget. Thanks.
Greece is on my top list. I would love to go there one day. I think at current moment in time it is possible to get some good deals to Greece. Oia in Santorini looks amazing.
Excellent list, shame we cannot include them all in our 100 places to visit before you die list.
Add Ljubljana Slovenia. Nice choices!!
Great list, however I would add Vilnius (Lithuania) to the list: Fascinating oldtown that reminds you of Italian cities, hospitable people, magnificent cuisine (try the Cepelinai and the cold beet soup), over 50 impressive chruches and beautiful, uncrowded nature all around the capital Vilnius.
Thanks for the recommendation Boris!
oh thank you for this! travelling there in 2 months. still have a lot of time to plan
Apologies for the insanely late reply! How did your trip go? Did you get a chance to visit any of these cities?
Awesome round up and a few I haven’t been to. I’m dying to get to Greece, it looks so amazing.
Greece is awesome,especially the islands
9 European cities – couldn’t you think of one more?! Haha, I’m just joking around. I’ve been to most of these and I got to admit you’re right on the money – they are indeed amazing and well worth a visit. Great post.
It was actually harder to come up with 9 than 10, the list of awesome cities in Europe is endless! 🙂
I did visit only 1 city from this list..
Great selection of cities. I would love to go to them all one day.
Europe is a fabulous destination with so many places to explore that one could spend years on the road and it would still not be enough to cover all the richness that this continent offers. The history is so abundant here that almost every street corner and square recounts some episode that has been responsible for shaping the landscape of what we now know as Europe. It is not by chance that some of the most visited destinations in the world are on this continent. Europe is in fact the most highly visited continent for tourists and with some of the great infrastructures and history that have been built in some cities it is no wonder why?
It is true that cities such as Rome or Paris are a complete destination in themselves and that is why if someone wants to make the long trip to Europe,
Its a great collection for the tourists to visit the Europe in vacations. i love to visit the plases Croatia sea side view is awesome and Edinburgh, Scotland is an colorful city to visit with family
Absolutely agree with Edinburgh, where I lived for a year, and the Cinque Terre, although I hiked among the towns about 20 years ago, so not sure if they’re just as enchanting now or are too touristy. I’d add St. Petersburg, Russia to the list–so romantic to visit it during the White Nights, and a visit to Petrodvorets, Peter the Great’s mini Versailles, is a must.
This is a fantastic list. I’m finding reading travel blogs especially helpful for finding out about lesser known European cities. Cheers!
Great list, i’m quite sad to say i’ve not been to any you’ve listed, but it’s good to know there are places that you would recommend that i’ll definitely check out should i be in the country….Another city i would recommend would be Gdansk in Poland, went for a wedding last year and was very surprised and definitely would go back..
http://www.redmudmedia.com/2012/10/30/the-5-worst-things-about-seo-agencies/#axzz2CytYonyK
Cinque Terre and Budapest are most definitely high on my list. I’ve yet to explore any of Eastern Europe outside Croatia but I bet there are some real gems there.
It’s certainly a beautiful part of the world. One could spend months bouncing around Eastern Europe and still only scratch the surface…
Great list! I’ve not heard of a couple. I visited four on this list and agree that they are great spots to visit, a bit off the traditional traveler’s path. I’ve heard amazing things about Brasov. Really wish I visited there while I was in Romania. Next time 🙂
Spot on! Cinque Terre was awesome! Visited in summer 2012!
Next on your list i’m going in 2013 is Budapest! Cheeers 🙂
Excellent! Make sure you come back and tell us what you think of Budapest
Ahhh, where is Barcelona and Girona on this list! 😉
We haven’t spent a lot of time in Spain… perhaps they will make the next edition 🙂
Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina is also a beautiful city with a lot of history!
Interesting list – I’ve been to Budapest, Edinburgh and Split and agree all are worth a look. Some others there I’d like to check out! For more travel ideas, Oslo is lovely – I visited in cold Nov but think it would be great in summer – and for some Irish craic, try Galway – colourful, pretty and lots of fun! Plus beautiful countryside surrounding if you venture out of the city 🙂
Hey – Where is Copenhagen mentioned;) Even though it’s quite expensive visiting Denmark, I’d argue there’s no better place in the summer.
Joking aside, great guide and definetely added a few cities to my “cities-to-visit-before-I-die-list”.
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the post Mikkel.
We have yet to visit Denmark, but we’ve heard wonderful things about Copenhagen
Hello Traveling Canucks,
Really enjoyed your list, particularly because some of these are underrated or off the beaten path altogether. I discovered Brasov 5 years ago and my wife and I revisited it as part of our Prague, Budapest, Brasov, Bucharest honeymoon trip a few summers ago. How did you come to find what they like to refer to with umbrellas as “probably the best city in the world?”
Hi Trevor, thanks for stopping by. Sorry it’s taken so long to reply!
I’m not sure I understand your question?
This list made me so happy! I’ve been reading your blog all summer after I studied abroad in Prague and I’ve been missing traveling. It was nice seeing that I made sure to hit some of the good places (Split and Budapest) and put some more on my bucket list!
Thanks for the kind words Julia. We’re happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed reading our blog.
Yes, Split and Budapest are two of our favourites 🙂
The list looks amazing, thanks for the tips! Especially because you share less obvious options to visit
Glad you enjoyed the post Raffaella!
I was nicely surprised to see that item # 1 on your list is the town where I went to high school and where I lived for 5 years. It has so many historical sites and it is such a beautiful town. I appreciate it a lot more now then before. Nice picks!
Thanks for sharing your comment Irene. We really enjoyed our time in Bulgaria
All of these look lovely! We have only just started touring Europe and we’ve only seen Stockholm but that city will be tough to follow. It’s like walking around in a fairy tale :-p I’d love to give any one of these a chance to top it though!
You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. Such is the impact of traveling and you find always a new story to hear about and great experiences to share. Thanks for sharing this informational piece of information.
Great list and very different to the ones most people recommend. Split is a very underrated city and many visitors to the UK overlook Edinburgh because its so far from London – its also considerably cheaper than London but full of culture, history and tradition.
Great list guys, a lot of lesser known names in there. Glad to see Edinburgh on there, hope you make it over to Glasgow too at some point! 🙂
Great list, Santorini in so beautiful.. I hoepe I can visit the place one day…
I bee to the most of the cities and I love them all.
Europe is such an amazing continent.
Split is an amazing place, I’ve been there a couple of times, since it’s in my country 🙂
I heartily suggest you to visit Bol, Island of Brac (also in Croatia) if you haven’t yet. I’ve been there 2 times, and I’ll be there next month again. This place is like a heaven on earth.
I’m glade I see Budapest on your list, since I’m planning to visit it until the end of this year. 🙂
Also, another impressively beautiful city in Europe, which everyone should visit, is Vienna, Austria. Right now, I’m writing you from Vienna, it’s my 3rd time here. This place has rich and interesting history, and trust me, when you walk down the streets, or when you go sightseeing all those divine palaces, you have a feeling like you’re in some fairytale (especially during Christmas time).
Best regards and safe travel,
Martina
http://martinaberac.wix.com/martinaberac
Great list 🙂 I have been to 5 out of these 9 and Budapest is my favourite out of those !
If I had to add a few more cities those would be York in England, Ljubljana, and Antebes 🙂
Excellent list! I frequented three on this record and believe the fact that they are fantastic areas to check out, a bit off the conventional traveler’s direction.
Cinque Terre is overrated, same as Positano and Amalfi Coast. Split is a great choice, I visit Croatia on a regular basis, 🙂 I just came from my trip(Omis, Split,Brela,Pisak,Cetina).Budapest is fantastic destination for foodies. I live in Europe, so i visit these places often. I think that Istanbul and Stockholm should be also on the list, but Europe is too big to cover every great city.
Santorini should definitely be in the first position! I travel to Greece often and I haven’t been able yet to avoid the temptation of taking a ferry direct to this breathtaking island 🙂
Nice list, I’m seeing more and more Eastern European cities appearing on bloggers lists. A few other people have mentioned Brasov – before this year I had never heard of the place. Another place that I’d love to see is Kotor in Montenegro. I think these places will get more and more popular, especially since costs about half those in Western Europe.
We’ve been in Prague for the last 3 months. Great city as well. Would recommend it to anyone (and yes, costs about half of those in neighboring Germany).
Frank (bbqboy)
I’ve been to Santorini (Greece) but never been to the rest of the places that you’ve mentioned above, maybe one day 🙂
I would like to see the night view of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Hope that will be much attractive among these 9 cities.
Loved the list. Will visit the places in my next visit.
Cinque Terre and Brasov have been on my list for a while. Hopefully 2015 I will finally visit them.
Loved the list..Hope i will visit one day..Thanks for sharing it with us…
I have been planning for a world tour, and my wife and I purchased some attractions tickets, for the Colosseum and BonAppetour dinners (a dining experience with locals). Check out the site, we have hosts for different places through out the World.
glad you enjoyed Santorini! thanks for your tips! happy travelling year!
Hi ! Amazing list and a great blog. I m from India and planning a 1 month trip to Europe with my husband in May 2015. On my wish list are the Amalfi coast, Rome,Venice and Cinque terra in Italy, glacier express journey in Switzerland, Mosel river valley in Germany, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Champagne region in France, Amsterdam and Paris. Is this too much for a month ? I m not very keen on booking a tour. This will be our 1st time in Europe so please suggest how should I go about it .
Great list, you guys inspired me to travel Specially Brasov(Romania). Hoping to start my world tour in next year & visiting the beautiful cities in the world map.
Near Brasov you have a lot of good locations that you can visit, not only the Bran castle, but also the Rasnov citadel, Peles and Pelisor castles in Sinaia and of course, if you love skiing, go to Poiana Brasov, Azuga, Predeal or Busteni. I would also recommend going to Campina, it’s near Brasov, and you have some interesting things to visit over there.
Romania looks so gorgeous!
Croatia is one place I have never visited. It looks so amazing that I can’t wait to pack my bags and hop on the next plane there! Your photos are beautiful! Maybe next year I’ll plan a trip there in Europe, and see if I can take equally beautiful photos. We went to St. Lucia this year, which was very different, of course, but just as scenic!
The places you have shared some of them are already in my travel bucket list and some are completely new for me. Europe keeps hidden beauty and you reveal some of them through your blog. Thanks for sharing
We lived close by in Europe for a few years and have been to some of the cities you call out. Great that you have some cities we have not been to, to be able to read about them.
Always more on the to-do list of traveling. 🙂
I too love the miniaturized look in the photos!
Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed Split! We lived there for a year, even thought of working towards permanent residency in Croatia.
Place I’d like to add to the list: L’viv (Ukraine). We spent 2 months there in the summer of 2018 and loved it so much we came back in 2019 and spent 3 months.