My Favorite European Cities

Are you planning a trip to Europe? I’ve lived in Europe for almost 30 years. Many people ask me what my favorite European cities are. There are many wonderful cities to see in Europe, but I do have my favorites. For this post, I’ve narrowed down the list to my top FOUR favorite European cities!

So, what are the criteria for making my favorite list? I can tell you that the below common characteristics qualify a spot on my list of favorite European cities:

• Uniqueness, different from any other place in the world
• Ease in getting around by foot or public transportation
• Eye-catching Architecture
• Water near the city for walks or boat cruises
• Quaint and peaceful streets to walk along
• Culture and Food

Prague

The city of Prague, Czech Republic, makes my list of favorite European cities! I fell in love with this city the first time I visited in 1997. I have been to Prague three different times over the years.

I first came to this city in April when I was four months pregnant with my second daughter. The other two times that I visited Prague were in December. Christmas time in Prague is quite special. There are many Christmas markets scattered around the city. The markets sell handmade items as well as traditional Czech food.

One of the ‘must-sees’ in Prague is the striking Prague castle, built in the 9th century and perched high on a hill overlooking the entire city. You can walk up to the castle for a good workout or take one of the trams to the top. I preferred walking because you get to see more of the scenic buildings and streets in the castle district.

Another ‘must-see’ popular spot is the Charles Bridge with its 30 statues positioned along the 516-meter(1,693 ft) long bridge. The structure is a medieval stone arch bridge completed in the early 15th century after its construction started in 1357.

There are usually artists with stands on the bridge selling their artwork. I bought a watercolor painting of the city skyline on my first trip to Prague.

On my last visit to Prague in December 2019, I learned about a staircase in the two end towers of the Charles Bridge that you can walk up. There was no cost at the time to enter. It’s not advertised so you had to know it was there and accessible. From the top, we had a wonderful nighttime view of the bridge and the castle on the other side of the river.

In addition to the typical tourist spots in Prague, there are a few places that are not as well known. One of these lesser-known spots is the Babies sculptures in Kampa Park near the Mala Strana quarter.

I think the first time I saw these strange sculptures was by accident when I was walking to find the John Lennon Wall. I later learned that they are the artwork of David Cerney, a controversial and famous Czech artist. They are a bit creepy but we still wanted to get pictures next to them.

We also learned that David Cerney has similar baby sculptures on the Zizkov TV Tower on the outskirts of Prague. We made a special trip to go to the tower one day to see the crawling babies and go up the top of the tower.

Another cool spot to visit in Prague is the Dancing House. It is also referred to as ‘Ginger and Fred’ due to the towers resembling the famous dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair. You can read about its interesting history here. We didn’t go inside the building. I believe it is now a luxury hotel with a roof top restaurant and panoramic terrace.

On my last trip to Prague in 2019, I discovered another interesting sculpture called the Head of Franz Kafka, also created by David Cerney. This was a moving sculpture worth spending 15 minutes to watch it revolve 360 degrees.

The sculpture is located next to the Quadrio shopping center in the Jewish quarter of Prague. The Statue of Kafka was created in 2003 and represents the Bohemian German-language writer Franz Kafka. The sculpture is 11 meters tall and made of 42 rotating panels.

The Old Town square of Prague, founded in the 12th century, is one of the most visited spots in the city. There you will find Churches, Government Houses, and the famous medieval astronomical clock. More info can be found here.

If you’re not into walking, one of the best ways to see the highlights of the city is with a horse carriage ride. There are many carriages to choose from in the old town square.

The last of my ‘must-see’ spots in Prague is the John Lennon Wall. I’m a big fan of John Lennon and have been to the wall the last two times I was in Prague. The story of the wall is that after Lennon’s death in December 1980, young Czech fans wanted to make a tribute to him and his music.

The wall was repainted many times but the graffiti kept coming back. What started as a historical landmark and symbol of peace has become a popular tourist attraction and the most ‘Instagrammable’ spot in Prague. You can find this spot near the Charles Bridge on the castle side of the river.

Venice

Venice, Italy makes my list because it’s a place like no other. I was amazed at every inch of this place, with the endless water canals and beautiful buildings and facades. I included Venice in my blog post ‘Ideas for Mother-Daughter Trips’ as I took my mother there in 2017.

Venice was founded over 1,500 years ago. It consists of 117 different islands linked by 150 canals and 400 bridges and pavements. You can walk through Venice but the best way to see it is from one of the many gondolas.

It’s worth the money to do the standard 30-minute boat ride through the narrow canals. Most gondola tours also pass through the Grand Canal which offer a broader view of the building facades and the ever so busy water activity.

If you’re not into foot travel, you can get around Venice with water taxis (flat boats) and speed boats. If you want to venture off to the nearby islands of Murano (known for its glass-blown art) and Burano (colorful buildings), your best bet is to hire a speed boat. The ride over to the islands is scenic in itself.

Unless you are looking for souvenir glass-blown objects, I would skip the trip to Murano. The locals offer free boat rides to the island to get tourists there in the hope they will buy some expensive glass.

I preferred much more the further away island of Burano which has its canals, multi-colored houses, and restaurants. It’s more peaceful on Burano compared to Venice and makes for a nice day trip.

To read more about Burano, check out my post ‘Colorful Places in the World’.

If you’re looking for a beach, you can take a boat ride to the island of Lido. I did this on my first time to Venice but I was a bit disappointed with the beach and surrounding area.

Here are some of the ‘must-see’ tourist spots in Venice:

• Rialto Bridge – a hopping place with lots of restaurants nearby and a great view of the Grand Canal
• Piazza San Marco – the big square in the heart of Venice filled with tourists and pigeons
• Basilica San Marco – the famous church in Piazza San Marco where you will find long lines of people waiting to enter
• Palazzo Ducale/ Doge’s Palace – government residence of gothic architecture built in the 9th century

On my first trip to Venice, I went to all of these well-known tourist spots. On my other three trips to Venice, I skipped the traditional tourist traps and just enjoyed walking around and taking in the ambiance.

I have stayed in nice hotels right on the water and also a simple AirBnB apartment near San Marco square. If you shop around, you can find many different types of accommodations.

I’ve been to Venice mostly during the summertime. It gets very hot there and overcrowded with tourists in summer. My dream is to go there once during Carnival time in February.

Amsterdam

After my first trip to Amsterdam in 1994, I decided it was one of my favorite cities in Europe. Like Venice, it is surrounded by water canals with very unique dutch architecture. I’ve been to Amsterdam at least five other times, sometimes even for work to attend conferences.

I’ve visited Amsterdam in different seasons including Spring (to see the tulip gardens in Keukenhof), Autumn, and Winter (over New Year’s Eve). It’s a great place during any season!

To see the endless rows of tulips, you’ll need to time it right and go outside of Amsterdam (in the town of Lisse) to see Keukenhof (also known as the Garden of Europe). It is worth the excursion as Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. The park has 32 hectares to showcase its 7 million flower bulbs that are planted annually.

I have walked all over Amsterdam but the best way to see the city in a short amount of time is by bike. You can rent bikes everywhere and take off down the many parallel canal streets. There are tons of bikers in Amsterdam and dedicated bike paths.

The city takes on another feel when night falls. The many street lamps show their reflections in the canals where you’ll find permanently parked houseboats. I know some houseboats serve as AirBnB rooms. I would love to stay in a houseboat in Amsterdam!

Each time I’ve gone to Amsterdam, I visited the controversial Red Light District where you may be shocked or amused at all the ladies scantily dressed in the street-side windows. There are also many restaurants and bars in this area to check out. And don’t forget the famous coffee bars that are known for selling marijuana more than coffee.

This vibrant city also offers many museums to entertain you. I’ve visited the Van Gogh Museum and the Heineken Experience Museum (where you learn about the local Heineken beer). I also went to the Anne Frank House. You can spend many hours and days seeing all of the museums.

A must-do activity in Amsterdam its to take a boat cruise through the canals. It’s the best way to see the entire city and learn about the history. Some boats even offer Dinner Cruises – how romantic is that?

For more about Amsterdam, check out my post ‘Colorful Places in the World‘.

Paris

No trip to Europe is complete without seeing the romantic city of Paris! On my very first trip to Europe in 1991, I got to experience Paris over New Year’s Eve. I fell in love with the look and feel of this storybook place.

Most people who come to Paris have to tick off the standard list of tourist spots. I’ve done them all during the five times I’ve been to Paris. I’ll mention a few of my favorite spots in this city of lovers.

The Arc de Triomphe is worth the visit, especially to the top to see the ‘star’ of the juncture formed by twelve avenues. You can stand at the top and watch the crazy traffic circling the Arc. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to cross the street at this round point. Use the underground tunnels instead to stay safe!

The Arc is at the end of the famous Champs-Élysées. The construction started in 1806 and was completed in 1836.

There are endless ornate bridges in Paris (37 to be exact) that cross the Seine river. My favorite is the Pont Alexandre III with its white exterior and gold plated decorations. The construction of this bridge started in 1896.

Another favorite area of mine in Paris is the Place de la Concorde where you will find the ‘Fontaine des Mers’ water fountain. I’ve taken so many photos of this beautiful fountain.

The Louvre Museum is probably one of the most visited museums in Paris. The outside area is spectacular in itself with the glass pyramid entrance to the museum. I went inside the Louvre two times and of course, had to pass by the Mona Lisa painting. It is much smaller than you would imagine and difficult to see with the swarm of tourists always in front of it.

Another museum I would recommend is the Musée d’Orsay, located next to the Seine. The interior of this museum is art in itself with its arched glass-top ceiling.

Of course, I have to mention the Eiffel Tower as something to see in Paris. You don’t necessarily have to go to the top of the tower, as I find the experience a bit overrated. I’ve done it twice though because I was with other tourists that wanted to tick it off their bucket list. You can get some great pics of the Tower from the Trocadero neighborhood as shown above. Don’t miss the night show of the Eiffel Tower where they light it up in different colors!

It’s worth the time to head north of the city center to see the Moulin Rouge area and the Sacre de Coeur, both found in the Montmartre neighborhood.

You can attend one of the shows in Moulin Rouge for an extra special experience. I did this on my first trip to Paris. I also attended the Lido show on Champs-Élysées and was quite shocked to see all the topless dancers. Another great experience I would recommend is the Crazy Horse cabaret show. This was a highlight for me to see!

The Sacre de Coeur Basilica (Sacred Heart of Paris) is one of the most scenic spots in Paris. You can get a great view of the city from the top of this hill in Montmartre.

After visiting the basilica, you can take a tour of the Place du Tertre square where there are many artists painting outside and selling their artwork. It’s a fun place to visit and spend time eating at one of the restaurants on the square.

One off-the-beaten-path spot in Paris that I went to was the Pére-Lachaise cemetery. I wanted to see this old cemetery and find the grave of Jim Morrison. I’ve been a big ‘Doors’ fan over the years and was intrigued by the story of Jim Morrison dying in Paris at the young age of 27.

You will need to take the Metro train or a taxi to reach the cemetery but I enjoyed the excursion. The cemetery was established in 1804 by Napoléon Bonaparte and contains the remains of thousands of celebrated artists.

Summary of My Favorite European Cities

Do any of my top four European cities interest you? Maybe you’ve already been to some of them! If so, I’d love to hear how you rank them – just leave a comment below.

I have been to many other cities in Europe that come close to my favorite top four. These include Budapest, Stockholm, Madrid, and Berlin. You can read about some of these cities in my post ‘Easter European Destinations‘.

Ideally, all of these cities can be explored over a long weekend. Three or four days in each city was plenty for me.

If you would be interested in having me plan your European City Tour, just drop me a message at jan@janadventures.com. I would love to help you plan your itinerary!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!