The Top Europe Cities
44 Of The Best Cities in Europe To Visit
Hi! Welcome to Complete City Guides!
My name is Patrick, I'm originally from Sydney (Australia) but grew up in England (my second home) - and I love exploring cities (and writing about it!)
I work online in marketing, which gives me the opportunity to travel around the world full time.
So while I am away, I keep this blog updated with full travel info. I tend to stay in a city for a few months at a time, to really get to know it - then I write guides on it.
Amsterdam is famous for its red light district and for being able to smoke cannabis. But if you go and visit the city you will see that it has much more to offer.
It is a city of canals, and once you are a street or two away from the red light district you'll notice what a nice city it is!
Of course, if you want to smoke weed and/or visit the red light district then it'll be your dream destination!
If you asked someone to list European tourist destinations they might not say Antalya. But it is a nice summer destination!
It has a lot of history in the area (dating back to the Roman times). Nowadays it is a famous beach resort for tourists.
Not many other cities in Europe can offer the history that Athens has to offer. It is one of the world's oldest cities (its recorded history dates back around 3,400 years - but there is evidence that humans started living there between 11th and 7th millennium BC).
There are plenty of important sighs to see, including the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon.
Barcelona is on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain. It wasn't a well-known tourist destination 30 years ago. However, in 1992 Barcelona hosted the Olympic games and the rest of the world realised that Barcelona was an ideal place to spend a week in summer! It has a city center - Ciutat Vella ("Old City") - that is fun to explore. And lots of great beaches to go and relax on!
Berlin is a huge city that you can spend a lot of time in and never be bored.
It has been massively influenced by the events in the last 70-80 years. You can find references (or parts of) the Berlin wall, museums about WWII and cold war-related events, and art galleries everywhere.
Brighton is well-known in England as the gay capital. It is quite a large city, right on the seafront. It has a nice beach that will be busy any time the sun is out in summer. If you are in London, we definitely recommend taking a train south to Brighton and checking out the beach for a day or two.
Brussels - the home of the EU, the capital of Brussels, and where you can find one of the most overrated tourist sights: Manneken-Pis.
If you are a beer or chocolate lover then this should be your next destination. The city is famous for them (although not at the same time!). Every corner in the city center seems to have another pub or bar with lots of Belgium beers on tap.
Bucharest is the 6th largest city in the EU (after London, Berlin, Madrid, Rome and Paris) - so if you like big cities then you should think about heading to Romania's capital. Over 2,000,000 residents live here. It has a nice Old Town area, and the city is packed full of things to see and do.
Budapest is the capital of Hungary and is one of the largest cities in the EU (over 1.7 million residents). If you pronounce it properly then it should be said like "boo-dah-pesht". For centuries it used to be two cities: Buda and Pest. But in 1873 they merged the cities and from then it was known as just Budapest.
Copenhagen has a population of just under 600,000 residents, and is the capital of Denmark. The city is packed full of shopping areas, great nightlife and fantastic culture. It is quite a small city, and if you like small cities that you can explore in a day or so then Copenhagen is perfect for you! But it is also a city full of hidden gems!
The capital of Ireland is quite small (and you can easily get around just by foot). You can find plenty of pubs there. It is also famous for its Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle and of course the Guinness Storehouse where you can learn the history of their most famous drink.
Dubrovnik in recent years is probably most famous for being where some of Game of Thrones is filmed. But even without that it is a neat city to visit.
Lots of fun and interesting back streets, with some great views nearby!
The capital of Scotland's Edinburgh is a beautiful city. Almost every visitor to the city loves it. It is overlooked by its castle (the most famous landmark in the city).
You can spend all day exploring the history of the city. Then when the nighttime comes, be prepared for the great nightlife that opens up!
Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, in Italy. It has a population of around 370,00. It is full of culture things and great architecture. It is packed full of many world-class art galleries and churches.
In my opinion Gdansk really is a hidden gem. It is part of Poland's tri-city group of three cities. The other cities (Sopot and Gdynia) are around 15-20 min away, and are almost as nice as Gdansk. But Gdansk is our favourite.
Helsinki (or Helsingfors in Swedish) is the capital of Finland. It has been the capital since 1812, and nowadays has a population of just over 600,000. It doesn't always feel like a huge city - which can be great when you want to explore it on foot!
It has good connections to the rest of the world, thanks to its Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.
Kraków is one of our favourite cities - we have a huge section about on our site.
It is full of history, but quite a small town - perfect if you like everything to be walkable and close by! It has one of the largest and oldest main squares in Europe too!
Lisbon is a great party city, but also a nice place to relax next to the ocean. It is popular all year round with tourists. It has a large role in the world's commerce, media, entertainment and art world. Over 20,000,000 people fly through its Lisbon Portela Airport every year.
Ljubljana is a somewhat little-known capital city. It has a hard to spell (or even say - it is pronounced like 'lyoob-lyah-nah') name, but it is a great city to have a wander in and enjoy the city.
London is a city you would struggle to get bored in.
It is one of the world's most touristy cities, is super busy everywhere and very expensive. But most tourists love the city!
There are bars and pubs around every corner, West End theater shows, and so many tourist attractions you won't know where to start.
Madrid is the capital (and largest city) of Spain. It is full of lots of cultural and artistic history. And it has great nightlife for party lovers.
Milan is the heart of the financial world in Italy. It was partly destroyed in WWII bomb raids, but has been rebuilt and is a treat to visit! There are lots of places to go shopping, enjoy the arts, and it has great nightlife.
Munich is known as the most expensive city in Germany - and it has plenty of sights for you to blow your money on there.
It is most famous for Oktoberfest, where millions of visitors arrive get together for German beer!
Neuschwanstein castle (AKA The Fairytale Castle) was the inspiration for the famous Disney castle. It is often regarded as one of the most beautiful castles in the world.
It is the only 'city' on this list that isn't really a city. But we really love the Neuschwanstein castle...!
Nice is the 5th biggest city in France. It is a pretty large city, with a population of over 1,000,000. It is on the south-east coast of France, right on the Mediterranean Sea.
Oslo is the capital and the largest city in Norway. The city dates back over 1,000 years. Now it is a popular tourist destination - but be warned: the country is very expensive! There are great connections to the rest of the world thanks to its three airports.
Paris, the city of love. It seems to be a bit hit or miss: some people absolutely love the city, and the others seem to hate it!
For us? We visited years ago but quite liked it. There is plenty to do in this huge city, including many world-famous art galleries.
Prague is a well-known and well-loved city. It is famous for its nice old and unique medieval architecture.
While Reykjavík might be a bit of an awkward word to pronounce (unless you are Icelandic!), it is the most northernmost capital in the world (with a latitude of 64°08' N). The city is the center of Iceland's economy and culture.
The city is very large, but there is a small city center. You can have a lot of fun with nature here, or stick to the city center and enjoy its nightlife and shopping.
Riga is a little town but there are plenty of things to see and do there. It has some influences from Soviet times, but the city has a lot of its own Latvian charm.
We recently spent 24 hours there - check out our guide to Riga here.
If you wanted to go to a city in Europe full of ancient history then you can't do much better than Rome! It is famous for the Roman Empire, and the city is full of historic and art related things to see and do. And of course you can pop into the Vatican City!
A little bit of a hidden gem, Salzburg isn't on everyone's bucket list of cities to visit. But it is a lovely and nice city to spend a few days in.
It is probably most famous for being the birthplace of Wolfgang Mozart. There are quite a few sights and things to do, including checking out the old town area, Hohensalzburg Fortress and Salzburg Dom Cathedral.
Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are around 370,000 residents in the city. The city is full of history, despite its small city size. For centuries it has been known as a city where people of many different religions lived. In more recent times the city has recovered from the Yugoslav wars (1992-1995), and is now one of the safest cities in South Eastern Europe.
People have lived in Sofia since around 7000 BC. Nowadays it is the capital of Bulgaria and has a population of around 1.25 million. It is located near the base of the Vitosha Mountain, in western Bulgaria. It is one of the cheapest capitals in Europe to visit.
The capital of Sweden is made up of 14 islands (connected by 50+ bridges). If you like wandering around a city then you can't beat a day in Stockholm on foot!
Tallinn, the Capital of Estonia might be a tiny capital city (with a population of only 400,000), but it is a city you should think about visiting! It has lots of interesting sights and things to do.
Tallinn's Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is often listed as one of the top 10 digital/smart cities in the world.
Vienna is a massive city (you won't be able to explore it only on foot!). Around 1.8 million residents live there. It is famous for its St. Stephen's Cathedral, Schonbrunn Palace and its government buildings (like its city hall and parliament buildings)
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and is its largest city. For a capital city the population of around half a million seems quite small - but it is a fantastic city to visit and explore! It has fantastic architecture in its old town, and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
The capital of Poland was completely flattened in World War 2, but now it has all been rebuilt. There are plenty of things to do, including many war museums.
It has a completely different feel to it compared to other Polish cities. If you are in Poland, definitely try and check it out!
Wrocław (pronounced like 'vratszwarf' - the ł is like a 'w' sound, and their 'w' is like a 'v' sound in English) is about three hours from Kraków. It isn't anywhere near as touristy as Kraków, so if you want to see a nice Polish city without the British, Iris
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. It is very small for a capital city (it has a population of around 800,000, but feels like much less when wandering around the city).
It attracts around 700,000 visitors a year (as of 2011) - often Germans, Italians and Austrians. It has a nice big square (Ban Jelačić square), and good links with other cities via its Zagreb International Airport. If you want a relaxing few days in a nice, pretty and safe city then Zagreb will be perfect for you.
Zurich is the capital of Switzerland, and home to around 400,000 people.
It is the financial center of Switzerland, and there are many huge international businesses set up here. It has the biggest airport in the country there, which most people go through when going to the Swiss Alps.
Český Krumlov is a small town that is 160 km/100 miles south of Prague. It is very picturesque, and isn't overrun by tourists.
The city is surrounded by a meandering river (the same river as what is in Prague - the Vltava). It has lots of nice old buildings, and quite a few bars and restaurants.
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I'm an Australian who has lived in Europe for most of my life. I work online, travelling with my laptop, working online and exploring cities for months at a time.
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