I spent the last few years exploring Europe, and I want to show you my favorite cities, so here’s my European city’s top 10. Europe is home to some of the world’s most interesting cities from the ancient history of Athens to the billionaire's playground of Monte Carlo Europe, cities offer so much variety and diversity.
1. Lucerne, Switzerland
Let’s start this article off in the beautiful city of Lucerne, located in the heart of Switzerland. Lucerne is a picturesque lake city surrounded by the swiss alps. It’s just a short 40-minute drive from Zurich. One of my favorite parts of lucerne is all of its medieval buildings and architecture. Lucerne is home to the chapel bridge, which is the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge. It was built over 600 years ago in 1365. It almost burned down in 1993, but it was reconstructed and it’s now open to the public. Another impressive place in lucerne is the music wall and towers. The fortifications began in the 13th century and it’s made up of nine snow towers that were used as a defense wall during medieval times. Aside from all the history, lucerne is just a beautiful city to walk around and explore the lake and all the surrounding scenery. I mean it’s hard to beat the beauty of this Swiss city.
2. Lisbon, Portugal
All right after Lucerne, we’re going to head over to Portugal to visit the vibrant city of Lisbon being one of the oldest cities in the world. Lisbon is Europe’s second oldest capital city. After Athens I mean there’s just so much culture in history in the city, you can check out the sanctuary of christ. The king monument reminds me of a mixture of Rio de Janeiro and San Francisco's bridge. The commerce square is another beautiful spot to explore.
One of the coolest parks in Lisbon is the Parque Eduardo, the seventh it’s full of beautifully, designed, hedges and just a great place to enjoy the afternoon or evening. The Balaam tower is also an important monument that served as a point of embarkation for Portuguese explorers. Lisbon is also close to some stunning beaches, such as Ursa beach. I haven’t been to Lisbon, yet, but certainly one of the first new European cities. I want to explore.
3. Positano, Italy
Alright, so after Lisbon was to head over to Italy to visit the famous town of Positano located on the Amalfi Coast, Positano is a seaside village. That’s about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Rome back in the first century. Luxury Romanvilles were built on the coast. Here it was believed to be the home of mythical sirens that would seduce sailors to crash upon the rocky shores. Posey tunnel was a somewhat poor fishing village during the first half of the 20th century, but tourism began to gain traction in the 1950s, especially after John Steinbeck wrote about Positano in his essay where he said it is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes Becca nearly real after you are gone.
When you see this place in real life, I think you’ll feel the same as Steinbeck. I mean it’s just hard to beat the beauty of this place. The backdrop of the mountains filled with colorful villas against the mediterranean sea filled with boats and yachts. It’s just jaw-dropping that Posie Tano is quite a torchy destination, so be aware, that you maybe get some crowds especially go in the summer, but the beauty is worth that price. If you ask me, I mean just such a stunning location.
4. London, UK
All right after Italy, we’re going to visit, possibly the most iconic city in the world, London, I’ve traveled more to London than any other international destination. I love this city so much and I just keep coming back for more everything from double-decker buses to the energy of Piccadilly circus makes the city feel so alive. There are just so many places to see you can check out the iconic, big ben and walk across the bridge to see the Palace of Westminster, there’s the tower ridge, which is possibly the most famous bridge in all of London. You can go see the store guards at Buckingham Palace or take a ride on the London eye. If you haven’t already been to London, I highly recommend visiting when you can it’s hard to beat London’s atmosphere. There’s no city like it in the world,
5. Edinburgh, UK
While we’re still in the UK we’re going to head over to Edinburgh. If you want to go back in time, Edinburgh is a must it’s where jk rowling wrote her to harry potter novels when I started traveling. This was one of the first cities I visited it’s a medieval town with intricate neoclassical buildings, cobblestone streets, and beautiful gardens. The iconic Edinburgh castle overlooks the city and is home to Scotland’s crown jewels.
One of my favorite places in Edinburgh is Calton hill. It just offers a beautiful view of the entire city. Another cool spot in Edinburgh is Arthur's seat. It’s located in holly rod park and it’s a short rock from Edinburgh center. Arthur c is an extinct volcano with an elevation of 823 feet. When I was there, I wanted to get as high as I could so I could see all of Edinburgh. I made the hike up and reached the top. I just had a good time hiking around Hollywood park and enjoying the views of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
6. Dubrovnik, Croatia
After Edinburgh want to head down to Croatia to visit the medieval town of Dubrovnik now located in southern Croatia. Dubrovnik is one of the most popular medieval cities in Europe. The history of Dubrovnik dates back to the 7th century when it was founded by refugees during the 14th century to 1808, Dubrovnik was ruled as a free state. One of the most notable features of Dubrovnik is the walls that surround the old city. They are almost two kilometers in length and they are anywhere from four to six meters thick. They were used to protect the city throughout history. The unique look of the city has made it a popular filming location. Dubrovnik was featured in the game of thrones as it was used to depict the city of the king’s landing.
7. Prague, Czech Republic
After Croatia, we’re going to head up north to visit the Czech Republic to visit the capital city of Prague due to its location and rich history. Prague is known as the political, cultural, and economic center of Europe. Prague was the capital of the kingdom of Bohemia and was the main residence of many Roman emperors, such as Charles iv. One of my favorite attractions is the Charles bridge.
Its construction began in 1357 and it wasn’t finished until the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge is decorated with an alley of over 30 statues and which is so scenic and such a great feature in Prague. The old town square is also a great place to explore, and the prod castle is another beautiful sight to see it’s considered to be the largest ancient castle in the world, and it was built more than a thousand years ago in the 19th century I mean that’s a freaking long time Prague has such a historic vibe and, I hope all can visit.
8. Barcelona, Spain
After Prague, we are going to head over to Spain to visit the famous city of Barcelona and when you think of Spain this is what you probably imagine. Barcelona is home to incredible architecture, Mediterranean beaches, and an energetic vibe all around. When I was in Barcelona, I wanted to get a good vantage point in the whole city, so I hiked up this place called Mirador de las paters. It’s a wild spot that offers a 360 panoramic view of the city. The most iconic attraction in Barcelona is the La Sagrada Familia. It’s this roman catholic minor basilica that began construction over 138 years ago and it still isn’t finished. It’s anticipated that construction will be finished in 2026, but who knows all I know is one of the most unique buildings in the world and I still can’t get my head around that. It’s been constructed in 1882.
9. Athens, Spain
All right after Spain, we’re going to head over to Greece to visit the city of Athens, it’s the capital and largest city in Greece, and it’s one of the world’s oldest cities. Athens is such a wild place with so much history. One of my favorite places in Athens is Acropolis. If you want to get into Parthenon, it costs about 20 euros. So it’s a little expensive, but it’s worth it, especially if you’re there. When I went to the acropolis, I was able to get some of my favorite time-lapses over the city they’re just an endless sea of white buildings with mountains. In the background, if you do go to Greece, I recommend exploring Athens for at least a day or two. It’s just such a unique place.
10. Monte Carlo, Monaco
All right so for our last location. We’re going to visit the tiny country of Monaco to see the city of Monte Carlo now Monaco is the second smallest country. After the Vatican, the whole country is only 499 acres. Monaco has been known as a billionaire’s playground and over one-third of Monaco's citizens are millionaires. One reason why Monaco draws the rich is that it’s a tax haven, there are no income taxes and other tax rates are extremely low. One of the most famous places in Monaco is the monte Carlo casino.
It was opened in 1863 and has been featured in the James bond films. Another annual tourist attraction in Monaco is the grand Prix I’d love to see some race cars ripping through the city there. If you can handle the riches of monte, Carlo, and Monaco, it’s a place to add to your European city bucket list.
Well, that is it for my top 10 Europe.