The ranking of my favorite cities in Europe
Paris
- Rank: 1 of 10
- You can go there again and again and never get enough.
- Stay 4 to 5 days
- Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Sacré Coeur, Notre Dame, Champs Elysee..
- Nightlife
- Métro
- Bistros and street cafés
- River Seine
- (negative)Don't go to Paris for fine food
Amsterdam
- Rank: 2 of 10
- The city with its canals hits Venice because it is not just a tourist's stronghold.
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Canals
- Museums
- Sights
- The ... district, coffee shops, and all what is not quite respectable...
- Nightlife
- Dutch people
- Street cafés
- (negative)Beware of theft
Prague
- Rank: 3 of 10
- The city with the most fascinating bridge.
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Bridge
- Sights
- River
- Jazz concerts
- Castle
- Museums
- Squares
- Street cafes
- (negative)Sort of conservative
Venice
- Rank: 4 of 10
- The most romantic city in the world.
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Canals
- Buildings
- River traffic
- Living on the islands
- (negative)Too many tourists. Don't go there for fine food, stay with pizza.
Barcelona
- Rank: 5 of 10
- Ramblas, Gaudí, Cava, the sea.
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Cultural sites
- Nightlife
- Beaches not far away
- Tapas
- Shopping
London
- Rank: 6 of 10
- Number one for museums, concerts, musicals, sports events....
- Stay 4 to 5 days
- Cultural sites
- Nightlife
- Shopping
- Tube (Metro)
- Food
- Pubs
- Hub
- (negative)Missing street cafes
Madrid
- Rank: 7 of 10
- A city that never sleeps. Just be there and enjoy every hour from the early morning to the early morning.
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Nightlife
- Evening hours at plaza Sta Ana, plaza Mayor
- Metro
- Prado
- Tapas
- Shopping
- Chueca, Latina, Castellana
- (negative)Not that many sights for such a city
Florence
- Rank: 8 of 10
- The piazze, ponte vecchio, duomo and uffizi
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Cultural sites
- Museums
- River
- Parks
- (negative)There's not much to do at night
Rome
- Rank: 9 of 10
- There's probably no other place in the world which has so many cultural sites.
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Roman sites
- Churches
- Vatican
- Parks
- (negative)Not enough space for pedestrians.Bad traffic.
Istanbul
- Rank: 10 of 10
- The scenic city at Golden Horn and Bosphorus where Occident meets Orient
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
- Bazar
- Cultural sites
- Food
- (negative)Traffic and public transport
Moscow
- The city which represents power.
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Red square
- Metro
- Museums
- Nightlife
- Cultural sites
- (negative)Missing street life
Porto
- Scenic location at Rio Douro
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Lively Riverfront
- Excursion to upper Douro
Berlin
- It's modern, it's trendy
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Sights
- 2nd world war and post war memorials
- Melting pot of different cultures
- Museums
Lisboa
- Scenic location at the bay of Rio Tejo
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Old town at hillside
Lyon
- Dining out in the old town of Lyon
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Musée des Confluences
- Bouchons
- Excellent infrastructure for tourists (Lyon City Card)
Salzburg
- Lot of clerical history in a marvellous setting
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Museums, castles, churches and palaces
- Excursion to Hellbronn's trick fountains
- Beergardens
Vienna
- It used to be a metropolis of the emperors and it still is.
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Palaces
- Coffee shops
- Museums
- Parks
Athens
- The city spread over 2000 years
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Greek culture
- Plaka
- Sights
- Museums
Dublin
- It's the place to go out at night
- Pubs with live bands
- Stay 3 to 4 days
- Temple Bar, Riverdance, Guinness brewery
- Nightlife
Lucerne
- Scenic location at a lake surrounded by mountains
- Stay 1 day
- Sights
- Street cafés at river Reuss
- Lake
- Carneval
- Excursions to neerby mountains Pilatus and Rigi
- (negative)Nightlife
Bern
- It's scenic situation in the loop of river Aare
- Stay 1 day
- Old town and its arcades
- Fountains
- River Aare
Sevilla
- Its cathedral, Moorish real alcazar. It's way of living.
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Sights
- Tapas bars
- Flamenco
- River
Budapest
- Splendid and sublime at Danube river
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Palaces
- Spas
Brussels
- Its number of restaurants and culinary choice is tremendous
- Stay 1 to 2 days
- Sights
- Old town
- Food
Verona
- Juliet s hometown
- Stay 1 to 2 days
- Piazza Erbe
- Old town and river Adige
Siena
- The most beautiful piazza
- Stay 1 day
- Sights
- Piazza
- Excursions to sites outside the city (San Gimignano)
Zurich
- Eveninghours in the streetcafés of Niederdorf
- Stay 4 hrs
- Lake and river
- Nightlife
Milano
- Center of art, fashion and design
- Stay 1 to 2 days
- Museums
- Have an apéro in a non smoking bar and eat antipasti
- Cathedral
- Fashion and delicacy shops
- Food
- Nightlife
Stockholm
- Scenic city at the Baltic Sea
- Stay 4 hrs
- Nightlife
Salamanca
- Plaza Mayor is the heart of the city, its visitors and citizens
- Stay 1 to 2 days
- Restaurants and street cafés
- University
- Cathedral
Colmar
- Small and beautiful
- Stay 1 day
- Scenic old town
- Sights
- Street cafés
- Food
Galway
- Never seen so many pubs in a row
- Stay 2 to 3 days
- Excursions to Connemara, Burren, Cliffs of Moher
- Nightlife
Napoli
- Excursion to Pompeii
- Stay 1 to 2 days
- Lively old town
- Fantastic view from the upper town over the bay and mount Vesuvius
- The cradle of pizza
Edinburgh
- Gothic churches and cementries in green parks
- Stay 4 hrs
- Promenades through the parks
- Pubs
Basel
- Rhine
- Stay 4 hrs
- Sunbathing and people watching at the riverside of Kleinbasel
Strasbourg
- Good food and french ambiance
- Stay 4 hrs
- Restaurants and street cafés
- Cathedral
- River
Troyes
- Timbered houses and narrow alleys
- Stay 4 hrs
- Churches and their stained glass windows
- Food
Dijon
- Vibrant French city
- Stay 4 hrs
- French Cuisine at its best
- Sights
Munich
- The city with the beergardens
- Stay 4 hrs
- Museums
- Food
- Sights
Nice
- The posh city at the Côte
- Stay 4 hrs
- Beach
- Museums
- People watching
Freiburg im Breisgau
- Christmas market and Glühwein
- Stay 4 hrs
- Cathedral
Chartres
- Light and sound show at cathedral
- Stay 4 hrs
- Cathedral
Solothurn
- Renaissance buildings
- Riverfront cafés
- Stay 4 hrs
Aarau
- Nice little old town
- Stay 4 hrs
Besançon
- The river meandring around the castle
- Stay 4 hrs
- Castle
- River
Palermo
- Churches, piazze and traffic
- Stay 4 hrs
Helsinki
- The city with its weighty buildings
- Stay 4 hrs
St-Malo
- Enclosed by a surrounding wall
- Stay 4 hrs
- Tidal spectacle
- Seafood
Malaga
- Beach and evening hours at malecon at Pedregalejos
- Stay 4 hrs
- Excursions to the white villages.
Alicante
- Charming old town
- Stay 4 hrs
Las Palmas
- Little Rio, a city with a beach is always charming
- Stay 4 hrs
- Beach
- Tapas bars
Manchester
- Characteristic English city.
- Stay 4 hrs
- Pubs and restaurants in the arches of the railway bridges, canals and closed red brickwall factories reopened for gastronomy and cultural events.
Innsbruck
- City surrounded by mountains.
- Stay 4 hrs
- Nice old town.
Brest
- Seaport
- Stay 4 hrs
- Modern post-war architecture
Lulea
- Characteristic Scandinavian city
- Stay 4 hrs
- Visit Gammelstad
Reykjavik
- Nordic atmosphere
- Stay 4 hrs
- Whale watching
Neuchâtel
- Situated at a lake
- Stay 4 hrs
- Small old town
Murcia
- Characteristic Spanish city
- Stay 4 hrs
- Cathedral and old town
Zaragoza
- City at a river.
- Stay 4 hrs
- Walk along river Ebro.