Here, in order of visiting, are my top 5 favorite European cities.
Prague: I visited Prague, Czech Republic in the summer of 2009. It was my first time to Europe and really encompassed my first travel experiences as it was the first time traveling on my own with a friend. So take it with a grain of salt that I may have seen this city through rose-colored glasses. Jenn and I took the overnight bus to Prague from Germany and spent 3 days in this beautiful city. If you have never been to Europe, but have a picture of what a European city looks like in your head, it probably looks like Prague – a perfect little old town with an iconic church and clock in the main market square; an old stone bridge crossing the river leading to the castle and cathedral at the top of the hill. Visiting this city was what I had envisioned Europe to look like, and it was a fairy tale ending to my first time in Europe.
Madrid: After deciding I needed to learn Spanish, I spent the summer of 2011 living in Seville, Spain for an immersive Spanish study abroad program and spent about a week’s time in Madrid. As a first-time solo traveler I found Madrid very easily navigable. I loved their metro system and, at the time, it only cost a euro. As a student, Madrid was affordable – several museums, including the Reina Sofia and Prado art museums, had certain days with free visiting hours. I spent so many hours reading and people watching in el Parque Buen Retiro. My love of free walking tours began in Madrid. On the tour, the guide doled out the advice that students could get up to 90% off at the royal theater if you showed up with-in the hour before a show began – cue me getting tickets to see the Swan Lake ballet for sixty cents.
Rome: (February 2013) In Rome, I stayed at the apartment of my grandpa’s Italian cousin and his wife. Neither of them speak English and I don’t speak Italian. We must have looked hilarious trying to talk to one another on the streets of Rome…she’s speaking to me in French (thinking it’s close to English) and I’m attempting to respond in Spanish. Maybe it was all the interesting communication or the copious amounts of delicious gelato, but it felt wonderful to be in this city. All of the architecture is impressive – not only the grandeur of the Colosseum and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican but also the antiquity of the Roman Forum and pretty much all the buildings you look at! To be constantly surrounded by so much history leaves you marveling nonstop.
Amsterdam: (October 2015) Can I get a job here? My goodness, is this city beautiful. Although the buildings are so tall, you won’t ever get tired of looking up at them or walking along the canals. We ate cheese and “experienced” Heineken, visited Anne Frank and Van Gogh, biked around the city, cruised on the canals, and stayed on a “house boat”. We packed in a lot during this fast weekend and bonded over making lots of silly memories. Travelling well with two close friends always makes for a really fun trip.
Edinburgh: (November 2015) Often times (as in my visit to Rome and Amsterdam) the people you travel with can strongly influence how you feel about a place. For this reason Edinburgh really is a top 5 because I went with my at-the-time-boyfriend who was ex-boyfriend by the end of the trip. Despite the terrible time we had together, Edinburgh was incredible. I loved the look and feel of Edinburgh. It was October and chilly and rainy, but we still walked up to Arthur’s Seat (an extinct volcano) for incredible views of the city and enjoyed a little sunshine and getting lost on a hike through the gorgeous Pentland Hills. The new town and old town are both UNESCO sites for their historically innovative city planning. I really liked how Edinburgh had lots of unique stores, bars, and restaurants, making it really stand apart from other cities with more homogenized centers.
Runners up: Innsbruck, Austria; Seville, Spain; Budapest, Hungary; Brasov, Romania; Krakow; Poland
Did your favorite city make the list? Do you disagree? What are your favorite European cities?