Your Favourite European cities

[keli]

I am actually pretty curious what you think. At an other forum dominated mainly by people from the USA they wrote terrible things about Paris and London.

To start off, my Nr.1 is actually two cities:Barcelona/Amsterdam
I love the way how Amsterdam feels with all the canals and narrow streets. Had the possibility to watch the 2010 World Cup final there, it was a blast. Also Barcelona with the seashore and very kind people is a big favorite + surprisingly I liked the cheapest beer there.

2. Warsaw
I have a friend living there so been there three times already. Beautiful downtown, awesome pubs and really really friendly people. And the Warsaw Uprising Museum is awesome as well, tho was a bit shocked when I saw some Bundeswehr officers taking a tour there.

3. London
So much history. I quite dig the twentieth century, especially the European part. Monument after monument, museums after museums (Churchill's bunker got me most) and the whole city has this special English vibe.

Special prize winner: Annecy (so incredibly beautiful, but unfortunately couldn't spend there more than one day)

 

[Tahuti]

1. Brussels
2. Amsterdam
3. London

 

[Kyriakos]

Prague looks nice, but i never went there.

Of the cities i have been to, i think Stockholm looked the (impossibly) cleanest, and pretty much every building there had nice architecture (but i went there more than 15 years ago).

London has a number of nice areas. Particularly around the Thames, and obviously mostly on the Parliament side of the Thames. Going from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus is always good as well, cause a single massive partly elliptical building is all you see on the way there.

 

[Tahuti]

Of the cities i have been to, i think Stockholm looked the (impossibly) cleanest, and pretty much every building there had nice architecture (but i went there more than 15 years ago).

Stockholm almost appears sterile. Great architecture, but definitely NOT a city to live for an extended period of time, not for me at least.

 

[Kyriakos]

Stockholm almost appears sterile. Great architecture, but definitely NOT a city to live for an extended period of time, not for me at least.

I thought so too at the time. Quite deadly silent (and it was the summer).

I also loved Budapest, and still recall its parliament building which is by far my favorite parliament in our planet

 

[Tahuti]

I thought so too at the time. Quite deadly silent (and it was the summer).

You have to avoid Sweden during the summer if you are there for the people, since a lot of them will be on vacation and leave the country like one giant Wild West ghost town. Though Sweden's puritanical alcohol laws help too.

 

[Lillefix]

Of the bigger cities, I'd say Vienna. So many nice palaces and museums.

 

[Goodfella]

I've only been to London, Edinburgh, and Portsmouth, so I guess those are my three favorite European cities.

 

[Camikaze]

Paris is dirty and dodgy, I'm not sure what's meant to be so romantic about it. Budapest (got back from there today) actually strikes me as quite similar, including with the dirtiness and dodginess, but without being a giant venus touristtrap, with better prices, and a bit of an Eastern European charm.

My tentative vote would go to St. Petersburg (though the fact that being pasty white probably helps with this may be an indication that it's not so great). My vote would not go to Munich.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Paris forever and always, from the architecture, to sounds and sights, to atmosphere, and everything in between. I love it now and always will love it.

Venice is cool, other than the total lack of greenery because of its location, but it's a neat city to walk around and in and out of shops. It also is one of those cities where one second you're in a huge crowd and the next second you're down and empty alley, only to be back with a huge crowd again.

London is a good city. It feels a bit more generic to me than other major European cities, but the city centre is a ton of fun.

 

[Quackers]

The greatest city in Europe, without a doubt, is London. It has everything.

One of my other favourites has to be Ljubljana. It is small and doesn't have the energy of a giant metropolis but it is very pleasant. I stayed just off Prešeren Square and walked around this area most of the little time we spent there. This part of the city has no roads and stood just under a wooded hill (where the castle stands) so for the first time in a city, i could inhale deeply without coughing. The cityscape was very beautiful, many tall townhouses of bright colours all in good condition. Plenty of little bars and resteraunts around to waste time in. It is the perfect place to bring a woman.

 

[Quackers]

I've only been to London, Edinburgh, and Portsmouth, so I guess those are my three favorite European cities.

I'm sorry you had to go to Portsmouth. I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy.

 

[Angst]

1 Copenhagen
2 Copenhagen
3 Sweden

 

[Goodfella]

I'm sorry you had to go to Portsmouth. I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy.

I don't see what's that bad about it. The victory was kind of cool, the navy museum was alright, the sail boat tower was neat, I had an okay cheeseburger. Yeah, it's not a bustling, cosmopolitan metropolis, but it was an enjoyable town I thought.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Istanbul

Spoiler :

Never been outside of the USA

 

[Antilogic]

Paris is dirty and dodgy, I'm not sure what's meant to be so romantic about it.

This. The so-called romantic atmosphere of the city turned my snot grey.

 

[Tee Kay]

Istanbul

Beat me to it.

 

[warpus]

Out of only the cities I've actually been in:

1. Gdansk - Fell in love with the old town
2. Sopot - Not sure why, but it was awesome
3. Zakopane - Name literally means "Buried", very pretty during winter or summer

But I've only really been to cities in Poland and a couple villages in Germany. Airports and train stations don't count. I need to really explore more of Europe!

 

[Grendeldef]

Special price winner: Annecy (so incredibly beautiful, but unfortunately couldn't spend there more than one day)

That's brilliant as Annecy is topping my list with the original notion that probably no one has even been there - it seems unimaginable to be miserable or even mildly disappointed there.
Other mentions goes to Trondheim & Luzern as I prefer smaller places - both have everything while being cozy. For a larger city I'd probably go for Munich - nothing very spectacular there but everything is available & actually works.

Special prize goes to Å/Sörvågen - not really a city by any means but friendly place if there ever was one and nice base camp for short hiking trips. One really learns to appreciate permission to self service and extra-menu options, off season & understaffed it'd be easy to ignore customers. However, it hilariously difficult concept to explain to an elderly German couple.

 

[warpus]

Annecy looks amazing. I am going there (it has been so decreed)