Italy’s Urban Mood Magazine has highlighted ten European cities it believes travellers should visit in 2026, before they become firmly established on the mainstream tourist circuit.
The magazine argues that Europe’s best-known capitals are increasingly crowded and expensive, and says travellers are increasingly looking for destinations offering culture, food and history without the queues and tourist prices.
Its selection ranges from established but comparatively overlooked capitals to smaller historic destinations.
Sofia in Bulgaria, is praised for its combination of Roman remains, Orthodox churches and café culture, while Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is highlighted for its mix of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and modern influences.
On the Adriatic Sea coast, Kotor in Montenegro, makes the list for its medieval old town and dramatic setting around the Bay of Kotor. Gdańsk in Poland, is singled out for its colourful Hanseatic architecture, maritime heritage and location on the Motława River.
The list also includes Ljubljana in Slovenia, described as a green and walkable capital with easy access to the Alps; and Ohrid in North Macedonia, where historic churches and a lakeside setting are the main attractions.
Further east, Tbilisi in Georgia, is recommended for its sulphur baths, wine culture and emerging creative scene. Prizren in Kosovo, is highlighted for its Ottoman heritage, cobbled streets and relatively low prices.
Italy is represented by Matera, whose ancient cave dwellings in the Sassi have made it one of the country’s most distinctive destinations. The final choice is Valletta in Malta, with its fortified historic centre and Mediterranean Sea setting.
Urban Mood Magazine recommends visiting these destinations in late spring or early autumn, when temperatures are generally pleasant and visitor numbers lower. It identifies May, June and September as particularly attractive months.
According to the magazine, Sofia and Sarajevo are among the cheapest destinations on its list, while most can be reached from major European cities by a combination of flights, trains and buses.
The selection reflects a broader shift in European tourism towards destinations that offer a less crowded experience rather than simply following the continent’s traditional tourist capitals. The magazine’s central argument is that the appeal of these cities lies precisely in the fact that they have not yet become as heavily visited as places such as Paris, Amsterdam or Prague.
Alternative cities
Urban Mood’s post inspired me to look at Trip By Trip‘s archive and identify ten other ‘not top of mind’ cities. This is not a ‘best destinations’ or ‘hidden gems’ list. This is inspiration.
Bordeaux: a short weekend in France’s wine capital
A short September 2019 visit showed that even a packed weekend can offer a good introduction to Bordeaux. Arriving by train from Antwerp via Marne-la-Vallée, the trip covered an afternoon, a full day and a final morning, making the 48-hour Bordeaux City Pass a useful way to combine public transport with museum visits.
Much of the first afternoon was spent exploring the historic centre, including the Grand-Théâtre, Rue Sainte-Catherine, Place des Quinconces and the Monument aux Girondins. The photogenic Miroir d’eau and Porte Cailhau were also on the route, followed by dinner at Le Petit Commerce, where the turbot came recommended.
The visit also explored Bordeaux’s connections with Great Britain. The city’s long period under English rule remains visible in its culture and architecture, while the National Customs Museum and the City of Wine offered different perspectives on that history. The elegant InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel added another distinctly British touch.
Sunday was devoted largely to Bacalan, an area compared with Antwerp’s ‘t Eilandje. The route took in the City of Wine, Les Halles de Bacalan and the Base Sous-Marine, now used as a photography venue. The Musée Mer et Marine was considered less impressive and better suited to visitors with more time.
The final morning brought a brief walk to Saint-André Cathedral and the nearby courthouse before it was time to board the train for Marseille.
Despite the whirlwind pace and plenty of walking, the visit left a positive impression. Bordeaux’s relaxed atmosphere, historic centre, food and cultural attractions made it a city worth returning to – preferably with more than a weekend to explore it properly.
- REVIEW | InterContinental Bordeaux le Grand Hotel.
- Cité du Vin – City of Wine museum in Bordeaux.
- Weekend in Bordeaux.
Karlovy Vary: a Belle Époque spa town in western Czechia
Karlovy Vary, one of Czechia’s best-known spa towns, was explored during a 2021 rail trip through Central and Eastern Europe. After travelling through Berlin, Gdańsk and Wrocław, the visit became a six-night stay at Hotel Imperial, with Karlovy Vary also serving as a base for excursions around the region.
Located around 130 kilometres west of Prague at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá rivers, Karlovy Vary is famous for its thermal springs. More than 80 springs are found in and around the city, with temperatures ranging from below 40°C to around 74°C. The historic spa landscape, with its grand colonnades, hotels and 18th- to 20th-century architecture, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021 as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe.
The city’s character is largely defined by its Belle Époque heyday. Colourful Jugendstil buildings, ornate colonnades, bridges and grand hotels line the river valleys, creating a particularly photogenic setting. Among the highlights are the Mill Colonnade and Market Colonnade, while the Grandhotel Pupp gained international fame after appearing as the Splendide hotel in the James Bond film ‘Casino Royale‘.
Karlovy Vary’s religious architecture is equally varied, reflecting its complicated history. Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Greek Catholic churches stand alongside the remains of older buildings, while the modern synagogue is another reminder of the city’s diverse past.
The city’s spa tradition is impossible to miss. Visitors can follow the hot spring trail and sample the mineral-rich waters from the various springs, traditionally drunk from distinctive spa cups. The trip, however, skipped the drinking ritual and instead concentrated on exploring the city on foot.
For a different perspective, the funicular to Diana Viewpoint offers panoramic views over Karlovy Vary, with a restaurant at the top. The Imperial funicular is another practical option for avoiding some of the city’s steeper climbs.
Beyond its spa attractions, Karlovy Vary has a complicated history. Founded in the 14th century and named after Charles IV, it became an internationally renowned resort in the 19th century, attracting aristocrats and wealthy visitors from across Europe.
The city also gave its name to the 1819 Carlsbad Decrees, a landmark episode in the suppression of liberalism in the German Confederation. Its predominantly German-speaking population was expelled after World War II, while Russian business and investment became increasingly visible after the fall of communism.
The verdict was positive, but measured. Karlovy Vary was considered attractive, lively and a useful base for exploring the region, with good hotels and restaurants. Shopping was less impressive, with the city’s malls described as rather dreary. After spending two days exploring Karlovy Vary itself during a week-long stay, the conclusion was that this was enough time to experience the city’s main attractions – while leaving plenty of reasons to explore the surrounding region.
Liverpool: much more than The Beatles and football
A trip to Liverpool in March 2023, inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest, turned into a pleasant surprise. Travelling by train to England, the visit combined Liverpool with nearby Manchester and its industrial heritage, with the two cities linked by the world’s first inter-city passenger railway.
Before the trip, Liverpool seemed heavily defined by two exports: The Beatles and football. Yet exploring the city revealed a much broader destination, with impressive architecture, museums, a revitalised waterfront and a surprisingly manageable city centre.
The Eurovision connection provided an obvious focus for the visit. The Pier Head, on the River Mersey, became the Eurovision Village, while St George’s Hall was among the venues associated with the 2023 contest. But away from Eurovision, Liverpool offered plenty to explore.
The Albert Dock is one of the city’s major attractions, combining restored industrial architecture with museums and cultural institutions including the Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum and Tate Liverpool. The waterfront continues towards the Pier Head, one of Liverpool’s most recognisable urban spaces.
Liverpool’s two cathedrals provide a striking architectural contrast. The Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, completed in 1978, is one of the world’s largest cathedrals, while the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King was completed more than a decade earlier in 1967. Its distinctive modern design has earned it the local nickname ‘Paddy’s Wigwam‘.
The city also has a substantial collection of museums and cultural attractions. The Walker Art Gallery houses works spanning centuries, while the World Museum covers subjects ranging from archaeology and ethnology to natural sciences and space. Both form part of National Museums Liverpool.
Of course, The Beatles remain impossible to escape. The Beatles Story, the Cavern Club and various locations associated with the band are major parts of Liverpool’s tourism offer. Football is similarly prominent, with Liverpool FC‘s Anfield stadium another major attraction. Yet the visit found that these themes did not overwhelm the city as much as expected.
Liverpool also made an impression through its everyday character. The city centre is large but sufficiently compact to explore on foot, and hotels are unusually prominent and plentiful. The city’s fashion also stood out, with tracksuits and black clothing seemingly ubiquitous.
Another positive impression was Liverpool’s approach to LGBTQIA+ visitors. Rainbow symbols, the Stanley Street gay quarter and an LGBTQIA+ audio trail at the Museum of Liverpool all contributed to a sense that the city was actively presenting itself as welcoming to queer visitors.
The overall verdict was enthusiastic. Liverpool was more attractive and enjoyable than expected, with a tourism infrastructure that felt purposeful without becoming overly commercialised. Its successful Eurovision hosting was hardly surprising: the city had the space, accommodation, transport infrastructure and willingness to welcome large numbers of visitors.
For a long weekend, Liverpool proved to be a destination in its own right rather than simply a pilgrimage site for Beatles fans or football supporters.
- LIVERPOOL | 2023 Eurovision Song Contest venues & locations: arena, fan village, EuroClub, EUROfansCLUB.
- A visit to the Museum of Liverpool.
- LIVERPOOL | Merseyside Maritime Museum ft. Piermaster’s House, Border Force National Museum and International Slavery Museum.
- LIVERPOOL | Western Approaches / Liverpool War Museum.
- REVIEW | Radisson Red Liverpool.
- Discovering Liverpool.
Lyon: two days between historic streets, Roman ruins and modern architecture
A cancelled March 2020 trip to France turned into a weekend in Lyon a few months later, when European borders began reopening after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny and his travel companion Gillis used the opportunity to finally explore Lyon, staying at the InterContinental Lyon–Hôtel Dieu.
The visit began in Vieux Lyon, the city’s atmospheric historic quarter. After lunch in one of its restaurants, they explored the narrow cobbled streets, churches and cathedral, as well as the city’s distinctive traboules – hidden passageways connecting streets and courtyards. One of the highlights was the hunt for a particularly well-hidden example.
From Vieux Lyon, the route continued to the Presqu’île, the peninsula between the Rhône and Saône. The area combines historic and more modern parts of the city, with stops including Place Bellecour, the Hôtel de Ville and the Roman amphitheatre.
The second day started with a climb up Fourvière hill. The reward was a panoramic view across Lyon and a visit to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. As it was Sunday, Mass was taking place, but the crypt could still be explored.
The descent revealed another layer of Lyon’s history. The route passed the Cimetière de Loyasse and the remains of the Roman theatre and Odeon, part of the archaeological site of ancient Lugdunum, the Roman predecessor of modern Lyon. Public transport then provided a typically Lyonnais change of perspective, with a funicular and the city’s automated metro taking the visitors back towards the centre.
The afternoon was devoted to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, whose collection of paintings, sculptures and historical artefacts occupies an impressive historic setting. Several hours were considered well spent before the journey continued by metro and tram to the Confluence neighboourhood.
At the southern tip of the Presqu’île, the Rhône and Saône meet in an area transformed by contemporary architecture. The Musée des Confluences, with its striking futuristic design, provided a dramatic contrast to the medieval streets and Roman remains encountered earlier in the weekend.
The final stop was the Parc de la Tête d’Or in the north of the city. One of Lyon’s major green spaces, the extensive park includes a botanical garden, zoo and cycling facilities and offered a more relaxed end to an otherwise busy two days.
The verdict was clear: Lyon proved to be an ideal long-weekend destination. In just two days, the city offered medieval architecture, hidden passageways, Roman history, major art collections, modern architecture, extensive parks and an efficient public transport network; enough variety to make the cancelled trip to France feel well worth rescheduling.
Stuttgart: a German city caught between history and the future
Stuttgart was chosen for a three-day summer getaway in July 2022, after Strasbourg and Stuttgart emerged as the two candidates. The choice was something of an experiment: after more obvious European city-break destinations, what would a weekend in the capital of Baden-Württemberg offer?
The answer proved difficult to pin down. Stuttgart has a distinctly German urban character, with reconstructed historic buildings standing alongside post-war architecture. The city sits in the Neckar valley and is one of Germany‘s largest urban areas, but its centre remains relatively manageable on foot.
The timing added to the experience. The city was hot and busy, with Jazzopen Stuttgart and the Hamburger Fischmarkt drawing crowds. Yet some areas felt surprisingly quiet. The walk towards the Mercedes-Benz Museum, for example, passed through almost deserted streets, with the atmosphere changing dramatically later in the day.
The historic centre is centred on the walkable Altstadt and Königstraße, Stuttgart’s main shopping street. Schlossplatz, the opera house and the Markthalle are among the attractions around the centre, while the city’s mixture of reconstructed older buildings and post-war architecture gives it a somewhat different character from Germany’s more traditionally picturesque cities.
For a city with such a strong industrial identity, Stuttgart’s automotive heritage is an obvious attraction. The Mercedes-Benz Museum is one of the city’s major visitor destinations, reflecting the role of the car industry in Stuttgart and the wider Baden-Württemberg economy.
For rail enthusiasts, however, another industrial-scale project dominates the cityscape: Stuttgart 21. The controversial scheme aims to transform Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof from a terminus into a through station as part of a much larger rail upgrade towards Augsburg and the European Paris–Vienna corridor.
When the visit took place in 2022, Stuttgart 21 had already been under construction for more than a decade. The project, originally announced in 1994, had seen its estimated cost rise from €4.5 billion in 2009 to €9.15 billion by 2022. The plans involved around 57 kilometres of new railway, including extensive tunnelling and high-speed lines.
The construction works were impossible to miss. The original expectation that the new station would open in 2019 had already slipped to late 2025, and the scale of the works made even that deadline look optimistic.
The overall impression of Stuttgart was therefore mixed but positive. It may not deliver the immediate visual impact of cities such as Paris, London or Amsterdam, but it offers a combination of urban life, culture, automotive history and one of Europe’s most ambitious railway projects.
For travellers who have already worked through Europe’s more obvious city-break destinations, Stuttgart makes a worthwhile three-day alternative – particularly for those interested in architecture, transport, cars and contemporary urban development.
- REVIEW | Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Ritzi in Stuttgart.
- REVIEW | Le Méridien Stuttgart.
- REVIEW | Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
- BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG | Staatsgalerie Stuttgart art museum.
- STUTTGART | Restaurant Plenum, in Baden-Württemberg’s State Parliament.
- Stuttgart 2022.
Trieste: an Italian city with a distinctly Central European character
Trieste was an unexpected highlight of a 2022 rail journey through Europe. The city in Friuli-Venezia Giulia was added to a route that began in Antwerp and travelled via Paris and Milan before continuing to Bologna, Switzerland and Germany. The stay lasted just a day and a half, but that proved enough to get a good impression of the Adriatic port city.
Arriving around noon, the first stop was Buffet da Pepi, a local institution whose cuisine reflects Trieste’s Austro-Hungarian heritage. The city’s food culture immediately underlined what makes Trieste different from many other Italian destinations: its history and geographical position have left it with a distinctly Central European character.
The afternoon was spent climbing the hill above the city to the Cathedral of San Giusto and the Castle of San Giusto. The castle complex, including its armoury and the Lapidarium displaying Roman remains from ancient Tergeste, also offered views over the city. The day ended with regional food at Osteria da Marino and an evening stroll around the imposing Piazza Unità d’Italia.
The second day revealed more of Trieste’s complicated history. The visit coincided with 26 October, the anniversary of Trieste’s return to Italy in 1954. A ceremony in Piazza Unità d’Italia included the raising of large Italian and Triestine flags, providing a reminder that the city’s current identity is relatively recent.
Trieste’s history is also visible in its museums. The Diego de Henriquez War for Peace Museum was one of the main destinations, while the City Museum for Istrian, Fiuman and Dalmatian Society offered a glimpse into the turbulent history of the wider region. The Campo Marzio Railway Museum was also sought out, although it was closed for renovation at the time.
The city’s restaurant scene provided another pleasant discovery. Several restaurants are concentrated around the former Jewish ghetto, within easy walking distance of the centre. Al Petes offered a more upscale experience, while both restaurants reflected Trieste’s fondness for regional food and its relaxed sporting-bar culture.
One practical lesson emerged quickly: visitors need to adapt to local dining hours. Lunch generally finishes by around 14:30, while dinner does not really begin until around 19:30, making spontaneous eating outside those hours difficult.
Trieste’s greatest attraction, however, is arguably the city itself. Its architecture, waterfront, Austro-Hungarian influences and complicated history give it a character unlike that of Italy’s more familiar tourist destinations. The city is relatively easy to explore on foot, although attractions such as Miramare Castle and the War for Peace Museum require transport.
The verdict was enthusiastic. Trieste may be an overlooked destination, but its combination of historic architecture, distinctive food, Central European influences and comparatively low tourist pressure makes it an appealing alternative to Italy’s better-known cities.
For this visit, a day and a half was enough to explore the main sights – but Trieste left the impression of a city that deserved more attention.
- REVIEW | Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta.
- TRIESTE | Miramare Castle.
- History of Trieste at Diego de Henriquez War for Peace Museum / Museo de la Guerra per Pace.
- ITALY | 1.5 day in Trieste.
Toulouse: the Pink City between heritage and aerospace
Toulouse was the starting point for a September 2023 road trip through Occitania, Catalonia, and Andorra. After flying into the city, Oriol and I used Toulouse as our base before continuing towards the Pyrenees, the Spanish exclave of Llívia, Perpignan, and Carcassonne. Danny visited Toulouse in 2018.
The visit combined Toulouse’s historic centre with one of its most distinctive modern industries: aerospace. After visiting Aeroscopia, the city’s aviation museum, the journey back into central Toulouse provided a first taste of the city from the banks of the Garonne.
Walking from Pont Saint-Michel across Île du Ramier and along the Quai de Tounis, the route followed the river towards the historic centre. Toulouse’s architecture quickly made clear why the city is known as the Ville rose, or Pink City: its buildings are dominated by warm-coloured brick that gives the city a distinctive appearance.
Among the first major sights was the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Daurade, home to Toulouse’s Black Virgin. The church has a long history dating back to antiquity and is particularly notable for the elaborate dresses created for the statue by fashion designers including Christian Lacroix and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.
The city’s monumental religious architecture continued with Saint-Étienne Cathedral. Built and rebuilt over several centuries, the unusual building combines different Gothic traditions and has a distinctly irregular appearance. Its richly decorated interior includes stained glass, chapels, a Baroque altarpiece and a remarkable early 17th-century organ suspended above the nave. Pierre-Paul Riquet, the engineer behind the Canal du Midi, is buried there.
Another major landmark is the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, one of France’s largest Romanesque churches and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries, it has long been an important stop for pilgrims travelling along the Route of Santiago de Compostela. Its vast nave, medieval decoration, crypts and reliquaries make it one of Toulouse’s architectural highlights.
The Couvent des Jacobins provided a final encounter with medieval Toulouse. The Dominican convent is known for its spectacular interior, where slender columns culminate in a distinctive stone ‘palm tree’. The complex also contains the relics of St Thomas Aquinas. Even a brief visit to the freely accessible section offered a glimpse of its unusual architecture.
The city centre itself proved easy to explore on foot, with the Capitole at its heart. The Hôtel de Ville was closed during the visit because of events surrounding the opening of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but the surrounding square and streets were lively.
Food and major events added another dimension to the visit. The local speciality, cassoulet toulousain, provided a suitably hearty introduction to regional cuisine, combining beans, sausage and duck. During the first visit, Toulouse was also hosting the Rose Festival, giving the normally ‘Pink City’ an even more literal colour scheme.
A week later, the atmosphere had changed from pop music to rugby. Toulouse is widely regarded as France’s rugby capital, and World Cup-related decorations and references were everywhere.
Despite its large population and busy urban life, Toulouse’s historic centre remains compact and walkable. The combination of distinctive architecture, major religious monuments, food, culture and aerospace heritage makes it more than a stopover for a road trip through southern France.
The verdict was that Toulouse works particularly well as a base for exploring the wider region, but also deserves time in its own right. A city where medieval heritage, modern aerospace and a strong sporting identity coexist, Toulouse offers considerably more than its nickname of the Pink City might suggest.
- Let’s visit Airbus and Aeroscopia.
- TOULOUSE-BLAGNAC AIRPORT | Arrival, ID check, car rental and unusually strict security at departure.
- REVIEW | Novotel Toulouse Purpan Aéroport.
- REVIEW | Neméa Appart’Hôtel Toulouse Concorde.
- TOULOUSE | Aeroscopia aerospace ‘Airbus museum’.
- Touring Toulouse.
Turin: an unexpectedly elegant city with a passion for cars
Turin made a stronger impression than expected during a brief visit in 2018. Danny found the former Italian capital surprisingly clean, orderly and welcoming, with a handsome city centre built around pedestrianised streets and elegant arcades. I visited Turin in June 2026, but those posts aren’t online yet.
With only a day available, the visit focused on a few of Turin’s major attractions, beginning with the National Automobile Museum. The choice was fitting for a city closely associated with FIAT and Italy’s automotive industry. Reached by Turin’s automated metro, the museum traces the history of the automobile in Italy and around the world.
The exhibition proved appealing beyond dedicated car enthusiasts. Its combination of historic vehicles, clear English-language explanations and carefully designed displays made it an example of how a modern museum can present industrial history in an accessible way. A relatively quiet day also allowed plenty of time to explore the collection.
The automotive theme continued at nearby Lingotto, the former FIAT factory. The vast industrial complex has since been transformed into a shopping and exhibition centre, but its most famous feature survives: the rooftop test track immortalised in the 1969 film ‘The Italian Job‘. The roof can be accessed from the art museum occupying the upper floors, providing an unusual perspective over the former factory and the city.
After lunch at Lingotto, the visit returned to Turin’s historic centre and the Royal Palace. Situated beside the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista, the palace offers an insight into the city’s former role as a royal capital. Its grand state rooms are complemented by a royal armoury, art collections and archaeological material connected with Turin’s history.
The combination of royal heritage and industrial history proved particularly characteristic of Turin. The city was the first capital of unified Italy, but it also became one of the country’s great industrial centres, with FIAT playing a central role in its development.
Despite having only a single day, Danny came away impressed by the city’s architecture, museums and overall atmosphere. The visit also revealed how much remained unexplored, from additional historic buildings to museums.
The conclusion was straightforward: Turin deserves more attention as a northern Italian city break. For travellers looking for an alternative to Italy’s better-known destinations, one or two days can provide an introduction, while a longer stay would allow its royal, industrial, cultural and architectural heritage to be explored more fully.
Utrecht: Amsterdam’s quieter, cosier cousin
Utrecht provided the setting for a culinary weekend in July 2021, when I decided to get away with Steve after a difficult school year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a similar weekend in The Hague the previous year, we considered Nijmegen, Breda, and Utrecht before settling on the central Dutch city.
Utrecht was not entirely unfamiliar to me. I had previously visited several times, mainly for the Dutch Railway Museum, but those trips had not really given me the opportunity to explore the city itself. For Steve, it was his first visit.
We began the weekend with Utrecht’s most obvious landmark: the Dom. With unsettled weather forecast, we visited the Domkerk before heading to the Centraal Museum, including its Dick Bruna atelier dedicated to the creator of Miffy. We also spent some time on a less glamorous mission: searching for a Kruidvat, where we needed to buy some cheap, over the counter medication.
After collecting our luggage at Utrecht Centraal, we struggled to find the bus stop for our hotel in Maarssen and eventually took a taxi. The following day made it clear where we had gone wrong: the Utrecht Centraal Jaarbeurszijde bus stop is tucked somewhat beneath the railway tracks.
Sunday gave us more time to experience Utrecht at street level. With lunch booked at the newly opened Restaurant 273 on Oudegracht 273, we had the perfect excuse to wander through the historic centre and along its famous canals.
That walk produced my strongest impression of the city. Utrecht felt very ‘gezellig‘: cosy, lively and welcoming. It has some of Amsterdam’s canal-side charm, but without the same noise and intensity – and, thankfully, without the overwhelming smell of cannabis that can accompany a walk through parts of Amsterdam. The cyclists, however, are everywhere, so pedestrians need to stay alert.
The weekend was deliberately built around food as well as sightseeing, with a hotel package combining accommodation and dining and lunch at Restaurant 273 providing a final culinary highlight before we headed home.
My verdict was straightforward: Utrecht is an excellent alternative to Amsterdam for a short city break. It offers canals, historic architecture, culture and a lively atmosphere, but on a smaller and more relaxed scale.
I had already visited Utrecht several times without really discovering the city. This weekend changed that. For me, Utrecht proved to be a particularly attractive destination for a day or weekend away – a place with plenty of Dutch charm and a little less of Amsterdam’s bustle.
- St. Martin’s Cathedral Domkerk Utrecht.
- Centraal Museum Utrecht.
- REVIEW | Carlton President Hotel Utrecht Maarssen ft. Restaurant One24.
- REVIEW | Restaurant 273 in Utrecht.
- Utrecht 2021.
Wrocław: a Central European city shaped by a complicated past
Wrocław was originally supposed to be a brief stop of just half a day during an autumn 2021 rail trip through Central and Eastern Europe. When our plans changed and Warsaw was dropped from the itinerary, we unexpectedly gained a full day in the capital of Lower Silesia. That extra time turned out to be well spent.
Wrocław, pronounced roughly ‘Vrotswav’ and historically also known by its German name Breslau, has a remarkably complicated history. Over the centuries it has been part of Poland, Bohemia, Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy, Prussia and Germany. It became Polish again in 1945 following the Second World War, when borders were redrawn and populations expelled.
Today, it is a major university city, with more than 130,000 students, giving it a youthful and lively character. The city sits on the Oder and combines a rich architectural heritage with the atmosphere of a modern Polish regional capital.
We began exploring without a particularly detailed plan, essentially following our noses through the city. Cathedral Island, or Ostrów Tumski, was the natural starting point. The oldest part of Wrocław, it is home to the imposing Cathedral of St John the Baptist, several other churches, the Archbishop’s Palace and the historic Tumski Bridge.
One of the most charming features of Cathedral Island is its collection of 102 original gas lamps, which are still lit manually each evening by a lamplighter. The ritual adds an unusually old-fashioned touch to the historic district.
From there we continued towards the Old Town, visiting the Museum of Architecture before reaching the Rynek, Wrocław’s enormous medieval Market Square. Dating from the early 13th century, it is one of Poland’s largest historic squares and is dominated by the ornate Gothic Old Town Hall.
The surrounding architecture illustrates the city’s changing history particularly well. Brick Gothic and Baroque buildings stand alongside Neoclassical, Gründerzeit, Historicist, Art Nouveau and Modernist architecture. Among the landmarks are the Wrocław Opera, Monopol Hotel, Ossolineum, National Museum and the distinctive Renoma department store.
The Rynek itself contains plenty of smaller details worth discovering. The Basilica of St Elisabeth stands beside the little connected houses known as Jaś i Małgosia – Hansel and Gretel – while the former meat market has been commemorated with a monument to slaughtered animals. The Salt Square, now a flower market, occupies another corner of the historic centre.
The architecture gave Wrocław a distinctly Central European character. Compared with Gdańsk, which we had visited earlier in the same trip, Wrocław felt less Northern European and more influenced by Bohemia and Austria. The impression was reinforced by the city’s grand historic buildings and urban layout.
The city was lively during our Sunday visit. The Rynek hosted a Greek-Polish festival, while we opted for Peruvian food at Peruwiana. Our first evening had brought dinner at Grape Restaurant.
We also made our way to Centennial Hall, the monumental concrete structure designed by Max Berg. Unfortunately, the visitor centre and interior were too crowded to visit without a pre-booked time slot. The experience was slightly disappointing, particularly as the staff appeared overwhelmed by the unexpected demand.
Wrocław nevertheless left a strong impression. Its architecture, youthful atmosphere and extraordinary history make it one of the more interesting Polish cities to explore. The fact that an itinerary change unexpectedly gave us a full day there was a fortunate accident.
For me, Wrocław proved that it deserves more than a brief stop between larger destinations. Its combination of Polish, German and broader Central European influences gives the city a character that is distinctly its own.
- Wrocław Museum of Architecture.
- The Dwarfs of Wrocław.
- REVIEW | The Bridge M Gallery Wroclaw.
- Wrocław.
I have some other destinations as inspiration, but that’s for next week.
