Maja Nordlund

Now it's time for my Top 10 European cities (or towns)! My best advice is buying an interrailing pass and take the train during three or four weeks and just go wherever you feel like!

 

10th Place: Berlin, Germany

The culture-capital of Europe! You'll find heaps of history and art wherever you go; famous old buildings, museums and streetart is everywhere, not to mention the remains of the Berlin Wall. There's good shopping and nice restaurants all over the place, since Berlin doesn't really have an actual citycenter. I found the city itself kind of grey though, but maybe that's because it were raining my whole stay. But clearly worth a visit!

This little town is not that famous, but I bet you've heard of the castle Neuschwanstein, or at least seen a picture of it! Well, that was also the reason we came here, and I must say that the town of Füssen was really charming and beautiful. It's not big, but it has a pedestrian street surrounded by beautiful buildings and the river nearby is nice as well. And off course; Neuschwanstein is amazing to see! Sadly, they were reconstructing the highest tower when we were there...

The beautiful and exclusive town of Oía lies on the cliffside of the vulcano Island Santorini. The white stone houses are mainly luxury hotels or churches, but by the small street that sinuates on the top, you'll find shops and restaurants with amazing views over the cliffs and the sunset! More expensive then the rest of Greece, but not more expensive than Sweden. Go here in May or June to avoid the biggest crowds.

A coastal town with a beautiful port that is full of restaurants and cosy cafes! From the port you'll see the sunset and the boats going to the nearby islands. There's also an old area in Split that is included on UNESCO's list of Word Heritage Sites. The town feels both modern an ancient at the same time. If you wanna find a good beach you should probably take a boat to one of the islands, since Split only has a small beach made of coarse sand.

 

The capital in Italy is great in many ways; shopping, history, beautiful architecture and amazing food! There's heaps of historical sites such as Fontana di Trevi, Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and the Vatican State. Just remember to wear decent clothes if you go to the Vatican! And whatever you do, don't miss out on the gelato!! The Italians are experts in ice cream making and the flavours are remarkable! They have them all; snickers, kinder egg, marzipan, licorice, fruits and berries!

This romantic city is a must if you're in Italy! The black gondols go slowly through the canals, which this town is built on. Some streets are so narrow you need to go in a row, and if someone stops by a souvernir stand everyone has to stop. There's a few plazas with restaurants and cafes, and off course gelaterías! Try to find your way to St. Mark's Square, and you'll see the famous Basilisca. And don't miss the most famous bridge; the Rialto Bridge!

 

Czech Republic is a cheap country and Prague is a beautiful city surrounded by the Vltava River. The famous Charles Bridge will take you from the modern city to the old town, were you'll find the Prague Castle upon a hill. Here is also a miniature building of the Eiffel Tower, in which you can go up for a great view of the city! By the Old Town Square is the gothic Týn Church and the famous Astronomical Clock. Both food and shopping is cheap and I really recommend breakfast at the old, famous Café Louvre!

The fashion capital of the whole world! Paris is sooo beautiful; the architecture of the Buildings is so elegant and they're all made in shades of beige, which is something I've come to associate with this city! My advice is to walk. Walk, walk and walk some more. Paris is a really big city but it's something to see in every corner. Notre Dame is the world's most beautiful church, just don't forget to see the back of it, cause that's the most beautiful side! A trip up the Eiffel Tower is a must, take the stairs if you dare! Champs-Élysées is a nice, and a very long, street full of fashion brand stores. The Arc de Triomphe is at one end of the street and the Louvre at the other, but like I said; it's a very long street!

 

London. Where should I start?! Oh I know; don't just go here for a weekend, go here for a whole week! There's so much to see and do, and in the week it's much less crowded! Do the usual sightseeing like Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abbey and Madame Tussauds. But take a couple of days just strolling around and see where you end up. Hop on a red dubbeldecker bus and get off at any stop. You either end up in Covent Garden, Notting Hill, Oxford Street or Hyde Park, and I promise you; they're all places you wanna end up in! And don't forget to see at least one musical! Whatever you normally think of musicals, it's gonna be nothing like it, believe me!

Finally!! My number one favourite city in Europe is Bruges! This is an old picturesque city with everything I like! The streets are made of cobblestone and the houses are old stone buildings with pointy roofs. You can walk through the whole city and just take in the beauty! There's canals that surround the city center and over them goes plenty of beautiful old bridges. At the main square you'll find restaurants and cafes where you can try the Belgium national dish mussels & chips. And don't miss the bar that has over 100 kinds of Belgium beer!

If you like chocolate Belgium is paradise! They sell high quality Belgium chocolate in every shop, and they even have a chocolate museum in Bruges! And since they state chips is from Belgium, they also have a chips museum! But my favorite place must have been the Christmas store! Sooo amazing and supercosy! Felt like I was in a Disney Christmas movie!