Shortly after graduating from University, Miss Money-Side Upand I took some time to explore Europe. We wanted to cover the best cities to visit in Europe by train (mostly). So we started off in Berlin and finished in Milan, visiting Prague, Vienna and Budapest along the way. In the post I wanted to cover the highlights, in addition to a few things I would change for next time!
Berlin, Germany
This is a wonderful place to start your tour of Europe. You should spend 4 days here at minimum, there is just so much to see. You could probably spend a full week here, and in this time you might only cover the historic sites and museums the city has to offer! In my opinion this is one of the best cities to visit in Europe. I would even extend this to be ‘one of the best cities in the world’ as I did in a previous post.
- Reichstag building – Berlin Parliament buildng completed in 1984 following German national unity and the establisment of the German Reich in 1871.
- Berliner Dom – Berlin Cathedral dating back to the 15th Century.
- Berlin Wall – The former partition between East and West Germany which divided the city by the zones occupied by the United Kingdom, France, the United States and those run by the Russians following WW2 in 1945. It wasn’t until the year I was born (1991) that the wall fell.
- Topography Of Terror – A place of rememberance on the former site of the the SS command.
- Holocaust Memorial– A place of contemplation, remembrance and a stark warning. 19,000 square metres covered by 711 concrete slabs of different heights. There is also a museum which runs underneath the site.
- Checkpoint Charlie – It became the most famous crossing point between East and West Germany on 22 September 1961. A month later in October 1961 it became the scene of a tank confrontation between the Americans and the Russians.
- Brandenberg Gate – One of Berlin’s few surviving historical pre-WW2 features built between 1788 – 91. It’s a giant features standing 65.5 metres long and 11 metres deep, and supported by two rows of six Doric columns.
We flew into Berlin directly from the United Kingdom as we were on a budget. If you didn’t want to take this shortcut you could visit Paris and/or Amsterdam by getting the Eurostar before continuing onto Berlin.
Prague, Czech Republic (4h 30m train from Berlin)
Back when we visited, the train cost around £17pp. That’s less than a train from my current city of Leeds to London. It suprised me when google maps revealed this journey was over 4 hours. It really didn’t see like it, perhaps that’s because of the excitement of the adventure.
Prague is an extremley quaint and beautiful city. I loved strolling around the old town and I just loved the old architecture there. This is was one of my favourite stops. You should spend at least 2 to 3 days here before moving on.
If you are after a quaint city, with delighful old world architecture, then this is one of the best cities to visit in Europe. My highlights of Prague and some of things you can do, include:
- Prague Astronomical Clock – Installed in 1410 by imperial clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still operating.
- Walk over the Charles Bridge from the Old Town To Lesser Town. If you visit in the summer, you will see musicians, painters, vendors.
- Visit ‘Lesser Town’ – Renaissance burghers’ houses, baroque palaces, narrow lanes and spacious squares. Here you will find the next item on the list.
- John Lennon Wall – A political focus for the anti-communist regime.
- Flaming Shot of Absinthe – Bohemian-style or Czech-style absinthe, contains up to 70% alcohol.
- Prague Castle – A UNESCO World Heritage site, with a tradition of more than 1,000 years. Built in the 9th century, it is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic but was home to the kings of Bohemia, Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia
- Arrive before mid-day to watch the changing of the guard.
Vienna, Austria (4h 15m train from Prague)
I remember the train for this section of the journey being a little different. As the train was structured in more Harry Potter style carriages. I have this great memory of spending time engaging with this middle aged lady, completely non-verbally due to our language barrier.
- Schoenbrunn Palace & Gardens – Schönbrunn Palace was put on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in 1996. It’s hard to believe but the site of the palace was once just a hunting lodge. That was until 1742 when a huge re-building project renovated it into a stately residence for the imperial family.
- Habsburg Imperial Crypt – Twelve emperors, 18 empresses, and 113 other members of the Habsburg family. Check out this underground burial chamber to see their skeletal remains and tombs.
Vienna Travel Advice
- Do not arrive on Sunday, everything will be closed. We struggled to find a restaurant.
- Work on your German or take a translation app. Of all the cities I have been to it was most difficult to get by speaking only English here (e.g. restaurant menus in German only).
- Avoid staying in a hostel/hotel in the red light district (like we did).
- Avoid August, the city was uncomfortably hot.
Bratislava, Slovakia (1h train from Vienna)
This one one stop I wish I’d have been more adventerous to take. If I was to do this trip again, I would stop for 1 or 2 days. Bratislava looks somewhat similar to Prague in regards to it’s quaint architecture. It also looks like there are some great attractions and view points of the city to be visited.
You can use the interactive map below to check out some of these points of interest.
Budapest, Hungary (2h 25m train from Prague)
This was Miss Money-Side Up’s favourite city at the time. We were lucky with the time we visited too, arriving coincidentally on St Stephen’s Day and the night time fireworks on the Danube river!
If you can time your visit for this date, that’s great but if not there is still plenty to do! In fact, there are still things I need to go back and do. As you will see from the list below, we barely scratched the surface in our 3 days here.
- Castle Hill & Buda Castle –This Unesco World Heritage Site towers imposingly above Budapest for all to see. The Castle which sits on top was originally completed in 1265 but the Baroque palace occupying most of the site was built between 1749 and 1769.
- Buda Castle Funicular – In service since 1870, this is a cheap and cheerful way to climb the hill.
- The Parliament Building – Inspired by the British houses of Parliament this neo-gothic structure sits impressivley on the Danube.
- Heroes Square – Built in 1896 to mark the thousandth anniversary of Hungary, it celebrates the dead heroes of Hungary. Enter the square and be surrounded by statues and pillars. The centre piece is the Archangel Gabriel, who is holding the Hungarian crown.
- Danube Promenade & Shoes On The Danube– A haunting tribute to the horrors of WW2 and those executed with 60 pairs of 1940s shoes sculpted from iron.
- St Stephens Basillica – Named in honour of Hungary’s first king (975–1038). Make sure you check out his mummified right hand/relic inside the Basillica.
- Varosliget – This city park is located nearby Heroes sqaure. Check it out for a relaxing stroll.
Just 7 of the many things still on my Budapest checklist:
- House of Terror – See exhibitions about the successive Fascist and Communist regimes which ruled Hungary during the 20th Century.
- Gellért Baths – One of the grandest spas in the city is the Gellert Bath and Spa centre.
- Hungarian State Opera House – The 1,200 seat auditorium is considered to be one of the best in the world for operatic performances.
- Fisherman’s Bastion – Built between 1895 and 1902 in a series of developments that were to celebrate the 1,000th birthday of the Hungarian state. However some historicans say this was home to the Guild of Fishermen, responsible for defending that stretch of the city walls during the Middle Ages.
- Faust Wine Cellars – Located in a labyrinth beneath Buda Castle, you can sample Hungarian wines.
- Citadella – Sits atop Gellert Hill, was constructed by the Hapsburgs following the failed Hungarian War of Independence.
- Aquincum – A Roman city which stood where Budapest stands today, and served as an important military base in the ancient Roman Empire.
Milan, Italy (1h 35m flight from Budapest)
You caught me! Okay I cheated a little here with flying to Milan! Back in the day I was just a poor graduate with a surplus of time but not the money, so we had to make some compromises!
However, if you wanted to you could: get a train to Zagreb (4h 55m train), then to Llubijani (2h 25m train), then to Venice (4h 36min) from there it’s just 2h 25m to Milan (or you could even go indirect via Bologna. From there you can travel to Turin, Florence, or even Rome! So many exciting options. Something I will consider in the future.
You can read about our visit to Rome by clicking here.
…Back To Milan
In my opinion, unless you are a fan of shopping Milan can get a little boring very quickly. However, if art and fashion is your interest then you will probably argue that Milan is one of the best cities to visit in Europe.
The best part of our visit to Milan was staying in a place called Navigli. This is a district full of charming canals and waterways. All along the canal sides are resturants and bars.
If you are on a budget, some of the bars offer Milanese aperitif. An arrangement where you buy a drink for say €8-€12 and you get unlimited buffet style eating.
Things To Do In Milan
- Sforza Castle – With it’s defences designed by Da Vinci this powerful fortress was home to the Sforza dynasty, who ruled Renaissance Milan.
- Duomi di Milano– This Cathedral is a symbol of Milan with it’s 135 spires and 3400 statues. This is an extravagent gothic structure.
Final Thoughts On The Best Cities To Visit in Europe
Overall, I have fond memories of each place I visited. I would recommend Berlin, Prague and Budpest as your 3 main cities. In my opinion, these are the best cities to visit in Europe.
They are the cities I enjoyed the most and also the places I would most like to re-visit. If you have a rough two week time-frame like us, they also have great train links.
What would I change for next time?
Next time I would like to push out into Eastern Europe visiting the likes of Poland, Slovenia, Romania, Croatia and Montenegro. Instead of visiting the likes of Vienna and Milan.
If you have been to any of these countries, where did you go, which cities did you visit? I would love to build up some knowledge for my next tour of Europe. What do you think are the best cities to visit in Europe?
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