European cities to visit + locations to jump, of frequent travelers

If you are looking for a really medieval city in the United Kingdom, you cannot choose a better place than the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

I was fascinated by the magnificent mixture of architectural styles of the city, which means that buildings appear greater than life. More specifically, the Château d’Edinburgh touches the city and is visible from many different places in the city.

Edinburgh is also a treasure of history, whether Mary King’s Close, a preserved alley of the 17th century or a whiskey tour in which I learned the distinctive regional varieties of Scotch.

When the colder weather started to reach me, I was able to find a surprising number of hot-chocolate shops. I found that the hot cocoa associated with a donut of one of the countless bakeries in the city made the perfect snack of the afternoon.

Amsterdam has a reputation as a party of the party, in particular its propensity for marijuana and the red district. Although Mesterdam is definitely a good place to have a good time, there is so much more in the city.

During my stay, I tried to avoid tourist hot spots, rather promoting local districts. A particularly enchanting walk along the canals led me to Foodhallen, a animated food market where I was able to take advantage of sushi, a Corndog and the Dutterballen’s Dutch snack – which can be better described as a fried stroke.

When I ventured into more busy places, it was to visit the art and history museums. My favorites were the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank house, which were each powerful and moved in its own right.

I also appreciated how much the layout of the city differs from the other European cities that I visited. Bikes and boats reign supreme, which makes beautiful ways to explore the city.

Zurich is a magnificent city, and sit on the shores of the lake with a plate of currywurst was a high -level European experience for me.

Although I found that the city was expensive compared to the other places I visited, the main reason why I would not come back is because of the enviable neighbors of Zurich: the villages of the Swiss Alps.

In just a few hours, you can leave the urban environment and arrive in cities like Wengen and Mürren, which seem to be straight out of a stories book.

One of the main reasons why I wanted to visit the capital of Wales was to visit the Cardiff castle, and the complex did not disappoint. I learned about 2,000 years of history, from former ruling families to an underground bunker used during the Second World War.

But in my opinion, the rest of Cardiff was not as impressive.

Although I appreciated the Victorian and Edwardian arcades (glass roof alleys with various stores), the city center felt a little more grumpy than the others that I visited because of a few coward garbage. I also had the impression that there were not a ton of other activities to do nearby.

But with 400 castles scattered throughout the country, I will be sure to explore the most remote parts of Wales during my next visit.

This story was initially published on December 4, 2024 and more recently updated on April 18, 2025.