The 10 Most Beautiful Cities in Europe

Europe packs an astonishing amount of beauty into a relatively small continent. Centuries of art, architecture and careful preservation have left it with cities that feel like open-air museums. If you are dreaming of your next trip, start here.

The timeless classics

Some cities never lose their magic. Venice, built across 118 islands, remains the most romantic city on Earth, while Prague dazzles with its fairy-tale skyline of a hundred spires. Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is a living gallery of masterpieces.

Coastal beauties

For sea and sunshine, few places rival Dubrovnik, whose honey-coloured walls rise straight from the Adriatic. Porto tumbles photogenically down to the Douro, and Bergen sits framed by fjords and mountains.

Grand and graceful

Finally, no list is complete without the imperial elegance of Vienna, the golden-stoned charm of Bruges, and the sun-drenched romance of Seville. Wherever you begin, Europe rewards the traveller who slows down and looks up.