The entire European continent is a land of wonders for travelers who love historic sights and cultural treasures. The problem in some cases may be an oversupply of remarkable destinations rather than lack of choices. We have a few tips for you: cities that are already renowned destinations, but hare they are sorted by cultural experiences, and events as well.
Although you didn’t ask about it, I will share my personal favorite before sharing the lists of best cultural cities put together from multiple sources. Valencia, Spain is the perfect cultural destination for me because the city features side by side the long history of the Mediterranean region and ultramodern architecture of our era. All this is available for visitors in the old city center and in a large park built on a river. A city of contrasts.
First, let’s examine cultural ranking compiled by The Social Hub that takes into account number of museums, cultural and history related activities, prices of tickets, world heritage sites, Michelin star restaurants, visitor return rate, and theatre events in a city. Here is the top 10 by The Social Hub:
- London, UK
- Berlin, Germany
- Paris, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Rome, Italy
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Madrid, Spain
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Vienna, Austria
The top 10 list represents a group of tried and renowned cities not only for the culture, but for sights, attractions, food and nightlife as well.
Second, let’s take a look at the cultural experience index put together by Bounce, a luggage storage provider for travelers. Here is the top 20 of European cities measured by availability of culture.
- Venice, Italy
- Edinburgh, UK
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Florence, Italy
- Milan, Italy
- Paris, France
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Dublin, Ireland
- Rome, Italy
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Verona, Italy
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Nice, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Berlin, Germany
- London, UK
- Tallin, Estonia
- Brussels, Belgium
Venice takes the top spot along with a number of other Italian cities ranked high as well. This particular index takes into account number of museums, theaters, libraries, and music events in each city. The final ranking, however, is relative to the population of a city. This may explain why a relatively small city like Venice reached the number one spot before large cities like Paris, or Florence. The most searched cities for their cultural services were London, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Paris. You can view the cities by other factors, such their library or museum at Bounce’s web page.
Whichever city you choose for your cultural destination, you won’t go wrong with a mid-size and large city in Europe. Culture, history, and traditions are not only something that’s preserved in museums, they are part of daily life in Europe.