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A good city break can be a revitalizing, uplifting experience. It’s a chance to immerse yourself in an entirely new environment, and a different sort of culture.
The problem is that many of the major European capitals offer the same kind of tourist-focused experience – to the extent that, beyond the actual landmarks, they might all seem indistinguishable from one another.
So, what if you really want to maintain a sense of connection to the place you’re visiting? Let’s take a look at three locations for holidays, each of which has really retained its character, and really offers something different from its counterparts.
Lucca
If you’re planning a visit to Tuscany, then you might immediately head for Florence. But it’s worth also considering this slightly more obscure jewel in the region’s crowd. It’s a place defined by its looming Renaissance-era walls, which encircle the Old Town. Many of the wider ramparts new serve as pedestrian boulevards, along which you might take a scenic stroll each morning.
The pace of life is unhurried, and the architecture is unmistakably Italian, especially around the famous Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. It’s also worth paying a visit to the botanical garden, which sits just within the walls.
Gdańsk
On the Baltic coast of Poland, we find one of the continent’s most beautiful cities. In terms of architecture, it’s not too dissimilar from the Netherlands, with merchant houses stretching along the famous Royal Way. A river runs through the city – the Motława – whose embankment is sprinkled with cranes and bars. If you want to enjoy a meal, and bask in the sunset, you’ll want to book a table at one of the restaurants here.
Students of history might also appreciate the city’s impressive lineup of museums, which includes examples dedicated to the Second World War, and to the Solidarity movement.
Girona
For too many travelers, the airport at Girona is viewed as a mere checkpoint on the way to the region’s larger and more famous city, Barcelona. But Girona is a place worth visiting in its own right, thanks to a combination of amazing history and architecture.
The city is home to one of the continent’s best-preserved Jewish quarters, in the form of El Call. Like Lucca, it has its own set of historic walls encircling an old town – and there’s a sense of grandeur to the place, provided in part by the hulking form of the local cathedral, and its sprawling stone steps, which fans of Game of Thrones might recognize.
The Gothic nave of this amazing structure is the world’s largest, and the interior is wide open and expansive. It wasn’t built all at once, so you’ll also get a sense of history, with Baroque and Romanesque features all comingling.
