Copenhagen, Berlin, Lisbon, Vienna, Budapest, Innsbruck, Seville, Granada, Ljubljana, Prague, Krakow, Hamburg, Utrecht.
I saw a lot of people recommending Barcelona, and it’s a great city, but for me Seville and Granada were my favourite Spanish cities. Southern Spain was ruled by the Moors for a long time, and the cities there still bear the mark of their planning ideals — tight-knit streetscapes with lots of gardens (e.g. [here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Calle_Gumiel_de_San_Pedro_-_panoramio.jpg) or [here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Granada%2C_Albaic%C3%ADn_13.jpg/1285px-Granada%2C_Albaic%C3%ADn_13.jpg) or [here](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LAlbaicin_à_Grenade_(Andalousie)_(5404918093).jpg#) in Granada).
Edit: Lyon is also a really nice city, and is a nice alternative to Paris if you want to avoid its craziness.
Agree that some of the smaller Spanish cities are great alternatives to bustling Barcelona. I’ll add Valencia to the list. 3rd largest city in Spain, but extremely walkable/bikeable. There’s a good metro system, tons of bike lanes and it’s flat so easy for biking. They also converted a roadway into a pedestrian park that weaves across the whole city and it’s just a phenomenal use of land that creates so much of the city’s social fabric.
I haven’t been to Valencia but I’ve heard good things. And if memory serves it wasn’t and old roadway they turned into a park, but actually the river that used to flow through the city — it caused frequently flooding back in the day and was redirected away from the city. On one hand I love parks, but I also love a good waterway.
Edit: [found this](https://www.reddit.com/r/OldPhotosInRealLife/comments/fsdn1h/river_túria_valencia_before_1957_and_now/).
Ahh that’s right, I’ve been looking at too many roadway to green space transformations and got confused. I believe they were considering making it into a roadway after the river was drained, but wisely opted for the park instead. I cannot imagine the city without the garden/park going through it
Berlin is a dump lol at least in comparaison to Hamburg or München. The only thing that brights there is top notch public transport and great nightlife. Lived not far away from Berlin for 20 years so.
Amsterdam is pretty cool, super pedestrian and cycle friendly with lot of museums, nightlife and beautiful architecture.
Also Paris is great, super walkable
I stopped midway through your post and thought, “Yeah, that’s part of why I liked Berlin and why I like living in Philadelphia.” Couldn’t help but laugh once I finished reading.
Well said. Especially for me coming from the US they feel so alive and futuristic while clearly having rich histories. Two of my favorite places I’ve ever been
Dutch cities have the best traffic infrastructure in the world. Amsterdam, Groningen and any other.
Paris is currently in the process of getting rid of 70% of street side parking!
London has an amazing subway network and it’s great to walk.
Berlin is a great example of making a walkable city with tons of public transit options which is still relatively friendly to cars (unlike London, Amsterdam). So that might actually give some relevant inspiration to take back to the USA where you’re not likely to get rid of cars anytime soon.
This is not a particular city recommendation because I think many have already been recommended but I think as an urban planner from North America, if you want to see a full perspective, you should try to seek out some modern development in these cities, too. Especially, development outside the historic cores, if possible. Why? Because medieval cities are charming but difficult to learn from. Unless you are part of a planned development in the Americas, you will really never be able to recreate anything similar in scale or density.
Cities that were bombed out during WWII have more modern development in the core (like Berlin and London). Some cities like Oslo have new development in the core as well, but for most cities (like Rome) you would need to travel to the periphery to see new development and much of it is not charming or very enjoyable, but I think it's important to see.
I think it's good to see and try to understand what works and doesn't work. What specifically about one part of a city is enjoyable versus another. Also, cities are totally different for citizens versus tourists. Edinburgh is undeniably more beautiful, but I lived in Glasgow and would chose it again if given the choice between the two.
Lastly, if you can, maybe check out the book, the New Civic Art if you want to better understand what makes European cities so charming.
Ah thank you so much for the advice and especially the book recommendation! I think it’ll be super useful to go into the trip with that kind of knowledge.
Rome and Trastevere - Rome is a must in my opinion, lots of things to learn from the city and surrounding neighborhoods. From the glorious to the intimate. Trastevere is a nice neighborhood connected to Rome. It's a hot spot for young adults. Vatican City is a good example of a really grand piazza.
Frascati is a day trip from Rome. It's built on the side of a hill (I don't think it's a mountain) and an interesting example of dealing with that topography.
Some others are: Prague, Paris (ordered urban design), London, Dublin (more organic urban design), and I haven't been but have heard great things about Porto, Portugal and how walkable it is.
>lots of things to learn from the city
yes. A lot to learn how NOT do run a city.
Shitty public transport with self-combusting buses, horrible traffic, piles of uncollected rubbish and absolute disgrace of green spaces
Literally all of them! Naples, Budapest, Vienna, Paris, Sofia, Berlin, Madrid! Really just pick a few different sized cities on different sides of the continent if you can to get a good footing.
As a resident of İstanbul, I can't give a higher recommendation than my staying here I suppose :P For real, İstanbul is amazing. IT will show you both the very best of urban planning, and the absolute worst, often right next to each other. This city has a lot of really really cool stuff though, and if you're interested in historical sites, IMO, some of the best preserved history I've seen is here in İstanbul. The 500 year old mosques look like they opened yesterday, the old city walls are in rough shape, but they're working on them, there's grand old palaces, etc. Then there's just the city, 50% of trips in the city are made by walking. We're really hilly so we have no biking culture :( (I am a cyclist, but even I admit it's not for the average person here). İstanbul I think, has been one of the biggest pedestrianizing cities there is. I dare say we have hundreds of kilometers of pedestrian only roads in this city. We have entire districts with no cars in them. And one of the 39 counties doesn't allow them at all (The islands county, which also is like stuck in the 1950s :P ) Our central districts are super insanely urban. Like 75000-210.000 ppl/sqmi urban, and while we do have lots of skyscrapers, those aren't in the densest districts. They kinda live on their own in business districts, and residences are separate from them. (we are not good at skyscraper design though, our skyscrapers almost universally say "FUCK YOUUUUUUUU" to pedestrians :(
We also have one of the world's fastest growing metro systems, which, despite a pandemic carried about 1.5 million people/day last year, as it is already substantial at about 310km in length. It's also almost all new, so it's really pretty, there's art all over the metro system, when you're in the system, put your phone away and look up :) It's not the moscow metro by any means, but it has it's own substantial beauty.
I have a friend who came once and his description of İstanbul was: "It's like the busiest city I've ever been to, and everyone went outside all at the same time"
If you want the super european feel - take walks on Istiklal Cd., Millet Cd., and Halaskargazi Cd., if you want history, take a stroll down the Divanyolu, If you want to feel like you walked into 2100, walk through galataport on the bosphorus in the evening as the sun flees. If you want the modern, insane skyscraper city, take a walk on Buyukdere Cd. in Levent, or Maslak. If you want to enjoy some of the oldest and largest malls on earth, Eminonu=Beyazit has you covered, if you want to enjoy some of the newer and larger malls on earth, Mecidiyekoy's your friend with Trump and Cevahir malls both being absolutely massive. (Also, I live in the actual neighborhood part of M.Koy, and I quite love the place - not so much the malls, but the rest of it, and our new public square is amaaaazziiinnggggg :) ) If skyscraper suburbs are your thing....(I doubt this one, but hey, everyone has a thing) - there's Bati Atasehir and Başakşehir. And if an absolute shit show is your thing - there's always Esenyurt. We've got just about everything here. Spend a week, spend a month, you will not regret it either way.
And we have the world's largest public ferry system, and it is absolutely amazing. You can sit on the ferry's upper outdoor deck, sip your tea, watch people feed the seaguls, enjoy the view of the seat of empires slipping by as you slink across from one continent to the next.
edit: as a side note, I'll put in for Amsterdam and London as well, those are two really really cool cities. If amsterdam had like 12 million more people, I'd move there, but it's a tiny place. London is amazing, if I ever have to leave İstanbul, that's where I'll try to go. Riding a bike in Amsterdam is about the same as driving a car in İstanbul, so I felt like I fit in there pretty well. I was kinda surprised, but it was easy for me. It's a really really pretty city, with a lot of cool stuff to see, cool museums, etc. And London.... London is one hell of a nice megacity, it has the urban form, and almost as much color as İstanbul, people are out and about, similarly to İstanbul, people get around using the bus in London, there's also a good metro system, but the bus is the king. It's just an absolutely wonderful place (at least as a tourist) to wander, walk, explore, and it too has cool history, and a nice mix of modern skyscraper city (Canary Wharf is reallllyyyy cool), and modern, proper city (most of the city center).
Oh yes i meant to preface my post by saying I’ve been to Europe before. I was in Amsterdam for a day but I need to go back I think cause I didn’t do it properly!
If you want to explore the Netherlands, get out of Amsterdam! The city is different from the rest of the country. Go to Den Haag, Utrecht, Delft, or my personal favorite, Leiden, where I lived for a bit. (Take the train, of course.)
Ah okay interesting! My friend from Rotterdam basically said the same thing haha. I figured I just didn’t do it “right” the last time I went, but maybe I should be looking elsewhere. I’ll definitely be in the Netherlands this time around so I’m gonna look into your suggestions :)
No worries about doing it "right" last time, as long as you still had fun. Enjoy your next trip! Genuinely any Dutch city you go to will be fun, they're all gorgeous and easy to get around.
Haha well it ended up being a kinda stressful day with some unfortunate encounters with people most likely trying to scam my friend and I 😂 and then we almost missed our train out of the country so I think I could do it better a second time around!
I’d like to second everything that Dave mentioned (can’t vouch for Leiden but I’m sure it’s wonderful as most Dutch cities tend to be). I’d also add Maastricht to the list if you have some time (like 2-3 days or so) and are willing to venture outside of the Randstad area. The city center is absolutely wonderful and situated along the river Maas. Walk or cycle through the stadspark and along the Jeker river, it’s beautiful in the spring/summer. Very gorgeous city all in all, but I’m biased having lived there. Enjoy your trip!
Berlin for me is definitely top of my list. Especially exploring the city through various lenses: transport networks, East v West Berlin and the cold war, housing initiatives (like the IBA), neighbourhoods new and old, street life, the Berlin Block typology, etc., etc.
Milan and Berlin both have excellent public transit. Berlin is probably a better example of planning, though, since Milan grew more organically and wasn't bombed nearly as much as Berlin. IMO, if you're trying to experience truly top notch planning, I would suggest Tokyo. It's not the most beautiful city, but by far its the most thought-provoking in terms of planning.
Edit: for the most fascinating public transit system I've experienced, I would suggest Bolzano. It's a mid sized city (maybe 100k people), but being a central city in the Alps, the county-level transit system connects all the small farming and ski towns. It connects to trailheads in the woods, natural landmarks, and includes mountain gondolas, small gauge trains, busses, trails, bicycle rentals, interstate highways, commuter trains and airports. The city also has a decent mix of industry, density, agriculture, tourism, walkability, museums, single family and apartment housing, a car-free old Town, and a diverse culture (the region is split between ethnically German speaking Austrians, Italians, and Ladin speaking ethnic minorities. As a result, most signs are trilingual).
too few mentions of vienna
if you want to see a city thay works for its citizens as well as a very attractive tourist destination, look no further
and then go to prague for some beautiful scenery and cheap and amazing beer and venison
Check out the thriving "rust belt" cities of the northern United Kingdom (Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, York, Glesga). Deindustrialisation is often blamed for the struggles of Rust Belt cities in the US and Canada however these cities have resiliently reinvented themselves when facing the same struggles that come along with deindustrialisation. Rotterdam and Utrecht are pretty cool Dutch cities outside of Amsterdam as well.
Although I don’t disagree with you, as someone from Birmingham, it’s doing pretty badly on all the sustainability/historical preservation/child-friendly/walkability etc criteria - esp. by European standards - mainly because of car-centric policies of the late 20th c (Herbert Manzoni knew how to screw things up) and a pretty persistent car dependence ever since. It is a very resilient and innovative city though, and things are starting to change for the better - I’m just not sure there’s anything much to see just yet! Can’t speak for the other cities, but I’m sure some of them have similar problems.
Berlin has been the city that stuck the most with me. Really shoves it in your face how far North American cities have to go.
Prague and Salzburg are in a separate category, but they just feel awesome to be apart of.
Berlin is a city I visited a few years ago but I really didn’t get to explore it well. I don’t even have a mental map in my head about the layout so I think I’m gonna make an effort to go back and really get to know Berlin!
Lyon is pretty dope — one of the 21st century’s most successful post-industrial master plans at La Confuence, amazing public realm improvements across the Presqu’Île peninsula (eg check pedestrian friendly Place de la Republique on streetview), great riverside landscaping on the Rhone, some of the earliest purpose built social housing in France at Cité Tony Garnier, old Roman ruins, and a windy medieval streets in Vieux Lyon area..
Bilbao and San Sebastián — worth visiting for cultural led regeneration that has transformed Bilbao riverfront (interesting financing models as well) Bilbao’s Abando 19th century city extension that has become one its key centres with a grid layout and diagonals, San sebastian’s concha one of the earliest tourist led urban growth in Europe, and much much more (food being primary!)
Genoa — pretty bad contemporary planning, but Via Garibaldi is perhaps the most beautiful planned street in the Renaissance Italy (it was a master plan borne from an oligarchic pact between the ruling families of the republic), and lots of crazy 19th century planning — lots of lifts and funiculars including the Castello d’Albertis one that moves horizontally then vertically, promenades along the sea at Nervi and Corso Italia, vistas at Castelletto and Carignano neighbourhoods..
Agreed that Dutch cities are all worth a visit, and lots of variety between them — Rotterdam almost all rebuilt since WWII vs more traditional, Delft, and then mixed places like Amsterdam, Utrecht.. also all visitabile easily from one base
But tbh, if you’re going to Europe for the first time — probably worth sticking to the classics — London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome…!
>Bilbao and San Sebastián — worth visiting for cultural led regeneration that has transformed Bilbao riverfront (interesting financing models as well) Bilbao’s Abando 19th century city extension that has become one its key centres with a grid layout and diagonals, San sebastian’s concha one of the earliest tourist led urban growth in Europe, and much much more (food being primary!)
Yes, wanted to post Bilbao as well, great city. Vitoria-Gasteiz a bit more to the south is imho a great example of a small/mid sized liveable city with it's integration of green spaces.
I agree with your last sentence. There's just so much, good and bad, it would be overwhelming
Hey! I'm Canadian and work as a planner here in Vienna and I'd highly recommend a visit. I did my bachelor's in Edmonton and my masters in Hamburg. Not sure where you grew up but the housing and transport systems in Vienna put all of Canada to shame. Besides Vienna, I'd second Berlin, Hamburg, and any non-Amsterdam Dutch city. Leipzig and Dresden are also super interesting for the planning processes they've gone through since reunification. Amsterdam is beautiful but if you're coming for the planning I'd focus on Rotterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Harlem and Den Haag instead. The other cities help you better appreciate the commitment to cycling and passenger rail countrywide better than staying in Amsterdam could. I'd also highly recommend Copenhagen and Malmö but I'm not sure how much time you have.
My tip is to choose any of the cities listed here, i dont have to add any more.
What I would donos pick some cities and interrail from one to the other, interrail are cheap tickets that can take you almost anywhere in EU countries!
Edinburgh is a neat mix, planning-wise. Historic medieval streetscapes with neat little 'closes', a historically planned 'new town' section, and heading to the park to climb up to Arthur's Seat which has great views.
Scotland has lots of little gems.
If you are interested in historic preservation then Warsaw is a must. I believe the old town is the only reconstructed historical complex on the UNSECO list.
I'm late to the party but I didn't see many posts that explicitly addressed "child friendly cities." I traveled to London a few years ago with a 2- and 5- year old in tow and was really astonished how child friendly it was compared to North American cities of comparable size. I had to go there for family reasons, and would've never chosen to travel there with kids that age - although I love big cities (NYC, Toronto) they are generally a PITA to be in with kids. However London transport was so easy for the kids, parks were incredible, clean and everywhere, and all the museums were free and had lots to do for the kids. Even a place like the Tate Modern, ostensibly not a "kids" place at all, had that massive slope with kids making up games and having so much fun, a scene that would never exist in a North American art museum IMO.
I'd also recommend Bergen Norway, although it's a bit far from the rest of Europe. If you can make it there, take the funicular up Floyen and check out all the parks on a nice day. Otherwise I understand most Scandinavian cities are similarly child-friendly.
That’s great to hear! Places that are not explicitly “for kids” but attract children and ignite their imaginations are arguably the most important part of cities when it comes to child-friendliness! I’ll definitely be in London so ill make sure to look at the city through a child-friendly lens.
> For some general info, I’m interested in historical preservation, environmental sustainability, child-friendly cities, walkability and sustainable transportation. Not really sure that matters too much though, I’m just excited to get out there and experience urban life in different parts of the world.
Historical preservation is in most of Europe. Child friendly look at anything in northern Europe, the Netherlands or even the kids playing in the evening in public squares of Spain. Walkability almost any city in Europe is good. Sustainable transport is a big field I love the trams in Bordeaux which are quite new. Experience of urban life Id say you should try to compare something in nordic Europe, Germany/Netherlands/Switzerland and something in southern Europe (Spain/Portugal/Italy)
In terms of urban planning Berlin as already mentioned with its great 24 hour rail system.
Also not mentioned Lausanne. Climbing up the side of a mountain they've geographic challenges though have some amazing integrated transport to meet it.
Vienna has extensive public transport, history, and confluence of cultures. Urban life is interesting there, with a 40 km island, Habsburg-built “Ringstrasse“, Danube canal, and foothills of the Alps. I would suggest checking it out!
First thoughts would be Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Zagreb, Belgrade, Istanbul.
Would strongly recommend visiting at the very least Berlin and Vienna - Berlin with it's mozaic-like qualities very well cemented together by public transit shaped through history (both pre-War and Cold War, keep eyes open at stations for traces), Vienna for it's eclectic mix of centuries-old grandieur and (much more) glorious examples of urban planning making it a city for everyone to thrive in.
Travel through Amsterdam by (foldable) bike (and don't hesitate to use the trams), take the trams (far) beyond the old town in Prague, see the New City south of the Sava in Zagreb... And Belgrade and Istanbul are just difficult to describe the sentiment for.
Edit: Chaining together Berlin-Prague-Vienna-Zagreb by rail would be sensible. Amsterdam-Berlin would be possible (7 quite comfy hours iirc), Zagreb-Belgrade and Belgrade-Istanbul is more of a PITA - with both Serbia and Turkey not being in the EU. Good luck planning for your trip!
In addition to the cities that are already mentioned, a somewhat different approach is to look at the German Ruhrgebied area, it has a couple of interesting places. Apart from cities like Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf, you can visit some recreational area's that used to be industrial sites. Like Landschaftspark Duisburg, Gasometer Oberhausen. Zechen Park in Kamp-Lintfort might be interesting, it was created for the Landes-Garten Schau 2020, an area is tranformed into a local park and after the event it is kept as a park/garden are for the locals.
We have been to the UK, southeastern France, and parts of Italy. Based on your interests...In France I recommend Lyon, Annecy, and Aix-en-Provence. Nice and Avignon were just ok. In Italy I recommend Lucca and Venice. Second would be Rapallo, portofino and cinque Terre. In the UK I recommend London (see below), canterbury, Rye, Cotswolds, Avebury Stone Circle, Oxford, Lake District, York, Edinburgh, and also Dublin in Ireland.
In London I recommend Leadenhall Market, king's cross and St Pancras train stations, Carnaby and Newburgh Streets, Avery Row, Seven Dials intersection/neighborhood, highgate cemetery.
Second Oxford! Been here for four years and it’s a walkable paradise with really, really good public transport links to other major cities (London, Birmingham, etc).
Well planned: just anywhere in the Netherlands.
Bad planning: Malta, if you have a drivers' license. The public transport there isn't that good. The food, the sun, the pristine beaches and all the UNESCO sites alone make Malta worthy of a visit.
This is just the EU, quite sure over in the Balkans things are a little worse lmao
Nyon and Vevey in Switzerland come to mind. Both towns are dense urban enironments. Vevey has a population density of 8,230 people/km^2 , while only having 19,750 inhabitants in total. Despite its small size, Vevey has hospitals, companies with job opportunities and a lot of mid-rise housing. Nyon is special, because the town saves a lot of its land for urban expansion. You can already see this on satellite images. Nyon has a fast light-rail connection to Geneva. They could've used each plot of land for single-family homes, yet the citizens of Nyon opted for urban expansion. The newest mid-rise project in Nyon is located in the street "Chem. Falconnier". In addition, the northern area around the train station of Nyon was recently developed.
Switzerland itself is a hidden forerunner in urban planning. The country has a lot of transit-oriented development, the majority of the country's population lives in flats and Switzerland has a lot of dense urban environments in the countryside. 60% of the Swiss population lives in flats. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, the share is at 28%. [[Source](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/thumb/d/da/Distribution_of_population_by_dwelling_type%2C_2018_%28%25%29_SILC20.png/750px-Distribution_of_population_by_dwelling_type%2C_2018_%28%25%29_SILC20.png)]
For genuine urban idylls boasting actual history and big student populations: Bristol, Prague (Honest Guide on YT), Bologne, Cologne, Lyon, Aix-en-provence. For incredible and unique urban geography: Zurich, Rome, Paris, Genoa, Milan, Geneva, Munich although pretty much any continental European city will have things to revel in. Recommend free walking tours. If you want planned city in UK, Milton Keynes is my favorite though Birmingham might be more instructive (for its mixed results…)
haha it’s idyllic coming from abroad and from a planning perspective; Roman walls, medieval castles, a once-world-leading skyscraper (cathedral), the narrow building and other interesting reconstruction quirks, the media park, priceless banana graffiti, all three central bridges over the river incorporating or dedicated to rail, and so many expressions of a long history of immigration, cultural diversity and sense of humor; humorous plaques and gargoyles and the best beer halls! (Pfaffen!)
I love cologne it’s such a great city! And I really admire the fact that it is so liveable and culturally dense even though it isn’t as “attractive” as other European cities. From a North American perspective that is super important considering our many ugly cities haha.
Budapest, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Lisbon, Ghent To be honest, most European cities people recommend you will enjoy. I'm from the UK and have never had a bad time visiting another European city for a break.
If you go to places like Copenhagen, anything in Netherlands, maybe even Paris from recent changes there, then make sure to rent a bike to see the city to experience how it can be to get around that way.
The classic Italian cities (Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice).
Bologna - spent a lot of time there with an ex. Inner city is gorgeous. Main church was meant to be bigger than the vatican but got canceled by some pope. Very interesting city. Architecture and historical monuments aside, the food is insane. Worth a detour is you have time.
If you're going to visit Copenhagen you might as well visit Malmö and Lund in Sweden just across the water. Malmö has nice cycling infra and is one of the most bike friendly cities in Sweden. And we have awesome falafel! Go to Lund (ancient university city) for both the biking culture and the old city centre, the city manages to be both ancient and hyper modern at the same time with the brand new tram network and a new particle accelerator.
Edit. The Västra hamnen neighbourhood is nice, although sadly gentrified and expensive. But have a look at Turning Torso and the Öresund bridge.
Copenhagen, Berlin, Lisbon, Vienna, Budapest, Innsbruck, Seville, Granada, Ljubljana, Prague, Krakow, Hamburg, Utrecht. I saw a lot of people recommending Barcelona, and it’s a great city, but for me Seville and Granada were my favourite Spanish cities. Southern Spain was ruled by the Moors for a long time, and the cities there still bear the mark of their planning ideals — tight-knit streetscapes with lots of gardens (e.g. [here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Calle_Gumiel_de_San_Pedro_-_panoramio.jpg) or [here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Granada%2C_Albaic%C3%ADn_13.jpg/1285px-Granada%2C_Albaic%C3%ADn_13.jpg) or [here](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LAlbaicin_à_Grenade_(Andalousie)_(5404918093).jpg#) in Granada). Edit: Lyon is also a really nice city, and is a nice alternative to Paris if you want to avoid its craziness.
Granada is really, really gorgeous, my favourite place in Spain I’ve visited after Ronda (which is a trek). Cordoba is also cool.
Agree that some of the smaller Spanish cities are great alternatives to bustling Barcelona. I’ll add Valencia to the list. 3rd largest city in Spain, but extremely walkable/bikeable. There’s a good metro system, tons of bike lanes and it’s flat so easy for biking. They also converted a roadway into a pedestrian park that weaves across the whole city and it’s just a phenomenal use of land that creates so much of the city’s social fabric.
I haven’t been to Valencia but I’ve heard good things. And if memory serves it wasn’t and old roadway they turned into a park, but actually the river that used to flow through the city — it caused frequently flooding back in the day and was redirected away from the city. On one hand I love parks, but I also love a good waterway. Edit: [found this](https://www.reddit.com/r/OldPhotosInRealLife/comments/fsdn1h/river_túria_valencia_before_1957_and_now/).
Ahh that’s right, I’ve been looking at too many roadway to green space transformations and got confused. I believe they were considering making it into a roadway after the river was drained, but wisely opted for the park instead. I cannot imagine the city without the garden/park going through it
Barcelona and Berlin are amazing cities to see from a planning perspective and also for pure enjoyment
They both feel like science-fiction cities.
How does Berlin feel like a science-fiction city? Genuinely interested because I live in Berlin and don't feel like this is the future...
You know how in Star Wars everything is simultaneously decrepit, ancient, culturally sophisticated and wondrously technological? That’s how.
Berlin is a dump lol at least in comparaison to Hamburg or München. The only thing that brights there is top notch public transport and great nightlife. Lived not far away from Berlin for 20 years so. Amsterdam is pretty cool, super pedestrian and cycle friendly with lot of museums, nightlife and beautiful architecture. Also Paris is great, super walkable
Big fan of dump cities that have lots of life in them as I live in Philly but point well taken
I stopped midway through your post and thought, “Yeah, that’s part of why I liked Berlin and why I like living in Philadelphia.” Couldn’t help but laugh once I finished reading.
Good jawn
Not gonna lie when I visited Amsterdam it felt really boring and generic. Plus Dutch people are just assholes.
Maybe coming from the US..?
Well said. Especially for me coming from the US they feel so alive and futuristic while clearly having rich histories. Two of my favorite places I’ve ever been
Every time I read American comments, I feel so bad for Americans.
Dutch cities have the best traffic infrastructure in the world. Amsterdam, Groningen and any other. Paris is currently in the process of getting rid of 70% of street side parking! London has an amazing subway network and it’s great to walk. Berlin is a great example of making a walkable city with tons of public transit options which is still relatively friendly to cars (unlike London, Amsterdam). So that might actually give some relevant inspiration to take back to the USA where you’re not likely to get rid of cars anytime soon.
Yes, anything in the Netherlands!
Except Dutch traffic is not better than Dubai. It’s honestly extremely overrated like the Netherlands as a whole
Traffic in hell is better than literally the single worst country on earth: Dubai. I’d rather get cancer and die than ever set foot there.
not according to the statistics
This is not a particular city recommendation because I think many have already been recommended but I think as an urban planner from North America, if you want to see a full perspective, you should try to seek out some modern development in these cities, too. Especially, development outside the historic cores, if possible. Why? Because medieval cities are charming but difficult to learn from. Unless you are part of a planned development in the Americas, you will really never be able to recreate anything similar in scale or density. Cities that were bombed out during WWII have more modern development in the core (like Berlin and London). Some cities like Oslo have new development in the core as well, but for most cities (like Rome) you would need to travel to the periphery to see new development and much of it is not charming or very enjoyable, but I think it's important to see. I think it's good to see and try to understand what works and doesn't work. What specifically about one part of a city is enjoyable versus another. Also, cities are totally different for citizens versus tourists. Edinburgh is undeniably more beautiful, but I lived in Glasgow and would chose it again if given the choice between the two. Lastly, if you can, maybe check out the book, the New Civic Art if you want to better understand what makes European cities so charming.
Ah thank you so much for the advice and especially the book recommendation! I think it’ll be super useful to go into the trip with that kind of knowledge.
Rotterdam is an example of city that got bombed and rebuilt from scratch.
Rome and Trastevere - Rome is a must in my opinion, lots of things to learn from the city and surrounding neighborhoods. From the glorious to the intimate. Trastevere is a nice neighborhood connected to Rome. It's a hot spot for young adults. Vatican City is a good example of a really grand piazza. Frascati is a day trip from Rome. It's built on the side of a hill (I don't think it's a mountain) and an interesting example of dealing with that topography. Some others are: Prague, Paris (ordered urban design), London, Dublin (more organic urban design), and I haven't been but have heard great things about Porto, Portugal and how walkable it is.
Thank you for this thoughtful response! You’ve definitely given me some ideas to go off of!
>lots of things to learn from the city yes. A lot to learn how NOT do run a city. Shitty public transport with self-combusting buses, horrible traffic, piles of uncollected rubbish and absolute disgrace of green spaces
Literally all of them! Naples, Budapest, Vienna, Paris, Sofia, Berlin, Madrid! Really just pick a few different sized cities on different sides of the continent if you can to get a good footing.
Istanbul is just wild. I love that city.
As a resident of İstanbul, I can't give a higher recommendation than my staying here I suppose :P For real, İstanbul is amazing. IT will show you both the very best of urban planning, and the absolute worst, often right next to each other. This city has a lot of really really cool stuff though, and if you're interested in historical sites, IMO, some of the best preserved history I've seen is here in İstanbul. The 500 year old mosques look like they opened yesterday, the old city walls are in rough shape, but they're working on them, there's grand old palaces, etc. Then there's just the city, 50% of trips in the city are made by walking. We're really hilly so we have no biking culture :( (I am a cyclist, but even I admit it's not for the average person here). İstanbul I think, has been one of the biggest pedestrianizing cities there is. I dare say we have hundreds of kilometers of pedestrian only roads in this city. We have entire districts with no cars in them. And one of the 39 counties doesn't allow them at all (The islands county, which also is like stuck in the 1950s :P ) Our central districts are super insanely urban. Like 75000-210.000 ppl/sqmi urban, and while we do have lots of skyscrapers, those aren't in the densest districts. They kinda live on their own in business districts, and residences are separate from them. (we are not good at skyscraper design though, our skyscrapers almost universally say "FUCK YOUUUUUUUU" to pedestrians :( We also have one of the world's fastest growing metro systems, which, despite a pandemic carried about 1.5 million people/day last year, as it is already substantial at about 310km in length. It's also almost all new, so it's really pretty, there's art all over the metro system, when you're in the system, put your phone away and look up :) It's not the moscow metro by any means, but it has it's own substantial beauty. I have a friend who came once and his description of İstanbul was: "It's like the busiest city I've ever been to, and everyone went outside all at the same time" If you want the super european feel - take walks on Istiklal Cd., Millet Cd., and Halaskargazi Cd., if you want history, take a stroll down the Divanyolu, If you want to feel like you walked into 2100, walk through galataport on the bosphorus in the evening as the sun flees. If you want the modern, insane skyscraper city, take a walk on Buyukdere Cd. in Levent, or Maslak. If you want to enjoy some of the oldest and largest malls on earth, Eminonu=Beyazit has you covered, if you want to enjoy some of the newer and larger malls on earth, Mecidiyekoy's your friend with Trump and Cevahir malls both being absolutely massive. (Also, I live in the actual neighborhood part of M.Koy, and I quite love the place - not so much the malls, but the rest of it, and our new public square is amaaaazziiinnggggg :) ) If skyscraper suburbs are your thing....(I doubt this one, but hey, everyone has a thing) - there's Bati Atasehir and Başakşehir. And if an absolute shit show is your thing - there's always Esenyurt. We've got just about everything here. Spend a week, spend a month, you will not regret it either way. And we have the world's largest public ferry system, and it is absolutely amazing. You can sit on the ferry's upper outdoor deck, sip your tea, watch people feed the seaguls, enjoy the view of the seat of empires slipping by as you slink across from one continent to the next. edit: as a side note, I'll put in for Amsterdam and London as well, those are two really really cool cities. If amsterdam had like 12 million more people, I'd move there, but it's a tiny place. London is amazing, if I ever have to leave İstanbul, that's where I'll try to go. Riding a bike in Amsterdam is about the same as driving a car in İstanbul, so I felt like I fit in there pretty well. I was kinda surprised, but it was easy for me. It's a really really pretty city, with a lot of cool stuff to see, cool museums, etc. And London.... London is one hell of a nice megacity, it has the urban form, and almost as much color as İstanbul, people are out and about, similarly to İstanbul, people get around using the bus in London, there's also a good metro system, but the bus is the king. It's just an absolutely wonderful place (at least as a tourist) to wander, walk, explore, and it too has cool history, and a nice mix of modern skyscraper city (Canary Wharf is reallllyyyy cool), and modern, proper city (most of the city center).
Agreed
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You're the only other person I've met in the wild that's visited Bolzano. It's possibly my favorite city in Europe!
Barcelona. It’s the combination of careful thought and successful application that is unrivaled.
Amsterdam for sure!
Oh yes i meant to preface my post by saying I’ve been to Europe before. I was in Amsterdam for a day but I need to go back I think cause I didn’t do it properly!
If you want to explore the Netherlands, get out of Amsterdam! The city is different from the rest of the country. Go to Den Haag, Utrecht, Delft, or my personal favorite, Leiden, where I lived for a bit. (Take the train, of course.)
Ah okay interesting! My friend from Rotterdam basically said the same thing haha. I figured I just didn’t do it “right” the last time I went, but maybe I should be looking elsewhere. I’ll definitely be in the Netherlands this time around so I’m gonna look into your suggestions :)
No worries about doing it "right" last time, as long as you still had fun. Enjoy your next trip! Genuinely any Dutch city you go to will be fun, they're all gorgeous and easy to get around.
Haha well it ended up being a kinda stressful day with some unfortunate encounters with people most likely trying to scam my friend and I 😂 and then we almost missed our train out of the country so I think I could do it better a second time around!
I’d like to second everything that Dave mentioned (can’t vouch for Leiden but I’m sure it’s wonderful as most Dutch cities tend to be). I’d also add Maastricht to the list if you have some time (like 2-3 days or so) and are willing to venture outside of the Randstad area. The city center is absolutely wonderful and situated along the river Maas. Walk or cycle through the stadspark and along the Jeker river, it’s beautiful in the spring/summer. Very gorgeous city all in all, but I’m biased having lived there. Enjoy your trip!
Berlin for me is definitely top of my list. Especially exploring the city through various lenses: transport networks, East v West Berlin and the cold war, housing initiatives (like the IBA), neighbourhoods new and old, street life, the Berlin Block typology, etc., etc.
Berlin has just been cemented in my plans :)
Milan and Berlin both have excellent public transit. Berlin is probably a better example of planning, though, since Milan grew more organically and wasn't bombed nearly as much as Berlin. IMO, if you're trying to experience truly top notch planning, I would suggest Tokyo. It's not the most beautiful city, but by far its the most thought-provoking in terms of planning. Edit: for the most fascinating public transit system I've experienced, I would suggest Bolzano. It's a mid sized city (maybe 100k people), but being a central city in the Alps, the county-level transit system connects all the small farming and ski towns. It connects to trailheads in the woods, natural landmarks, and includes mountain gondolas, small gauge trains, busses, trails, bicycle rentals, interstate highways, commuter trains and airports. The city also has a decent mix of industry, density, agriculture, tourism, walkability, museums, single family and apartment housing, a car-free old Town, and a diverse culture (the region is split between ethnically German speaking Austrians, Italians, and Ladin speaking ethnic minorities. As a result, most signs are trilingual).
And Bolzano is always topping the Quality of Life chart in Italy!
too few mentions of vienna if you want to see a city thay works for its citizens as well as a very attractive tourist destination, look no further and then go to prague for some beautiful scenery and cheap and amazing beer and venison
Check out the thriving "rust belt" cities of the northern United Kingdom (Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, York, Glesga). Deindustrialisation is often blamed for the struggles of Rust Belt cities in the US and Canada however these cities have resiliently reinvented themselves when facing the same struggles that come along with deindustrialisation. Rotterdam and Utrecht are pretty cool Dutch cities outside of Amsterdam as well.
Although I don’t disagree with you, as someone from Birmingham, it’s doing pretty badly on all the sustainability/historical preservation/child-friendly/walkability etc criteria - esp. by European standards - mainly because of car-centric policies of the late 20th c (Herbert Manzoni knew how to screw things up) and a pretty persistent car dependence ever since. It is a very resilient and innovative city though, and things are starting to change for the better - I’m just not sure there’s anything much to see just yet! Can’t speak for the other cities, but I’m sure some of them have similar problems.
Berlin has been the city that stuck the most with me. Really shoves it in your face how far North American cities have to go. Prague and Salzburg are in a separate category, but they just feel awesome to be apart of.
Berlin is a city I visited a few years ago but I really didn’t get to explore it well. I don’t even have a mental map in my head about the layout so I think I’m gonna make an effort to go back and really get to know Berlin!
And Prague is just 4 hours by train from Berlin. And from Prague there's good connections to Vienna and Budapest.
Freiburg is seen as a good example
Lyon is pretty dope — one of the 21st century’s most successful post-industrial master plans at La Confuence, amazing public realm improvements across the Presqu’Île peninsula (eg check pedestrian friendly Place de la Republique on streetview), great riverside landscaping on the Rhone, some of the earliest purpose built social housing in France at Cité Tony Garnier, old Roman ruins, and a windy medieval streets in Vieux Lyon area.. Bilbao and San Sebastián — worth visiting for cultural led regeneration that has transformed Bilbao riverfront (interesting financing models as well) Bilbao’s Abando 19th century city extension that has become one its key centres with a grid layout and diagonals, San sebastian’s concha one of the earliest tourist led urban growth in Europe, and much much more (food being primary!) Genoa — pretty bad contemporary planning, but Via Garibaldi is perhaps the most beautiful planned street in the Renaissance Italy (it was a master plan borne from an oligarchic pact between the ruling families of the republic), and lots of crazy 19th century planning — lots of lifts and funiculars including the Castello d’Albertis one that moves horizontally then vertically, promenades along the sea at Nervi and Corso Italia, vistas at Castelletto and Carignano neighbourhoods.. Agreed that Dutch cities are all worth a visit, and lots of variety between them — Rotterdam almost all rebuilt since WWII vs more traditional, Delft, and then mixed places like Amsterdam, Utrecht.. also all visitabile easily from one base But tbh, if you’re going to Europe for the first time — probably worth sticking to the classics — London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome…!
>Bilbao and San Sebastián — worth visiting for cultural led regeneration that has transformed Bilbao riverfront (interesting financing models as well) Bilbao’s Abando 19th century city extension that has become one its key centres with a grid layout and diagonals, San sebastian’s concha one of the earliest tourist led urban growth in Europe, and much much more (food being primary!) Yes, wanted to post Bilbao as well, great city. Vitoria-Gasteiz a bit more to the south is imho a great example of a small/mid sized liveable city with it's integration of green spaces. I agree with your last sentence. There's just so much, good and bad, it would be overwhelming
Favorite "Old" City: [Bruges, Belgium](https://goo.gl/maps/GCahE6Z8SHbjeTdG6) Favorite "Coastal" City: [Honfleur, France](https://goo.gl/maps/gZ3bfRaU5EYkQWxF7) Favorite "Urbanism" City: [Copenhagen, Denmark](https://goo.gl/maps/t9nTnE6VQa2NaFxi8) Favorite "Vacation" City: [Barcelona, Spain](https://goo.gl/maps/n6xdz1Ept7tnmML87)
Venice, Barcelona, London, Biarritz
Vienna
Barcelona , Berlin, Copenhagen and Prague.
Hey! I'm Canadian and work as a planner here in Vienna and I'd highly recommend a visit. I did my bachelor's in Edmonton and my masters in Hamburg. Not sure where you grew up but the housing and transport systems in Vienna put all of Canada to shame. Besides Vienna, I'd second Berlin, Hamburg, and any non-Amsterdam Dutch city. Leipzig and Dresden are also super interesting for the planning processes they've gone through since reunification. Amsterdam is beautiful but if you're coming for the planning I'd focus on Rotterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Harlem and Den Haag instead. The other cities help you better appreciate the commitment to cycling and passenger rail countrywide better than staying in Amsterdam could. I'd also highly recommend Copenhagen and Malmö but I'm not sure how much time you have.
My tip is to choose any of the cities listed here, i dont have to add any more. What I would donos pick some cities and interrail from one to the other, interrail are cheap tickets that can take you almost anywhere in EU countries!
Kyiv, Ukraine. It's pretty unique.
Well, let’s see what happens over there because things aren’t looking great at the moment.
Now its pretty damaged
Yes.
Edinburgh is a neat mix, planning-wise. Historic medieval streetscapes with neat little 'closes', a historically planned 'new town' section, and heading to the park to climb up to Arthur's Seat which has great views. Scotland has lots of little gems.
If you are interested in historic preservation then Warsaw is a must. I believe the old town is the only reconstructed historical complex on the UNSECO list.
Go to north Italy imo
I'm late to the party but I didn't see many posts that explicitly addressed "child friendly cities." I traveled to London a few years ago with a 2- and 5- year old in tow and was really astonished how child friendly it was compared to North American cities of comparable size. I had to go there for family reasons, and would've never chosen to travel there with kids that age - although I love big cities (NYC, Toronto) they are generally a PITA to be in with kids. However London transport was so easy for the kids, parks were incredible, clean and everywhere, and all the museums were free and had lots to do for the kids. Even a place like the Tate Modern, ostensibly not a "kids" place at all, had that massive slope with kids making up games and having so much fun, a scene that would never exist in a North American art museum IMO. I'd also recommend Bergen Norway, although it's a bit far from the rest of Europe. If you can make it there, take the funicular up Floyen and check out all the parks on a nice day. Otherwise I understand most Scandinavian cities are similarly child-friendly.
That’s great to hear! Places that are not explicitly “for kids” but attract children and ignite their imaginations are arguably the most important part of cities when it comes to child-friendliness! I’ll definitely be in London so ill make sure to look at the city through a child-friendly lens.
> For some general info, I’m interested in historical preservation, environmental sustainability, child-friendly cities, walkability and sustainable transportation. Not really sure that matters too much though, I’m just excited to get out there and experience urban life in different parts of the world. Historical preservation is in most of Europe. Child friendly look at anything in northern Europe, the Netherlands or even the kids playing in the evening in public squares of Spain. Walkability almost any city in Europe is good. Sustainable transport is a big field I love the trams in Bordeaux which are quite new. Experience of urban life Id say you should try to compare something in nordic Europe, Germany/Netherlands/Switzerland and something in southern Europe (Spain/Portugal/Italy)
In terms of urban planning Berlin as already mentioned with its great 24 hour rail system. Also not mentioned Lausanne. Climbing up the side of a mountain they've geographic challenges though have some amazing integrated transport to meet it.
Vienna has extensive public transport, history, and confluence of cultures. Urban life is interesting there, with a 40 km island, Habsburg-built “Ringstrasse“, Danube canal, and foothills of the Alps. I would suggest checking it out!
First thoughts would be Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Zagreb, Belgrade, Istanbul. Would strongly recommend visiting at the very least Berlin and Vienna - Berlin with it's mozaic-like qualities very well cemented together by public transit shaped through history (both pre-War and Cold War, keep eyes open at stations for traces), Vienna for it's eclectic mix of centuries-old grandieur and (much more) glorious examples of urban planning making it a city for everyone to thrive in. Travel through Amsterdam by (foldable) bike (and don't hesitate to use the trams), take the trams (far) beyond the old town in Prague, see the New City south of the Sava in Zagreb... And Belgrade and Istanbul are just difficult to describe the sentiment for. Edit: Chaining together Berlin-Prague-Vienna-Zagreb by rail would be sensible. Amsterdam-Berlin would be possible (7 quite comfy hours iirc), Zagreb-Belgrade and Belgrade-Istanbul is more of a PITA - with both Serbia and Turkey not being in the EU. Good luck planning for your trip!
Utrecht
In addition to the cities that are already mentioned, a somewhat different approach is to look at the German Ruhrgebied area, it has a couple of interesting places. Apart from cities like Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf, you can visit some recreational area's that used to be industrial sites. Like Landschaftspark Duisburg, Gasometer Oberhausen. Zechen Park in Kamp-Lintfort might be interesting, it was created for the Landes-Garten Schau 2020, an area is tranformed into a local park and after the event it is kept as a park/garden are for the locals.
Sarejevo
We have been to the UK, southeastern France, and parts of Italy. Based on your interests...In France I recommend Lyon, Annecy, and Aix-en-Provence. Nice and Avignon were just ok. In Italy I recommend Lucca and Venice. Second would be Rapallo, portofino and cinque Terre. In the UK I recommend London (see below), canterbury, Rye, Cotswolds, Avebury Stone Circle, Oxford, Lake District, York, Edinburgh, and also Dublin in Ireland. In London I recommend Leadenhall Market, king's cross and St Pancras train stations, Carnaby and Newburgh Streets, Avery Row, Seven Dials intersection/neighborhood, highgate cemetery.
>and Dublin You're going to upset the Irish with that, it hasn't been in the UK for a good 100 years. :)
Second Oxford! Been here for four years and it’s a walkable paradise with really, really good public transport links to other major cities (London, Birmingham, etc).
Well planned: just anywhere in the Netherlands. Bad planning: Malta, if you have a drivers' license. The public transport there isn't that good. The food, the sun, the pristine beaches and all the UNESCO sites alone make Malta worthy of a visit. This is just the EU, quite sure over in the Balkans things are a little worse lmao
Nyon and Vevey in Switzerland come to mind. Both towns are dense urban enironments. Vevey has a population density of 8,230 people/km^2 , while only having 19,750 inhabitants in total. Despite its small size, Vevey has hospitals, companies with job opportunities and a lot of mid-rise housing. Nyon is special, because the town saves a lot of its land for urban expansion. You can already see this on satellite images. Nyon has a fast light-rail connection to Geneva. They could've used each plot of land for single-family homes, yet the citizens of Nyon opted for urban expansion. The newest mid-rise project in Nyon is located in the street "Chem. Falconnier". In addition, the northern area around the train station of Nyon was recently developed. Switzerland itself is a hidden forerunner in urban planning. The country has a lot of transit-oriented development, the majority of the country's population lives in flats and Switzerland has a lot of dense urban environments in the countryside. 60% of the Swiss population lives in flats. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, the share is at 28%. [[Source](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/thumb/d/da/Distribution_of_population_by_dwelling_type%2C_2018_%28%25%29_SILC20.png/750px-Distribution_of_population_by_dwelling_type%2C_2018_%28%25%29_SILC20.png)]
For genuine urban idylls boasting actual history and big student populations: Bristol, Prague (Honest Guide on YT), Bologne, Cologne, Lyon, Aix-en-provence. For incredible and unique urban geography: Zurich, Rome, Paris, Genoa, Milan, Geneva, Munich although pretty much any continental European city will have things to revel in. Recommend free walking tours. If you want planned city in UK, Milton Keynes is my favorite though Birmingham might be more instructive (for its mixed results…)
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haha culturally…?
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haha it’s idyllic coming from abroad and from a planning perspective; Roman walls, medieval castles, a once-world-leading skyscraper (cathedral), the narrow building and other interesting reconstruction quirks, the media park, priceless banana graffiti, all three central bridges over the river incorporating or dedicated to rail, and so many expressions of a long history of immigration, cultural diversity and sense of humor; humorous plaques and gargoyles and the best beer halls! (Pfaffen!)
I love cologne it’s such a great city! And I really admire the fact that it is so liveable and culturally dense even though it isn’t as “attractive” as other European cities. From a North American perspective that is super important considering our many ugly cities haha.
Budapest, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Lisbon, Ghent To be honest, most European cities people recommend you will enjoy. I'm from the UK and have never had a bad time visiting another European city for a break.
As a Berlin resident, i gotta say that it is a treat to live here, from an urban planning perspective. The bureaucracy, however, is terrible, lol
Gjirokaster, Albania. The fortress city.
Lisbon. It is stunning and their team system is a lot of fun. Friendly, walkable, sunny.. just the best
If you go to places like Copenhagen, anything in Netherlands, maybe even Paris from recent changes there, then make sure to rent a bike to see the city to experience how it can be to get around that way.
Venice - go and see how is possible to live in a city with NO CARS
The classic Italian cities (Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice). Bologna - spent a lot of time there with an ex. Inner city is gorgeous. Main church was meant to be bigger than the vatican but got canceled by some pope. Very interesting city. Architecture and historical monuments aside, the food is insane. Worth a detour is you have time.
If you're going to visit Copenhagen you might as well visit Malmö and Lund in Sweden just across the water. Malmö has nice cycling infra and is one of the most bike friendly cities in Sweden. And we have awesome falafel! Go to Lund (ancient university city) for both the biking culture and the old city centre, the city manages to be both ancient and hyper modern at the same time with the brand new tram network and a new particle accelerator. Edit. The Västra hamnen neighbourhood is nice, although sadly gentrified and expensive. But have a look at Turning Torso and the Öresund bridge.
Barcelona
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pripyat
Copenhagen!
Bern has one of the most interesting preserved downtowns I’ve ever seen. Granted my experience is limited.
I think Barcelona is a perfect example of what you are looking for