Travel Tips

3 European Capital Cities to add to your bucket list.

Although travel is off the agenda at the moment, these 3 European capital cities should definitely be on your bucket list for when we can travel again.

3 European Capital Cities to add to your bucket list.

Head to Rome for an amazing cultural experience 

european capital cities

Without a doubt, Rome is one of the most popular European capital Cities and the number one destination for soaking up some culture. It may be a cliché, but there’s really no better advice for visitors to the Eternal City than the old quote, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Despite being associated with the Amalfi Coast, la dolce vita originated in Rome, so make sure to take time to relax and appreciate how the trattorias and coffee bars coexist alongside the ancient monuments, and provide the perfect setting for a pause. 

Of course, after more than 2,000 years of existence, Rome has accumulated a vast array of treasures and it would be a challenge to visit everything in a short city break, but here are just a few of the sights you shouldn’t miss.

Visit the Vatican City

An obvious starting point is the Vatican City, where you can explore the Vatican Museums, as well as St Peter’s Basilica, and if you attend an Easter Service, you may well see the Pope. 

european capital cities

The Trevi Fountain

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Next up, I would recommend a visit to the Trevi Fountain, Nicola Salvi’s awe-inspiring Baroque masterpiece, which features a marble statue of Neptune at the center, surrounded by tritons. If you want to avoid the crowds you will have to be there very early (or very late)! As you can see, I was not early or late and consequently surrounded by crowds! However, if you go round to the side of the fountain, then you should be able to get an uninterrupted view.

Legend has it that anyone who throws a coin in the fountain will return to Rome.

Climb the Spanish Steps

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The Piazza di Spagna should also be on your site-seeing agenda, as you can climb the Spanish steps up to the Villa Medici and the park for stunning views over Rome and then shop (or window shop) in the city’s most elegant boutiques on Via dei Condotti, Rome’s legendary shopping street. 

Wander around the ancient ruins

And, of course, no visit to Rome would be complete without a visit to the Colosseum and the ancient ruins at the Roman Forum, where you can imagine the citizens of Ancient Rome walking the cobblestoned streets, or gladiators fighting lions!

Julia in Rome

Today nearly 4 million people visit annually. It’s best to buy your tickets in advance to avoid the queues, and a combined ticket for the Roman Forum, Colosseum, and Palatine Hill gives you access to all three sites and lets you skip the line at the Colosseum.

Cross the river to Trastevere for a relaxed aperitif and dinner

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Finally, my favorite area for restaurants is Trastevere, which is across the other side of the river from most of the sites.  Trastevere means “across the Tiber”, and once you cross over the river, you will notice the difference. Trastevere is full of cobbled streets, small boutiques selling jewelry and handicrafts, bars and trattorias, perfect for taking advantage of the three P’s (Pizza, Pasta and Prosecco!).

 Visit Prague for a real-life fairytale

european capital cities

Prague is a must visit destination at this time of year, not least for the colourful Easter markets and decorations that you will find all around the town. 

These beautifully decorated markets are filled with vibrant, coloured stalls, offering handicrafts, food and drink, and the traditional painted eggs, associated with Easter in the Czech Republic. 

european caoital cities
Photo courtesy of ©Prague City Tourism

But Easter aside, Prague is a real-life fairy tale destination, the combination of cobblestone streets, breathtaking architecture and sinister churches and cemeteries make you feel like you’re caught up in a classic fairy tale, such as the Sleeping Beauty, when witches cast spells on Princesses and Princes galloped to the rescue.

Visit the Church of our Lady

european capital cities

The gothic “Church of our Lady” dominates the Prague skyline, and contributed to Prague’s nickname “The City of a Hundred Spires,” but it’s also rumored that these towers inspired Walt Disney in his design for Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

Don’t miss a visit to Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world

european capital cities

Make sure to visit Prague castle, the largest ancient castle in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, and now the seat of the President of the Czech Republic. 

A place filled with wonder and beauty and yet also with spooky stories (it is rumoured that the Castle still guards the Bohemian jewels and crowns in a hidden locked room, and that anyone who wears the Bohemian crown is doomed to their death within a year).

Take a stroll across the famous Charles Bridge

Similarly, Charles Bridge has a double-side, and there are several legends associated with this beautiful bridge,  including the fact that its rebuilding was made possible by a pact with the devil! 

After the death of St. John of Nepomuk some of the arches of the bridge collapsed many times and what was built during the day, fell during the night, until an ambitious young architect made a pact with the devil. The devil would help him by fixing the bridge but in exchange he would take the soul of the first human being to cross the bridge. The architect tried to trick the devil by getting a rooster to cross the bridge, but the devil tricked the architect’s wife into making the fateful journey. The wife died soon after in childbirth, along with her child, who was unbaptized. For years, people crossing the bridge could hear a baby crying. One cold, wet day when the baby was crying, it also sneezed, and a passerby reflexively said, “God bless you.” . With that blessing, the baby was released from its torment and was never heard crying again. However, the devil kept the souls of the architect and his wife.  

It is also rumoured that the statues of saints lining the bridge (which are only copies, the originals are kept in Lapidarium and Vysehrad), come alive at night and roam around the city under cover of darkness.

But, a simple walk across the bridge, lined with artists, painters and musicians is also one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of visiting Prague.

Finally, don’t miss a visit to Mala Strana (Lesser Town), over the other side of the river. 

Enjoy tapas and treasures in Madrid

With beautiful parks, stunning architecture, lovely weather (mostly), world class museums (including El Prado), lots of culture, tapas and great food, Madrid is one of my favorite European capital cities.

It’s a city where the old and new intertwine, and you can walk from narrow, cobbled lanes in the old district to the main modern shopping street, the Gran Via in a few minutes.

It’s Spain’s largest city and its capital and is one of the top travel destinations in Europe, but what are the key attractions? Here are a few of my favourite things to do on a Madrid City break 

Visit the Royal Palace

El Palacio Real is Madrid’s largest building and the official residence for the Royal family, but these days they only use it for state ceremonies. The rest of the time it’s open to the public. Start by taking a walk around the courtyard and looking at the view across the countryside, and you then have access to the Palace itself where you can choose between a guided tour or a standard ticket, where you can just wander around at your own pace.

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Just next to the Palace, you can relax in the Sabatini Gardens. These gardens  (Jardines de Sabatini) are part of the Royal Palace and were opened to the public by King Juan Carlos I in 1978.

Visit the cathedral that took a hundred years to build! 

While you are in this area, you should definitely visit the Cathedral. (Catedral de la Almudena).

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The cathedral was only completed in 1993 after a hundred years of building work! The first stone was laid in 1883 but the project wasn’t considered finished until 1993 when the cathedral was finally consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

As you can see from the picture, the interior is a stunning combination of modern and traditional architecture and design. 

The cathedral was most recently the site of the wedding of King Felipe VI (who was prince at the time) to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano on May 22, 2004.

Discover Spain’s only Eygyptian temple, the temple of Debod

european capital cities

The temple of Debod, an Egyptian temple (from the 2nd century BC), is now in the middle of Madrid, in the Cuartel de la Montaña Park. 

It was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the great Aswan Dam.

The views from its hilltop location are spectacular, and it’s a popular location for watching the sunset.

Admire some masterpieces on the ‘Art Walk’

Head down the Carrera de S. Jerónimo towards the Reina Victoria Theatre and continue down to the Neptune Statue and the “Art Walk”, where you will find the ‘Thyssen-Bornemisza’ museum which contains a unique art collection from the 13th to the late 20th centuries, including works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh.

From here, it’s just a 5 minute walk to Madrid’s most famous museum, El Prado, and I would definitely recommend buying tickets in advance for this, either from El Prado or you can buy ‘Art Walk’ tickets here , with entrance to Museo del Prado + Museo Reina Sofía + Museo Thyssen).

With its vast collection of paintings and sculptures, it is worth spending a little time planning your visit in advance, and the Prado site gives you some suggestions according to the amount of time you have to visit.

Soak up the atmosphere and grab a coffee or a snack in the Plaza Mayor

Another of Madrid’s musts is a visit to the Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s vibrant main square, with a large choice of cafés and bars. Despite it’s tourist location, you can get a good value breakfast for 5 to 6€, and soak up some sunshine and the Spanish atmosphere. (It’s also a good choice for Tapas).

From Plaza Mayor you could head up to the ‘Gran Via’, one of Madrid’s busiest and most famous tourist streets! Take time to walk down and admire the buildings, pop into a few shops and/or cafés, and soak up the atmosphere.

Relax in El Retiro Park

This vast park, located in the heart of Madrid, used to belong to the Spanish monarchy, but it became a public park in the late 19th century. It’s a great place to relax in one of the open-air cafés, listen to music, read, take a boat ride or visit one of the frequent exhibitions. If you’re feeling energetic, its 350 acres should give you plenty of routes for a jog!

It’s best known for its focal point, the giant lake, with the famous monument to King Alfonso XII; and where you can take out a rowing boat or relax in one of the neighbouring cafes.

One of the most iconic buildings in the park is the Crystal Palace, which as its name suggests, is made almost entirely of glass. It hosts periodic art exhibitions and is in a beautiful setting on a small lake. 

It’s also home to various wildlife, including these turtles who seemed to enjoy basking in the sun!

Make time for some tapas! 

There are so many tapas bars in Madrid so clearly in three days I didn’t have time to test them all, despite my best efforts! 

However, I loved the area around San Miguel market and the Plaza Mayor. You can find another post on Madrid here and here.

These amazing, stunning destinations satisfy your wanderlust in every aspect, but at the same time are amazingly affordable. 

To find a budget-friendly place to stay, compare options and prices using cozycozy, where you can choose from all the lodging available on different accommodation search sites.

I hope this has given you some inspiration for planning some trips to European Capital Cities once our lockdown is over, and have a look here for more travel inspiration.

If you would like to read this article in Italian, then please check out this translation by Alessia di Cunto.

52 Comments

  1. Tiziana Olbrich says:

    I love Rome and even lived a few months in Madrid, but I’ve never visited Prague so thanks for your great tips 🙂
    Have a great day
    Tiziana

    http://www.tizianaolbrich.de

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Oh, it must have been wonderful to live in Madrid! So jealous 🙂

  2. Missy May says:

    I had the opportunity of visiting Rome last year and totally fell in love with the city. Such a great historic place. Prague is next on my travel wishlist. Heard great things about that city too. Can’t wait!! Praying for this pandemic to pass so we can live our God given lives.

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, praying for the pandemic to end too! But, I think it will be a while before we get back to ‘normal’ xo

  3. Makeup Muddle says:

    I would love to visit Rome, it looks like such a great city! xo

    Makeup Muddle

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, it’s definitely worth a visit! xo

  4. Georgia says:

    This is SUCH an informative post – a whistle stop tour of all the cities I need to visit once the lockdown is over. Whilst I’ve been to Paris and Madrid (I have a photo in El Retiro park just like yours haha) I’m desperate to visit Rome and Prague!

    /teandtwosugars.blogspot.com xx

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Isn’t El Retiro park beautiful? I can’t wait to go back 🙂

  5. Christine Kong says:

    These are all great cities! I’ve been to Rome, but Prague and Madrid are on my list already. I wanted to go back to Italy and Spain this year, but plans got postponed. Hopefully someday soon we can travel again.

    xoxo,
    Christine
    https://dailykongfidence.com/

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, I hope we can travel again someday soon too! I had planned a trip to Italy, but that’s postponed too 🙁

  6. SundayDahlias says:

    All of these cities are on my list of go-to spots! I hope I can go visit Europe soon!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I hope you can too xo

  7. Ivana Split says:

    You made me think with your posts. I haven’t visited that many European capitals in total. I’ve only been to Rome, Barcelona, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Ljubljana and Pristina.
    I’d definitely love to visit Prague and Madrid, I’m sure they are amazing.
    I loved visiting Rome and it makes sense that it is at the top of your list. Such an amazing city.
    You look lovely in all of these shots. I really like that yellow dress you wore in Rome.

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you so much Ivana! I loved all these cities, and so many more too! I couldn’t include them all in this post though; or it would have been way too long!! x

  8. Katerina | Once a Foodie says:

    I’ve been to Prague and Rome and loved them both – such amazing cities full of amazing experiences and food. I haven’t been to Madrid but have been wanting to for so long – we were planning to go this European summer but now will postpone that trip until next year. Can’t wait!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I’m sure you will love Madrid too! Make sure to try the tapas! I think all trips are postponed for now 🙁

  9. Alyssa says:

    I can’t wait for this pandemic to be over and travel again. But surely, I will now travel with a face mask and probably gloves from now on.

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, I think travel in the future will be different ! x

  10. stylefrontier says:

    Totally love this post. i hope i can visit Prague one day
    xoxo
    style frontier

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Hope you can too xoxo

  11. Ruth Josey says:

    I love reading about these wonderful places to visit and they’re especially interesting right now that we can’t travel anywhere :/ The one that intrigued me most is Prague. What a beautiful night-lighted picture! And I never realized that the Trevi Fountain was so huge! I just love that picture of you in that gorgeous yellow dress – you were like a sunflower standing out in that crowd! Thanks so much for sharing these adventures and beautiful venues.

    Ruth

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Oh, thank you so much Ruth! That dress is one of my favourites! 🙂

  12. Hilda Smith says:

    I loved those three cities. I think Prague is one of my all time favourites, but Venice is still top of the list….

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, Venice is so beautiful! It’s my husband’s favourite ! x

  13. jodie filogomo says:

    What a great post to remind us of all the wonderful places Julia. It’ll be so nice when we can travel again.
    XOOX
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Totally agree, Jodie! It will be lovely to travel again xoxo

  14. Ashley says:

    Oh my goodness, all of these places look beyond amazing to visit and I love all of your photos!!

    Make Life Marvelous

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thanks so much Ashley xo

  15. Jill says:

    All of these are amazing destinations! Rome is on my bucket list! I’m pinning for when we can travel again!

    Jill – Doused in Pink

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Rome is fabulous! Definitely worth visiting! 🙂

  16. Kathrine Eldridge says:

    I would love to visit all of these places! Amazing pics and spots to visit. My son and I were just discussing that we would love to go Spain.

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thanks Kathrine! I hope you get to go to Spain! I’m sure you will love it 🙂

  17. Okay WOW! These places all look incredible, Europe is definitely the next place on my bucket list!! Madrid looks so beautiful!
    Tay

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thanks Tay! I hope you get to Europe soon xo

  18. Christie says:

    I love Europe and I often visit these cities when I travel 🙂

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, all three are great cities! 🙂

  19. Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom says:

    I have not been to Prague or Madrid, but I have seen Rome and loved it! I’d love to go back… I really enjoyed the food in Rome, too. We saw a lot of the sites you have mentioned in this post. Just so much to see there and history!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, there is definitely lots to see in Rome, and the food is soooo good! I love Italian food 🙂

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, they are 🙂

  20. No equipment exercises says:

    Great posts:)

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you 🙂

  21. Lily says:

    I love this post! I went to Rome last year and everything you said about those sites is very true. Prague looks so beautiful 🙂

    Lily

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, Prague is very beautiful, but all 3 of these cities are x

  22. Inès says:

    I am also planning the “after” (quarantine) and it gives me idea and hope for the future! We’ll get through this! 🙂

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Yes, Inès, we will! I love planning for/ dreaming about the future xo

  23. Rach says:

    This is a great list! I totally agree that Rome and Madrid is a must-see! I haven’t been to Prague yet.

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I’m sure you will love Prague too Rach xo

  24. Allie Mackin says:

    Oh thank you for sharing your photos and experiences from these fabulous cities. My friends and I contemplated at one point moving to Prague in the 90s it was actively recruiting young people and new graduates to come live and work there. We ended up choosing Seattle which is now as expensive as NY. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if had moved to Prague LOL.

    Allie of
    http://www.allienyc.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I didn’t know Prague was actively recruiting young people to move there in the 90s – I have only ever visited as a tourist, but I imagine it would be a great place to live too! xo

  25. Lovely says:

    I have not been to Madrid so would love to visit it someday as for Rome and Prague I have had the pleasure of travelling to them both and enjoyed them thoroughly!

    xoxo
    Lovely
    http://www.mynameislovely.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I’m sure you will love Madrid too, Lovely! It’s definitely worth adding to your bucket list! xo

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