As a travel writer I am willing to travel to most cities of the world. However, I do have a wish list of places I would like to visit or revisit in 2016. The emphasis is on the word wish and not all wishes come true. That said however, here is my wish list of European cities for 2016.
Ljubljana
First is Slovenia’s boutique capital Ljubljana. I first visited this city in 1992 and immediately fell in love with it. Since that time I have visited a further three times and watched it metamorphose from a Soviet era regional city into a vibrant capital. Its cafe lined streets and riverbank, hilltop castle and the distinctive architecture of Slovene architect Pletničk are the draw. It’s the people, the events like the Ljubljana Jazz Festival and the cafe culture I want to experience once again.
Lyon
Lyon, capital of the Rhône-Alpes region of France is another of the cities I want to revisit. There is so much more to see and experience in the gastronomic capital of France than the traboules and murals I explored on my last visit.
This time I want to experience more of the traditional and cutting edge cuisine and explore more of the city’s outlying attractions. The area, Confluence, where the Saone and Rhône meet was still being developed on my last visit but was buzzing with new art projects, fusion food restaurants and cutting edge architecture. There are plenty of museums and galleries I still want to visit as well. Lyon is definitely worth another visit in 2016
Oslo
Oslo, like many Scandinavian cities has a long history while at the same time being thoroughly modern. The Norwegian capital has more green spaces within the city boundaries than most other cities in Europe and as a result feels fresh and open.
This is a city where you can walk on the roof of the Opera House (see photo at top), visit a museum devoted to Vikings and another to the Norwegian adventurer, Thor Heyerdahl. Oslo is home to The Scream, a rather disturbing painting by Munch. Almost as controversial is the sculptures of Gustav Vigeland that depict all the ages and emotions of the human race. A whole park has been set aside for his work which is one of the must sees of a visit and on my itinerary I will devote some considerable portion of time to this.
Valletta
The capital of Malta is yet another city I want to revisit in 2016. My last visit was all too short to experience all it has to offer. There are more streets to wander other than Republic Street. I didn’t have time to visit the National Museum of Fine Arts or The Palace of the Grand Masters. Also it would be great to be there for one of the many fiestas, take in a performance in the theatre in the ruins of the Royal Opera House, and visit the auberges and palaces of the Knights of St John.
Not to be forgotten are some of the reminders of why the Maltese people were collectively awarded the George Cross during WW2. There is definitely enough for a second visit.
Vienna
I have only passed through Vienna for a few hours at the end of a week long cycle ride along the Danube. I cycled passed much of its Baroque architecture and extravagant palaces from a time when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was at its height. Vienna is city that needs days not hours to explore.
The Strauss’s and many other composers found rich patrons in the city which is why today some of the world’s best choirs and orchestras perform there creating an enviable cultural scene.
The Ottomans left their legacy too. The Viennese were delighted with new drink, coffee. Coffee houses opened, each with their own clientele and specialities and it is these I would like to explore on a visit to Vienna.
Budapest
Divided by the Danube the city of Budapest was once two cities. The hilly Buda on one side of the river and the flat Pest on the other. Both are now districts of the the Hungarian capital whose name and administration combines both places. It has a reputation for being good value for money once you get there.
Like Vienna it has a strong and historic cafe culture with many of the coffee bars retaining their fin de siecle atmosphere and decor. Budapest is full of architectural gems from the exuberance of Baroque through to the eclectic architecture of its magnificent Parliament building. The best way to have an overview of Budapest is from the Old Town of Buda and then, for a different perspective, a river cruise.
Budapest is also a spa city with plenty of public thermal baths. The huge thermal complex at Széchenyi Baths is definitely on the wish list as somewhere to visit. There are of course numerous smaller baths that might be worthwhile sampling too.
I’m wondering whether to combine Vienna and Budapest with a river cruise along the Danube. Perhaps I should continue my cycling along the great river from the Austrian to the Hungarian capital pausing in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, along the way.
Florence
My memories of Florence are of bored children, gelato to keep them happy and the railway station where I was catching a train to Pisa. I feel it is about time I gave the Italian city a second chance. After all it is hardly its fault I failed to experience the best it has to offer.
The danger with Florence is there is so much art and beauty it is difficult to decide what to see in a short space of time and to overdose on it. The answer to this is to stay longer or limit what you want to see in the allotted time. The Uffizi Gallery where most of the art treasures are is high on my list as is the Duomo or cathedral. Michelangelo’s David (or a copy of it) can be seen in one of the many piazzas of Florence as can the work of many other sculptors.
Of course there is that gelato that I remember and a stroll across the Ponte Vecchio to intersperse all the art viewing one has to do while in Florence.
Lisbon
I saw very little of Lisbon on my drive from the airport, across the Vasco da Gama and down to Alentejo. along with Athens Lisbon holds the top spot for value for money of any European capital.
The hilly nature of Portugal’s capital and the trams that rattle up and along its narrow streets are all part of its charm. Lisbon is made up of a series of neighbourhoods and I particularly want to visit Alfama, linger in a backstreet cafe before wandering its steep narrow cobblestone streets. They say it has a real village atmosphere within a very cosmopolitan city.
Lisbon is also the city of explorers. The sailors that discovered the New World and the Far East set sail from here. The Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the Torre Belém bear witness to that. The Moors have left their mark too with the most impressive being the São Jorge castle perched high on the hilltop above the city. There is so much more to see there is a danger of sightseeing exhaustion. In which case just sit and watch the world go by in the Rossio Square.
Sarajevo
I wanted to visit Sarajevo before the Balkans descended into a war zone and travel to the city became not only difficult but impossible. Sarajevo was variously influenced by the Ottomans and the Austrians as the ‘frontline’ between the two empires shifted back and forth across the Balkan Peninsula. Much of both empires remains or has been reconstructed since the turmoil of the 1990s.
Sarajevo is small city, easy to walk around and free from the troubles of a decade ago. There is of course the legacy of that time and stark reminders of its recent history.
Although all these cities are on my wish list I may not get to visit them all in 2016. No doubt other cities will present opportunities I cannot let pass. However, making a list gives me some impetus in my planning. How about you? Do you have a 2016 city wish list? Do share with us where you wish to go in 2016.
There are only nine in this list which somehow seems incomplete. Such lists are usually a round “ten of the best” or “top ten”. To make it complete I am asking for suggestions. If a suggestion takes my fancy I will add it to this list to make it a round 10. So suggest away.
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