The stunning aerial view of the tidy layout of the city of Barcelona, with the Sagrada Familia taking the central spot of the city in Catalonia, Spain.
July 24, 2015

The Best City Views in Europe

Mackenzie Bianco
Marketing Manager

On the back of our ponderings earlier in the week about the best vineyard views in Europe, we couldn’t help but wonder where Europe’s prettiest, loveliest, most awe-inspiring cityscape views are.

Obviously, the continent has no short supply of stunning skylines, from the magnificent to the quaint and historical, but we probably reckon that these are the very best. Feel free to disagree with us, of course, and let us know if you think of somewhere better.

Table of contents

Paris

A dramatic sunset over Paris, with the Eiffel tower stood central, proudly overlooking the city in France.

The obvious choice. The City of Lights has one of the most iconic skylines in the world – from any decent vantage point, you’ll be able to spot a number of the world’s most recognisable sights scattered around the city – first and foremost of those, of course, being that big old Eiffel Tower that sits slap bang in the middle of it all and is possibly unique in the city in being both a recognisable sight and a great vantage point. And, best of all, there are precious few skyscrapers in Paris (though that may be set to change in the future), so looking out across the city actually feels like looking out across an ancient, beautiful city – rather than looking out across one of those bathrooms you sometimes get where all the walls are mirrors.

Carcassonne

The 15th century Le Pont Vieux bridge leading into the fortified citadel of Carcassonne overlooking it, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.

France’s second entry, and a real favourite here at SmoothRed. We suggest a game: scout around our website for all the writing we have on Carcassonne and try to spot how many times we use the word ‘fairy-tale’. This is a city straight out of history – legend, even – and the authentic medieval citadel of the city is perhaps one of the most remarkable things Europe has to offer travellers.

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Spectacular wide angle view of Italian vineyards across the roll

Florence

A view of the orange roofs of Florence, with the stunning Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore towering over the rest of the city, on a sunny day in Tuscany, Italy.

Tuscany‘s countryside showed up in our favourite vineyard views, so it seems fitting that its capital should end up here. The Ponte Vecchio on the left, there, with Florence Cathedral dominating the skyline to the right. The Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall) is lit up dead in the centre. It’s not as if a city so rich in history and culture would ever have anything other than a stunning view across it, is it?

Barcelona

The stunning architecture of the Cathedral of La Sagrada Familia, with its dramatic design towering over the vibrant trees in Bracelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Less ‘historical rusticity’ and more ‘modern splendour’, this one, but the absolute highlight of any view over Barcelona is, of course, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, just off to the right on the above photograph; a real piece of living history, begun in 1882 and still, as you can see, under construction. An utterly unique addition which elevates the city to a position on this list.

Close up of wine bottles on a shelf
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