You are reading Anywhere But Here, our summer-long series on travel at home and abroad, serving up the information and inspiration you need.
As travel continues to open up, our wanderlust grows and when we do hop on a plane or train, we want to be greeted by picture postcard scenes at our destination.
That goes for city breaks as much as beach holidays. How many times has a weekend in Europe left you wanting to bring a little bit of Paris or Rome home with you? One of the main reasons we travel in the first place is to feel inspired.
This is why, when compiling a list of the prettiest European travel destinations, the team at Uswitch.com decided to use an interesting measure: the volume of dedicated moodboards on Pinterest for each city or town.
So, whether you’re planning a mini-break or are simply indulging in a scroll to inspire your own domestic dreams, these are the cities worth a close look, based on their picture-inspo popularity alone.
1. Paris, France
Open Image Modal
Shutterstock
The classic Paris skyline and the Eiffel Tower
2. Berlin, Germany
Open Image Modal
Eduardo Fonseca Arraes via Getty Images
A modern apartment building in downtown Berlin
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open Image Modal
Sjo via Getty Images
Ancient merchant's houses in Amsterdam's city centre
4. Athens, Greece
Open Image Modal
Brian Skinner / EyeEm via Getty Images
Residential Athens from above
5. Venice, Italy
Open Image Modal
Fulvio Cristallini / EyeEm via Getty Images
A Venetian canal, gondolier free, for now.
6. Barcelona, Spain
Open Image Modal
Josep Gutierrez via Getty Images
A calming Barcelona apartment scene
7. Rome, Italy
Open Image Modal
Photo Beto via Getty Images
An ally in Rome's ancient Trastevere district
8. Dublin, Ireland
Open Image Modal
Tuul & Bruno Morandi via Getty Images
Painted front doors on Georgian houses in Dublin's Merrion Square
9. Florence, Italy
Open Image Modal
Valerio Rosati / EyeEm via Getty Images
Apartments above the arch of the famous Ponto Vecchio in Florence
9. Edinburgh, Scotland (tied)
Open Image Modal
David C Tomlinson via Getty Images
Quaint houses overlooking Ramsay Garden in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town
10. Vienna, Austria
Open Image Modal
benedek via Getty Images
Hundertwasserhaus, a designer apartment block in Vienna.
11. Santorini, Greece
Open Image Modal
Graffizone via Getty Images
Houses in Santorini's most famously picturesque spot of Oia
12. Copenhagen, Denmark
Open Image Modal
jonathanfilskov-photography via Getty Images
The historic roofs of Lyngbyvejskvarteret in Copenhagen
13. Warsaw, Poland
Open Image Modal
Antagain via Getty Images
Warsaw's old town with more modern towers in the distance
14. Lisbon, Portugal
Open Image Modal
Rocky89 via Getty Images
An amazing Lisbon facade featuring traditional azulejo tilework
14. Munich, Germany (tied)
Open Image Modal
imageBROKER/Manfred Bail via Getty Images
An ivy-clad frontage in Baaderstrasse, Munich
15. Istanbul, Turkey
Open Image Modal
Westend61 via Getty Images
The colourful houses of the Balat neighbourhood in Istanbul
16. Moscow, Russia
Open Image Modal
Roman Alyabev / EyeEm via Getty Images
Modern Moscow apartment buildings
16. Stockholm, Sweden (tied)
Open Image Modal
andersboman via Getty Images
Painted artwork on a house in Place Södermalm, Stockholm
17. Zurich, Switzerland
Open Image Modal
AleksandarGeorgiev via Getty Images
The Limmat river And Zurich city centre at night
18. Budapest, Hungary
Open Image Modal
jacquesvandinteren via Getty Images
An Art Nouveau facade of a former bank, now apartments, in the old town of Pest, Budapest
18. Helsinki, Finland (tied)
Open Image Modal
Pawel Toczynski via Getty Images
Traditional wooden house in Helsinki's botanical garden
19. St. Petersburg, Russia
Open Image Modal
Sergey Alimov via Getty Images
Skyline of sunny St. Petersburg with Troitsky cathedral in the background
20. Mykonos, Greece
Open Image Modal
Michael Runkel/robertharding via Getty Images
The Little Venice area of Horta on Mykonos in the Cyclades islands
Travel is the story of our summer. The rules (and traffic lights) are always changing, but one thing’s clear, we dream of being Anywhere But Here. This seasonal series offers you clear-headed travel advice, ideas-packed staycation guides, clever swaps and hacks, and a healthy dose of wanderlust.