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MSU | Life > Experiences

Ranking the Top Cities I Visited in Europe This Summer

Victoria Yahn Student Contributor, Michigan State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.


This past summer, I spent my time traveling around Europe with my sister. With 13 new countries under my belt, and even more cities, I saw a lot of different parts of Europe. There were so many things to love and appreciate about each city, such as the culture, food, and unique sites to see. I had a blast seeing what each city had to offer and exploring such wonderful, beautiful places. Out of all of the different places I visited, there were a few that stood out to me as my favorites. 

  1. Rome, Italy.

The top city I visited this summer was Rome. Basic, I know, but it’s popular for a reason. While I was there during a heat wave that pushed the temperature close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, I still loved walking around the gorgeous city. There is so much culture embedded throughout the city, from the Colosseum to random ruins you stumble upon just walking to lunch. Everywhere you look, there is beautiful architecture. Even if the building is just a Zara, it’s still more stunning than any building in America. 

I loved being surrounded by all of the history. It is incredible to think about how old some of the ruins are, and to picture what Rome used to look like. While walking around, I found my mind picturing how the city used to look and how life used to be. The city has so much importance and history, and I thoroughly enjoyed surrounding myself in it.  

Lastly, I adored the food. Of course, the pasta and pizza were amazing, with each bite something to remember. My favorite food, however, was the gelato. Right near the place I was staying was a shop with the best gelato I had the entire trip. I enjoyed the Nutella and strawberry gelato the most, and I stopped at the shop every day I was in Rome. It was truly a highlight of my vacation. Overall, Rome had so much for me to love and appreciate, easily making it my favorite city that I visited. 

  1. Paris, France.

Paris was my most anticipated city of the trip. I was so excited for the food (especially the pain au chocolat), the shopping, and, of course, to wander around the stunning city. The first night I arrived, we walked to the Eiffel Tower and watched the light show that happens every hour. It was magical, and the perfect way to start our time in Paris. 

The best thing we did in Paris was take a day trip to Versailles. We toured the palace and then biked around the expansive gardens. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the lavishly decorated rooms and the sprawling gardens. We both agreed it was one of the best things we did the whole trip. I also visited the Louvre and the MusĂ©e d’Orsay, both of which were incredible. I wandered around for hours in both, taking in the gorgeous art. And, of course, it didn’t hurt that I could stop into any patisserie and gorge myself on the best pastries I’ve ever had between stops. 

  1. Prague, Czech Republic.

I was unexpectedly surprised by Prague. I didn’t have many expectations for the city, but was pleasantly blown away by the beauty of it. While there wasn’t as much to do attraction wise like in Rome or Paris, it was still wonderful just wandering the city and admiring the architecture. I visited Prague Castle, which is definitely a must see. The absolutely stunning church in the middle was one of the coolest churches I saw the entire trip, and exploring the castle felt like I had stepped back in time. 

Additionally, I loved walking along the river that splits the city in two. All of the colorful houses bordering it created such a pretty view. For lunch one day, we stopped into a traditional Prague pub and proceeded to have one of my favorite meals. Despite its simplicity, the food was mouthwateringly good. The city quickly became one of my favorites due to its charm and aesthetic. 

  1. Vienna, Austria. 

It was hard to decide which city I liked better between Prague and Vienna, as I enjoyed them both so much. Vienna had so much to do and see; my sister and I were in constant motion the whole time we were there. We visited a bunch of different attractions, such as the parliament building, the National Library of Austria, beautiful gardens, and a couple of churches. 

One of the things I loved about Vienna was how special the churches were. After seeing La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and The Vatican, I wasn’t sure how much better they could get; Vienna had some strong contenders. My favorite one we visited was the Church of the Jesuits, a small church tucked a little ways away from the main city center that was absolutely magnificent. Other than that, there were so many amazing churches we were able to stroll into and admire the amazing details and architecture inside. 

  1. Athens, Greece. 

Like Rome, I loved the history of Greece. I loved walking around the city and looking up to see the Acropolis looming over everything. It was so much fun going to different museums to learn more about the history of Greece and see how much of the world it has influenced. Also, I can’t not mention the cats everywhere. As a cat lover, there was truly nothing better than walking around the city and being able to stop and pet a friendly cat when I saw one. Most of my time was spent scratching the bellies of a purring kitty. 

The food might have been my favorite part about Greece. It was definitely my favorite food that I ate all trip, including the dishes I had throughout Italy. I fell completely in love with gyros, tzatziki, hummus, and most importantly, feta. If I could, I would have eaten a whole block of feta every day. Everything about the food was so amazing: I plan on going back some day solely to eat it again. Of course, it was pretty nice that I could eat it while walking around the gorgeous city. 

Truthfully, I loved every city that I visited. These just happened to be my absolute favorites. They all had something to offer, whether it be amazing food, architecture, or anything else. I had a blast meandering around each city with my sister and taking in the sites. It was an incredibly wonderful experience that I hope I can do again in the near future.

Victoria Yahn

MSU '28

Victoria Yahn is so excited to be apart of Her Campus! She enjoys writing about books and movies. Additionally, she is part of the editing team for her chapter.
She is a sophomore majoring in communication and journalism at Michigan State University. She helped start and run a Literary Magazine at her high school that published all different works from the student body.
She was born in New Jersey but moved to Georgia when she was in first grade. She has an identical twin sister and two older brothers. Additionally, she also has two Pomeranians. Her hobbies include reading, running and watching movies. She loves all things animals, so she has done a lot of fostering of both cats and dogs. She also volunteers at a local shelter in her hometown in Georgia. Some of her favorite books and movies include "Call Me By Your Name" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". She hopes to one day go into the book industry and become a publisher or editor.