The 10 Best European Cities to Visit in May

You’re always spoilt for choice in Italy, which is why I’ve let my indecision get the better of me and chosen three of the country’s most storied cities. May is, quite frankly, a delightful time to find yourself anywhere in Italy, but this is a particularly optimal time for some culturing in the big cities. The crowds of summer are yet to descend, but the weather is fairly reliably lovely, which means ideal conditions for an espresso on the piazza – or an Aperol spritz after lunchtime – after spending some time soaking up history and art in a world-class museum. Rome is a place of never-ending discovery, but one to avoid in peak summer season, while Florence and Milan ooze with the sophistication synonymous with Northern Italian cities. Visit the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, and watch out for the chance to catch a game of football at the San Siro stadium in Milan – it’s one of the great cathedrals of football, and May is the business end of the Italian football season.

The cities of Italy are sophisticated and dripping with cultural heritage, but if you’re looking for contemporary cool – without losing the classic European charm – then you need to make your way over to the Iberian peninsula. The two major cities of Portugal – one in the north, one in the south – go toe-to-toe on everything you want from a modern Euro city break. Amazing food? Check. A wealth of quirky and cool independents, like vintage clothing and artisan crafts? Check. A fizzing, cutting-edge art and music scene with the vibey evening hangout spaces to match? You guessed it, double check. Lisbon is the more glamorous option, with better weather and historical clout, but my personal fave is Porto, which comes to life in springtime as students populate the parks and cute bars bask in the beautiful backdrop of the Douro River and Luís I Bridge. If you can’t choose one, then hop on the train and combine the two!

Don’t add yourself to the long, long list of underprepared tourists who rock up in the Greek capital, in the heart of August, and quickly find themselves sweating buckets and on the verge of heatstroke as they fail to properly take in the majesty of the Acropolis – Athens‘ remarkable ancient citadel, which also happens to lack shade or any kind of real sanctuary from the sweltering summer sun. The weather in Greece is still gorgeous in May – easily warm enough to head to the islands too – but not so intense that you can’t properly appreciate the historical grandeur of this famous city. Doing Athens right is all about avoiding the tourists as much as possible, so visiting the unmissable attractions is far more pleasant in shoulder seasons. Just don’t forget to explore the city’s amazing street art scene, too, and if you find yourself as the only foreigner in a rustic old taverna down a nondescript side street, then you’re doing it right.

When I first visited Berlin it was May time and I found myself totally swept up by the city’s totally singular blend of the grand and the underground, the past and the present, the classically German and the melting pot mix. Yes, reader, I found myself being that insufferable travel companion who keeps uttering the phrase, “I can really see myself living here, actually”. Several years later and I do not and have never lived in the German capital, but often the memories come flooding back of those seemingly timeless late-spring afternoons rushing around town. There is so much to see and do in Berlin, but be sure to take yourself away from the sightseeing from time to time. Get yourself on a street art tour, drink coffee somewhere where the ratio of tables to moustaches is around 50-50, and find yourself a techno club that you can actually get into when the sun goes down.

Those close to me know all too well that I’ve been banging the Polish drum for a few years now. The atmosphere here is so lovely, the people so friendly, and there’s no better time to challenge that image you have of the brutish post-Eastern Bloc city that never gets rid of the grey. Sure, the weather here is, like in most of Central Europe in spring, pretty changeable, and sure, the winters can be cold, dark and icy. But on a sunny day I am telling you there is no place more joyful than a Polish city. The architecture is splendid, the pedestrianised streets are classically European, and best of all the (excellent) beer is cheap. Krakow is uber cool, Gdansk is easy on the eye and Warsaw is dripping with history, but my pick goes to the charming little city of Wroclaw, a calm and quiet university town with a magnificent central square, plenty of riverbank bars and a quite literally uncountable number of adorable little gnomes, all over the city – so quaint!

If we’re talking about underrated second, third or even fourth cities, then allow me to go to bat for Aarhus, Denmark‘s second son who lives unfairly in the constant shadow of big bro Copenhagen. Yes, it is outrageously pretty, full of world-renowned restaurants and is a pastry-lovers paradise, but there is much more to this country beyond the capital city. Aarhus has, surprisingly, one of the best contemporary street food scenes I’ve encountered anywhere in Europe – perfect for those warm May evenings – and a bagful of its own Michelin stars, too, by the way. The Aarhus Art Museum is a (literally) multi-layered culture vulture’s dream, capped off with a super-cool rainbow art installation on the roof, while the city is so walkable that you can easily take in its eclectic mix of neighbourhoods. Honestly, I can’t say it enough. Hidden. Gem.

Every time I go to Belgium I’m struck by how much it punches above its weight. No country this size should have so many unique and interesting cities to explore. Everyone I speak to seems to have a different favourite. Bruges is the darling, Brussels the grand old champ, and I’ve heard people really vouch for Ghent. Antwerp, for me, is perhaps the most strikingly interesting of the lot. It’s the diamond capital of the world, its train station is among the most beautiful I’ve ever seen and the artistic and architectural heritage on show is about as prestigious as any other great European city. Be sure to gorge on some babka in the Jewish District, brush up on your Old Masters knowledge at KMSKA and the Rubens House Museum, embark on an architectural walking tour to understand the city’s unique blend of old and new, and Art Nouveau – and don’t come home empty handed. If the diamonds are too expensive, consider one of the many stylish leather shops or play it safe and stock up on Belgian chocolate.

Let’s get back on the second-city theme in the Netherlands, another place dominated by the immense pull of its capital, Amsterdam. Don’t get me wrong, I fell head over heels for all those canals too, but Rotterdam is so endlessly unique that, for me, it almost made Amsterdam seem a little one note. May is the perfect time to visit as you’re going to want to get your steps in – so not too hot, not too cold, is just right. The overwhelming feeling I had after getting 20,000+ in was that this was a city designed by people who wanted to create, and with the aim of making every day that little bit nicer for its population. Every building seems to have a totally different architectural style – including those bizarre yellow cube houses – and every opportunity has seemingly been taken to add a fountain here, or a park there. My recommendation is that you walk and walk and walk, eventually wrapping things up in Het Park, one of the most beautifully manicured public parks I’ve ever had the pleasure to stroll around, and stop for a delicious slice of apple pie at Dudok in Het Park. Bliss.

There are plenty of underrated cities all over Europe, but every now and then you come across an underrated capital. That was my experience in Bratislava. The Slovakian capital lies near the border with Austria, while Hungary is to the south and Czech Republic is to the north, so pretty much as quintessentially Central Europe as you can imagine. Like many such cities it is carved in two by the River Danube, has the kind of architecture you picture in a fairytale and a lovely pedestrianised city centre. The city walls are historic, the church spires beautiful, and the food is as hearty as the beer is crisp. Oh, and cheap too! Start your day with breakfast, freshly pressed juice and a cold brew coffee at trendy FACH bistro, before embarking on a city stroll without hordes of tourists bumping by.

If you’ve ever spent much time in the UK, you’ll now that Brits go bananas the second clear skies and beaming rays of sunshine appear. It’s like some kind of manic fervour that spreads through the population. I must see my friends. I must be at the park. I must be in a beer garden. Immediately. That feeling is never so potently breathable in the air then in those first sunny days of spring, usually in April and more reliably in May. That is my favourite version of London, full of optimism and atmosphere. Get yourself to any one of the city’s many cool neighbourhoods and seize the sunny day – it won’t last long in London!