‘Like it had been put on Earth specially for me’: readers’ favourite European city breaks | City breaks

Sibiu, Romania’s medieval treasure

Sibiu, the former capital of Transylvania, proved a wonderful place to visit. The city’s old town is on a hill, with every other building in the three main squares and the sidestreets seemingly a historic monument, dominated by the medieval Lutheran cathedral of Saint Mary. The characteristic design of attic windows makes it clear why Sibiu is called “the town of a thousand eyes”, and the Teutsch Haus provides a brilliant history of the region and the Transylvanian Saxons. The old town is crammed full of restaurants and cafes, and down by the river there is a local market with giant aubergines, tomatoes and peppers. For an evening glass, Wine Not has a vast selection of Romanian (and Moldovan) wines, and a black cat to talk to.
Barbara Forbes

Wrocław, Poland’s buzzy student city

Wrocław has the perfect mix of quirkiness and beauty to make for a cracking affordable city break. The hefty student population gives the city a real buzz, from the boat and beach bars along the River Oder (try Forma Płynna beach bar), to the delicious Georgian bakeries (stop at Piekarnia Gruzińska PURI – on Facebook – for pastries on the way to checking out the painted backyards of the Nadodrze neighbourhood). While tourists concentrate around the huge central square, exploring the edge of the old town reaps rewards, like Pub Drukarnia (delicious Litovel Czech beer) or Stacja Breslau bistro under the rail arches on Wojciecha Bogusławskiego street.
Matt Lunt

Helsinki’s world-class architecture

Our knowledge of Helsinki stemmed mainly from the films of director Aki Kaurismäki (Drifting Clouds, The Man Without a Past etc), so discovering it’s not all dockyards and cold war-era bars came as a welcome surprise. Instead, Helsinki features green spaces, coastal views, accessible islands and world-class architecture. It’s the latter we came for: from a church built into rock to state-of-the-art community space Oodi library; from the mid-century Didrichsen museum to architect Alvar Aalto’s organic modernism. But don’t forget to eat – whether it’s brunch at Levain, Michelin-starred invention at Grön or simply an exceptional korvapuusti (cinnamon roll to you and me).
David M

Marseille is fun for all the family

Marseille fitted the diverse requirements for our family city break. Warm weather, beaches, extraordinary street art, sea kayaking and amazing walking in the Calanques satisfied teenagers and parents alike. My favourites were the Mucem (Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée), the winding streets of Le Panier and the sense of the place being a melting pot of cultures. We found the locals to be friendly as they encouraged our attempts to speak French, and there\s a good transport system of trams, metro and buses. We got there easily on Eurostar and TGV train and stayed at the Aparthotel Adagio.
Evie

Berlin’s hidden design gems

Although I’ve been travelling to Berlin for nearly 20 years, I’m still making new discoveries. The headlines, like the Brandenburg Gate and the glass dome on the Reichstag, are definitely worth seeing, but there are also hidden treasures, such as the futuristic Ludwig Erhard Haus, designed by Nicolas Grimshaw, whose steel-clad exterior is just the aperitif for some jaw-dropping architecture inside. Or the ruins of St Michael’s church, which was separated from its parishioners by the Berlin Wall. And try to bag a place on the tour of the ESMT business school that once housed East Germany’s elite. The socialist stained glass and GDR coat of arms mosaic are real showstoppers.
James Carson

A dumpling and a beer in Vilnius, Lithuania

We’ve just spent three nights in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius whose old town is easily walkable with plenty of churches, museums and other sights. We indulged in local specialities like kvass, a drink made from fermented rye bread, and cepelinai, which are potato dumplings shaped like airships and filled with minced pork. A half litre of beer (about €5) was ideal with moreish kepta duona, fingers of deep-fried black bread served with a garlic dip. A walk up hundreds of steps to the Three Crosses for views over the city burned excess calories. We stayed at Domus Maria, a former monastery, near the Gate of Dawn.
Helen Jackson

Why Maastricht is a must

A three-hour drive from Calais, or two-hour train journey from Brussels changing at Liège-Guillemins, is the Dutch city of Maastricht. Compact, largely flat (handy for an arthritic retiree) and utterly delightful. As a university town, we enjoyed the friendly, lively vibe but this did not distract from its charm and its history. The cloth market on Wednesdays and the bric-a-brac market at the weekend in the main square are amazing (we bought a milk churn!), the frites at the surrounding cafes were great and the beer was varied and delicious. Boekhandel Dominicanen (a bookshop in a converted middle-ages abbey) was certainly a highlight.
Bruce Horton

Beer spa in Olomouc, Czech Republic

Olomouc in the Czech Republic is an utter delight. Gleaming spires and domes, two old town squares, enchanting cobbled lanes, trams and its own astronomical clock. It also has a Unesco-recognised holy trinity column, which was built to mark the end of a plague in the early 18th century. A two-hour train ride from Prague, Olomouc is markedly less touristy than the Czech capital. Two great places to enjoy a beer were Saint Venceslav’s brewery, where there is a beer spa with a sauna scented with hops; and Twinburg, next to the Moravian cycle path, which serves delicious craft ales. This is a city I felt had been put on Earth specially for me.
Jack Anderton

Polar nights in Tromsø, Norway’s ‘Arctic capital’

As a Scot who once sought drawn-out summer nights, I now lean into the opposite with fervour. Winter in Tromsø, Norway – the “Arctic capital” – is for travellers who embrace the long, dark nights and are keen to meddle with their circadian rhythms. The polar night, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon, starts at the end of November and finishes in mid-January. Experience this unworldly extended twilight – the blue hour – from about 9am to 2pm. The Fjellheisen cable car and silent whale-watching with Brim Explorer are two recommended activities.
Aimee Lawrence

Winning tip: blessed are the cheese markets in Alkmaar, the Netherlands

I recently visited Alkmaar, 35 minutes north of Amsterdam by train, which has waterways, picturesque pedestrian-friendly cobbled streets, chiming churches, excellent food (De Heeren Van Sonoy, Stadskaffee Laurens and Patisserie Elhorst include gluten-free options), and markets (don’t miss the cheese market for a true Dutch spectacle). We hired bicycles from Pesie for an easy trip on well-marked paths through beautiful pine forest and the Schoorlse Duinen (Dunes) nature reserve before heading back to town via a well-deserved ice-cream on the beach at Bergen aan Zee.
Nicola