These are the 6 best city trips for 2025

If we see Google Trends as the thermometer of our time, we are all incredibly busy with the upcoming holidays. Everyone is organizing their days off and looking at where they will spend them. I get it, I also prefer to live from trip to trip, and the choice is huge. To bring a bit of structure, we made our top 7 of the most fun cities to visit this year. I focused on Europe because it’s about city trips.

1. Porto

You might know Lisbon, so look a bit further. Porto, on the banks of the Douro River, is a city that mixes charm, history, and gastronomy. Of course, you sip port wine in one of the hundreds of wine cellars. Then you wander along the terraces in the Ribeira district, take a cover photo for your photo book (which you probably will never actually make, but that’s beside the point) on the Luís I bridge, and eat one of the best fish dishes of your life while you push your nose deep into the sunbeams.

2. Seville

Years ago, my brother took a Spanish course in Málaga. I visited him and we made day trips to nearby places like Córdoba, Granada, and Seville. I mainly knew Seville from the blue Monday when I studied art history and it was praised for its Moorish architecture, the Alcázar palace, and the Giralda tower. In the Santa Cruz district, you eat the tastiest tapas and chat with the whole neighborhood, from notary to street worker. It’s all equally beautiful and different. Squares with orange trees, I would love to go back there. And it’s of course the city where the love seed between Willem-Alexander and Máxima was planted.

3. Toulouse

When you think of France, Paris pops up first (by the way, these are my favorite restaurants in Paris) and then maybe Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, or Cannes, but think about Toulouse. Its nickname is La Ville Rose because of the pink brick buildings, and we really love pink, right? At least I do. Toulouse is a student city, which means that besides all the historical gems, there’s also a nice current vibe. Stroll along the Garonne, discover the impressive Basilique Saint-Sernin, and sip a rosé – matching the buildings – on a terrace at Place du Capitole.

4. Edinburgh

Edinburgh ranked fourth among cities where people are the nicest, so that alone is a good reason to go.
In Edinburgh (pronounced: ed-in-bra), you can entertain yourself for at least two days with history, castles, Harry Potter, vintage shops, cobbled streets, hidden speakeasy bars, cozy restaurants, over-the-top dining, and fancy hotels, before heading out on a road trip through the Highlands. My friends from Ou Boutique shot their collection there and recommended the mega-impressive highway to the enchanting Glencoe. You’ll sleep in Glencoe House, a beautiful mansion with suites that offer views over lochs (lakes) and mountains.

5. Gothenburg

Gothenburg is located on the west coast of Sweden and has a maritime character and relaxed atmosphere. They say Gothenburg resembles Amsterdam a lot, so the chance that you’ll feel at home there is great. Haga is a district known for its cozy cafes and famous cinnamon buns. Did you know that Sweden has an official cinnamon bun day? On that day, you are free and expected to bake cinnamon buns and bring them to someone who you think could use them.
Magasinsgatan is the district for hipsters, so you definitely want to go there. Maybe you’ll top off a shopping day with a boat trip. Do you love attractions? Then you can go to Liseberg, the largest amusement park in Sweden. And Stockholm is of course always nice, here you can read about my super weekend there.

6. Parma

One of the first cities I visited in Italy was Parma. I – well, actually my partner – scoured the entire city looking for a butcher where the hams hang from the ceiling, to then ask him to slice the thinnest possible slices. My partner and I let those melt on our tongues in a park in the center. The city is known for its culinary trophies such as Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) and the ham. And when you say Italy, you definitely say delicious food, but also beautiful clothes and thus shopping.