You long for walks around the city, exploring new places, architecture and tasting new dishes. And are you afraid that such fun would not entertain your children? So it’s not European cities that offer kids so much that they will literally be unstoppable. Below we bring inspiration to the best European cities for families in our opinion.
Lisbon, Portugal
Peaceful Portugal is literally made for visiting with children! Lisbon offers a range of activities that your children will love. The big advantage of the Portuguese capital is the proximity of the ocean and beaches. In Lisbon you can visit the largest oceanarium in Europe and admire the beauty of underwater life. Children can look forward to stingrays, sharks, dolphins or playful otters. The adjacent Park is also a very pleasant place to spend the afternoon.
Other activities that will excite you in Lisbon are, for example, the Lisbon Zoo, Estrella Park, the MAAT Museum of Electricity or the Pavilhao do Conhecimento Science Museum. If you are attracted by history and architecture, climb the hill to Castelo Sao Jorge or take tram number 15 to see the Torre de Belém, the Mosteíro dos Jerónimos Monastery or the free art collection at the Colecao Berardo Museum.
From Lisbon you can go on many excursions in the area and visit one of the Portuguese castles. Especially attractive is the colorful Palace Da Pen or the fortified castle of Castelo de Mourros near Sintra.
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Gdańsk, Poland
Kids love coastal adventure. Although it does not mean to lie on the beach and Gdańsk is an ideal place for these needs. The tour must necessarily start from the famous crane on the banks of the Motławy River. Right next to him is the most famous museum in the north – center of marine culture. You must go inside. Children will be delighted because a large pool with remotely controlled ship models is welcomed at the entrance. The entire exhibition is fully adapted for children – they can touch everything and actively participate in the exhibition.
Near the museum you cannot omit Ferris Wheel of Amberk, from which you can admire the Panorama of Gdansk. Another unusual attraction is the center of Hewelianum – educational and recreational complex. The whole consists of several exposures that interactively represent selected topics from astronomy, physics, history or biology.
If your children are still enough energy, your visit to the city can close in the largest trampoline park in Europe – Jumpcity or in the parrot house or the local Zoo.
In the surroundings of the city we find other attractions, museums, amusement parks, aquaparks and even sea aquarium.
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Booking.comCopenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark is flat and therefore a city of bicycles. There is no nicer way to get to know this city than by bike. Copenhagen is not big and you can visit the main sights in one day. Be sure to miss the Amalienborg Royal Palace, home of Queen Margaret II of Denmark, and one of the city’s biggest attractions, the Little Mermaid. The fairy-tale character of the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen is immortalized in the form of a statue on the banks of the north-eastern part of Copenhagen.
Copenhagen is a city full of water. Take a boat ride on the local canals with the children. Within an hour’s drive you will see Nyhavn, the opera house, the royal palace, the statue of the Little Mermaid, Kastellet and especially beautiful is the Christianshavn district, where Christiania is located, a semi-independent anarchist commune in the original military barracks. .
And don’t forget to bring the history and sights to the children and a little excitement and fun. You just have to visit such a Tivoli theme park. It is one of the oldest parks ever, it first opened its gates in 1843 and there is also the oldest roller coaster in the world.
You will also find Bla Bla Planet – the largest aquarium in Northern Europe, the Experimentarium – an interactive science and technology museum, the Zoological Museum or the Copenhagen Zoo with an exhibition of polar bears.
And in Denmark, be sure to visit the legendary LEGOLAND, located in Billund.
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Leipzig, Germany
The city of Leipzig is one big surprise and offers a large number of attractions. Leipzig is called the “second Berlin” and rightly so. It is a modern city full of culture, art and colors. In addition, the city is not only full of parks and water canals, where you can ride boats, but also bicycles, so at times you feel like you are in Amsterdam.
If your child is a music fan, then you are in the right place in the city. Leipzig is also known as a place of music. Many important composers and musicians Johann Sebastian Bach, Feliks Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Robert Schumann, Ryszard Wagner and Fryderyk Chopin lived here. In connection with this, the town is accompanied by a “Śladami nut” trail connecting the most important places connected with the musical side of Leipzig. The most interesting attractions of the musical culture can be seen in just over 5 km.
And what attractions in Leipzig with children not to miss? Panometer – a unique museum where you can use pictures and films to look at the world from a different perspective. Gondwanaland and Leipzig Zoo – visiting animals and tropical greenhouses will always please children and especially in Leipzig it is one of those places that you must not miss. And what about Wildpark Leipzig, where in the forest park you can see 25 species of animals, which are literally at your fingertips. Bellantis – an amusement park, but is more suitable for older children. And for little lovers of Bergbau-Technik-Park with excavators and mining machines or Historischer Straßenbahnhof Leipzig with historic trams and buses.
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Antibes, France
The small French town of Antibes, you may have never heard of it, is literally a dream come true for all children! And what is it that every child in the world loves? Swings, carousels, roller coasters, water slides, swimming pools and animals of all kinds. In Antibes you will find everything in one place and on a huge scale.
Antibes Land Park is an amusement park right on the French Côte d’Azur. Here you will find adrenaline fun of all kinds for all ages. Right next to it is the Aquasplash – an aqua park for water games of all kinds. Then you come across Kid´s island, which is a children’s playground and a contact zoo in one. And the last neighbor is Marineland – originally a small oceanarium, today it is a large park that offers performances of dolphins, killer whales, sea lions and penguins.
And back to the city, if your children allow it. As a place of summer rest, Antibes is popular with many celebrities and mobile people from all over the world, who spend their time on luxury yachts and multi-storey luxury cruise ships. A walk along the Bay of Antibes Billionaires can be a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of the local theme parks.
The city of Antibes is associated with its history with the Greeks, Romans, but later with the aristocratic Grimaldi family. The “MUSÉE PICASSO” museum is located in the GRIMALDI chateau. Pablo Picasso took refuge in the castle during the war and dedicated the paintings he painted at the time to the city. It is also worth mentioning the local fortress towering over the harbor.
And if you happen to have time, forget to visit the famous neighbors of this town of Cannes on the one hand and Nice on the other.
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Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Edinburgh is a great place to explore with the whole family. The city is literally riddled with legends, superstitions and fairy tales – Sherlock Holmes, the Loch Ness monster, Harry Poter and the ghosts.
It is best to start by visiting Scotland’s most famous castle. Edinburgh Castle offers beautiful views of the city and surrounding countryside, and children will enjoy the climb and adventure of exploring the castle.
You will learn more about the history and legends that surround the castle.
In Edinburgh, you must not miss the modern exhibition Our Dynamic Earth, which tells the story of the past, present and future of our planet. You can continue your family visit at Edinburgh Zoo, the largest and most amazing wildlife exhibit in Scotland. The children will most enjoy the march of the imperial penguins through the zoo. Then set out to uncover the legend of Loch Ness and the Loch Ness monster – Nessie – at the 3 D Loch Ness show.
After dark, take a city tour with Mercat Walking Tours, Scotland’s oldest, award-winning city tour company, and discover the mysterious and mystical history of Ediburg. The Ghost and Ghouls tour, from the age of eight, takes you into the history of the murders, tortures and epidemics that have left their terrible legacy in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Spooky apparitions are now walking the streets, and you may meet several of them.
Other places you should visit in Edinburgh with children are the “Museum of Childhood”, the Reds Restaurant, the National Museum of Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
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Valencia, Spain
You will not be bored in Valencia. The city is an explosive mix, a combination of amazing food, architecture and attractions for children. It is definitely one of the best European cities for families, with children’s playgrounds at every turn. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, so you can walk through all the sights and outdoor art installations, rent bikes. It is offered here on literally every corner.
First, play through the white and white glass at L’Oceanogràfic – the largest aquarium in Europe, divided into 9 buildings, where you can see various marine ecosystems such as the Arctic and tropical seas. It is here that you will see huge sharks, turtles or white whales, who eagerly hook through the glass or want to pose for photos. The ticket price also includes a spectacular spectacle of a dolphin show.
Bioparc Valencia’s Zoo is a place where animals live in conditions very similar to their natural environment. Children will be able to see the animals up close and without obstacles that prevent them from seeing.
Release the children to the unique Guliver playground. This kingdom of games, created not only for children, is full of unique slides, ramps, passages and stairs. Gulliver’s Travels inspired designers to create a unique project – a giant Gulliver entangled in strings, whose clothes and hair form giant slides (one of which can hold more than 10 people at a time).
Be sure to check out the old town. And if you stay longer and look for other attractions, you may like the Prince Philip Science Museum, the Museum of Prehistory or the National Museum of Ceramics.
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