Top Small European Cities

Avignon doesn't quite hit the 100,000 mark in population, but it's  enough to seem like a city; there's a lot to see and do here, and a well-developed Provencal cuisine to try. Folks who like even smaller cities (or towns) will prefer Arles, but it's easy to get to either place on the train or by car. Obligatory stops in Avignon are the places that shaped it as an important city historically, 14th century Palace of the Popes and the 12th century Avignon Bridge.

Basel, one of the most visited cities in Switzerland, sits pretty at the intersection of France, Germany and Switzerland. This makes for an interesting cuisine, especially when enjoyed at a medieval guild hall restaurant, for which the city is famous. Basel's Carnival is also notable as is its Christmas market (pictured), and the Museum of Fine Arts (one of many museums in Basel) is the oldest in Europe the public can visit.  Oddly, at a population of only 166,000, Basel happens to be Switzerland's biggest city.

Bergen might be one of the larger cities on this list at about a quarter of a million population, but the center of Bergan feels much smaller. Bryggen is an area along the waterfront characterized by its parallel rows of buildings with a history of construction dating back 900 years to the time of the German Hanseatic League, who established a trade center on Bergen's waterfront.

Bruges historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as beautiful as any you'll find in Europe. Have one of Bruges' notable brews, then walk the city and take in the eye candy, stopping for a chocolate. Get another blast of medieval eye candy from a different perspective when you take a canal cruise.

There are many German cities that could fit here, but I'm going to go with Heidelberg. It's on the castle road, so it makes a good base for exploring, although Heidelburg has an interesting castle of its own--and it's a university town, so its lively at night and you can find inexpensive food if you're on a budget. And shoppers get to visit the longest pedesstrian shopping zone in Europe.

Lucca is blessed with a 16th century wall that runs around the historical center. You can bike on top and enjoy the views and marvel at the laid back lifesytyle of Puccini's city. The wall is also important for the tourist in that it's kept out all the modern intrusions like gas stations and tin-roof warehouses. I go there several times a year and still marvel at the town's beauty and its fine Tuscan cuisine.

The 2001 capital of culture has a lot going for it. Walk along the river, Ribeira do Porto, stopping at one of the little bars or restaurants for a bite to eat, then head up to one of Porto's view points for an overall view of the city, then head across the river to a Port wine producer to learn about one of Porto's many treasures that made the city a nexus for trade.

Ok, so Salamanca exceeds our quarter million population limit by a bit, but for my money, it's a small city with the best outside dining experience in Europe (that I've found so far). Head out to the Plaza Mayor, sit at a table and watch the passing parade of students, bands, solo guitarists, locals and tourists--it's a festa every night.

Austria's fourth largest city is, like many of the small cities listed here, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The birthplace of Mozart (you can visit the house where he lived from 1773 to 1787) is justly famous for the music composed in the area, celebrated spectacularly at the Salzburg festival in the summer.