Top architectural city breaks

An architectural city break is ideal for those in search of culture and spectacular views, as well as all the enjoyment of a cheap city break holiday. However, there are so many cities brimming with superb architecture that it may be hard to know where to start when planning your architectural city break. One thing’s for sure; it will be hard to know where to look once you’re there, with striking buildings and sculptures all around you in some of the world’s most elegant and captivating cities. Read on for some of our top architectural city break tips and advice.

 

Western Europe is home to a wide selection of superb city break destinations, combining breath-taking architecture with sun and relaxation. Spanish cities such as Barcelona, with its unique Gaudi buildings and the nearby surrealist museum of Salvador Dali, or Grenada, home to the imposing Alhambra Palace are perfect for summer city breaks. Similarly, architectural gems such as Rome, Venice and Naples in Italy or Paris and Bruges play host to both modern and ancient architecture and make excellent city break destinations within easy reach of the UK. 

 

Central and Eastern European cities have their own unique blends of architecture with elegant baroque masterpieces standing in intriguing contrast to their modern counterparts. Cities such as Prague, Budapest and Krakow have become well known for their stunning and colourful facades, whilst parts of Berlin and Warsaw offer an unrivalled insight into Communist architectural design. The architecture in many of these cities reflects their varied pasts and an architectural city break is a great way to learn more about the history and heritage of the people.

 

There are also some fantastic options closer to home with architectural city breaks in the UK. With such a long history there is no shortage of historic architecture dating back through the centuries with iconic buildings such as the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle and York Minster providing a focus for UK based architectural city breaks. Alternatively, Northern cities such as Newcastle and Manchester boast some more modern architectural design and are enjoyable UK city break destinations in their own right.

 

If you’re looking for a slightly longer or more unusual architectural city break destination, then why not consider the impressive Russian cities of St Petersburg or Moscow with their contrasting facades and the striking sight of the Kremlin. Or head to Istanbul to marvel at the majesty of the Hagia Sophia and the intrigue of the ancient Walls of Constantinople, another fascinating architectural city break destination.

 

The most important things to take on your architectural city break are a good guidebook and a camera to capture all the stunning buildings and superb city views. Many city oriented guidebooks will include information on the architecture of the main attractions in the city, but you can also find more detailed information online or in specialist guidebooks. If you’re an architecture buff then a small sketchbook and some pencils won’t go amiss for capturing the finer details.