Table of Contents
Florence, Dublin, Venice, Milan, Dubrovnik.
They are top-class urban destinations that are worth travelling the world to visit.
Try telling that to the Reddit travelers contributing to a thread about the worst cities in Europe.
They launched criticism at the aforementioned destinations and more so in response to the ‘friendlyflee’ poster that asked: ‘Which cities in Europe are not worth returning to?’
One city is ridiculed for being a “shadow of its former self,” another for being a “retiree’s dream,” and a famous landmark is apparently a “tourist trap.” Read on to find out more…
Bratislava, Slovakia
Reddit users have been sharing the cities they would never return to. One traveler describes Bratislava (pictured above) as “the most boring city I’ve ever been to.”
Bratislava has an impressive bridge with an observation deck that looks like a UFO. Despite this, many redditors were not impressed by the capital of Slovakia.
One reviewer described it as “the most boring city I’ve ever been to,” and user “Blue1994a” wrote: “The UFO bridge looks unusual, but it’s not worth a special trip over.”
‘Bkittred’ commented: ‘I had a two hour tour. It was an hour and a half too long.’
‘ConfidentLem0n’ replied: ‘I agree! Also, people were very cold and everyone seemed a bit angry or depressed.’
However, ‘OneNo7285’ asked for understanding and commented: “That’s how we Slovaks are. Don’t take it personally. We love holding grudges.”
It may be the centre of the fashion world in Europe, but it wasn’t the right place for Reddit user ‘Rustywings’, who commented: ‘Milan was pretty disappointing. I wouldn’t rush back unless it’s like a gateway to the lakes.’
Venice, Italy
The floating city didn’t convince user NArcadia11, who said: ‘After spending five days in Venice, I don’t see the need to return.
“It’s an incredibly beautiful, unique and architecturally artistic city and I’m so glad I visited. But it’s also incredibly annoying to get around, the food isn’t as good as in other parts of Italy and it’s a bit too ‘faux-touristy’ for me.”
Oslo, Norway
Oslo, the capital of Norway (pictured above), was described as “not so spectacular” by one traveler.
While there is a lot of love for Norway in the thread, its capital city, Oslo, is met with widespread disapproval.
User ‘Schlawiner’ says: ‘Even though I’m a big fan of Norway, I found Oslo to be very boring. It doesn’t have interesting architecture, it’s small and there’s not much to do. The surrounding nature is also not that spectacular compared to other places in Norway.’
‘SingleBackground437’ agreed, saying the city is ‘disappointing’, while Norwegian ‘Coolbeans_97’ chimed in, saying: “I couldn’t agree more.”
Barcelona, Spain
It may be Spain’s top tourist destination, but Barcelona isn’t for everyone. One traveller, ‘SSG669’, says: ‘It’s a beautiful city and the food is amazing, but it’s full of street vendors and the constant harassment put a damper on the trip.’
Another tourist, ‘dont_fwithcats’, writes: ‘I’ve given it two chances and I still feel the same way. It’s expensive and very gimmicky. The locals don’t want tourists there right now either – you can’t blame them, everything is expensive and some tourists are idiots – so they might as well go somewhere else in Spain.’
Basel, Switzerland
Basel (above), Switzerland, was criticised for being “very expensive” and “having nothing to do”
Situated on the banks of the Rhine River, Basel did not make a splash with ‘Lumpy-Rub-9125’, who said: ‘Although the scenery is nice, it is a very boring city.
“It’s like a dream place for a retiree. There’s no noise after 8pm, no music allowed in suburban areas after 8 or 9pm. Plus, it’s very expensive, there’s nothing to do.”
Dublin, Ireland
A gem of the Emerald Isle? Not for Reddit user ‘Queenoftheducks_’, who wrote: ‘Dublin today is a shadow of its former self. Its charm has been so diluted by the number of office blocks and multinational corporations that it doesn’t really differ from so many European cities.’
“Modern Dublin is a shadow of its former self,” said one traveller
Even domestic tourists are not impressed. “Major-_-Funk” says: “I’m Irish, I live in Ireland and I really don’t like Dublin. The Guinness they sell in the store is one of the worst I’ve ever had, surprisingly.”
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dreaming of Dubrovnik? It’s a nightmare, according to user ‘Auximines_minotaur’, who commented: ‘Boring. Expensive. Mediocre food. Packed with cruise ship tourists and flag-waving tour guides.
“There are actually no locals living there and half of the locations from Game of Thrones don’t even exist because computer-generated special effects were used for most of the scenes.”
Athens, Greece
Athens is “too expensive,” according to one traveler, who added that you can see everything interesting in the city “in a couple of days.”
Greece’s capital is hardly worth more than a weekend trip, according to one visitor, ‘Gzrfox’, who writes: ‘Dirty, hot, overcrowded, everything too expensive and few points of interest reachable in a couple of days.’
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
It’s the capital of one of the smallest countries in Europe, and it failed to turn things around or make much of an impression on one Redditor, who commented on Andorra la Vella: “Possibly the most boring place I’ve ever been, and I’ve been to some really boring places.
‘We went in the summer so there was absolutely nothing to do except shopping (there are duty free shops so it’s great if you want an expensive watch or something). There were no cultural sites, museums or architecture of note. There weren’t even any restaurants open until Spanish dining hours (usually after 9pm) and we were on a day trip.’
Florence, Italy
Florence, one of Italy’s most popular destinations, is a ‘tourist trap’ according to one traveller
The consensus is that Florence is one of Europe’s top cultural destinations.
But the consensus meant nothing to user ‘Goin_Commando_’, who commented: ‘The Ponte Vecchio has to be the most absolute and completely overrated tourist trap in Europe. It’s lined with about 50 metres of gold sellers’ kiosks and then… you walk across it. The Statue of David is worth seeing. For about five minutes if you really try. I enjoy the art. And the amazing talent behind it. But you can see it all online, including virtual tours.’
Brussels, Belgium
The Belgian capital was not exactly a place of interest for Queenielauren, who wrote: “Brussels. There is a lot of rubbish in the streets, a lot of construction work everywhere and a lot of beggars and swindlers.”
Tourist ‘Coffeewalnut05’ added: ‘I came to Brussels. There are aspects I like, such as the central architecture, excellent public transport and the food is very good (especially the desserts). But I felt unsafe all the time and had to stay on a few streets in the centre to not feel nervous.’