Want a gourmet, festive and cultural weekend? Good news: a European city, considered the most attractive in the world, has met all these criteria since 2021.
When we choose a destination, we want something beautiful, something good, something practical and a real change of scenery, even for a few days. The 2025 ranking of the 100 best urban destinations, published by Euromonitor International, confirms that a European capital succeeds in this nice mix. What’s more, “Europe maintains its leading position globally, occupying four of the top five places”specifies the report. In other words, the Old Continent remains a safe bet for a break, whether with friends, as a couple or alone.
The number one city welcomed more than 18 million visitors in 2025. It’s easy to get around thanks to well-designed transportation, you can find hotels for all budgets and desires, and you can organize your days without spending hours planning. An exhibition in the morning, a lunch on the terrace, a stroll in a lively neighborhood, an iconic monument at dusk, in short the program takes shape in the blink of an eye.
Among the sites to visit, there are the essentials that we have seen a thousand times in photos, but also more confidential addresses: cozy cafes, independent boutiques and neighborhoods that live from morning to evening. You will have understood, you can come there for the culture, for the gastronomy, for the shopping or simply for the atmosphere. And we leave with this feeling of having truly disconnected, even for a short stay.
Behind it in the ranking, other European cities are doing well. Madrid seduces with its innovations in sustainable development and urban mobility. Rome benefits from a large number of new luxury hotel openings (like recently theOrient Express La Minerva) and Milan confirms its status as a world leader in fashion and design, perfect for a stay dedicated to inspiration. The only non-European city in the top five, Tokyo, which, thanks to its dynamic tourist offer and the organization of major sporting events, attracts travelers from all over the world.
Ahead of these 4 metropolises, it is ultimately Paris which takes first place in the ranking. The incomparable French capital has found the winning recipe and continues to establish itself as the richest and most attractive destination in the world for the fifth consecutive year. Just that.
In this very competitive context, remaining number one for five years in a row is not trivial. Nadejda Popova, global head of loyalty at Euromonitor International, points out that travelers now expect “meaningful” experiences and that cities must focus on sustainability and innovation. It is therefore on these criteria that the city of love is once again flawless.
