5 Western European Destinations Everyone Should Visit At Least Once

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If you think of fairytale castles, cobblestone towns frozen in time, and picturesque plazas lined with cafés, chances are you’re imagining Western Europe.

As much as security has taken a turn for the worse in recent years—especially compared to the Eastern front—there’s no denying the West is absolutely stunning: from the canal-crisscrossed cities in the heart of Flanders, down to the rolling green hills of Alsace, all the way to the Swiss Alps.

I’ve already given you 5 hiddem gems in Europe as a whole that you shouldn’t be sleeping on, and my all-time favorite Greek island out of over 20 I’ve ticked off. Now, it’s time I shout out my own backyard.

As the old saying goes: East Least, West Best. Let’s dive in!

PLUS: I’ve built a quiz for you at the end of the article to find your perfect match, so stick around!

5 Bucket List Destinations In Western Europe

Thun, Switzerland: The “Anti-Glitz Alpine”

I get it, Switzerland’s not for everybody, especially budget-conscious travelers who are very wary of paying upwards of $100 on cable car rides, and splurging equally-obscene amounts of money on mountaintop restaurants and cogwheel train rides.

No, Thun is not a rare exception to the ‘Switzerland will bleed your wallet dry’ rule, but I will say it is absolutely worth every hard-earned penny spent.

Lining the crystal-clear shores of Thunersee, an alpine lake flanked by snow-capped mountains, it is a medieval treasure a majority of the Interlaken-bound tourists whoosh past with the train without even casting a glance out the window.

Thun is that picture-perfect medieval town you didn’t know you desperately needed visiting until this point.

I’m talking car-free, cobble-paved lanes lined with centuries-old buildings, framed by your usual overhanging Swiss and Bernese canton flags, sunlit market squares, and an idyllic riverfront with gelato stops and cafés spilling onto the promenad.

The coolest thing about Thun is that its main thoroughfare, Obere Hauptgasse, has raised platforms you can walk on, running adjacent to the street itself, above the arcades on both sides. On this “upper path,” there are even more quirky boutiques and eateries with terraces overlooking the lively street below.

That said, it’s the whitewashed, Disney-like Schloss Thun that draws the most eyeballs: sitting high on a hill above the 800-year-old sprawl, it gives Thun that classic European skyline.

If you’re visiting in summer, you should know Thun Lake turns a gorgeous glacier-blue, and ice-cold as it may be, it feels particularly refreshing on a hot day in the Alps.

People usually hang out by the water enjoying ice cream, and some even take a stab at paddleboarding or swimming, like it’s the Swiss Riviera… except the Montreux golf dads and their accessory pearl-clutching madames are blissfully absent.

The Vibe: French Riviera energy without the Montreux glitz and glam

Perfect For: a chill, laid-back alpine escape in summer

The ‘Don’t Miss’ Experiences:

• Obere Hauptgasse: walk along Thun’s Main Street and its elevated platforms
• Kayak on Thunersee: for views of the Alps and Thun’s castle-dominated skyline from a distance

Colmar, France: The “Fairytale Flex”

I’m a proud Parisian myself, and an absolute sucker for Haussmann architecture and our wide, leafy boulevards, but if there’s one French stunner that deserves a feature on this list is Colmar.

A small city in eastern Alsace, the most German-looking region in France, it’s like a life-sized Beauty And The Beast village. Think crooked, half-timbered houses in every imaginable color, winding waterways navigated by flat-bottom wooden boats, and charming fountain squares.

La petite Venise, literally ‘Little Venice’, is the canal-traversed center, full of cute bridges and beer halls—for pale ale straight from the tap and some of that bacon-sprinkled flammekueche, hit up La Stub, the top pub-restaurant for Alsatian food in town.

A short five-minute stroll along cobbled lanes from the Lauch quayside, you’ll stumble upon Maison Pfister, a perfectly preserved 16th-century townhouse with frescoes and wooden galleries. The house itself is just a few steps from Koïfhus, the Gothic-style Old Customs House.

The house itself is only a few steps away from Koïfhus, the Gothic-style Old Customs House, and the Saint-Martin Collegiate Church, a 13th-century wonder that towers above the town’s gabled roofs and waterways like a storybook belfry.

People usually pull up to Colmar in December for the Christmas markets—even prettier than the Strasbourg ones, imo—but it is downright gorgeous regardless of season.

In reality, the best time to visit is springtime, when the flowered balconies are in full bloom, and you can go on wine tasting tours along the Alsace Wine Route, starting from Colmar, and reaching quaint Alsatian villages like Eguisheim and Ribeauvillé.

The Vibe: real-life Beauty And The Beast village (with lively beer halls and canals)

Perfect For: experiencing Franco-German culture and sampling Alsantian cuisine without the Strasbourg buzz

The ‘Don’t Miss’ Experiences:

• Canal Tour: explore Colmar from the water on a guided flat-bottom boat ride with a knowledgeable local, drifting through the dreamy canals of Petite Venise.
• Kut’zig Hop‑on Hop‑off Bus: a bus line starting from Colmar, with stops in numerous medieval towns in the vicinity, costing only €29 | $34.40 per person.

Dinant, Belgium: The “Cliffside Time Capsule”

I’m not gonna lie: I’m not a huge Belgium enthusiast myself. Whether it’s the increasingly dangerous Brussels, the touristy Bruges, or the now Instagram-ruined Ghent, I rarely feel like the country has an awful lot to offer, especially if you’re coming all the way over from America.

That said, if there’s one Belgian city I feel is worth the Transatlantic journey, and that still feels surprisingly-quaint and preserved—real unspoiled Tintin-era Belgium if you know what I mean—that would be Dinant.

Located in the staunchly French-speaking Wallonie, this postcard castle city lies wedged between steep cliffs and the fast-flowing Meuse River. The colorful houses along the water, that majestic church spire, and the castle standing watch over the river may look like AI, but I promise you it’s the real deal:

The Collegiate Church of Our Lady, practically synonymous with Dinant, is nothing short of a Gothic marvel, with a unique, bulbous bell tower shaped almost like a pear, and a dramatic nave supported by sturdy stone columns and stained-glass windows.

Atop the town itself stands an impressive medieval citadel, perched over a limestone cliff like a royal crown. With its thick stone ramparts, fortified walls hugging the edge, and Disney-like towers raising Belgian flags, you can hardly tell where manmade ends and rock begins.

The walk up there is a bit of a thigh-burner, with 408 steps counted. If you’re not exactly keen on keeping up with leg day on vacation, you can always take the cable car and admire the views of the winding Meuse and the green hills of Wallonia in the distance.

I’ll wrap this one up by saying Brussels’ overpriced Grand-Place frites can’t hold a waffle to La Phine Frite’s crispy golden fries—and a small cone won’t cost you upwards of $8.

The Vibe: sleepy riverside city at the foot of a historic citadel.

Perfect For: soaking up Europe’s medieval allure without crowds or the hefty price tags.

The ‘Don’t Miss’ Experiences:

• The Citadel: climb up to the Citadel for breathtaking views of Dinant and the Meuse River. Alternatively, cable car tickets average $17 roundtrip.
• La Phine Frite: the best Belgian fry spot in town, with cones starting from only $2.70.

Schwerin, Germany: The “Unspoiled Aristocrat”

Possibly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, full stop, Schwerin is a hidden treasure of Northern Germany most tourists remain completely oblivious to. Not that I’m complaining, mind: it almost feels like you get this storybook lakeside city all to yourself.

The capital of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin is best known for its astounding Renaissance palace, built on an island on the edge of a lake (one of seven that ring the town itself). It’s basically wrapped in water, with bridges and landscaped gardens topping it all off.

The schloss is easily one of the prettiest I’ve seen in Germany: now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a boldly yellow 19th-century edifice with soaring golden domes and towers. Though it still functions as a seat of government, you can explore much of the interior.

Spiral staircases, regal courtyards, and chandelier-lit chambers—you know, good old-fashioned Western European opulence, except there’s no Versailles-level crowds.

In summer, you’ll spot locals heading out onto Lake Schwerin by boat beneath the palace’s dramatic silhouette, or strolling along the many flower-lined pathways that hug the shoreline.

Back in town, the Schweriner Dom is a brick-built Gothic cathedral boasting a beautiful stained-glass collection and the tallest spire in the state, and if you love cobbled streets and historic cafés, a wander around the Altstadt is a must.

Less kebab stands and phone repair joints, more timbered buildings and old-school bakeries.

The best part? Most of what you see is still original, unlike in Cologne or Dresden, where many of the medieval structures had to be rebuilt after being reduced to rubble during World War II.

The Vibe: authentic German city revolving around a historic 19th-century schloss

Perfect For: getting a taste of real, unspoiled Germany, away from the overtouristed, globalized metropolises

The ‘Don’t Miss’ Experiences:

• Cathedral Tower: climb up the tower of Schweriner Dom for a sweeping panoramic view of Schwerin’s timeless Old Town and castle.
• Kartoffelhaus Schwerin: German for ‘Potato House’, this traditional eatery specializes in regional Pomeranian potato-based dishes and sparkling flavored lemonades.

Salzburg, Austria: The “Cinematic Heavyweight”

The most beautiful city in the Alps, at least in my book, Salzburg is that dome-dotted, manmade limestone maze, under a mahoosive fortress, that asks nothing of you but to forget the chaos of the 21st century for a minute and immerse yourself in a 15th-century dream sequence.

For starters, it is backed by lush-green meadows and majestic snow-covered peaks, the same ones you’ve watched a million times as a kid in The Sound of Music—as in, the much-revered 1960s classic.

Then there’s the fact that Salzburg’s home to a compact, fully-walkable UNESCO-protected Historic Center, with stone-paved roads, pastel-hue housefronts richly-decorated in Germanic motifs, and a plethora of unassuming churches hiding frescoed interiors and gilded altars within only a few meters of each other.

On the southern bank of the Salzach River, which runs through the middle of Salzburg like a silvery serpent, Mirabell Palace is a 17th-century Baroque masterpiece complete with verdant gardens and floral displays.

At its center, you might recognize Pegasus Fountain, which was, again, featured in the Julie Andrews-starred flick. Good luck with the ‘Try-Not-To-Sing-Do-Re-Mi Challenge’.

As you delve deeper into the old city, you’ll find Mozart’s Birthplace, a 3-story, bright-yellow building right on Getreidegasse, the main shopping street, and Residenzplatz, a grand square with an ornate fountain, best known for accommodating the former Prince-Archbishop’s Palace.

Salzburg is best seen from above, though, so for the iconic views of the church spires, rooftops, and the meandering river, head up to Fortress Hohensalzburg, either on foot or by taking the short funicular—but don’t just stop there!

After visiting the castle, keep walking for some 15 minutes, at a moderate elevation, towards the next peak at Mönchsberg. The place you want to be is Winkler Terrace, where you can see all of Salzburg and its mountains unraveling at your feet under the soft golden glow of sunset.

Trust me, it’s not a view you’ll forget anytime soon.

The Vibe: limestone UNESCO World Heritage city right in the Austrian Alps

Perfect For: taking in some of that Old World allure and breathing in fresh mountain air

The ‘Don’t Miss’ Experiences:

• Mirabell Palace & Gardens: explore around the green-flanked pathways and stop by the ‘Do-Re-Mi’ fountain.
• Winkler Terrace: the best lookout in all of Salzburg, offering a free, panoramic view of the castle-dominated cityscape.

Western Europe’s Big 5, check. Next stop: East!

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Now the fun part: pick the one that matches your vibe right now… and start building the list for the next four.