10 best European city breaks – and where to stay this winter

A city break hits different in winter. Parks packed with sweat-drenched tourists are swapped for ethereal, fairy light-strewn streets; frosty cocktails for warming, mulled drinks.

Outside the peak Christmas market period – in itself a magical time to see plenty of European destinations – those who visit cities in the colder months often benefit from cheaper prices and easier-to-get-into, crowd-free attractions.

The days may be shorter, but places on the Continent often look their best aglow with cosy lights anyway. Here’s the travel team’s pick of European city break destinations just begging to be explored this winter.

Bruges, Belgium

This tourist favourite is so pretty it’s almost a charicature of the “perfect” chocolate box-worthy European city. The medieval centre is all canals, bridges, cobbled streets, ornate facades and 14th-century buildings. And winter might just be the best time to see it at its best: cosy up in an estaminet (the Flanders term for pub) to sip on Belgian beer; stroll the Markt square and admire the famed 13th-century Belfry; peruse early Flemish art at the Groeninge Museum; and, of course, get your fill of beige foods – fries and waffles are both Belgian specialities, after all. You can reach Bruges from the UK by rail in just 3hr 30m by catching a Eurostar to Brussels and an onward train. Helen Coffey

Where to stay

Hip Monsieur Ernest pairs contemporary style with eclectic period features – think decorative mosaics, parquet flooring and a wrought-iron staircase; doubles from £79.

Vienna, Austria

The Austrian capital, with its Imperial palaces, ornate coffee houses and rich musical and artistic heritage, makes for an ideal winter city break. Get an art fix at new venue the Heidi Horten Collection, a modern art museum that opened in June 2022, or the eminent Kunsthistorisches Museum, which houses the largest Bruegel collection in the world. Grab a fork and try the famed Sachertorte, a rich chocolate cake with apricot jam that was invented in the city. And sample a taste of Vienna’s musical roots (it was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Schubert at various points) by taking in a classical performance at one of the city’s numerous concert venues. Vienna is reachable by…