Our trip around 40 “second” cities in the world that are worth visiting is going on. Today we will travel around 10 more beautiful cities that were underestimated by travelers during their trips. Usually when we come to some country we choose its capital for our stay. Because capital is the main city of the country where there are a lot of sightseeings. But the city that goes after the capital city in terms of population or area can be also no less beautiful and attractive. Let’s check it today!Krakow, Poland
Krakow is one of the oldest cities not only in Poland, but also in Europe. Currently, it has about 760 thousand people. The number of architectural monuments of the city can not be counted on the fingers of both hands. Many of them are protected by UNESCO. The most notable, perhaps, is the royal castle, Kazimierz, at the market square. The old town is surrounded by a ring of parks – the famous Krakow Plants. Therefore, Krakow is one of those places where you want to walk and enjoy local sceneries all day long.
Quito, Ecuador
Quito is the capital of Ecuador. It is also political, economic and cultural center of the country. But according to the population, it is less than in Guayaquil: 2.6 million people live there. At the same time, Quito is considered as one of the most beautiful cities in South America. Its architecture is a harmonious intertwining of Spanish, Dutch and Indian architectural traditions. The city is divided into three parts by huge hills: the old city (museums, monuments, etc.), the southern region (industry) and the northern region (banks, institutions, elite shops and housing).
Milan, Italy
Milan is a city that you can talk about for a long time with excitement. But according to the population it takes the second place in the country with its 1.3 million people. Milan is one of the cultural capitals of the world. There are two great medieval basilicas here – the Ambrosian and the Laurentian, as well as the legendary La Scala theater. In Milan, the fresco of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is kept. Milan is one of the world’s fashion capitals. There are the main offices of Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Armani and other “lords of beauty” in Milan. Milan is one of the world’s sports capitals. “Milan” and “Internationale” are the grandees of European football. Also next to Milan the Italian Grand Prix “Formula 1” takes place.
Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Northern Palmyra, Northern Venice, the city of white nights, the cultural capital, the most beautiful city in Russia (you can dispute in the comments) – it’s all about it, about St. Petersburg. There are 221 museums, 80 theaters, 2,000 libraries, 45 galleries and hundreds of historic buildings in the city on the Neva. But this is dry statistics only, and Peter is a poetry. This is the heart of the country’s classical and avant-garde culture, a place with a special atmosphere, from where many artists, poets, writers came … Palace Square, Vasilievsky Island, movable bridges – this should be admired at least once in life.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne is inferior to Sydney by the number of residents quite a bit (4.3 and 4.7 million respectively). It is considered one of the most comfortable cities for living in the world. No wonder, because in Melbourne the commercial, industrial and cultural forces of Australia are concentrated. Despite the modest according to European standards history (from the beginning of the XIX century), Melbourne has many attractions: the tower “Eureka”, the Ferris wheel “South Star”, the Royal Exhibition Center, the Victoria State Library and others. And Melbourne is the birthplace of great dance shuffle. Everyday I’m shuffling!)))
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The city is a home to less than a million people (921 thousand), but its contribution to the country’s GDP is more than 56%. The city stands on the shore of the Persian Gulf, and a beautiful legend is connected with its base. The hunters pursued the gazelle, the animal that was roaming the desert for a long time, and at the end led the hunters to a source of fresh water. The hunters founded a town in that place and named it Abu Dhabi – “the father of a gazelle”. Modern Abu Dhabi is the grandiose Mosque of Sheikh Zayd, the tower-skyscraper Al Bahar, the leaning tower of Capital Gate and other must-visit sights.
Córdoba, Argentina
The city of Cordoba was founded on July 6, 1573 by conquistador Jerónimo Luis de Cabrer. The city got its name in honor of the Spanish town of the same name. Now Cordoba is the second largest city in Argentina (with 1.3 million people), as well as the country’s military-industrial center. In the historical part of Cordoba, the Jesuit buildings as UNESCO World Heritage sites have been preserved.
Durban, South Africa
Durban was founded in 1835. Now it has about 600 thousand people. It is the largest port in South Africa, as well as an attractive center for beach recreation (comfortable beaches, warm sea). Among the attractions of Durban there are City Hall City Hall, the Juma Mosque, the National Museum of Natural History, the Fitzsimmons reptile park and others.
Brno, Czech Republic
Brno is a city with more than a thousand-year history, no less beautiful, than Prague, but smaller in size. It is home to only 378 thousand people. “Only”, because the Czech capital is a city with a million inhabitants. Many historical and architectural monuments have been preserved in Brno. For example, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, the castle Shpilberg, the town hall, the monastery of the Capuchins and many others.
Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and the eighth in the European Union. The population of Hamburg is more than 1.8 million people. In addition, it is one of the largest port cities in Europe (and the richest by the way). The city retained a part of the medieval buildings: the town hall, the opera house, the cathedral of St. Nicholas and other attractions. In Hamburg there are more than 60 museums. The most interesting of them is a museum of eroticism. And in Hamburg there are more than 100 parks and a wonderful zoo “Hagenbek”.
Our next trip around 10 more “second” cities around the world will take place soon! Do not miss it!