The 23 coolest neighbourhoods in Europe, according to travel bloggers

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23. Poble Sec — Barcelona, Spain

23. Poble Sec — Barcelona, Spain

Two Spanish cities make it into the bloggers' ranking, including Poble Sec — which is also home to the National Catalonian Museum of Art. When you're finished exploring the local landmarks, Poble Sec is a great place to spend the day, and scored well on traveller value in the ranking.

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22. Cotroceni — Bucharest, Romania

 

Cotroceni is a peaceful district just west of Bucharest's city centre which is best known for its green spaces and student population. The area is not just a haven for independent businesses and quirky bars. It is also one of the country's most important neighbourhoods, and is where the President of Romania's official residence and National Museum are located. The bloggers gave Cotroceni a score of 9/10 for its cultural hotspots.

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21. Malasaña — Madrid, Spain

21. Malasaña — Madrid, Spain

Malasaña scored well in the ranking's culture category. It is also home to Madrid's Comillas Pontifical University. The area is famous for its links to Spanish rebellion, and is considered by locals to be the birthplace of La Movida Madrileña — a counter-culture movement that evolved after the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975.

Today, it is one of the most popular nightlife areas in the city, while the Madrid Street Art Project offers guided tours of the neighbourhood's historic graffiti.

20. Belleville and Ménilmontant — Paris, France

 

Belleville and Ménilmontant are located in Paris' north-eastern quarters. The area's cafés and bars are affordable, scoring 8/10 for value in the bloggers' ranking, but the area's most interesting landmarks are free to visit. The nearby Père Lachaise cemetery, for example, is the burial place of famous singers, writers, and artists, including Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf. 

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19. Savamala — Belgrade, Serbia

19. Savamala — Belgrade, Serbia

Over the last seven years, Savamala, behind Belgrade's Central Station, has been transformed from one of the city's most polluted and socially disadvantaged districts into a creative hub, thanks to the launch of KC Grad — an independent arts centre founded by local artist Ljudmila Stratimirovic. The neighbourhood is filled with creative venues like design centre Mikser House and gallery G12Hub

18. Amsterdam-Noord — Amsterdam, Netherlands

18. Amsterdam-Noord — Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam-Noord is situated north of the IJ lake, which separated it from the rest of the city. Here, boutique hotels are housed in refurbished warehouses and former youth prisons, and the area is also home to Amsterdam's oldest-running cinema — The Movies — which has entertained locals for more than 100 years.

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17. 7th District — Budapest, Hungary

17. 7th District — Budapest, Hungary

Budapest's 7th district — which was once home to the city's Jewish community — is famous for its ruin pubs. The bars are based in abandoned houses, cellars, and factory buildings, and are furnished with reclaimed and recycled objects, from chairs and tables to old cars. As well as offering cheap drinks, they can be a window into Budapest's history over the last century.

=15. Holesovice — Prague, Czech Republic

 

Holesovice performed well across all three categories, scoring 8/10 for culture and creativity, and 6/10 for value. Historically, it was the city's meatpacking district, but today, it is filled with modern bars and restaurants serving contemporary European cuisine. 

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=15. Mariahilf — Vienna, Austria

 

Mariahilf in Vienna makes it into the top 15 for its cultural and creative offerings. It is home to historic landmarks like the Theater An Der Wein — the national opera house where Ludwig van Beethoven once lived.

=13. Plagwitz — Leipzig, Germany

 

Two German neighbourhoods make it into the list, including Plagwitz to the south-west of central Leipzig. Plagwitz was actually a town in its own right until 1891, when it was incorporated into Leipzig. The district has a strong Portugese and Brazilian presence, and is known as a residential hub for the city's professional artists.  

One of Plagwitz's biggest cultural attractions is the Spinnerei — a disused cotton factory that now houses art galleries, exhibitions, and film screenings.

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=13. Uzupis — Vilnius, Lithuania

=13. Uzupis — Vilnius, Lithuania

Uzupis is largely located in Vilnius' old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, meaning the neighbourhood is brimming with interesting architecture and history. It is a self-proclaimed republic, and celebrates its annual Independence Day on April 1. It has its own president, a small army, four flags, and even its own constitution.

12. Nørrebro — Copenhagen, Denmark

12. Nørrebro — Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is one of Europe's most innovative cities when it comes to cycling, and there's nowhere better to ride a bike than Nørrebro. The award-winning Superkilen (pictured) — a public park in the heart of the neighbourhood — is filled with plants and artefacts from 60 countries around the world and contains its own cycle track. Unsurprisingly, Nørrebro scored 9/10 for creativity in the bloggers' ranking.

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11. Kalamaja — Tallinn, Estonia

 

Estonia may not be the first place that springs to mind when looking for a holiday in 2017, but it is filled with cultural landmarks, scoring 10/10 in the ranking's culture category. The once closed-off Soviet border zone is now home to some of Tallinn's most popular independent galleries, bars, and cafes.

=9. Exarchia — Athens, Greece

=9. Exarchia — Athens, Greece

Exarchia is famous as a home to Greek anarchists, and also has a large student population thanks to its proximity to the National Technical University of Athens. The bright, heavily-graffitied area hosts unique community projects, such as an abandoned parking lot which locals have turned into an allotment.

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=9. Sredets — Sofia, Bulgaria

=9. Sredets — Sofia, Bulgaria

Sredets performed well on traveller value, scoring 7/10 in the ranking and putting it into the travel bloggers' top 10 neighbourhoods. There's no shortage of things to see, as Sredets hosts Bulgaria's National Art Gallery, Natural History Museum, and National Theatre, as well as being home to Sofia University.

8. Grünerløkka — Oslo, Norway

 

Three Scandinavian districts make it into the top 10, including Grünerløkka in Oslo. Traditionally the working-class area of Norway's capital, today the area hosts a number of galleries, vintage stores, bars, and a flea market every Sunday.

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7. Pigneto — Rome, Italy

7. Pigneto — Rome, Italy

Rome may be home to some of the world's most popular tourist attractions, but Pigneto is a world away from the city centre. The neighbourhood performed well across all categories, scoring 9/10 for culture and creativity, and 8/10 for value. 

=5. Metelkova — Ljubljana, Slovenia

=5. Metelkova — Ljubljana, Slovenia

Located on the site of former military barracks, Metelkova is an autonomous social centre in the heart of Ljubljana, and is one of the largest urban squats in Europe. Founded in 1993, the area hosts around 1,500 cultural events each year.

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=5. Södermalm — Stockholm, Sweden

=5. Södermalm — Stockholm, Sweden

Södermalm is based on an island in the centre of Stockholm, and is one of the best places to see the city's skyline.

4. Praga — Warsaw, Poland

4. Praga — Warsaw, Poland

Praga used to be one of the most dangerous parts of Warsaw, and even gained the nickname "The Bermuda Triangle" with locals. Today, though, it is a meeting place for the city's artists and overflowing with artistic studios and galleries, alternative theatres, and underground clubs.

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3. Ancoats — Manchester, UK

 

Goffman and Ray claim that Ancoats in Manchester is Britain's newest must-see neighbourhood. Ancoats became one of the UK's most important industrial districts in the 18th century, but is now a hotspot for independent businesses.

2. Miera Iela — Riga, Latvia

2. Miera Iela — Riga, Latvia

Miera Iela is another neighbourhood which proudly proclaims independence from its host city. The Republic of Miera Iela is an official body which runs an annual festival in the area, and can even apply for government funding.

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1. Kreuzberg — Berlin, Germany

1. Kreuzberg — Berlin, Germany

Kreuzberg is Europe's coolest neighbourhood, according to the bloggers. It scored 10/10 in the ranking's cultural category, and it's not hard to see why. The area is home to Checkpoint Charlie — a crossing point of the Berlin Wall and one of the most important landmarks in Soviet history. 

The area and its bohemian residents have been made famous in the music industry, and bands from Bloc Party to Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly have referenced the district in their music.