Europe’s top city breaks for 2023 revealed — which destinations came out on top?

Krakow was praised for its architecture and value for money (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If you want a city break that has plenty to do but won’t break the bank, Krakow and Valencia are officially the destinations to try.

Consumer champion Which? recently surveyed 1,637 of its panel members to find out the places British holidaymakers loved most, with the charming Polish hotspot and the Spanish coastal hub sharing the crown.

Each location was rated on factors like food and drink, accommodation, cultural sights and attractions, shopping, ease of getting around, lack of crowds and value for money, with a final score calculated on overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend.

Krakow won with an impressive 92%, marking the fourth time it’s come top of the annual report.

It beat the likes of Paris, Barcelona and Berlin, known as some of Europe’s most famous holiday hotspots.

The Polish city earned full marks for cultural attractions, which include Wawel Castle, St Mary’s Basilica, and the Wieliczka Salt Mines. The architecture here – ranging from Medieval to Gothic – is stunning, and Krakow’s Old Town has been marked a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Its food and drink was also rated faultlessly, while it earned four stars in terms of value for money (a hotel room here costs roughly £65-a-night), ranking in the top three locations.

Travellers loved Valencia’s beaches and cultural attractions (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Valencia – which also topped Which?’s ranking of top European coastal destinations – came in tied with Krakow, with five stars for attractions and food and drink alongside a four-star rating for accommodation and value for money thanks to the average nightly hotel room cost of £113.

This Spanish city is famous for its paella, with cultural hubs like the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Museo de Historia de Valencia as well as blue-flag beaches aplenty meaning there’s something for everyone.

In third was Stockholm with a total of 91%, followed by Berlin (89%), Madeira’s capital Funchal (89%), Seville (89%), Barcelona (87%) and Bordeaux (87%).

Stockholm came in third with 91% (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Croatian city of Split scored worst in the poll, garnering just 72% approval, although travellers praised it as a ‘vibrant city, full of history’, while Milan and Brussels were just ahead, tied with 73%.

The Belgian capital lost marks due to ‘overpriced and poor quality’ restaurants and lack of cultural sights, similar to Milan which scored two stars for value for money and three stars for ease of getting around, cultural sites, and accommodation.

Surprisingly given its status, Paris ranked low down in the table, earning a 79% rating in joint 12th place with Athens. Other seemingly-popular locations like Geneva, Hamburg, Istanbul, Monte Carlo and Naples failed to make the list as they did not have enough responses.

Commenting on the findings, Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘The weak pound has made holidays to most European countries more expensive, but our survey shows that looking beyond the most famous destinations for your next break pays off.

‘These top-rated destinations all have something unique to offer.’

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The destinations shared top spot in the Which? poll.