Continuing my personal countdown of my favourite European capitals……..

30 Tirana

Albania’s capital should maybe ranked higher by me purely because it is in Albania.

However, objectively speaking there is not a great deal to do there. Skanderbeg Square, dedicated to their national warrior hero, is the interesting hub and home to an excellent museum of Albanian history,a clocktower  and the main mosque.

Skanderbeg’s ruined castle in the hills on the outskirts is also fun to visit.

29 Oslo 

Now this may well be an unfair rating. I have been twice but the last time was in 1992 and both visits were pretty brief. However, I cannot remember anything too remarkable apart from the amazing fjord setting. I will go again one day and may well upgrade the city’s position.

Norway as a whole would definitely be in my top ten European countries and probably number one for natural wonder. If Bergen were capital this would also rank far higher.

28 Nicosia 

I have only spent a few hours on the Greek side in 2001 and my fondest memory was in breaking the law by photographing A cypriot sentry post displaying the Greek & Cypriot flags with the Turkish flag flying above the minarets of a mosque the other side of the green line.

A good restaurant and cafe culture, but I can’t remember too much to write home about.

27 Zagreb 

There are some very nice squares, some wonderful old buildings and a brilliant cafe lined pedestrian street. The city is pleasant enough, but that is as far as I would go. Croatia is blessed with the likes of Dubrovnik & Split on the Adriatic Coast, so there is plenty to shout about there.

26 Minsk 

Josef Stalin lavished a fortune on the Belarus capital as a thank you for its heroic role in WWII. The result is wide boulevards and pleasant squares. The purpose built circus building is a must visit and the opera house as grand as any. I may have marked the place down as spending four days there was a tad too long. Well worth a visit.

Minsk Circus Building