Such is the hot competition in Europe, my next five cities all make splendid destinations for short breaks. We really are spoiled for choice!

25 Vilnius

Fairly low on my list, but still well worth a visit. Plenty of nice architecture on view and the usual mix of churches, [palaces, municipal buildings and cobbled streets. It’s just not quite as nice as the other Baltic capitals in my opinion. Makes a great winter weekend destination for a nice chilled vibe.

24 Madrid

My low ranking here is surprising maybe, but with so many finer cities in Spain in my opinion, the capital suffers in comparison.

Fantastic art galleries (amazingly I have visited three there), grand squares and fine architecture for sure, but Madrid has never grabbed me as much as Seville (in the top 5 cities in Europe for me probably), Valencia, Barcelona and a fair few others.

Madrid Royal Palace

Serbia’s largest city is great fun to visit. Trams zipping about, a brilliant castle overlooking two rivers (Sava & Danube), an unusual museum featuring captured UN artillery and a thriving cafe culture.

22 Yerevan

We arrived during their 23rd Independence Day celebrations in 2014, which was a great party. A pleasant city for strolling with its fountains and street cafes, but not much wow factor. Armenia as a whole has some wonderful sights with the majestic Mount Ararat visible for miles around.

Yerevan Train Station

You may never realise that the Polish capital was devastated in WWII as the centre has been totally rebuilt in the style of its former Middle Ages glory. Though I am not ordinarily a ‘museum person’, the siege museum telling the story of the Nazi siege and doomed resistance uprising is an enthralling experience.

Warsaw also has a great central park where a huge colony of red squirrels reside.

‘Old’ Town