The Portuguese capital Lisbon has been chosen the most affordable city in Europe for a quick break this year, according to an annual survey carried out by ABTA, a leading association of travel agents and tour operators.
The annual travel survey also revealed that Vilnius, Lithuania, Krakow in Poland and Athens, Greece, were ranked second, third and fourth, respectively, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
This analysis, which has been carried out across 35 European cities, is based on money spent on 12 tourist activities, including sightseeing trips, a two-night stay at any three-star property, a dinner for two with wine, and transport within the city.
With a winning bid of £225 (INR 23,095), Lisbon, the pedestrian’s paradise, took home the prestigious title. In this regard, the survey provided by ABTA has examined some of the most popular tourist attractions in Lisbon to visit, as follows.
- Saint George’s Castle is one of the major highlights in Lisbon. Set atop a hill, this historic castle plays a significant role in Lisbon’s history, having been a fortress for Phoenicians, Romans, and others.
- Belem Tower: Recognised for its stunning architectural design, Belem Tower stands as a significant landmark in Lisbon. UNESCO has further recognised its importance by designating it as a World Heritage site.
- Jeronimos Monastery: This is another must-visit location in Lisbon. The Jeronimos Monastery, with its vast and beautiful garden at its heart, attracts numerous visitors every day.
- Lisbon’s Oceanarium is also known as the main destination to visit at night as it houses aquatics from all over the world. It is also the largest indoor aquarium in Europe.
- The National Museum of Ancient Art is another well-known place in Lisbon. For all art enthusiasts, it is a wonderful place to visit, considering that they can see more than 40,000 works of art from all over the world.
Moreover, last year’s prices in Lisbon only witnessed a slight increase of two per cent. This means that it is apparently a smaller increase compared to the ones some cities experienced. It came out ahead of Vilnius by a very small margin while surpassing all the cities of Eastern Europe. In addition, last year, Athens ranked first, and this year it came in fourth place.
As for the most expensive European countries for this year, have been listed Amsterdam (Netherlands), Venice (Italy), Paris (France), Dublin (Ireland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).