What's the most social country/city in Europe?

Question

If I was going to go on a vacation to a place where instead of sightseeing, I wanted to go peopleseeing and socializing, where would be the best place to go?

I've heard the Mediterranean is nice, but I was curious about Central Europe (Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia) and Scandinavia (especially Finland).

My dream vacation would be to see some interesting architecture (just different looking stuff), and make a few friends (men and women) I can keep in contact with when I leave. I am also an American, and from what I understand (what my grandma told me) being American can cause some issues in places like Russia Belarus, and Ukraine. Then again, my grandma is Finnish, so she is a little apprehensive towards the former Soviet nations.

Answer 1

Balkan countries for sure, people are warm, hospitable, nice, temperamental, have fun and enjoy life. don't go only after money...I would recomend you to visit Ohrid, Macedonia

During the day you can go on any of the many beautiful beaches by the shore of the lake, do some shoping, sightseeing in the city or just sit in one of the many cafés in any of the narrow streets in the Old Town and enjoy. For all the young people, the nightlife is great and vibrant. The cafes work late at night, but there’re also so many nightclubs where you can carry on from there.

For sightseeing, there’re enormous many old churches, my favourite ones are Plaoshnik, more than 15 centuries old, St. Jovan Caneo, St. Naum… If you climb on the Samuil Fortress, just 5 min from the centre, you get amazing sight on the whole lake.

The Lake is clean, one of the oldest ones in Europe, from 1980 protected by UNESCO as a place of world cultural and natural inheritance. Most of the lake’s plant and animal species are endemic, which also makes Ohrid unique. The most famous among these are two types of Ohrid Trout. You should try them prepared on the traditional way. Mmmmm…

Ohrid is also known as the site of the first Slavic university run by St. Clement and St. Naum at the end of the 9th century. Ohrid, also, used to be the centre of the orthodox Christianity in the whole region. There’s so much history there…

And DO NOT miss a boat trip on the lake, especially at night, believe me one of a kind experience!!

I must not forget to mention the hospitability of the people there.

In the last few years Ohrid is soooo popular among foreign tourists, especially Greeks, Dutchmen, Bulgarians, Serbians, Russians etc. (I even saw chinese ppl this year! wow!!) So, check it out!!!

p.s. Did I say it's cheap?!!! ;o)

www.exploringmacedonia.com

Answer 2

People in the south of Europe are more outgoing than in the North or centre. If you go youth hostelling you will meet lots of other people on the way. You can't really beat Italy for people and culture.

Scandinavians are kind of reserved and don't warm easily to people. Helsinki is beautiful though. If you have the Finnish family connection that will make it more interesting. Almost everyone speaks English in Finland.

You don't specify what kind of architecture you're interested in, but you can't really go wrong in Vienna, Prague or Budapest. Prague is just great for everything. If you go to Vienna, Budapest is just a couple of hours down the train line.

Berlin is cheap and the people are surprisingly friendly (not like the stereotype of the uptight German). It's also got loads of new and old buildings and of course interesting history.

You could also go to St. Petersburg, though I haven't been there. Great architecture and history, though I'm told the people aren't very friendly.

I don't think you'll run into anti-Americanism unless you do something really stupid. People in Europe are able to distinguish between American people, and the current administration which they may not agree with.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

The answer is 'all over Europe'.
The deciding factor will be your own behavior or attitude.
If you are out-going, friendly and willing to talk with anyone you will make friends wherever you go.
But you must make an efford.

There are places it is even easier, as the people coming there are more open, on average.
If you travel by train you can easily start talking with people, but mostly, when you need to leave the train you will not have made a friend for life.
Hostels have people from all over the world in them, and mostly you can really meet them, but you will have to work with following-up e-mails and so, before you can say they really are your friends.
If you are invited to visit someone at home, do so, as that is the way friendship grows.

The best way is to go to a place where more people with your interests or hobbies go, think about international scouting camps, summercamps dedicated to one hobby or sport or church organized meeting.
These do not run year round, normally, but if you are into scouting, you can phone or e-mail with a scout leader in the town/country you plan to travel and will be welcome in at least one local groups meeting.
The same goes for when you have a rare hobby, if your hobby has an international organisation, contact them and see if there are meetings or members where you travel too, I think about things like the International Guild of Knot Tyers ( http://www.igkt.net/index.php ), the European Ships-In-Bottles Association ( http://www.artful-uk.supanet.com/ ) or a kite flyers organisation, ( http://www.aka.kite.org/ ) and there are many more.

If you are into Christian organized meetings, you will know who to contact, but if you do not, a good place to meet others interested in religion, without it being over the top, is Taizé, France, ( http://www.taize.fr/ ) which I have found the best place to meet others, but you need to be willing to talk about church, christianity and how you think about that for half the time in the week you are there.

In western Europe people speak better English, on average, in eastern Europe tourists are rarer so you will be more of an unique thing.
If you restrict yourself to meeting young people, you have less communication problems but also less change to meet people.
If you go in summer (spring or fall in the south) you can just sit down with the old people of a village and communicate with hands, feet and a dictionary, or find families or groups of young people in a park and start talking with them, asking for directions often is an opener, but do not ask them for today, as some people will go out of their way to get you there, or ask for what to do the next day.

I stop now, I think I can go on for an other 2 pages. Have fun while you travel.

Answer 4

Slovenia is fantastically unknown yet very captivating. It has an somewhat captivating geographical area and severe-high quality little villages. Ljubljana, Bled and the caves are touristy yet nevertheless no longer as much as different places around Europe. Couchsurfing is a large place to journey existence over there. persons are very friendly so i think of you does not have any issues. I did couchsurfing whilst i replaced into there and met human beings i visit be pals with for something of my existence. different large thank you to journey their existence kind is to stay at considered one of countless vacationer farms. basically approximately each Slovene speaks very reliable English, older human beings communicate German so language is basically no longer a issue. it would be terrific in case you will desire to hire a automobile, or in step with probability you will desire to cycle around the rustic. that's the terrific thank you to be certain the captivating geographical area. do no longer omit Emerald river experience (it costs sixty 5€ for an afternoon in spite of the undeniable fact that that's astounding, do some trekking in case you like (basically approximately all Slovenes hike in summer as a results of fact that they have astounding mountains and hills), flow to a pageant (Lent in Maribor is extremely consumer-friendly, additionally Pivo in Cvetje (beer pageant) is extremely severe-high quality, Rock Otocec in case you like rock track and diving into airborne dirt and dust). considered one of my generic places no longer basically in Slovenia yet normally is Logar valley (Logarska dolina). that is between the main captivating valleys on the international yet not often visited by using foreigners. countless couchsurfing persons are keen to take you on journeys around their liked united states of america, yet ask first. do no longer forget to fulfill a organic Slovene and ask him to take you to a common Slovene social gathering.

Answer 5

you should know Romania is in Central Europe and has a lot of interesting places, and Bucharest was once called Little Paris and that says it all.
ps:Estonia is not in Center Europe. ;)

Answer 6

I have only visited France,Spain,Italy, and England. I did alot of peopleseeing and socializing in London and Paris.

Answer 7

Romania...people are very nice , friendly and helpful...
Try to see the countryside where the traditions are alive...it's so nice...