Capitals in Europe
Douglas is the capital of Isle of Man and by far the largest town. It's set along a sweeping bay and has the feel of a traditional UK seaside resort with a beautiful promenade, which runs along the 3 kilometers long sandy beach. Many of the waterfront townhouses has been turned into boutique B&B and there are plenty of restaurants. Since Douglas is the transport hub of the island with bus (and train) connections to every corner, most visitors base themselves here.
The capital of Jersey isn't a big town, but big enough for some pubs, banks, investment companies and lots of pizzerias. It's doesn't have the cuteness of its little sister Saint Peter Port on Guernsey and locals easily outnumbers the tourists. But the marina, along with the old town, is nice to explore on foot. If it's not so important with beach view, Saint Helier makes a great base for exploring Jersey. The bus system is extended and all the buses leaves from the central bus station.
Pristina's appeal is not so much in its sights (for there hardly are any) than it is its very existence. Kosovo was fighting for independence from Serbia for a long time, but it only gained it as recently as 2008. Serbia still does not recognize Kosovo, which makes border-crossing between those two a bit awkward. The city of Pristina has been serving as a base for peacekeeping forces for a long time, giving the worn down city a boost of after-war prosperity. This means the cafe and bar scene is superb and nightlife even better, while the rest is a bit behind.
What Riga doesn't have in prettiness, it gains with edge and character. The Old Town certainly has its graceful moments and the Art Nouveau District is wonderful histrionic, but nothing is done up to make tourists happy - they're all genuine parts of Riga which the Latvians use as much as any other neighbourhood. The Russian neighbourhood around the wonderful Central Market and bus station has its fair share of Stalinist architecture and ruthless attitude, you would think died out with the Soviet-era. But it's such things which make Riga such a fascinating city.
The castle for the Prince of Liechtenstein is perched on a mountainside overlooking the Swiss alps. Very symbolic, it's raised above the valley where Vaduz stretch out. The capital is just a few hundred meters wide, but several kilometers long. There are just a few fine and traditional buildings, the rest is a bland mess of squary boxes and concrete houses which finest quality is that they can withstand lots of snow. There is a fine walk up to the castle, which offer splendid views over Vaduz and across the River Rhine to Switzerland. However, Vaduz is the not reason to come to Liechtenstein, the mountains are.
While Tallinn has a pretty Nordic feel and Riga is a worn mix of Soviet blandness and ancient elegance, Vilnius has a more central European atmosphere. Less Soviet concrete and more enchanting plazas with grand churches connected with a maze of cobbled, narrow alleys, which of course is UNESCO enlisted. However, Vilnius does have its fair share of quirky sights, like the Frank Zappa monument (the man never went to Lithuania) and Užupis, an artist enclave with their own silly declaration of independence. The amount of local pubs and bars will make any beer drinking and potato/meat eating visitor happy and the locals - whereof a large portion are gorgeous women - are friendly. So there isn't that much to dislike about Vilnius.
Most visitors have no idea what to expect from Luxembourg City, for it's reputation isn't up there with other European capitals. But the old quarter with cobbled streets, cathedral, royal palace, and spectacular fortifications is enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage. Along the course of the 17th-century city ramparts runs the Chemin de la Corniche, a pedestrian promenade with magnificent views over the lower lying quarter of Grund, the Bock Casemates (a rock outcrop with a cave and tunnel system), and other ancient city walls. Further across the Alzette valley, perched on a plateau, rise the business district of Kirchberg, which has become a showcase of modern architecture with the Philharmonie, Museum of Modern Art, and European Investment Bank as the masterpieces.
With a whopping population of 6,098, the UNESCO listed capital of Malta can hardly be called a metropolis. But the city of Valletta most definitely proves that "good things come in small packages". Dating back some 500 years or so, the historic city has been (and continues to be) heavily restored. But both planning and execution of the refurbishments have been well done. While the main street can seem a little Disney-fied, the beauty of the endless side alleyways and magnificent churches are mesmerizing. Being the transport hub for the island's comprehensive bus network, the village-capital is unavoidable. Which is most certainly for the best as it is arguably the highlight of the island.
The capital of Moldova is surprisingly nice and welcoming. There is not much to see in terms of grand sights, but the compact centre has some nice parks, a few impressive buildings, and a decent amount of Eastern-Bloc concrete to fulfill the expectations of a forgotten capital in a forgotten country. The main boulevard is a long row of money exchange bureaus, gambling halls and fancy shops for those who can afford to drive the Mercedes and BMWs that tyrannise the traffic. The area around the central market is good for local eateries and browsing the random selection of street vendors (looking for track pants or high heels?). There is of course a thriving nightlife, ranging from student drinking joints and live venues to über-fancy clubs. So most travellers won't have any trouble keeping themselves busy for a few days in Chișinău (which is by the way pronounced ki-shi-now).
Tiraspol is, besides being the second biggest city in Moldova, the capital of the unrecognized republic of Transdniestr. It is a true ex-soviet city with a wide main boulevard, Strada 25 Octombrie, vacuumed for traffic, but lined with odd military monuments and crowned with a fine Lenin statue. There are hardly any restaurants or shops in town, so shopping can be a difficult task unless you are looking for a bottle of Kvint, the quasi-famous local Transdniestran cognac. There is a small market in classic Eastern-Bloc style behind the main square on Strada Karl Marx, but otherwise the main attraction is just to walk around and soak up the strange Soviet-era atmosphere.