Urban places in Europe

Frederiksberg Park was the royal garden for the Danish king Frederik IV's (1671-1730) summer residence, Frederikbergs Palace. The park was redesigned by king Frederik VI (1768-1839) during the 19th century in fashion with the English landscape garden style of the time. The King also added a Chinese pavilion which was mostly used for the king's sexual escapades. The pavilion still stands today, though not much action is going on these days. The park is open to the public and is a favourite place for sunbathing, picnics and wedding photo sessions. The trail system is lovely for strolling and running, and it is possible to have a peek at the elephants who live next door at Copenhagen Zoo.

The Istedgade area is Copenhagen's red light district. Though it used to be a lot rougher, the part closest to the main train station is still seedy with plenty of porn shops, drug addicts, and prostitutes. However, the other end near Enghave Plads has transformed into a hip neighbourhood with cocktail bars, indy fashion shops, and gourmet burger joints. It's a real vibrant area, day and night, and is surprisingly safe to stroll through – just stay clear of the hookers and drunks (some pickpockets pretend to be drunks).

Throughout Estonia it's still possible to see some of the 'fine' architecture from the Soviet times. Entire towns like Paldiski were off limits for the public since they functioned as Soviet naval base, or similar. Residence with special permission were housed in those dreadful concrete barracks which later have become so iconic for the Soviet times. It feels like time-travelling to wander through these grim ghettos still in use today. There is just something fascinating about them.

The first stop on any Moscow itinerary should of course be the Red Square. It is a long stretch of cobblestones squeezed in between some the most iconic buildings in town; the Kremlin, Saint Basil's Cathedral with its easy recognizable onion domes, the posh shopping arcade of GUM, and the boxy mausoleum of Lenin. It is a strange mix of grand old architecture, Soviet granite and tourist kitsch. The streets that lead to the Red Square are lined with fancy shops and cozy cafes. Don't limit your visit to the Red Square to only daylight hours, but show up during dusk and see the real magic light up.

A small arty park packed with contemporary sculptures mixed with old Soviet statues and relics. You can meet a long line of famous Russians like Stalin, Lenin and Brezhnev and some odd non-Russians like Albert Einstein. It is a funky place to chill out and rest those tired legs. Right outside the park, the giant 94-meters tall nautical statue of Peter the Great rises into the sky.

On two islands in the Dnieper river, overlooking the Lavras (caves monastery), is Hydropark. It is an open-air playground including a fairground with bouncy castle and everything. Other odd options for entertainment are the bodybuilding gym with machines built from scrap metal, the sea of table tennis tables, and dance floor under shady trees. There are beer and shawarma stalls everywhere, fueling all the merry visitors. In summertime the river banks are enterprisingly turned into city beaches, which on sunny days can become ridiculously crowded with big babushkas in flower-printed swimming suits, vodka drinking macho men in speedos, and of course long-legged girls in skimpy bikinis - this is first class people-watching area.

Canary Wharf is London's second business district alongside the traditional City of London. Here skyscrapers shoot pompously into the air and create an island of reflecting glass and shinny metal with an endless maze of underground malls. The fancy street level cafes along the waterfront lie empty until beer-a-clock, when tie'n'suit dressed business men and women flock to celebrate another upswing in the market. However, the real dealmakers never leave their office, so during nighttime Canary Wharf is beautifully lit up.
You can follow the Thames Path from the city centre to Canary Wharf - an enchanting walk along the riverfront and through some marvelous parts of London.

Free ranging cows, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, ponies - yes, even llamas, City Farm at Mudchute Park is not your usual London Park. It feels like a happy hippie attempt to bring country life to the otherwise drab East London. In addition to the farm animals, there is also a big patch of green with grassy hills and farmland, a nice contrast to the backdrop of towering high-rises of Canary Wharf.