Cities to visit in both Summer and Winter!

Paris is a bit like London in so much as it has a temperate climate and therefore doesn't get much snow. The cities in Central Europe or those at altitude will offer the greatest weather contrast between seasons, so Switzerland, Prague etc if you want snow.

You asked about cities, but the greatest contrast will be in rural areas, with most trees and plants being dormant over the winter. The ski areas are alpine meadows in the summer.

Most European cities these days such as Berlin have Christmas markets in December. I went to Venice for a week in January and it wasn't much different, other than there were far fewer crowds. The daylight hours are shorter and it's colder, which is why fewer travel in winter. Also, less risk of travel disruption due to weather.

Paris - any time. BTW snow is rare.
London - any time.

I usually avoid the summer in Europe because I don't do well in the heat. At least here at home I'm mostly indoors with AC, not running around sightseeing under the sun. Shoulder season is good most places.

In winter, the Christmas markets are worth the cold and snow. Southern destinations are great - hardly any crowds, mild, often sunny weather in Spain and Italy, for example. Carnevale in Venice is special.

I'm thinking Alpine locations, hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

Also German cities, summer festivals and winter Christmas markets.

Some cities have plenty of indoor sights so the weather doesn't matter but I still think the lack of daylight hours makes northern locations uninviting in winter.

Like Chani, I'm more of a May and September traveler rather than summer or winter. I like the smaller crowds and better prices in shoulder season. The exceptions, for me so far, inlcude the Baltic (really need to be there in high summer months) and southern locations (where May and September can still be too warm).

I'll define "Winter" as Nov-Mar for purposes of my answer, and then there is "nice weather" which some call shoulder season (Apr-mid-June and Sept-Oct). The only place we will go in the height of summer it the Dolomites. So with that basis of understanding:

• Paris, of course
• Rome, ditto
• Florence -- gorge on museums in winter, enjoy the countryside more in nice weather
• Venice, but only in Oct-Mar (too busy with cruise ships and tours the rest of the year)
• The Val Gardena in Italy is lovely winter and high summer. Avoid in shoulder season as much shuts down. We go every year now in July, but also loved it for Christmas.
• The Berner-Oberland in snow as well as in July-Sept. We've had a great winter trip there we want to repeat some time, and two fabulous fall trips. So much fun to see the contrasts.

EDIT: Add London! We've been in Dec, Mar and Apr.

We lived in Germany for four years and loved the country, but disliked the long winters. The Christmas Markets are special in Germany and worth a trip in winter. However, unless you are from Canada or the northern USA, the cold weather in most of Europe in winter puts a real chill on serious site seeing.

The Med is not as bad and if you go there in March, it is not so cold. Spain, Italy and Greece are good then.

Unless you go to ski, which is another matter.

It gets dark at 4:30pm late December in Germany. Sure, you can visit the key sites, but to enjoy a stroll down the Champs be sure you bring your overcoat, hat and gloves.

Better to visit Europe in April, May, September, October.

What about Alpine places, like Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria, I am not a skiier so putting that aside, would it not be better to visit the mountainous regions in the shoulder or summer to go up there and have blue skies but still have snow on the ground? are any places like this?

Does the same go for Scandi regions like Norway etc. i assume there are wonderful nature sights and destinations that would be great to see without the cold of winter

In the mountains, shoulder season is not necessarily a good time. First, weather's unpredictable. One year, winter weather can go well into spring, while the next year there can be early thaws. Summer is a very popular time, so the locals use spring/fall for maintenance and switching over. In the summer, hiking is very popular, but in spring, trails are often too snowy or too muddy to hike. The higher mountains have snow all year round (like New Zealand).

Surprisingly, there is well-developed tourism in the far north in winter. Last year 2 of my friends went (separately) on tours to Lapland - sledding, snowmobiling, and with the hope of seeing the northern lights.

What about Alpine places, like Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria, I am not a skiier so putting that aside, would it not be better to visit the mountainous regions in the shoulder or summer to go up there and have blue skies but still have snow on the ground? are any places like this?

Yes, as I mentioned above: the Val Gardena in the Dolomites, the Berner-Oberland in Switzerland....

I too think the German and Austrian cities are beautiful to visit in late November-December for their special decorations and Christmas markets. Also, any large cities with major museums and music venues are good for a winter visit.

One city I really appreciated seeing in the winter, having previously been there in summer, was Amsterdam. I loved being able to see the architectural detail on the canal houses once the leaves had fallen from the huge trees that offer such wonderful shade in the summer.

Alpine trails can easily be closed into June. If you really want to enjoy hiking, I'd go mid-July until very early September. Weather changes quickly in the mountains, so you have to be prepared for cold and wet even then.

I would discount places like London and Paris, Spain and Italy, where the temperature difference really is the only difference from season to season. In Paris you will head to a museum in summer to escape the heat, just as you will in winter to escape the cold. I think you really need to look at cities in Scandinavia (Stockholm), central Europe (Prague), or close to The Alps (Munich).