This topic is inspired by Ed's thread where he says the Eiffel Tower by day is overrated and it should be seen at night. I started thinking--what other European sights really are best after dark? (Subject to your own personal definition of 'best' of course!)
For me, Trevi Fountain in Rome is much more interesting and impressive when lit up at night than during the day. I also find the Pantheon to be a bit more mystical when dark.
Ha ha, everything not so great, not so nice, not so clean looks better at night than at day when the illumination only shows what you're supposed to see and darkness hides all the rest ;-)... That's why if your first date was at night your second one should be during the day ;-)... A real beauty (we're talking about sights here) is as spectacular during day as at night...
Better by dark...
Walking the streets of Rothenburg
Biergaarden in Munich (which means, of course, you've been there all afternoon and now it is way after dark...)
Long train rides.... (meaning I'm not using up a day getting from A to B... )
The Alhambra. Especially during a freezing night snow storm.
Beautiful.
But NOT recommended to do it like we did - trying to sleep in our sub-compact car across from it because all the available rooms in Granada were booked for a festival.
YES!!! Love this topic!!!
Vienna's Ring Strasse. All the lovely building lit up and sparkling. Especially in winter when you can then go to the Chriskindle Market.
Grotte du Pech Merle, Cabrerets, France and..................................................... that skinny girl at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, in the spring of '68.
Edinburgh is beautiful anytime, but it's especially magical to walk along Princes Street looking up at the castle at night, especially if it's a little foggy.
Paris: Pont Neuf looks better in the dark. Pont Alexandre III is gilded, so it looks even more magnificent at night.
Place de la Concorde is perfect just before sunset.
Mont Saint Michel anytime but especially so when lit up at night.
Best part about nights is the lack of other tourists and the likely hood of actually meeting a local to chat with. As well, the views can be stunning when out of the context of the day.
My thoughts on places I have been...
Rothenberg was 10 times better at night. No one was there and we sat on the steps at the main square and listened to a local band jam out in English and German was fantastic, one of the best memories of the trip. Also learned of the disdain some of the local cultural troupe kids have towards the Night Watchman. :)
Prague at night is beautiful. Especially the St. Charles Bridge looking over the New Town. St. Wencelas Square has many times more character at night.
Walking the back alleys of Venice was stunning at night. (the only part of that part of the city I enjoyed)
Sitting on the pier in Vernazza by the wall at 2AM with a bottle of wine and the moon over the sea was beautiful.
This is bringing back lovely memories....
The summer we took our daughter to Austria for the first time... she was studying violin at school. We lucked up and were in Salzburg for the opening of festival. After supper we walked around and were looking at the Hoensalzburg lite up so beautifully. We heard lovely music and followed the sound. The Chekoslovackian (sp???) national orchestra was giving a free concert on the plaza in the center of old town. We sat on the banks of the river and took in the sites and the sounds.....
I took a sunset and evening cruise on the Danube in Budapest last summer. Beautiful.
I liked Brussels at night, but that was a few years ago.
London is very busy and exciting at night.
But Paris along the Champs Elysees can't be beat.
Not just the Champs Elysees at night, but at night during the holiday season. Absolutely magical...
Actually Paris in general at night is beautiful. It is not called the city of lights for nothing!
I agree, the Trevi Fountain is much more awe-inspiring at night.
I also think Venice is much better in the evening than during the daytime, primarily because it's not crowded. Conversely, Duomo San Marco is amazing when it's fully lit up inside and not so much when it's dim.
Salzburg's old town center skyline is also one of the most beautiful sights I've seen when it's lit up in the evening. For best viewing walk along the river toward the Augustiner brewery, cross one of the walking bridges to about the center and look back - awesome.
The castle at Heidelberg,Germany, especially if viewed from down on the city square during a light snow.
