What are your cities?

Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Lviv. Chani put it so well - I feel like the ambience suits me. Prague I've been to only once, the others a couple of times but I would go back to any of them at the drop of a hat. Actually, my husband and I are in the early stages of planning a trip this fall to Vienna and Lviv. And I'd love to go back to Barcelona.

Edinburgh, where I lived as a child, then went back to study there; Florence, and Paris.

London, Havana, Istanbul, Venice and The City By The Bay ( thank you Herb Caen)

London and Granada

For both places, it is the layers upon layers of history and multiple cultures that I love. Just walking around the corner and seeing something created a thousand years ago that's still in use is mind-blowing. And of course the great food!

London and Venice. We keep going back, and both now feel like “home”.

Quebec City and Edinburgh Scotland.
In USA: Chicago.

Paris, Florence, Budapest, Munich, Berlin, Zermatt (this was many years ago, not sure I would feel the same now).

EDIT: Since others are mentioning US cities, I would add San Francisco, New Orleans, Chicago, Minneapolis/St Paul, Duluth, Seattle, Santa Fe. In Canada: Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg.

Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order, I linked them to photos that I feel describes them:
Cordoba
Bilbao
Wroclaw
San Diego
Santiago de Chile
Rhodes
Kyoto

I am not sure I am ready to commit to listing cities. Seems natural areas claim my soul more than cities. But in countries, some cities (like secondary and hilly cities in Spain) 'fit' better than others. And then there are all those places I haven't been yet....

Ljubljana and Zagreb are big on our list.

This is hard to narrow it down:
Paris
Sighisoara
Prague
Venice
Budapest
Amsterdam
Bruges
Istanbul

North America: NYC, Montreal, New Orleans

Everywhere else: Cartagena, Kathmandu, Varanasi, Singapore

London, Madrid, Granada, Istanbul

San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC

London, Salzburg, Aviemore Scotland, Inverness, Oslo

Cordoba
Girona
Budapest
Noyers sur serein
Salzburg
Luzern
Honfleur
Locranon
Eguisheim
Paris
Lauterbrunnen

And I'm with you, Chani, If we are talking U.S., San Francisco plus New Orleans and Seattle.

Florence and London

There are plenty of places that I'm going back and forth on...but only 2 that I am 100% sure about, so I think those are really my only answers:

Granada
Rome

Two very different places. The only real thing in common is that they have very distinct personalities of their own, and they aren't too polished or perfect. There are cities/towns I've been to that are beautiful, neat, clean, very easy and charming. But these aren't the ones that stand out to me, I prefer a little more vibrancy (if that's the right word. Rome is a bit chaotic, Granada isn't. Granada can be gritty, most of Rome isn't really.)

So many wonderful places:
Paris, Rome, Venice (before the invasion), Siracusa, Marseille, Vienna, Bamberg, Munich, Bellinzona, Luzern, Trieste, Parma, Istanbul, Lisbon.

In North America:
New York, San Francisco, Portland - either one, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec.

Paris, Stockholm and Umeå. Boston...that's why I live here.

Excellent question!

Edinburgh
London
Rome

And then -

Anywhere in Costa Rica (EXCEPT San Jose which is the main arrival/departure city)

San Francisco

World-wide, not merely Europe, just happy being in these cities....Paris, Berlin, London, Vienna. Lüneburg, Weimar, Amien, San Antonio, New Orleans, Quebec City,

Paris.....just Paris itself..."C'est ça Paris" as the song from 1929 goes...atmosphere, what's offered, architecture, mood, food, on and on, likewise with Berlin, London and Vienna....love walking around, strolling around in London, Berlin, Paris and Vienna. ...therapeutic, relaxing, etc

Budapest is my most favorite city to just BE in--headed back in early May for my 5th visit in as many years, stopped taking a guide book (though I do take my map). I am half Hungarian so initially it was the draw of heritage, but increasingly I found myself longing to be there, exploring areas outside the tourist fray, usually where I'd spend the last few days of vacation to just relax. Anyone who has seen my posts about it knows that I am nutty about the storks on Margit sziget--my plane lands at 1 pm and by my calculations I can be sitting there with them by 4 pm. I can see myself feeling that way about London after a couple more trips--another city I would never tire of, even the most mundane explorations make me happy.

I'll add San Francisco, too--I was lucky enough to grow up on an island in the bay area, still live there, and had parents who took me there every weekend so it feels like home to me. Going there is always a treat--music, art, food, spectacular views, beautiful parks--and to be so close to all it has to offer is truly a blessing.

Venice
Varenna on Lake Como
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Aruba for the non Europe one

Leaving for my first trip to Paris tomorrow - Yippee!!!

You want to know what draws a person to fave cities, I think its that you can't exactly put your finger on what it is. It's like when you gasp and just say, wow! It's a vibe, a good feeling, a sense of uniqueness. Certainly there are things to do, but they are places that you feel that you want extra time to just breathe it in.

I think its that you can't exactly put your finger on what it is.

Jules, you are correct. I know there are places I've been that call to me and I really cannot put my finger on what it is. Sometimes you get somewhere and you just know. One of those places is where I am living now. 10 years ago, on a trip to Oregon with a friend, we drove through the Willamette Valley and stopped for a few hours in Corvallis to see some street art that my friend had learned about and have lunch. That's all it took for me to feel that this is where I would feel comfortable living. I can't say exactly why but it just felt right. 3-1/2 years later, after exploring several other places I was interested in, I picked up and moved here. I was a single female 67 years old and I didn't know a soul here but I came and here I am almost 7 years later and I love it as much as that first day.

Any village in the Bernese Oberland

Krakow

Budapest

Vienna

I love this topic! Mine are Edinburgh (which I could actually extend to anywhere in Scotland), Paris, and Split. There are so many other cities that I love, but like you mentioned, it's for what they offer. I am also going to echo what some others have already said. I don't know what exactly it is about these cities that draws me, I just get a feeling of contentment when I'm there. I've been to Edinburgh twice, and both times all of my plans immediately went out the window, because I just wanted to wander and soak it all in. As for Split, I've only been once but I was immediately so comfortable and in awe of my surroundings. There's history and natural beauty and good food and people watching and so much more. And then there's Paris, it's just so beautiful.

So far:
In Europe: Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, for the sights and for the overall feeling of the cities. I liked London, but it didn't affect me in the same way. In England and Scotland, I loved the countryside and smaller towns.

In North America: NYC, Boston, DC, Vancouver. And of course, the SF Bay Area.

I'm with Lola - 'MY' city is Venice - will be returning for the 5th time (since 2008) in Sept - I've pretty much seen everything, so I'm basically going because it's my fav place and it makes me happy. I love it most in the early morning and evening, so we have 4 nights there, but plan on visiting Padua and maybe Treviso while in that area.

The other is London - which is more my husband's city, but I still enjoy it. Except for once when we flew into Paris, we've always flown to and from Heathrow - because it's pretty much the only direct flight to Europe from our airport, and we can connect to anywhere. So we usually spend a few nights coming and/or going every trip - we have shops we enjoy, restaurants and bakeries we return to...but there always seems to be something new (last year we did Sky Garden) or things we've missed (7 trips and we still haven't been to the National Gallery or the Churchill War Rooms?! - fixing that this year). And just knowing the public transport - we feel like old pros now...lol.

Istanbul, Lisbon and Amsterdam are cities I have enjoyed visiting and would happily visit again. I love the energy, history and location of each one.

Interesting question. I'll stick to the top ones, it's an eclectic mix, there are more. I'm sure there are still more I have yet to visit. I hope to add more each year:

In Spain, Seville and Toledo.

In France, Antibes, Conques, Najac, Semur en Auxois, Strasbourg, Dinan, Vannes.

In Italy, Siena and Venice.

In Germany, Bonn and Wuertzburg.

In Austria, Salzburg.

In Scandinavia, Copenhagen and Stockholm.

In England, York and Bath.

In Scotland, Edinburgh.

In the US? I grew up in San Diego and, for a long time had withdrawals if I was away too long (not sure if it was the city or the ocean?). My favorite thing was knowing which beaches were isolated so you could spend hours alone in the late evening, in silence, listening to waves crash against the cliffs. I go back occasionally but it's not what it was, too crowded, too expensive, too much crime, different people than when it was a relatively small city. Today, being isolated at a beach at night means you're likely to be robbed and murdered. I'd only go back, to live, if I was offered a very lucrative position that was located there.

I'm surprised how much I like NYC. I avoided it for years but really like it now. I wouldn't choose to live there though.

First and foremost, London. I love the theatre, the walking, Sunday services, the pubs, my hotel to which I return at least annually, the Crypt cafeteria at St Martins in the Fields, and British TV.

Next comes Amsterdam.

Then there is a small town in Germany near Dortmund I love to visit as we have close friends who live there.

My list is not dissimilar tomothers: Venice (10 visits so far), Paris, London, Rome and many more smaller towns that get the nod for a return visit.

As I read through the the posts and contemplated Chani’s inspiration, it occurred to me how wonderful it is that we’ve been lucky enough to have had multiple visits to these places and how odd a first-time traveler might find these lists when they are in the throes of figuring out how to fit in sites and sights.

Oh what a lovely thread! Thank you so much, Chani, for starting it. Mine are (in no particular order; each sings a different song to my heart, when I am there):
Jerusalem
Volterra
Florence
Venice
Amsterdam
New Orleans (home!)

I posted early so missed Chani's edit of 'what draws you'?

I have been contemplating this and clearly a number of you have found your niche in certain cities and returned time and again. I seem to be one that has too long a list to return very often. But there are cities I am immediately more comfortable in than others and I have tried to decide whether it was something 'in the air' or just because of a smaller size, ease in navigation, or something was just simpler than the city you were in beforehand. I think that at times, the draw is also circumstances, wonderful memories and influences beyond the city itself......or maybe I am just trying to rationalize it given I am not convinced I have found 'my' cities.

I would go back to almost every place I've gone, but the cities I love the most are London, Paris, Rome and Vienna. I'm hoping to be able to share my love for these with a family member next winter over Christmastime. This will be a new season for us to explore them too, so it should be fun!

Fred - I didn't know the song, so I googled it (how did I ever find out anything before google?), and found this one with Maurice Chevalier singing Ça c'est Paris. As one of the comments reads: Paris sera toujours Paris.

I will add, with a nod to Maria, that my very favorite place in the world is Zion National Park in Utah. The only way I can describe it is that my soul is renewed every time I visit. On my second visit, I thought I would be disappointed, that it wouldn't be as beautiful and majestic and peaceful as I remembered. It was even better. 8-9 subsequent visits never disappointed, even one year on Thanksgiving weekend when the valley was packed to the gills with visitors, it was easy to find quiet places with heart-breakingly beautiful vistas.

@ Chani....That's one reason I don't always rely on google

Sorry, I didn't list the name of the song exactly correct. It's a "ça c'est Paris" by Mistinguett in 1929.

My first time in Zion I was sure I would return, it felt so right. Haven't done so yet, so you've reminded me.

@Chani I was just at Zion two weeks ago, for the first time, as part of a road trip across the American southwest. Really incredible, I even hiked a bit of the Narrows, there was still snow around too!

I also stopped by Canyonlands National Park, which was definitely less touristy, but for me was just as impressive, but in a different way than Zion. I especially enjoyed learning about the Pueblo Indians and seeing their intricate ruins, it reminded me a bit of the old Roman ruins one sometimes comes across in Spain.

I tend to love the smaller cities. I love Korcula in Croatia, Honfleur, Ljubljana and almost anywhere in Ireland. I enjoy being able to walk around and not be completely surrounded by human beings. I enjoy nature exploring the best and crave it. My favorite US National Park is Bryce Canyon in Utah. We have been to the National Park in Donegal and several of the National Parks in Croatia. All amazing.