What Are Your Favorite Cities for Architecture?

[CarolineC]

Where in the world do you find amazing architecture? Do you like ruins in Rome, Art Nouveau cathedrals in Barcelona or Victorian houses in San Francisco? Post your favorite cities for architecture!

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[Metravellongtime]

I love the architecture of Philadelphia. The city has everything from four-story Victorian row homes to Greek Revival buildings with stately columns to Art Deco skyscrapers. My favorite buildings are the older, 17th-century Georgian houses and estates -- they're a historic window into the past (and they're beautiful, too).

[soliteyah]

Ooh, Barcelona, definitely! I've never seen anything like Gaudi's work. The first time I saw the facade of the Sagrada Familia, I said something like "holy crap" out loud. (I was a solo traveler at the time -- anyone standing near me probably thought I was a freak. )

Other cities that come to mind for one reason or another:

Boston for colonial buildings
Edinburgh for its gorgeous medieval Old Town section
Brussels for its pretty Art Nouveau section of town
New Orleans for its French Quarter

[Teacher Lady]

When in Chicago, take at least one tour by the Architecture Foundation! It's a quick, efficient way to see the most architecture in the shortest time, with guides who are super-knowledgeable. On some tours, you'll get into spaces not accessible to the general public. (No, I'm not from Chicago...I learned this the hard way--on my 3rd trip!)

[jocap]

Where to start? Barcelona must be near the top, ranging from the past up to the quirky future. Same with many German towns, or other places bombed in the war.
If you walk round London, you'll begin with the Romans, and reach the future with buildings like the Gherkin....
Above all- Venice, although there's no modern architecture to speak of, but there's enough of Renaissance to keep you drooling!
Paris, Rome, Prague- I could go on!
The perfect Georgian town is Bath, but even my tiny local town of Whitehaven has a grid system of Georgian houses and shops.
Wherever you go, look up....the popular shops may well be part of a fantastic building, adapted over the generations.
Jo.
Santiago de Compostella, North Spain.

[soliteyah]

WOW, that church looks amazing, jocap! I really do need to get back to Spain one of these days.

[jocap]

I've been to Spain SO many times, because Northern Europeans use it for holidays as in the USA you'll use Florida, etc....babies are bought passports as a Christening gift!!
But Northern Spain is something completely different....green, wild and rugged. The heritage site of Compostella is at the end of the long pilgrim's trail through France...and is just as popular as it ever was. People fly from all over the world to walk it- the day we were there, we passed hundreds.
If you ever wanted to do a cheap-ish trip, you can catch a ferry from the UK, then a train.
Jo.

[hollyhamine]

Cities which my favourite for architecture :
Mexico
Jersey
New York
Amsterdam in Europe
London

[ronbuckles]

If you want USA colonial it is really hard to beat Williamsburg VA and the surrounding area. Some like St. Luke's Church and Bacon's Castle date to the 17th century.