The best viewpoint in any European city is rarely the most famous one. The listed viewpoints are listed because they are obvious, accessible, and usually crowded. The better ones require a small amount of research and occasionally a willingness to pay for a drink you did not otherwise want.

Rooftop Bars as Research Tools

Before travelling, search for rooftop bars in your destination city. Then ignore the bar itself and look at where it sits. A rooftop bar on the sixth floor of a building in the old town is not just a place to drink: it is a viewpoint research tool. The photographs guests post on review sites tell you exactly what the view looks like and from what height. If the view includes the landmark you want to see from above, the bar has served its purpose even if you only order one drink.

Google Maps Satellite Mode for Elevation

Switch Google Maps to satellite mode and look at the city's topography. Hills and elevated parks are obvious on satellite view. Less obvious are the raised terraces, the elevated church platforms, and the building rooftops with accessible public areas. Filter your search by looking for green space at elevation and then checking Street View to see what the view from that location looks like. This is free, takes ten minutes, and consistently surfaces viewpoints that do not appear in any guidebook.

Department Store Rooftops

Several European cities have department stores with publicly accessible rooftop terraces or top-floor cafes. Printemps in Paris has a free rooftop terrace with an excellent view across the city. El Corte Ingles in Madrid and Barcelona both have rooftop bars with unobstructed views. These are not hidden secrets but they are underused. They combine a viewpoint with a cafe, require no booking for the view itself, and are often free to access. The view from the Printemps rooftop is legitimately one of the better Paris views and almost no tourist goes there.

Hills and Parks

Every European city worth visiting has at least one park or hill that provides a city view. Montmartre in Paris, Petrin Hill in Prague, Gianicolo in Rome, Tibidabo in Barcelona, Buda Hill in Budapest. These are the obvious ones. Less obvious: the hill behind the Acropolis Museum in Athens, the park above the old town in Ljubljana, the elevated garden at the Palais Royal in Paris. Walk uphill whenever you see the option.

The Non-Obvious Spot

The best viewpoint is usually not the most popular one. In Vienna, the best city view is from the Kahlenberg hill outside the city, not from the top of St Stephan's Cathedral. In Lisbon, the viewpoints in the Alfama neighbourhood are better than the official miradouros for crowds and quality. In Florence, the Piazzale Michelangelo is correct but San Miniato al Monte above it is better and almost empty. Look for the next hill above the obvious one. It is nearly always worth the climb.