Meet the European Capitals of Culture 2025

Jessica Baldwin

Fancy a great-value, culture-packed weekend in one of Europe's buzziest under-the-radar cities? Then swerve the usual pricey tourist traps and jet off to one of this year's European Capitals of Culture (ECoC).

Victory Square, Gorizia © Haidamac - Adobe Stock Image

For almost 40 years the European Union has annually cherry-picked destinations around the continent in a bid to unite Europe, through celebrating its cultural diversity, often injecting new life into the lucky cities along the way.

It's more than just a fancy title: being crowned an ECoC kicks off an epic year-long celebration; which sees music festivals, art exhibitions and dance performances fill the region.

The best bit? You get to discover a new area you might not otherwise have found when it's at its most exciting! With a phenomenal calendar of cultural events awaiting you (many of which are free), you're guaranteed more cultural bang for your buck.

Plus, there's never been a better time to get involved, with 2025 a record-breaking year, thanks to the scheme's first-ever cross-border ECoC flying the flag; Nova Gorica-Gorizia. The Slovenian city of Nova Gorica has teamed up with its Italian neighbour, Gorizia, to become one great big borderless Capital of Culture. The dynamic duo will stand alongside fellow ECoC, Chemnitz in Germany.

So, what are you waiting for? This year could see you get up close and personal with a 290-million-year-old petrified forest in Chemnitz, or proudly straddle two nations at once; one foot in Italy and the other in Slovenia. Be honest, that beats traipsing around Paris for the umpteenth time, doesn't it?

Getting there: whichever ECoC you decide to visit, you'll find the latest offers on flights, hotels, holidays and more in our complete collection of travel offers.

Meet: Chemnitz

Once one of Germany's richest cities, this former industrial powerhouse has re-invented itself from the factory-filled Saxon poster child of East German communism to a vibrant, museum-packed European Capital of Culture.

Having gone by the name Karl-Marx-Stadt for almost four decades, the city reverted back to Chemnitz following the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The quirky name may be long gone but nods to its socialist past lurk around every corner of Saxony's third-largest city.

In fact, its most iconic landmark is the imposing 40-tonne bust of Marx himself, looming large at a neck-cricking 13-metres tall.

As one of the new ECoC, Chemnitz's 'C the Unseen' campaign invites visitors to explore the region's never-before-seen sites through a jaw-dropping 1,000 events. The celebrations will seep beyond the city into 38 neighbouring municipalities, including the UNESCO-listed Ore Mountains, once famed for their silver mines.

Unmissable bust of Karl Marx, Chemnitz © Animaflora PicsStock - Adobe Stock Image

Once you've unpacked, the best way to find your bearings in Chemnitz is to climb the High Tower at the city's Old Town Hall.

It also lets you witness the city's intriguing architectural clash, where Art Nouveau and Wilhelminian-style properties rub shoulders with post-war modernist creations and re-purposed industrial buildings, many of which will host workshops and talks throughout 2025.

However, the region's flagship project is its mammoth new art and sculpture trail, the 'Purple Path'. Showcasing works by acclaimed international, national and Saxon artists, it sees the wider region studded with thought-provoking pieces.

From the luminous lantern-like artworks which hover above a peaceful pond in the former mining town of Zwönitz and the 3D sketch, which seemingly floats on a lake in Niederwiesa to the bronze statue of a rabbit, which lurks amid the baroque splendour of Lichtenwalde Castle.

If venturing into the heart of Saxony and taking in its breathtaking scenery is on your agenda, this should top your list.

On rainy days, dive into the city's many museums and galleries, dedicated to everything from archaeology and games to cars and trains. Visit the Natural History Museum and you'll be greeted by a 290-million-year-old petrified forest.

Climate in Chemnitz

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	2	4	8	13	19	22	24	23	19	14	7	3
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	6	7	8	7	7	5	4	2	1
Days with some rainfall	15	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	13	13	15	16

The above guide shows the climate in Dresden, which is about 40 miles from Chemnitz.

Meet: Nova Gorica - Gorizia

Don't you just love it when a quick trip ends up feeling like four holidays in one? Residing on a central European crossroads, its unique location makes Nova Gorica - Gorizia a vibrant cultural melting pot, not to mention a fantastic launchpad for a bigger European road trip.

Straddling the Italian-Slovenian border, the two cities share a turbulent past, one which saw them separated by the Iron Curtain. Having re-united as a single ECoC, they now share an incredibly exciting future; one of borderless solidarity as the first ever "European Capital of Borderless Culture". Together, the cities will put on over 400 events, spanning music festivals and marches to installations and exhibitions.

Once you've settled in, head to Europe Square and join the tourists taking obligatory photographs of themselves straddling the now invisible border with a foot in each nation.

Wander into the garden city of Gorizia to take in its glorious Italian parks and palaces; they're so impressive that the city became known as the 'Austrian Nice'.

For a bird's-eye view of its statue-packed piazzas and elegant domes, head to its historic hilltop castle, where you can walk the ancient ramparts before gazing at gleaming armour in the museum hidden within its burly walls.

Time your trip right and you could find yourself in Palazzo Attems Petzenstein at the immersive 'Andy Warhol: Beyond Borders' exhibition (ends May 2025); it showcases 180 pieces of his work and yes, the soup cans are there.

Head further into Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulia region and you'll be rewarded with rolling vineyards, the snowy peaks of the Friulian Dolomites and more fascinating border cities, like wind-whipped Trieste, just a stone's throw from the Croatian border.

Here, breezy plazas, Roman remains and a sea-facing fairytale castle await, not to mention delicious seafood restaurants.

Vine-striped Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy © Zakaz86 - Adobe Stock Image

On the Slovenian side of this ECoC, you can explore Nova Gorica's bourgeoning food scene. The colourful, street-art-slathered streets of the country's youngest city have everything from cheap eats and atmospheric gastropubs to Dam, the city's Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant serving exquisite cross-border cuisine.

Keen to delve deeper into the glorious Slovenian countryside? Good news, you're at the gateway to the spectacularly beautiful Vipava Valley (known locally as Paradise Valley).

Carpeted with family-run vineyards and peppered with enchanting villages and historic hilltop towns, it's the perfect place to enjoy a sip-and-cycle adventure. Not an oenophile? Sniff out a pint of Borderless Golden Ale, a cross-border collaboration between two local breweries.

Re-united for 2025, it's fair to say that Nova Gorica - Gorizia's next chapter is definitely one you want to be part of.