PalenqueBob

Researching hotels in Haarlem, Holland for an upcoming trip the web site for the Hotel Carillon says:

"Eight of our rooms have a view on the large St.Bavo church and on the "Grote Markt", the most beautifull square in europe."

Now while i have been to Haarlem several times and always admire the Grote Markt, or main square, i would not consider it to be Europe's most beautiful square...even though locals apparently do. Maybe Holland's most beautiful square...perhaps.

ira

Hey PB,

It's advertising, don't take it seriously.

mr_go

But a thought-provoking topic, nonetheless. What <i>is</i> Europe's most beautiful plaza/piazza/place/square?

&lt;&lt;gazes off into middle distance, stroking chin pensively&gt;&gt;

Hmmmmm...

PalenqueBob

of course this is a subjective question - the Grand' Place for one claims the name and several others. For me it would be St Mark's Square in Venice but others may say any of dozens of others.

ira

Bruges ain't half bad.

NeoPatrick

Actually I've visited at least a dozen of what were advertised as &quot;the most beautiful square in Europe. The main square in Trieste was pretty spectacular, Brussells is too, and the small one (not the main one) in Lecce is often called the most beautiful square in Italy (or Europe, I forget), with the pinkish stone carved facades, it's hard to fault them from thinking so. Plaza Mayor in Madrid and the one in Salamanca are both pretty neat -- the one in Salamance probably having the edge.
The square in Krakow with the nightly (or is hourly) bell ringing is beautiful too, as is the restored square in Warsaw. And that brings to mind Prague.

Munich? Wow. Brugges? Pretty special.
Can we include Place des Vosges in Paris as a square?

And yes, it's hard to top St. Marks, even with the pigeons and sometimes flooding. At night with the music, it really wins out.

Piazza Navonna in Rome -- if they ever finish it (LOL) and get rid of all the coverings from the facades.

I know I sat in the main square in Haarlem and had a drink. Been there a couple times. Not sure that it is the most beautiful in Europe however, since right now I even have a total blank of what it looks like.

bobthenavigator

I like the &quot; S &quot; towns---Siena and Salamanca. I know--I know--Il Campo is not square.

ekscrunchy

Although it is less imposing than many of those mentioned, the Plaza Mayor in Pedraza de la Sierra, Segovia province is one of the handsomest I have visited.
Outside of Europe, the Zocalo in Mexico, DF has to be in the running.

And no one mentioned Bologna's Piazza Maggiore?

Wayne

And of course there are lots of other candidates for the honor. The more places you visit, the more squares you see that strike your fancy. If I had to name only one, I'd probably have to pick from the piazzas in some of the smaller Italian villages. They seem to have a charm all their own, and their smaller size simply makes them more enchanting. (Should a poem follow here?)

carolyn

I lost my heart to the Grand Platz in Brussels.

Tiff

mr_go - you're funny.


Great question to ponder over PalenqueBob, thanks.

quokka

St Peter's square in Rome, but only late in the evening when it's illuminated and almost empty.

ira

Does it have to be a &quot;square&quot;?

The Etoile in Paris is rather pretty at night.

vedette

Place Stanislaus in Nancy very nice, with all the gilt.

JudyC

Not sure about &quot;the most&quot; ; but the square in Telc (CZ) in the winter sunlight is surreally beautiful.

OReilly

Todi in Umbria is often described as the most beautiful medieval square and I can certainly vouch for its beauty.

Castellanese

Piazza San Marco in Venice.

mr_go

You know, I've given this some thought, and I think this really is two questions (or should be). There are great big squares like those in Madrid, Amsterdam, Moscow, etc. And then there are the charming, compact little plazas in the centers of villages throughout the continent (literally thousands to choose from).

Of these two, I think I prefer the latter. But there are simply too many of them to recall.

Here's one that's hardly notable, but delightfully typical:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/293...53249937lOONdy

And another:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/119...53249937lLPRGZ

And yet another:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/146...53249937cBMzjC

But in the first category...it really is hard to argue against Piazza San Marco in Venice. Especially early evening, on a warm, clear night.

PalenqueBob

and (St Mark's) with the ubiquitous string quartets so romantically playing their soft but uplifting music that resonates throughout the square.

hanl

I'd say St Mark's Square in Venice... if it weren't for the pigeons! (flying rats)

Other than that, the Grand Place in Brussels takes some beating.