Edinburgh, Scotland
The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh features one of the most striking fortresses in Europe, and once contained some of the densest neighborhoods in the world, just like St. Louis. Massive urban renewal and new residential quarters transformed the city into one a beautiful and livable community.
Read about Edinburgh; see it on the map.
Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Founded by the Gauls as Mediolanum, Milan later became capital of the Western Roman Empire in late antiquity. After becoming the capital of Lombardy in the Middle Ages, the city grew into a center of art and architecture under the Sforza and their patronage of Leonardo da Vinci. Today, it is a fascinating mixture of old and new, and a center of fashion as an industrial powerhouse in the economic heart of Northern Italy.
Read about Milan; see it on the map.
Naples, Campania, Italy
One of the oldest cities in Europe, and possessing a natural setting unrivaled for a major city, Naples is dirty, rough around the edges, and full of history. In many ways, I find it the most like St. Louis of all of the cities of Europe I’ve visited, possibly past its glory days but still proud.
Read about Naples; see it on the map
Paris, France
It’s hard to summarize the influence of Paris on American architecture in only a few sentences. The broad avenues built by Hausmann in the 19th Century have spawned many of a traffic arteries in St. Louis, while the Second Empire style in America was inspired by the streets of Parisian architecture going back centuries. Urbanism as we know it and try to replicate was born in the City of Lights.
Read about Paris; see it on the map.
Rome, Italy
More so than any other city in the world, the architecture of Rome has influenced St. Louis architecture for most of its history. Home to ancient ruins, Renaissance marvels and more domed churches than you can count, its legacy is obvious.