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These Are The Most Affordable European Cities For Nightlife, According To New Study

These Are The Most Affordable European Cities For Nightlife, According To New Study

Forbes27-05-2025

Prague Castle with St. Vitus Cathedral over Lesser town (Mala Strana) at sunset, Czech Republic
There are dozens of European cities known for their incredibly colorful nightlife — but some of the most popular destinations will end up eating into your travel budget quickly if you're hoping to spend a large part of your itinerary enjoying cocktails and bar-hopping.
New data from online gaming company Casino Nova shows the most affordable European cities that don't skimp on fun. The study looked at important factors like the average cost per drink, the number of bars and restaurants in each city, and the overall safety rating in order to determine the most affordable options in Europe.
Here's where you'll want to plan your next trip if you're looking to indulge in Europe's famous nightlife without breaking the bank:
bridges of Prague at Twilight, Czech Republic
The capital and largest city of the Czech Republic earned top spot as the best European city for nightlife with a composite score of 83.34. It was by far the cheapest option on the list, with the average cost of a drink sitting at just $2.60. It's also very safe and boasts more than 266 bars and clubs in its 496 square-kilometer radius.
Kapana district is an area with cocktail bars and a lively nightlife. Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Plovdiv, Bulgaria earned second place with a score of 73.87. The city lists just 16 bars and clubs but it's an overall much smaller city than Prague which makes it feasible to have plenty of options while still on foot. The average cost of a drink remains low at an average of $2.90 per unit.
Aerial view of Gran Via in Madrid at dusk from Circulo de Bellas artes. Spain
The capital of Spain earned third place with a total composite score of 73.74. It's admittedly more expensive than Prague or Plovdiv but it boasts more than 357 bars and clubs, which outnumbers the other cities by quite a bit. It also has a safety index of 71.81.
The Fisherman's Bastion from above with Hungarian Parliament building and River Danube during a golden sunrise in Budapest
The next city on the list is Budapest, which boasts cheap drinks at around $2.69 per unit and more than 205 bars and clubs within its 525 square-kilometer radius.
Street cafe in Zagreb Old Town,Croatia.
Zagreb is the first Croatian city to place, coming in at fifth with a composite score of 73.23. It has the highest safety index rating out of all cities on the list (at 78.67) and drinks are still affordable at around $3.45 per drink.
The next cities on the list included Warsaw, Poland; both Porto and Lisbon, Portugal, followed by Bucharest, Romania; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

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On September 10, 1987, President Ronald Reagan welcomed Pope John Paul II at Vizcaya, where the two conversed while exploring the gardens and the estate. Atop a garden mount is the Casino, a focal point of the gardens. Located at the top of garden mounds designed to block the reflection of water ponds into the main house, the garden casino — Italian for "little house" — was a space where Deering and his guests could take in the garden views or enjoy the subtropical weather without being in direct contact with the sun. Inside the building, a painted ceiling depicts heavenly images. Underneath, bathrooms and other now closed-off areas hide under decorated ceilings. Originally, the casino overlooked a water park part of the estate, where gondolas would be launched, a crucial part of Deering's vision for Vizcaya. Today, the water park no longer exists, and the land is instead taken up by a Catholic church, hospital, and schools after the Deering family sold part of the property to the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in 1946. The opposite side of the estate was once used for clandestine entertainment; now, it is a café. While today a café sits underneath the mansion, the space served as a leisure center during Deering's stay. The rooms were filled with billiard tables, bowling alleys, and leather chairs. Hidden underneath the billiards table was also a roulette table, which Deering often used when his college friends visited the estate. The mansion, which opened at the peak of the Prohibition era, also had a decent supply of liquor, which Deering smuggled into the estate and hid in secret bars and cellars. The swimming pool is half-covered, providing relief from South Florida's relentless sun. Tucked next to the leisure rooms underneath the main house is the half-indoor swimming pool, in which Deering is said to have only swum once. Designed as the main entry point to the mansion, the east side of the mansion opens up to a stone barge in the Biscayne Bay. When he first moved into his winter home in December 1916, Deering arrived by sea on what he intended was the front entrance to Vizcaya. Opening up to the Biscayne Bay, the waterfront side of the property features a stone barge, a sculpted structure that acts as a breakwater and protects the main house from changing tides and waves. Today, the mansion hosts private events and has become a local staple for Quinceañera pictures. Purchased from the Deering family by Miami-Dade County for $1 million in 1962, Vizcaya today operates as a museum open to the public and for private reservations. The estate is often the background of Quinceañera pictures from Miami's large Hispanic population. Walking around the gardens, I saw multiple young women dressed in extravagant gowns posing in the many stunning locations of the estate. Along with being a photographic hot spot, Vizcaya also hosts private events, from Miami Swim Week runway shows to floral-decorated weddings in the gardens. Today, the estate remains an icon of Miami, a city that many would often relate to modern luxury rather than the old and classic wealth on display in Gilded Age -style mansions like Vizcaya.

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