The Champion’s League is in fill swing which means means that football fans across the UK and Europe are in for a treat. If you’re looking to travel to watch any of the matches, you are also in for a treat as the home cities of the teams involved have a lot to offer. In the following article, we will look at five of the lesser known football teams’ home cities and the some of the cool things you can see and do there.
Zagreb (Home City Of Dinamo Zagreb)
Not only is Zagreb the largest city in Croatia, it is also the capital and home to Dinamo Zagreb. Because of the interesting sights and long history, the upper town is always a popular spot with visitors; however, you should try to cover as many square miles of the city as you can as there is something for everyone. There are a vast array of museums full of beautiful art and culture around almost every corner.
Donetsk (Home City Of Shakhtar)
Donetsk is an industrial city in Ukraine and sits alongside Kalmius River and is home to Shakhtar FC. It’s a place that would be of great interest to both adventure-seekers and inner city, urbanites. Although most people when they think of the city, see it as a dark and dusty, wasteland of old coal mines, there has been rejuvenation carried out recently that has transformed it into a very green and modern metropolitan destination. As many of its nature reserves and nature parks are unknown to most tourists, they are perfect if you want to go somewhere away from the crowds.
Piraeus (Home City Of Olympiacos)
Situated within the urban area of Athens, Piraeus is a Greek port city in the region of Attica and home to Olympiacos. A central Piraeus is traffic congested and very busy; it is much better to venture towards the most attractive quarter of the city in the east. The visitor-orientated Mikrolimano harbour and Zea Marina are lined with lots of great bars, restaurants and cafes. As the city has been an Athens port since classical times, it has a very rich heritage and it is worth taking a wander round the Piraeu Archaelogical Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.
St Petersburg (Home City Of Zenit)
The imperial capital city of Russia is a grand and enthralling place, that is also home to Zenit FC. There are far too many great points of interest in St Petersburg to mention in this brief article. However, if you want to experience culture and art unlike any other city in Europe; this is the city for you. It takes a good number of visit to the Russian Museum and Hermitage for instance, to really see all that these places have to offer. Russian art, Egyptian mummies, Picasso’s and so much more. In addition, opera and world-class ballet are also must-sees at Mariinsky Theatre.
Rome (Home City Of Roma FC)
Not only is Rome the capital city of Italy, the largest city and home to Roma FC; it’s also one of the most inspiring and beautiful cities in the world. If we were to choose any of the cities to travel to and watch a game, this would get our vote. Again, the small space of writing we have for this city doesn’t really do it justice but here is our weekend in Rome blog post if you want to read more about this amazing city; but, if you are interested in great food, fine art and history alongside a very modern and vibrant city living in the now, Rome is the place for you. Home to the government and religious leaders of the country and iconic architectural sites such as the Pantheon, Roman Forum and Colosseum; it is easy to see why Rome is the top of many bucket lists.
