The German city of Hamburg offers lots to do and explore – making it a perfect stop on your DiscoverEU journey. The astonishing architecture, the Elbe river banks, encompassing parklands and array of unique museums here elevate it as an exciting place to spend a day exploring. Hamburg is widely recognised as Germany’s most innovative Smart City, coming top in both Bitkom’s & Haselhorst Associates’ 2020 rankings. Hamburg is testing the potential of autonomous driving in Europe. So, hop on an autonomous e-shuttle minibus and experience a lift in the city with no driver! Keep on exploring advances in urban and digital innovation and visit the Hammerbrooklyn.DigitalCampus.

Make a stop in Poznan and discover an underestimated destination! The Polish city is one of the oldest in the country, and its historical heritage offers numerous beautiful monuments, churches and old buildings. When on the old market square of Stary Rynek, you’ll be able to admire the stunning architecture of the Renaissance town hall in a relaxing atmosphere. Reach the Citadel Park on the outskirts of the city centre to enjoy water features, cool cafes, botanical gardens and even the remains of 19th-century fortifications and various open-air sculpture displays. Poznań has also made accessibility a priority. The Poznań City Town Hall developed an internet portal dedicated to people with disabilities that contains current information about events, transport, and more. The city was awarded the 3rd place Access City Award in 2014, and received a special mention in 2021. To venture into the city, use PEKA. This transport ticketing platform will allow you to use the same ticket to get on various public transport providers. Which area will you visit first? 

With lots to do and explore, the Polish city of Bialystok is a perfect stop on your DiscoveryEU journey! Its culture is rich and multifaceted, melting Pole, Russian, Belarusian, Tatar, Magyar, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Muslim, and Jews influences. Białystok is located in an area known for its air quality, called the “Green Lungs of Poland”. After visiting the Branicki Palace, take a stroll around the Planty Park and come across manicured hedges and shrubs, well-tended flowerbeds, sculptures, ponds, and a four-level rose garden. But don’t get mistaken! Bialystok isn’t a sleeping beauty: the city is committed to becoming smart. It has an intelligent, inner-city traffic management system that optimises and increases transport efficiency through a network of cameras.

From its neoclassical churches to its fascinating past, Vilnius should be on your list of cities to visit. Follow the Neris riverbank to see Vilnius by foot. The path weaves its way through the city centre showing you waterfront bars and cafes, street art, randomly dotted sculptures and one of the city’s largest green spaces. Then, head to the middle of Vilnius’s Cathedral Square to find the Stebuklas miracle tile. Step on it, turn around clockwise 3 times, jump and clap your hands as you make a wish – locals say it’ll come true. But when it comes to becoming a smart city, Vilnius doesn’t rely on miracles. The Lithuanian capital is developing an IoT Highway to deliver a wide range of Smart City objectives including smart lighting, water usage, smart parking, waste management and smart traffic initiatives.

Want to take a break from your city life? Go green and visit Ignalina! Its district located in East of Lithuania is well known as a land of beautiful landscapes. It counts more than 200 lakes, some rivers and ponds, and its forests take one-third of the territory. This wild part of Lithuania boosted its development in 1866 when the rail between Saint-Petersburg and Warsaw was built. Today, Ignalina works to develop the IT skills of the city’s population, to support the digitisation of public services in the region with the help of EU funding. While in Ignalina, take a step back in time with a visit to the Museum of Ancient Beekeeping and enjoy some art while walking with all of the free sculptures in the city.

If your DiscoverEU trip takes you to Latvia, stop in Riga! Its rich history, stunning architecture, and lively nightlife will amaze you. In Riga old town, don’t miss out on the quirky Bremen Town Musicians sculpture of 4 animals, based on a legendary fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, and take a selfie with them. Take a stroll in the stunning Baltic city and find your way thanks the 930 free, high-speed WiFi connection spots set throughout the city. Committed to becoming a smart city, Riga has launched the Smart City Cluster Project with the support of the European Commission. This platform connects Latvian entrepreneurs with research organisations to develop projects supporting Smart City objectives.

Located on the shores of the Baltic Gulf of Finland, the Estonian capital of Tallinn offers Scandinavian, Russian and Eastern European influences. While you’re there, be sure to walk the winding streets up to the Kohtuotsa Viewing Platform, on northern side of Toompea Hill. From there, you will get the best views of the beautiful old town and its cobbled streets and fortress. Although Tallinn is a medieval city, you will be able to access WiFi for free on its tram network. The Estonian capital was a runner up of the European Capital of Innovation in 2017 and the winner of the Netexplo Smart Cities 2020. It has 86 fully digital e-services that simplify its citizens’ interactions with their municipal government and public services.

Tampere, in central Finland, is often overlooked by tourists, who rarely venture beyond Helsinki. So, let’s be curious and discover this city! Tampere counts many different unusual museums such as the spy museum, the famous Moomin characters’ museum or the  Finnish Museum of Games, where you can learn more about the history of digital gaming. Lakes surround the Finnish city. If you visit Tampere in the winter, take the opportunity to go ice fishing or Nordic walking! As you will walk around the city, you will feel exceptionally safe. With the EU-funded SURE project, Tampere aims to make pedestrians’ lives safer thanks to an IoT solution. In January 2020, the city signed the Join, Boost, Sustain declaration on joining forces to shape a sustainable urban future through digitalisation.