From its gilded palaces to its famous residents (which have included musical maestro Mozart, drum and bass duo Camo & Krooked, and Hollywood star Christoph Waltz), the Austrian capital of Vienna is a must-visit for any traveller exploring Europe. The city has over 2,000 parks and gardens, which can be visited at your leisure by using any of the city’s 1,400km of cycle paths. For more adventurous travellers, the Wienerwald, an area of woodland protected by the EU as a Natura 2000 site, is also right on the doorstep.

Perhaps best defined by its legendary and imposing rectangular castle, Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, has much to offer travellers. Located between the Danube river and the Small Carpathian Mountains, the city was once voted the third greenest city in the world – after Auckland and Reykjavik. Bratislava is also becoming more climate resilient by better managing rainwater, building green roofs, and keeping citizens cool in the event of a heatwave. Our challenge to any budding DiscoverEU photographers: visit the top of Bratislava castle and take the best picture possible – bonus points for every park and green roof it includes! Don’t forget to share it on Instagram using the hashtag #DiscoverEU.

How walkable is the city you live in? What would make you walk through local neighbourhoods, rather than take the car or public transport? This is a question being asked in the Hungarian town of Nyíregyháza. The EU-funded ‘Citywalk’ project is based in the town and aims to enhance the ‘walkability’ of local streets. By doing this, the project aims to reduce traffic congestion and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

For a creative and cultural atmosphere, Cluj-Napoca is the place to be. What’s more, the city is committed to making its public transport green for residents and visitors. It used EU funds to modernise the tram network, making them run twice as fast and improving green spaces along the lines. The city has also declared that only electric vehicles will be granted taxi licenses, making exploring the city more sustainable. Our top tip: hop on a tram to Opera Maghiara Est – here you’ll find Cluj-Napoca’s Central Park, which features beautiful fountains and a picturesque boating lake.

The Transylvanian city of Brașov, also known as Romania’s ‘Green Capital’, was one of the first signatories of the Covenant of Mayors, an EU programme that united local governments across Europe to take action against climate change. The city is located in the shadow of the impressive Tâmpa Mountain, a towering peak designated by the EU as a Natura 2000 nature reserve to protect rare birds, boars, bears and butterflies. Take a cable car to the top and try to spot the letters ‘BRAŞOV’ on the hillside – Europe’s answer to Hollywood!

Starting its course in Germany, the Danube river weaves its way throughout Europe before emptying into the Black Sea. The Romanian town of Tulcea is situated on the picturesque Danube delta, an EU-protected Natura 2000 location. Visit the town and watch the unique wildlife, or volunteer to keep the banks of the Danube clean.