Dublin, Ireland

It's easy to see why this city remains one of Europe's, and the world's, biggest draws. Here, you can walk along brick-lined streets and still see pubs and shops that have existed for generations, interspersed with hot new restaurants and fast-paced businesses.

This combination of old and new lends Dublin a quaintness not found in many of the cities on this list. Even in the face of a 4.5 percent VAT increase that's affected the hospitality industry, Dublin isn't going anywhere.