Five Safest Cities in Europe
If safety is an important factor in moving to or visiting Europe, make sure to check out your city’s crime rate and law enforcement statistics. Stable governments also call for safe lifestyles. Many safe cities in Europe are financial and international centers with high standards of living.
Luxembourg City
This tiny country has only 500,000 inhabitants, yet has a highly developed economy and the highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in the world! It has its own language, Luxembourgish, which is a combination of German and French (also these are recognized as official languages as well). Terrorist incidents are rare in this area, and police oversight is routinely provided. The most common crime is non-violent theft, such as snatching purses or breaking and entering.
Bern, Switzerland
Bern is the capital of Switzerland, and has a population of 130,000. The official language is German. There is a very high quality of living, and the cost of living is high as well. Like most of Switzerland, Bern has a low rate of crime, though white collar crime does occur!
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva is part of the French-speaking area in Switzerland, which also has a low crime rate. This city has a population of 182,000, but over 812,000 people reside in the greater metropolitan area, and it is the most expensive Swiss city. It is famous for diplomacy and international meetings, and is one of the world’s most important financial centers. Violent crime is very rare, and often unheard of in Geneva.
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland with a population of 578,000, 10% of which are foreigners. It is the major center in the country for education, research, culture, business and government. Its main airport, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, offers direct flights to various international locations. There are some reports of crimes like vandalism and theft, and most violent crimes are domestic and/or alcohol-related (and occur around holidays). The major language is Finnish, which is very unique and stems from different routes than any other European language.
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich is the largest Swiss city, with a population of 1.7 million people in the greater metropolitan area. It is often rated with the best quality of life and richest European city, making it very expensive. German is the official language, but most local people speak Swiss German, a slightly different dialect from the language in Germany. It is a global city, and contains the headquarters for many major financial institutions. Though it is considered the most dangerous city in Switzerland, it is much safer than most Western cities.