No matter where you live, personal safety cannot be overemphasized in the world of today. European countries are known to be major travel destinations, but not everywhere can be regarded as safe. The most dangerous cities in Europe should be avoided as they can be very harmful. Travelers planning to go on a trip to any city must know important facts about the cultural practices, environment, and people of their desired holiday, so as not to become crime victims. One major way to measure a city’s safety level is through its homicide rate, other crimes, and even terrorism. Based on these, here are the 10 most dangerous cities to travel in Europe.
List of Most Dangerous Cities in Europe
1. Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia is the capital city of the country of Bulgaria. Travelers have long been frightened of visiting the city because of the high number of robberies and thefts which take place in the country. Although there has been a decrease in the crime rate, it’s still high enough to make 30% of the residents of Sofia confide that they do not feel safe in the city and that it’s not a place where they have ever felt safe. Organized crime activities are high in the city, and to highlight the danger, a radio host was murdered in broad daylight by a notorious gangster. There is also frequent rioting in this most dangerous city in western Europe with Bulgarians attacking Roma gypsies who are not welcome in the city.
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2. Celje, SloveniaÂ
Celje, the third-largest city in Slovenia, had a murder rate of 2.6 per 100,000 in 2019, according to the U.N. data. However, it carried a population of only about 38,000 that year within city limits. In this period, the police dealt with only one criminal offense of attempted manslaughter which, statistically, does not count as an accomplished/completed crime. Celje is a safe city by all standards of security.”
3. Brussels, BelgiumÂ
Brussels is one of the most dangerous cities in Europe. The city averages 2.8 homicides per 100k people annually. It is the capital of the European Union. as many as 44 homicides were registered in a single year, but the average is an estimated 31 per year. It’s not the most dangerous city in Europe, but it does rank high on the crime scale for murder, burglaries, and assault.
4. Zurich, SwitzerlandÂ
Zurich comes in right behind Brussels in the number of murders averaged in a year that’s why it is considered in one of the most dangerous cities in Europe 2019. It’s the largest city in Switzerland, which is located in the central portion of Europe. Although demographically, it’s not as large as Brussels, and there is only an average that runs between 4 and 11 homicides in a year, the rate is high with an astounding 3 murders for every 100k people. While some years have seen as few as 1 murder in a year, some years are worse than others, and over a nine-year average, there are more murders per capita than in the larger city of Brussels.
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5. Amsterdam, NetherlandsÂ
Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is the 10th most dangerous city, with a homicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000 for a total of 16 murders in the city. From the window brothels to easily accessible psychedelics (magic mushrooms), tourists aren’t the only ones who visit this most dangerous city in Europe for a night of sin — Amsterdam was ranked the most criminally active municipality in 2019, according to Dutch Review.
6. Kiev, UkraineÂ
Kiev is the capital city of the Eastern European country Ukraine. The violent crime rate in this one of the most dangerous European cities is extremely high with an average of 100 murders committed each year. The most common places where these crimes occur in the suburbans trains and in or around the city’s public transit system. Kiev tends to be massively overcrowded are, and it’s easier for an assailant to commit a crime and then flee, getting lost in the crowd. Kiev has had up to 118 murders committed in a single year.
7. Debrecen, Hungary
If we discuss one of the 10 most dangerous European cities we cant skip Debrecen. It is Hungary’s second-largest city after Budapest, had a murder rate of 3.0 per 100,00 in 2019. A cultural hub to the Hungarian people, the city has a population of around 202,000 people.
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8. Riga, LatviaÂ
Riga is even more violent than Kiev. The average is 23 murders and when compared to the population of the city, the homicide rate is 3.3 per 100k residents. This one of the most dangerous capital cities in Europe is the biggest city in the Baltic country of Latvia. Riga is a tourist destination and although there is relative safety in the historic part of the city, you have to watch out for the parks and the Old Town district because these are the places where most crimes occur including murder and pickpocketing.
9. Belfast, Northern IrelandÂ
Belfast is Northern Ireland’s largest city. There were a total of nine murders in a population of 286,00 for a crime rate of 3.3 per hundred thoEuropend residents. Although the crime rate in this most dangerous European city in the world is high, it’s been trending downward because of the resolution of the political unrest experienced during the 1970s and 1980s eras. The slowdown in political activism has resulted in a positive trend towards making Belfast a safer city, but for the present, it is still among the top 20 most dangerous cities in all of Europe.
10. Podgorica, MontenegroÂ
Podgorica is the country of Montenegro’s largest city, as well as the capital of the nation. This most dangerous European city for tourists was formerly known as a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the city was named Titograd, but the names have been changed due to political changes and negotiations. Podgorica at one time had a homicide rate of 6.5 per 100k residents, but the current rate is 3.5 per 100k people.
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11. Vilnius
Vilnius is even more dangerous than Moscow. This most dangerous city to drive in Europe is the largest in the Baltic country of Lithuania, and also the capital city. Within the last decade, the crime rates have gone down as the highest percentage of murders rocketed to 10.4 per 100k in 2008, but it’s gone down significantly to 4.7, which is still too high to feel safe. Some other crimes which are prolific in the city include credit card theft and pickpocketing.
12. Glasgow, ScotlandÂ
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city. This one of the most dangerous cities in Europe located within the United Kingdom. Glasgow has long been experiencing issues with organized gangs who engage in turf wars. There are many deaths as a result as well as other violent crimes. This makes Glasgow one of the least safe cities in the entire United Kingdom, as well as within the country of Scotland. 5.1 murders per 100k means that there is an increased risk for any one person to become the victim of a violent crime.
13. Tallinn, EstoniaÂ
Tallinn is an Estonian city that is located on the country’s northern coast. The population of this one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in Europe is relatively small with just 443,894 residents, but there have been 22 to 40 homicides in the country per year in the last decade. The amount of murders per capita which take place is unusual for this portion of Europe. When the crime rate was at its all-time high, there were up to 9.4 murders per 100k, but it’s come down to 5.5 which is still terribly high, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the entire continent of Europe. Five of the most dangerous cities in Europe are rated by their overall crime rate which includes murder, pickpocketing, and other types of corruption and inequalities.
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14. Kristiansand, Norway
Kristiansand is located in the southern part of Norway, and it is the fifth-largest city in the country by population count. Within the last decade, there has been a significant rise in crime rates in this most dangerous city in Europe for tourists. Many of them are violent and are drug-related. The statistics show that a large number of offenders involved in these crimes are young people.
15. Budapest, HungaryÂ
The murder rate in Budapest also came out to be 2.2 per 100,000. The Hungarian Prosecutor’s office reported 99 murders in 2019 that’s why it is counted in one of the most dangerous European cities 2019. Budapest, the capital of Hungary with a population of about 1.75 million, is known for its famous baths and is sometimes called the “Paris of the East.” Still, police-reported about 62,870 crimes in 2017.
16. Turin, Italy
Turin is the home of the train station called Porta Nuova. It’s one of the most unsafe places in the city, which is, unfortunately, one of the most dangerous cities in Europe. The city is bereft of pickpockets and thieves, but there are also more violent crimes such as muggings and murders. Two other extremely hazardous parts of Turin include Porta Plazzo and San Salvario neighborhoods. These are the areas that have the highest incidences of crime within the city. Read More: Summer??? ???Festivals??? ??Not??? ???to??? ???Miss??? ???in??? ???Lithuania
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17. Naples, Italy
Naples also has a bad reputation and it’s been dubbed the “Sin City” of Italy. There are high unemployment rates in the city and organized crime has a firm foothold. This increases the amount of corruption and petty crime that takes place in the boundaries of the city. There is also a high violent crime rate. It’s not a place that you want to wander around along in if you’re not familiar with the area. It’s one of the most dangerous cities in Europe.
18. Marseille, France
Marseille, France is even more dangerous than Naples. Although the majority of crimes in the city are petty, including pickpocketing and other types of crime, there is also a high crime index because the police presence in the city is so low. There are high degrees of inequality and corruption in the city and a lack of investment in law enforcement. It’s almost as though you’re on your own and help is not always quick to arrive when you become the victim of a violent or petty crime. The top five most dangerous cities in all of Europe, according to Graphic Maps are places with the highest incidences of murders and other types of violent crimes. These are cities that you should probably avoid visiting unless you have no other choice because even the residents do not feel safe living there.
19. Tampere, FinlandÂ
Tampere, though notably smaller than the previous two cities with a population of around 236,000, reported a similar homicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000. Finland has some of the highest crime rates in the Nordic countries. A study published in the Finnish Times found that the crime rate in Finland is only 60 percent that of Northern Finland. The study found that crime in these top 10 most dangerous European cities had increased tenfold over the crime rate of 1945.
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