The best European cities for a fun and educational science trip

Some of the most enjoyable museums to visit are those that focus on science, especially if you have children. You can rely on a science museum to have plenty of interactive activities, interesting technology of the past and present to look at - and maybe even some dinosaur skeletons!

At Ubuy Germany, we have looked at different capital cities around Europe to see which will be the best places where you can enjoy a fun and educational science-themed day out.

Methodology

We investigated the number of science museums, the number of museums overall, and the number of museums with free entry, in each of Europe’s capital cities. We then ranked the cities by their total score.

The top 20 cities for a science trip

London, UK

The capital of the UK comes in first place, with 13 science museums and 491 museums overall! 96 of those museums have free entry. This all adds up to a whopping 600 total points for London.

Two famous museums with a focus on science in London are the Wellcome Collection, conveniently close to London Euston railway station, and The Science Museum. But here you can also find the Royal Observatory Greenwich and Peter Harrison Planetarium, with its amazing visual shows which will blow your mind whatever your age!

Total points: 600

Paris, France

Next up is Paris. The French capital has 13 science museums, and 382 museums total. It’s free to enter 30 of these attractions. All together, that’s a total of 425.

In the Park de la Villette you can find the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie or City of Science and Industry - while you do have to pay extra to enter the Cité des Enfants, this special part of the museum is especially set up for children. With one area for those aged 2-7, and another for those aged 5-12, there are plenty of interactive exhibits where kids can play while they learn.

Total points: 425

Prague, Czech Republic

In third place, we have the capital of the Czech Republic. Prague has 5 museums dedicated to science. It has 399 museums overall, 15 of which are free to enter. That’s a total of 419 points - only just behind Paris.

The National Technical Museum is one popular attraction where you can learn about science and industry past, present and future in the Czech Republic. It’s an especially good visit for little engineers and mechanics, due to its extensive collection of cars and planes. The National Museum of Agriculture is also perfect for families, with plenty of interactive exhibits.

Total points: 419

Berlin, Germany

This cultural city has 8 science museums out of a total of 303 museums. 35 offer free entry, and it all adds up to a total of 346 points.

One popular science museum in Berlin is the German Museum of Technology, which has a big emphasis on transportation, with lots to learn about aviation, the railway, and travel by sea. Next door, Science Center Spectrum is full of hands-on exhibits where children can learn through play - but it’s also fun and informative for adults. One ticket covers entrance to both museums.

Total points: 346

Rome, Italy

With more science museums than anywhere else in our list, it’s Rome. The capital of Italy boasts 14 science museums. There are 289 museums in the city, 33 of which offer free entry. It comes to a total of 336 points.

Explora is a science museum in Rome which has all kinds of interactive exhibits for children, as well as offering bookable activities (and birthday parties for tiny scientists). The museum has areas designed to teach children about the human body, emotions, recycling, and many other topics in an accessible way. For an alternative, try the Museum of Light which has amazing light shows and illusions.

Total points: 336

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Next up, we have Amsterdam. This city has 6 museums focusing on science, out of a total of 231 . 18 of these museums are free to enter, giving us a total of 255 points.

The NEMO Science Museum is the largest museum of science in the Netherlands, with plenty to do. For something more niche, Micropia, located at ARTIS the Amsterdam Royal Zoo, is a specialist science museum that aims to educate visitors of all ages about microbes. Look down microscopes to see these tiny things up close, or scan your body for an interactive lesson on which parts of your own body have the most microbes!

Total points: 225

Madrid, Spain

Coming in at number 5, Madrid has 4 science museums out of 173 museums in the whole city. You can get in for free to 31 of them. This adds up to 208 points.

One of Madrid’s most famous science museums is the National Museum of Natural Sciences, which is situated in a gorgeous building from 1882, The Palace of Arts and Industry. Here you can find plenty of dinosaur skeletons and fossils. Or, if you prefer the future to the past, try The Robot Museum! Interact with clever androids, or check out the cute collection of Sony Aibo robot dogs.

Total points: 208

Budapest, Hungary

Our next science city is Budapest. It has 8 science museums, and 180 museums total. 8 of them offer free entry. The Hungarian capital has a total of 196 points.

While the name of this museum sounds more fantasy than sci-fi, The Palace of Wonders is dedicated to science and technology. In the museum’s Richter Gedeon Laboratory area, children can don white coats and try safe, easy and fun chemistry experiments (as well as posing for snaps with their colorful creations). The Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest is another option, with exhibitions ranging from paleontology to gemstones, and even its own escape room.

Total points: 196

Vienna, Austria

Vienna has 2 science museums, but plenty of museums overall, at 182. 10 museums are free to enter. The Austrian capital ranks at number 9, with 194 points in total.

The Technisches Museum Wien or Vienna Museum of Science and Technology has lots of exhibits for people of all ages. As well as a permanent exhibition on trains that will be popular with younger visitors, there is also a collection of mechanical instruments which can play themselves! You can also visit the Kuffner Observatory in its beautiful 1886 building.

Total points: 194

Lisbon, Portugal

At number 10 in our ranking, we have the capital of Portugal. Here you can find lots of science museums, with 10 in the city. There are 155 museums overall, 15 of which offer free entry. This all adds up to a total of 180 points.

One popular science museum in Lisbon is The Pavilion of Knowledge - families love visiting it because it has so many big interactive displays. It covers lots of scientific topics with regularly changing temporary exhibitions where you can learn about space travel, robots and different animals. You can also visit the National Museum of Natural History and Science, which is also home to a lovely botanical garden.

Total points: 180

Athens, Greece

Athens has 5 science museums and 142 museums overall. 12 of them offer free entry. All together, that’s 159 points.

Athens is home to a technology museum with a difference - the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology! You can explore interactive exhibits and test out inventions, gadgets and even toys and puzzles that the ancient Greeks would have used. The National Observatory of Athens is also well worth a visit - book a ticket to come after nightfall to watch the skies through a telescope. The observatory tour will also teach you about the history of astronomy.

Total points: 159

Brussels, Belgium

The Belgian capital has 3 museums with a scientific focus, out of a total of 146. 3 offer free entry, bringing us to a total of 152 points.

The World of Mind museum aims to be a fun and informative demonstration of how the senses influence our perception, by presenting visitors with mind-bending illusions. The Brussels Medical Museum is very educational on the subject of the history of medicine around the world - but it also has a rather ghoulish collection of wax anatomical models which demonstrate various diseases, conditions and surgical techniques, which will almost certainly scare younger children!

Total points: 152

Dublin, Ireland

The capital of the Republic of Ireland is not far behind Belgium at all, with a total of 145. It has 1 museum devoted to science out of 116. Quite a high number of those museums offer free entry, at 28.

The National Children’s Science Center is an exciting museum set to open before long in Dublin - with state of the art facilities, it will give kids a really interactive and educational experience. Over three different floors in the historic building Earlsfort Terrace, it will have a digital planetarium, a classroom laboratory where visiting groups can do real experiments and space for topical, temporary exhibitions to come and go. Trinity College’s Science Gallery is also set to reopen soon, after sadly closing in 2021.

Total points: 145

Copenhagen, Denmark

Next up, the Danish capital has 4 science museums out of a total of 124. 5 museums offer free entry. This all adds up to a total points of 133.

Experimentarium, in the capital’s suburb of Hellerup, is only 6km north of Copenhagen city center. In 2018, it was listed in Time Magazine in the World’s Top 100 Places - sounds worth a visit to us! Children can play and learn at the same time in the Bubblearium, where you can make a square bubble, a bubble big enough to stand in, and see the effect of light on bubbles. That’s just one of the unique exhibitions you can find here. For skeletons, fossils and dinos, try the Zoological Museum.

Total points: 133

Oslo, Norway

Only 5 points behind Copenhagen, the capital of neighboring Scandinavian country Norway, has 128 points. With 4 science museums out of 115 museums, 9 have free admission.

The Norwegian Science and Technology Museum might be Oslo’s most popular destination for families with scientifically minded youngsters. This huge museum is spread over 4 floors, with many different temporary and permanent exhibitions. One floor is mostly dedicated to transportation, and another is specifically designed for younger children, with opportunities to learn through play. Paradox Museum Oslo is another option, a museum of illusions with plenty of photo opportunities.

Total points: 128

Tallinn, Estonia

Once again only a few points behind, Tallinn comes in at 126. The capital of Estonia has 6 science museums and 114 museums in general, of which 6 offer free entry.

One option for families to visit is the Energy Discovery Centre - visitors can enjoy impressive demonstrations of static electricity as well as lightning! The museum has lots of interactive exhibits too, and is housed in a 100 year old former power plant. Another attraction that might be of interest to families with slightly older children is the Machines of Leonardo Da Vinci, where the machines and automatons seen in the genius’ sketches have been reconstructed and put on display.

Total points: 126

Warsaw, Poland

The Polish capital has 7 science museums, out of 103 museums overall. 4 museums offer free admission - it all adds up to a total of 114.

Warsaw’s most famous science museum is The Copernicus Science Centre - an enormous place, it has a dedicated section for those aged 5 and under, called Bzzz! As you might guess, part of this area is all about bees, and one of the exhibits teaches children about the insects as they build a 3D honeycomb puzzle. Older children will enjoy the Experimentation Zone, which has over 200 different stations where they can try interactive activities that will expand their knowledge of anything from volcanoes to magnetic fields.

Total points: 114

Stockholm, Sweden

Next up, we have Stockholm. Here, you can find 3 museums dedicated to science, out of a total of 96 museums. 11 of these museums offer free entry. The Swedish capital’s total points is 110.

Tekniska, or the Technical Museum, has an outdoor Mathematics Garden, where xylophones and dance mats demonstrate the mathematical relationships between musical notes - there are also mazes and puzzles to try. Other exhibitions include Hyper Human, where you can learn about how technology can work alongside and change our bodies, and for little children, Teknoleket. This special section for younger scientists and engineers lets them play with moving gears or race balls along a track.

Total points: 110

Riga, Latvia

In Latvia’s capital, there are 4 science museums to pick from. There’s a total of 89 museums, 9 of which offer free admission. All in all, that’s 102 points.

The museum in the picture above is the Riga Motor Museum, the largest collection of antique cars and motorbikes in the Baltic countries - visitors can learn about the development of automobile technology over the years. Alternatively, visit Pauls Stradins Medicine History Museum to learn about medicine through the ages, from ancient healing methods all the way to modern times. It’s important to say though, similarly to the Brussels Medicine Museum, it might be a bit scary for younger kids!

Total points: 102

Bucharest, Romania

Finally, here’s our last top pick in our list of capital cities to visit on a science trip. Bucharest has 3 museums devoted to science out of a total of 93, with 3 of those museums offering free entry. It comes to a total of 99 points.

Casa Experimentelor, the Romanian Science Centre, is one popular attraction for families - it’s designed for children to learn through play. Rather than having science experiments demonstrated to them, kids can try everything themselves in a safe and fun environment. Use plasma to create different color light, or create a vortex in a tank of water!

Total points: 99

As you can see, there are a huge variety of science museums for families to bring their children - whatever their kids find the most interesting, there will be something for everyone. From amazing demonstrations and planetarium presentations to watch, to interactive exhibits to get hands-on with, there are so many different ways to engage in science and technology. A longstanding interest in science begins in childhood, so introducing kids to these fascinating topics sets them up well to enjoy science subjects in school and perhaps carry that interest through into later life.

While Rome didn’t come first in terms of total score, the Italian capital had the highest number of science museums at 14. London had the highest number of museums overall, at 491 - as well as the highest number of museums with free entry, owing to the UK’s policy of making museums free as often as possible.