Cities also have nicknames, such as Interesting City Nicknames and Stories.

Have you heard that cities have nicknames? We will talk about the nicknames given to cities rather than their titles. You may have listened to some of them before. There were also some that we thought you had yet to hear. Let it be a surprise.

Let’s start our journey from Cairo and then individually visit Budapest, Venice and other European cities.   

Mother of the World Cairo

Cairo, one of the most ancient cities in the world, is today a vast metropolis with a population of about 10 million. Nourished by the glorious history of ancient Egypt, Cairo’s nickname comes from its ancient majesty. The Mother of the World (Umm al-Dunya) Cairo is a must-see for historical adventure lovers.

Pearl of the Danube: Budapest

Budapest, a combination of the cities of Buda and Pest, was built on both sides of the Danube and crowned its nickname as one of the most beautiful cities on the Danube. Budapest, the Pearl of the Danube!

La Serenissima (The Happiest, Peaceful Place): Venice

Venice, Italy’s most romantic city, has been known for centuries for its peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. Hence, Venice’s old name and current nickname, La Serenissima, the happiest place in Italian, suits Venice very well.

La Città Eterna (The Eternal City): Rome

Rome, where all roads lead, has been called the “Eternal City” or “La Città Eterna” in Italian for centuries. Poets, writers and historians have used the name La Città Eterna throughout history to capture the enduring essence of Rome’s heritage and its significant historical, cultural and spiritual contributions. Given Rome’s history, there is no need to talk about how appropriate the name is.

The City with the Violet Crown: Athens

Athens was sometimes called the “City of the Violet Crown” in classical literature. The first of several theories on why the city got this nickname is that it is a translation of the earlier name of Greece, Ionia (named after King Ion). Ion means violet in Greek. Athens is where King Ion was crowned. The other theory is that it comes from a line in a poem by a Greek poet named Pinda. That line of the poem goes like this: City of light with a purple crown, beloved of poets, you are the fortress of Greece.

La Dotta, La Grassa, La Rossa: Bologna

Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is famous for its cuisine, which earned It the nickname “La Grassa,” meaning “the fat one.”

Another nickname attributed to the city is “La Rossa,” meaning “the red.” This nickname refers to the colour of the bricks of the buildings in the historic city centre. “La Dotta,” meaning ‘the learned,’ comes from its university, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, founded in 1088.

The article “Fat Bologna!” provides detailed information about the city.

Tigerstaden (Tiger City): Oslo

Before you ask, tigers don’t live in Oslo. Oslo’s nickname, Tiger City, comes from a poem written by poet and politician Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson about a tiger fighting a horse. The poet also erected a tiger statue before the Oslo train station.

Mokum: Amsterdam

Amsterdam has many nicknames. Let’s count two: The City of Freedom and Venice of the North… Apart from these, when we deepened our research, we discovered that Amsterdam is called Mokum! Mokum, from the Hebrew Makom, means something like a safe place. Amsterdam, one of the cities with the highest living standards in the world, fully deserves this nickname.

City of 100 Towers: Prague

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is nicknamed the City of 100 Towers. The towers rising from every corner of Prague, which has a fascinating atmosphere and preserved medieval architecture, earned it this nickname.

City of Lights Paris

The city of lovers, the city of romance, the town of art… Paris has a thousand and one nicknames, but the most well-known one is the City of Lights because Paris is the first city to be illuminated by electricity.

Barna: Barcelona

When you think of Barça, you might think of Barcelona. If you say Barça when talking about the city, let’s say that when you go to Spain, this name only refers to Barcelona Football Club for the locals. If you ask, “What is the nickname of Barcelona for the locals?” We can say that it is Barna, the abbreviation of Barcelona. Don’t be surprised if they call Barcelona Barna when they talk among themselves.