Best Cities In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Its an old fashioned Nordic city, and has amazing anglo saxon style architecture. The surrounding countryside and mountains really make it a beautiful place. Its also steeped in so much history and lore, it really feels like an old nordic city.

Ok this is the best city ever. Its easy to get around, it's where my home is, and my wife also there, my friends the companions also live here, and I also think that it's the best place ever to play werewolf (when you go on a killing spree with beast form and destroy everything. )

It's not my favorite aesthetically pleasing city, but I think it just overall the best city. Has pretty good quests, one of the best weapons in the game(ebony blade), and I like how it stays neutral to the civil war quest line.

Most of the first quests you get are from Whiterun. Whiterun probably has the largest population out of all the hold capitals.

Whiterun is home but Riften feels alive. It has a fishery, a honey producer, a meadery, a temple, an orphanage, a realistic market, slums, townhouses, a castle, a guest house run by a swinger, the thieves guild, the rich, the poor, the criminals, loads of interconnecting quests, an interesting layout, a metric ton of merchants and a tavern slap bang in the middle where it belongs. Out of all the places in Skyrim it's definitely the one where I would choose to live.

Best city ever created in any Elder Scrolls games: with a real background, every NPCs are linked together, many quests... The only city in Skyrim to have two sides too: the "candy" one with honey references everywhere, autumn colours when it's sunny, animated market and a lot of people everywhere in the city... And a darkest one with the thieves guild, the fog, the ratway... Riften is the ultimate Elder Scrolls city!

Great atmosphere through the entire Rift Hold, safely tucked away from the civil war, plus it's home to so many things that you just can't find anywhere else. Unlocking the shops in the Thieves Guild allows for easy smith-farming, and it also has the best house you can buy in the vanilla game. Not to mention tons of quests you can do.

Best town/ city in the game. Lots of interconnected quests, many of which are important to the main game. Good organic feel to the town with all characters interconnecting, and also where you first encounter mjoll the lioness, possibly the strongest follower/potential spouse in the game

Everybody who says the Stormcloaks should take over don't understand lore. Solitude is a beautiful and sunny place. Would recommend to live here.

I'm probably the most wanted person in the land in Solitude. They hate me because I murdered someone. How is that a crime?

Great looking city, has arguably the best Daedric quest for my favorite Daedric prince, it has the best house, and it is home to the Imperial Legion, which I am sided with.

Beautiful old city, I love the moss and flora everywhere, but its not Nordic like the rest, and is just more Cyrodiil, which I don't like at all.

I found that Markarth was the only city to have an atmosphere. There were poor people living in the warrens, forsworn would attack, everybody would be working, it has an amazing investigation quest, which if you complete, a huge sort of civil war breaks out inside the city. Some of the citizens are actually part of a cannibal cult, you can buy war dogs and there are even massive dwemer dungeons in the jarl's keep. Not to mention the huge mountains, waterfalls and unique shrubbery. No other city in Skyrim can compete with Markarth.

Markarth is the only city that isn't perfect, there's corruption, oppression, the forsworn, the silver bloods, and a conspiracy where you can pick your side. Not to mention the coolest looking city, built by the legendary dwemer, and the hold itself is home to so many dungeons and dens that you could spend years on the reach alone.

By far the most unique city in Skyrim. It wonderfully balances the Nordic, Dwemer, and Forsworn cultural influences that the city would have, and aesthetically the stonework, waterfalls, dwemer metal, and unqiue flora make the city very beautiful. It also has some of the most memorable questlines, like The Forsworn conspiracy, House of Horrors, and Breaking into Calcelmo's lab.

Markarth is probably the most oddly designed city, and sticks out among the others. The overall atmosphere of 'Blood and Silver' makes Markarth the perfect city for prospective mercenaries, and makes roleplaying as an adventurer a breeze.

It's a mighty Atmoran city full of hardy Nords. It really fits the fierce and wintry warrior aesthetic of Skyrim, but I wish the city wasn't so run down. Either way, the city represents the tough-as-nails culture of Skyrim. The proud Nordic heritage and architecture is very prevalent in this city, as it is the mighty capital of Skyrim.

At First I hated it. Once the empire took it it became my favorite. I live there now.

Windhelm is average but it has my favorite house Hjerim so that puts it on my top 5.

I don't know why, but I LOVE Windhelm's architecture and weather. Hail Talos and Sheogorath.

This city is GORGEOUS. The pine forest and rural aesthetic it has with the mountains in the background are so beautiful with the small town. It reminds me of Wyoming. Falkreath is almost picturesque.

Nice little town with great side quests, good vendors, a nice house if you have hearthfire, and a scenic nordic atmosphere.

When you download the mod "Perfect Falkreath", the town turns out to be one of the best in Skyrim.

You can build a house there called lakeview manor and it has a daedras best friend which gets you either a really sick axe, or a mask, plus a dog as a follower

Riverwood is no doubt the most beautiful and subtle places to visit. It has everything a village should have. And you can even do side jobs to earn money. It might not have full surrounding walls, but its surrounded by to walls on the sides, tall mountains in the back, and a pretty river. If your looking for a little place to hide out, or just chill, Ruverwood is your place to go.

A big city for the main quest, also very friendly people, great scenery, and many quests. Riverwood was the first city that I came across in Skyrim (besides Helgen) and it was very welcoming.

Beautiful little village in a river valley, surrounded by pine trees. It's a calm and pleasant town, and very pleasing to look at as well. It feels very homey and safe.

It's so peaceful and full of people going about their daily jobs. Easy access to Falkreath and Whiterun and the illinulta. Even home to my wife Carlotta.

The only downside to this magnificent city is that you can't actually live in it...

Heljarchen Hall is too far away dammit!

Dawnstar is so good that it automatically froze the game when 2 frost dragons attacked the city. great m8 I r8 8/8

Who knows how many times I had to save Dawnstar from Frost and Elder Dragons

Me and Jarl wrinkly-face are best buds. I should buy a plot of land and make my beggar kid move there so I can hang out with my Jarly buddy.

Another village overlooking a huge area of Skyrim, since its near the mountains. The bridge itself is also awesome, and the whole atmosphere of Dragon Bridge is great. Definitely an underrated city.

The scenery around the area is beautiful and the bridge looks really cool. This town is really underrated.

Beautiful and interestingly mundane. I can really imagine living there for real.

Biggest city no doubt

Gorgeous little village. The river beside it, and The Throat of The World just ahead really gives the city a great look to it. Just like Falkreath, Rorikstead, and Riverwood it has a rural old Norse aesthetic, and such a clean environment and atmosphere.

Home of most of the Dunmer population of Skyrim, this mining colony features an ebony mine, as well as unique Redoran-themed buildings made of chitin.

Raven Rock is cool it got cool mission like the cool blade and the hammer in you can a warrior pet...

Ok who put helgen up here?! This place is where you died why would you put it up here?! And plus the place is ugly and its occupied by bandits... Not my kinda place.

Rorikstead isn't that great. But it sure as hell is better than this place. Anything is better than Helgen in this game. what people.

Helen is ugly and boring

This place is like 9/11

Quintessential farming village, its small and rural and isolated out in the fields. It feels so separated from the troubles of Skyrim, and calm.

Rorikstead is beautiful and a small quiet town great place to live!

Multiple districts, interactive quests and people... The cities in skyrim are terrible in comparison.

We are talking about Skyrim cities, even if Imperial City is the best city in the franchise.

This is far by the best city we've experienced in the Elder scrolls series. It has shops,gardens,mages and almost 25% of all oblivion quests! It also has that huge arena!

Perfect little place to live especially if you are a miner.

Love this place. Perfect for beginner players.

Great location. Very small spaced beginners dwemer-based home with an amazing overlook.

Small, nice, one person home. Does not include a bed, unfortunately.

Pinewatch's location is absolutely perfect. Also perfect for beginners without a home yet.