Mons is the capital of Walloon province called Hainaut. After town was fortified in 12th century, it became an attractive place to live and developed itself into a rich town of fine architecture. Mons has quite a turbulent past, being a target of attacks by neighbours. This went into 20th century too: the battle of Mons was one of key elements of World War I, and during World War II the town was heavily bombed. Nowadays Mons enjoys the period of peace and its cultural importance is acknowledged by European Commission that named Mons a European Cultural Capital in 2015.

A castle since 976, a town since 1295, and a Baroque architecture gem since the end of 17th century - this is Plzeň. But it's also an important commercial centre of Bohemia - from medieval trade hub it evolved into the beer-making capital of Czechs in the early 19th century, and then, into the car manufacturing superpower. Local sort of beer, Pilsner, became a generic term, while Škoda cars, trams and locomotive are a common site anywhere in Europe. The town is elected as a European Cultural Capital for 2015.