A series of impressionistic travel sketches visits a dozen European cities at successive hours, portraying streets, landmarks, and local life with atmospheric detail. Each chapter pairs a specific hour with a city and concentrates on sensory impressions, crowd scenes, and the author's memories and reflections stirred by particular sights. The writing emphasizes concise vignettes, national peculiarities lightly sketched, and illustrations accompany many pieces. Overall it aims to convey the character and daily rhythms of each place rather than a continuous narrative.