I have around 200 hours in playing Skyrim, and I KNOW I have less than 2 hours of it in Markarth or anywhere near it. Not sure why, but the whole Hold is just boring to me. Maybe it's all the mountains and valleys making travel difficult, or that I just don't care about the Forsworn as bad guys, but as far as I'm concerned, that whole Hold may as well not be on the map.

I like all the areas in Skyrim, the Reach isn't exactly my favourite neither but there's some places what look amazing and the Dwarven ruins look good there unlike other places.

Though I really don't like the volcanic wasteland in Eastmarch.

Wow, that is actually my favorite city, and I think the surrounding area is beautiful To each his own!

I finally bought the house available in Markarth recently, so have spent a bit more time in the city and have grown to like it. I love the architecture there, much like I love the Dwemer ruins.

Markarth is my least fav town for sure. The town itself is so oddly constructed that it takes me forever to find anything in it.

I didnt like the Reach at first either, but recently I have had alot of fun in that difficult terrain doing quests that were clogging up my journal. Regular actions like just moving around are a chore in the reach. Like coming to the edge of the Karth River canyon, looking to the other side at what pass I need to reach to get into the Whiterun hold and then trying to actually get to it. That can be an adventure all to itself, and I kind of dig it.

I like it more than dawnstar, it's a matter of tastes I guess

The trouble with Markarth is that it's so much out on a limb, unless you're directed there by a quest, you're not going to frequent it all that often.

The first time I got there it was only after
The city and the Reach in general are by far the most scenic in the game.

markarth is tough to navigate when you first enter it, but, just like every game, after you spend some time in the city you learn the layout and all the shortcuts.

i actually have fun seeing how quick i can get from the top of the city to the front gate by jumping, falling and sprinting, lol.

I find the Reach much more appealing when the ground is littered with Hot Naked Breton Chicks.

Markarth is my favorite city and Vindrel Hall is the best looking house in the game (IMO). The problem is that the place is horribly set up to live in so I end up not spending a lot of time there either. For example, Honeyside in Riften is well set up in terms of shops/trading opportunities, so it seems like no matter what goals I begin with, I always end up living there. In Markarth the smithing area is on the other side of town and there's what, three shops in entire place? Two of which are on the other side of town. It's too bad they made such a neat looking place that's so poorly functional.

This also has the result of that area of the map ending up being under-explored by me (although at this point there isn't a lot I haven't seen).

Me too... I just find being forced into a questline simply by entering a city to be one of those "oh, come on" moments. Why does a murder happen right when I get to town... right at the front gates. It's too big of a stretch of my suspension of disbelief.

if you get the fence and invest you can up the total pretty nicely.

For me, its not like I dislike those smaller towns... Winterhold, Dawnstar etc. they are just small and blah.
Markarth is something else. I actually dislike having to go there, and when I do it's only for a quest or somesuch. I would never buy a house there or spend any more time then I have to.

wait, winterhold's a town? lol

I love the layout of the house but it's so dark and I hate the town.Everything is so far apart with nothing interesting in between.

I only truly know my way around whiterun, windhelm, solitude, riften and markath.
Extremely rarely have I visited dawnstar, falkreath, morthal and I cant even remember the name of the other 1 off the top off my head. I've played 400+ hours and cannot name 1 npc from any of these 4. Its probably the lack of stores in these settlements. Maybe they have some quests or things of interest but I just never actually bother to go visit them

I quite like the area but the hold does feel a little too empty at times - although it is home to several superb dungeons.

When I first started I would avoid it like the plague but overall the last 6 months I have grown to like it a lot

Markarth is definitely my favorite town. I love the scenery, and theres actually something happening there. I also like the Reach in general. The town I dont like is Windhelm. Its so bleak and dreary.

I don't go to Markarth because I don't like the force quest on us.

I know Markarth well after 3 full playthroughs but I still don't like it. I do what I have to there and leave. It's not the terrain so much as the town itself. The people are all very unwelcoming and the layout is horrible. I wish there was an option to befriend the Forsworn and have them take over Markarth again.

Markarth and the reach are graphical masterpieces in my opinion.

Befriend the Forsworns and take over Markarth ? that would have been great..but i sincerely think that Bethesda have already some ideas about it.

Really? The Forsworn were probably the most interesting side-story in the game...

Probably you've misunderstood what i'm saying ...

'Cause i'm supporting the Forsworns and the Falmer repeatedly here

It's pretty, I'll give it that. But it would be prettier with a bit less Silver-Bloods. Three less, to be exact.