Things to do in  Europe

The Colosseum has been a symbol of Rome since 80 AD, and it remains a top monument in Italy today. Some 50,000 spectators once gathered in the amphitheater’s tiered seats to watch gladiator games. Though parts of the original marble facade were pilfered over the years to build the likes of [St. Peter’s Basilica (https://www.viator.com/Rome-attractions/St-Peters-Basilica/d511-a708), the Colosseum remains remarkably intact 2,000 years later.

Michelangelo’s spectacular 16th-century ceiling frescoes are the biggest draw to the Sistine Chapel, one of the most celebrated and visited sights in Italy. The monumental The Last Judgment, which covers the apse wall, is one of the artist’s best-known works and an influential masterpiece in art history. The chapel also holds works by Sandro Botticelli and Pinturicchio, Michelangelo’s predecessors, and serves as a glorious homage to Renaissance art.

Home to some of Italy’s most important art collections—from paintings and sculptures to tapestries and classical antiquities—the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) are among the country’s top attractions. Explore the Pinacoteca, Egyptian Museum, Gallery of Tapestries, Pius-Clementine Museum, and Gallery of Maps, before admiring the crown jewels in the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina), famed for Michelangelo’s ceiling and The Last Judgment.

The enormous St. Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) dominates Vatican City, and its dome can be seen from all over Rome. Built on the site of St. Peter’s crucifixion, it’s the epicenter of the Catholic Church and sits atop many papal tombs. The lavishly adorned basilica is the largest church in Italy, and it’s also a museum full of priceless works of art—including Michelangelo’s sublime Pietà and Bernini’s bronze baldachin on the high altar.

An iconic symbol of Paris (and all of France), the Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks on earth. Gustave Eiffel designed the 1,050-foot (320-meter) iron tower to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution, and it was once the world’s tallest structure. View the architectural icon from afar, or visit its three observation levels for stellar city views.

Sagrada Família, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Antoni Gaudí’s magnum opus, is the most iconic structure in Barcelona (and the most popular, with nearly 3 million visitors per year). Construction has been ongoing for more than 130 years, and the surreal structure, with its rainbow-hued stained glass windows, is slated for completion in 2026. Even in its unfinished state, it remains an absolute must-see for every visitor to the Catalan capital.

A sprawling mass of ruins, the Roman Forum (Foro Romano) was once the center of the Roman Empire, with temples, courts, and basilicas in full swing until falling into ruin around AD 410. Abandoned for centuries and plundered for its marble, the site can be a challenge to interpret without an archaeologist guide. Despite its deterioration, this archaeological treasure just steps from the Colosseum is one of the most important attractions in Rome.

Vatican City may be the smallest independent state on Earth, but it’s a religious and cultural superpower. Home to some of the world’s greatest artistic and architectural marvels—namely St. Peter’s Basilica and its dome designed by Michelangelo, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums—it’s also the headquarters of the Catholic Church. Surrounded by Italy’s capital on all sides, Vatican City is one of the top attractions in Rome.

The Louvre is home to a 35,000-strong collection of paintings and sculptures. Among the largest, most-visited museums in the world, the Paris powerhouse was established during the French Revolution. Today, the contemporary glass Louvre Pyramid heralds the museum’s entrance, which millions of tourists flock to every year to feast their eyes on masterpieces that span from antiquity to the 20th century.

Of Rome’s seven legendary hills, Palatine Hill (Palatino) is the most important in the capital’s history and lore: It is said that Romulus and Remus founded Rome on this hilltop, and many of the city’s most important archaeological sites dating from ancient times are located here. These include lavish imperial residences, such as the House of Augustus (Casa di Augustus), and later additions, including the 16th-century Farnese Gardens offering beautiful views over the city.

One of the world’s most enigmatic tourist attractions, this UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of an inner and outer circle of gigantic stones built between the Neolithic era and the Bronze Age. The earliest part of the structure was just the outer bank and ditch, while the stones came later. Although Stonehenge’s original purpose remains unknown, onlookers gather to admire the sarsen stone circles and ponder their astronomical, spiritual, or even supernatural meaning.

A wonder of ancient Greece, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, the Acropolis is the star attraction of Athens. Dramatically perched on a jagged clifftop—the so-called sacred rock—the ruins overlook the modern city of Athens and date back to as early as 510 BC.

The heart of Vatican City is St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro), a grand plaza providing visitors with a magnificent approach to St. Peter’s Basilica. Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century, the semicircular Piazza San Pietro is lined by hundreds of statue-topped columns. Walk through on your way to the Vatican Museums or while taking an obligatory photo of St. Peter’s dome.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is the resting place for some 1.5 million people, as the site once served as a concentration camp and extermination site of the European Jewish community during World War II. Today, Auschwitz-Birkenau is an important historical area, allowing visitors to reflect on the monumental horrors that occurred during the Holocaust.

Second only to the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of Paris’ most iconic attractions, a marvel of medieval architecture that was immortalized in Victor Hugo’s classic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Today—after a lengthy restoration following the devastating 2019 fire that nearly destroyed it—the UNESCO World Heritage Site once more reigns supreme from the Île de la Cité, an island in the middle of the Seine River.