Europe attractions

Snaking around Kotor Old Town and the mountain behind it, Kotor’s UNESCO-protected walls have guarded this well-preserved city since the Middle Ages. Mainly built between the 4th and 14th centuries, tourists walk along them to see the mountainside St. John’s Fortress and spectacular panoramas over Kotor and the Bay of Kotor beyond.

Located within Buda Castle, the Castle Museum has served as headquarters for the Budapest History Museum—with several locations across the city—since 1967. More than 2,000 years of the capital’s history are present across the museum's five permanent exhibitions spaces, through multimedia displays, restored rooms, and ancient artifacts.

The Gibraltar Cable Car is a fun and quick way to get to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar—one of the country’s best known landmarks and the world’s second-tallest freestanding rock monolith. At the top you’ll find the Upper Rock Nature Reserve and a community of the semi-wild Barbary macaques.

Regularly dubbed one of the world’s best beaches, this long sweep of blonde sand sits at the northeastern corner of Mallorca, one of Spain’s sun-kissed Balearic Islands. Covering just under 4 miles (6 kilometers), the beach is popular with families who come to enjoy its far-reaching shallow waters and soft sands, and relax in the beach clubs, hotels, and restaurants that throng the shores.

When the 16th-century Palazzo Valentini underwent a major renovation in 2005, the remains of two ancient Roman villas, thermal baths, and a public building—likely a temple—were discovered underneath the palace. Because the site was buried for centuries, the Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini is remarkably well-preserved today. Marvel at original staircases, frescoes, mosaics, and inlaid marble floors with a multimedia tour.

Take time out from the bustling city streets with a visit to the Walker Art Gallery, home to a diverse collection of artwork that spans eight centuries. Peruse masterpieces by artists, such as Monet, Rembrandt, and David Hockney, and enjoy an experience in the Big Art for Little Artists gallery, a hands-on space designed for young children.

France’s longest and oldest canal, the Canal du Midi is both a feat of civil engineering and a popular sightseeing destination in the southern Occitanie region. Built by engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet in the late 17th century, the 150-mile (240-kilometer) waterway connects the Mediterranean with the Atlantic Ocean via the Garonne Canal.

This French Riviera city’s glamor is on full display at the Port of Cannes, whose docks are crowded with sleek motorboats, elegant sailboats, and luxurious yachts. Even if you’re not setting sail, the harbor—also known as the Old Port (Vieux Port)—is worth visiting in its own right, with its canopied cafés along the Quai Saint-Pierre and close proximity to La Croisette promenade and Le Suquet, the city’s historic quarter.

From the island monastery of Mont Saint Michel to the Palace of Versailles, the France Miniature theme park on the outskirts of Paris is home to all of France’s most beloved tourist attractions and historical monuments—in miniature! More than a hundred 1:30 scale models are displayed in the park, laid out in a map of France, along with plenty of fun, interactive games and rides for children.

Straddling the border between Austria and Germany, Untersberg is the highest peak above Salzburg and offers sweeping views of the city, the Rositten Valley; and the Salzburg, Bavarian, and Tyrolean mountain ranges. This flat-topped peak in the Berchtesgaden Alps is a popular destination for hikers in the summer and skiers in the winter.

One of Lithuania’s most treasured cultural monuments, the Pazaislis Monastery is a popular destination for religious pilgrims, artists, and secular tourists. The monastery is the largest in Lithuania and revered as one of the finest examples of Italian baroque-style architecture in Northern Europe. Visitors are welcome to tour the monastery grounds and attend church services and special pilgrimage events.

Set on Lake Mälaren in Sweden’s scenic Lakeland region, Sigtuna is Sweden’s oldest town and was originally populated by Vikings. While strong remnants of the town’s Viking origins remain, Sigtuna is now full of brightly painted wooden townhouses, narrow streets, restaurants, and hotels.

The island of Mallorca is home to more than 200 caves and the Cuevas del Ham, or Caves of Hams, are one of the most popular to visit. Located along an underground river called the Sea of Venice, these caves are notable for their spiral and hook-shaped stalactites. Many travelers visit these caves during a multi-destination day trip.

Smugglers once hid their spoils in these 100,000-year-old natural caves in the bay of Puerto de San Miguel. Housing stalactites and stalagmites, fossils, and a 30-foot (9-meter) subterranean waterfall, illuminated with colorful lights, the cave’s exit affords spectacular panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding coastline.

Berlin’s extensive Jewish Museum (Jüdisches Museum) explores the history of Jewish people in Germany. By telling stories through personal objects, the museum closely examines the events of the past, including the persecution of Jews throughout Europe and the Holocaust.

Set inside an elegant Georgian mansion, Bishop’s Palace covers the history of Waterford from 1700-1970. Its collections include many rare and precious objects, including the only surviving mourning cross of the 12 commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte’s mother, and the Penrose Decanter, the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal.

A one-time capital of Croatia, Varazdin lies in the forested hills of the country’s northern Zagorje region, near its borders with Slovenia and Hungary. With its baroque townhouses, cobbled streets, museums, and medieval Varazdin Castle—called the Old Town (Stari Grad)—the town has plenty to offer sightseers and history buffs.

Palmengarten is considered one of Germany’s best botanical gardens. In the late 19th century, architect Heinrich Siesmayer built the gardens to house the Duke of Nassau’s exotic plant collection. Today, the gardens showcase thousands of specimens that range from local flowers to rare tropical varieties.

Charles de Gaulle is one of the most celebrated Frenchmen of the past few centuries—and Lille’s Birthplace of Charles de Gaulle (Maison Natale de Charles de Gaulle) offers a glimpse into the early years of the French general and statesman. Visit his birthplace-turned-museum to see family keepsakes, documents, and other mementos.

Home to some of the UK’s most impressive archaeological collections, the award-winning Salisbury Museum is impressive both inside and out. Admire a 30,000-year-old meteorite, some of the country’s oldest gold artefacts, Victorian-era ceramics, and more in the Grade I Listed King’s House.

This 870-meter (2850 foot mountain southeast of central Zurich offers tourists and locals a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Known for its striking Alpine panoramas, seasonal sports trails, and mountain-top restaurant, easy-to-access Uetliberg remains a must-visit on any Zurich itinerary.

Covering 64 acres (26 hectares in central Strasbourg, the Orangerie Park (Parc de l’Orangerie is the city’s oldest and biggest public park. Dating from the 18th century—and some claim—planted in 1804 to the plans of Versailles’ garden landscaper, André Le Nôtre, it offers flower-lined lawns, a lake, pavilion, stork sanctuary, and family attractions.

Stretching from the Circus and Heliport to the Columbus Hotel, Monaco’s Fontvieille Park offers a welcome green space within the highly populated principality. Situated in a separate area within the park is the Princess Grace Memorial Rose Garden, an oasis of natural beauty and calm.

A walk through Milan’s Fashion Quarter is a great way to see the city’s highest high fashion. Along with Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni (officially Via Alessandro Manzoni) is one of the best drags for window-shopping the latest and greatest haute couture. Though unlike the other two streets, Via Manzoni permits vehicles and leads to the famous Teatro alla Scala.

Home to more than 30 rides and family-friendly attractions, Thorpe Park Resort is one of the UK’s major theme parks. Situated 20 miles (32 kilometers southwest of London, its draws include fast-rolling coasters; high-speed water aerial and water rides, and gentler amusements ideal for the younger ones.

The Exotic Garden of Monaco (Jardin Exotique de Monaco) is an open-air display of succulent plants from arid regions around the world—namely the Americas, Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. At the base of the cliff is the Observatory Cave, a large cavern fit for visitors and local spelunkers to explore its prehistoric rock formations.

Opened in 1930, the Cambridge Theatre is a stalwart of London’s West End drama scene with an opulent interior that’s as stylish as its sleek exterior. While it’s hosted a range of shows over the years, it’s best known for Matilda the Musical, an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story that’s been charming kids and adults alike since 2011.

Set on a hillside outside Segovia, the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (La Granja) was built in the 18th century by Philip V. Formerly a royal hunting ground and later royal residence and summer retreat, the baroque palace offers one of the best examples of a French formal garden in Spain, complete with sculptural fountains.

The Musée du Luxembourg holds an important place in Parisian cultural heritage: It was the first public painting gallery in the capital and, later, its first museum of contemporary art. The museum is housed within the Orangery, a standalone building in the Luxembourg Gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg), and hosts temporary exhibitions twice a year, making it a must-visit for traveling art lovers.

A Prussian fortification built between 1815 and 1834, the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (Festung Ehrenbreitstein) is one of Germany’s best-known historic military landmarks. Poised some 387 feet (118 meters) above the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, the fortress is part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site.