Europe attractions

With rugged mountains in the north and gentle rolling hills in the south, the Isle of Arran encapsulates the diverse beauty of the Scottish landscape. Visitors will find an array of attractions, including Neolithic standing stones, pretty fishing villages, castles, whisky distilleries, and beaches, as well as numerous hiking trails.

Sculpted from pink sandstone and crowned by a lantern-shaped tower, St. Martin’s Church (Eglise St-Martin) has been watching over Colmar since the late 13th century. At the gateway to the Old Town, the landmark church is surrounded by Colmar’s characteristic cobbled lanes and half-timbered buildings.

Famed photojournalist and wartime photographer Robert Capa's namesake photography center is a cutting-edge arts’ space celebrating the image, image-making, and Hungarian photography. Find contemporary work, historic photos, and rotating visual arts exhibitions—all housed in a grand, art nouveau building steps from bustling Andrássy Avenue.

Tours’ Old Town (Vieux Tours) features medieval-era winding streets, half-timbered homes dating back to the 14th century, and a bustling square. Just a short stroll from the Loire riverfront, it’s the city’s atmospheric central hub.

One of the largest castles overlooking Germany’s Moselle River, Cochem Castle (Reichsburg Cochem) boasts more than a millennium of history. Rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in the 19th century after a period of ruin, the castle is a popular destination for history lovers and families, particularly during its medieval and Christmas festivals.

Having begun as one of the world’s largest sand sculpture festivals, Antalya’s Sandland is now a year-round sand sculpture museum. Artists use tons of sand to create gigantic sculptures along the shores of Lara Beach, with up to 100 artworks centered on a different theme each year.

Oasys Mini Hollywood transports visitors to the Wild West. This former movie set, used for films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, has been transformed into a cowboy-themed amusement park complete with mock shootouts and a saloon with can-can dancers. A zoological park and aquatic zone round out the offerings.

Towering 3,209 feet (978 meters over the Lake District National Park, Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. The peak is one of a string of high fells that run between Wast Water and Buttermere lakes, including the nearby High Stile, Red Pike, and Great End.

At the tip of a peninsula where Atlantic waves crash ceaselessly into sea cliffs, Mizen Head is one of Ireland’s most spectacular headlands. Mizen Head offers a visitor center and walking trails to explore, and it is home to the 1909-built Mizen Head Signal Station, which sits atop a rock connected to the mainland by a narrow footbridge.

Aquapalace Prague is a fun, family-friendly attraction that’s ideal for cooling off in the summer, staying warm in the winter, or sheltering from a wet day. With pools, fountains, waterslides, spas, saunas, a fitness center, medical spa facilities, restaurants, bars, and a hotel, any kind of traveler can find something to enjoy here.

Silent Night (Stille Nacht in German is one of the world’s favorite Christmas carols. And priest Joseph Mohr and organist Franz Xaver Gruber composed it in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, a little town near Salzburg. The Silent Night Chapel (Stille Nacht Kapelle, built on the spot where the magic happened, commemorates their work.

A branch of Budapest's Museum of Fine Arts, the Victor Vasarely Museum showcases the creations of its Hungarian-born namesake, from early drawings to later kinetic works. Art lovers can visit this charming Buda museum to admire the renovated, 18th-century building and view pieces widely considered seminal to the optic art movement.

The Twelve Bens range rises on the horizon while fishing boats bob in the water at the picturesque Roundstone Harbour. Behind the harbor is Roundstone village, a colorful cluster of houses, craft shops, and galleries, as well as pubs, cafes, and restaurants specializing in seafood hauled in fresh from the Atlantic.

Glittering performances at Folies Bergère have attracted tourists and Parisians alike for over 150 years—and the show very much goes on. Legendary names have graced its stage, including Josephine Baker and Jean Gabin, while today’s shows range from concerts to musicals, comedy and dance. The exquisite theater itself is just as impressive, with art deco flourishes, and backstage areas are accessible to the public on occasional behind-the-scenes tours.

Salt Mountain, deep in Catalonia’s countryside, was once one of the world’s most important salt mines. Visitors to the Salt Mountain Cultural Park (El Parque Cultural de la Montana de Sal) can tour the 280-foot (85-meter) deep mine to see its beautiful formations, such as jagged stalactites, stalagmites, and deposits of various minerals, including potassium salt. Streaks of gray and reddish-brown salts enhance the mountain cave’s natural beauty, while a museum showcases the machinery once used in its heyday.

Whether you’re climbing aboard a life-size mechanical elephant, riding on a carousel of fantastical sea creatures, or operating a flying machine, a visit to Les Machines de L'île is probably unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Inspired by the creations of novelist Jules Verne, Nantes’ flagship attraction is fun for all ages.

The former home of Irish politician Daniel O’Connell, Derrynane House is packed with period furnishings and exhibits related to the statesman, who campaigned for Catholic emancipation in the 19th century. The house sits within Derrynane National Historic Park, which encompasses woodland trails, walled gardens, and scenic shoreline.

The city’s small, free Gladiator Museum, tucked below a gift shop on Piazza Navona, illuminates the world of Rome’s ancient gladiators through a showcase of warrior weapons and armor. Information panels guide you through a century-spanning journey that spans from the seventh century BC to the fourth century AD, with plenty of swords, helmets, armor, and other accoutrements along the way.

The Edinburgh Cruise Port at Leith—the largest enclosed deepwater port in Scotland—welcomes large cruise ships just northwest of Edinburgh on the River Forth. Conveniently situated just minutes from Edinburgh proper, this port is a popular jumping-off point for trips to the city's Old Town, medieval castle, and other historic attractions.

When Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, Soviet monuments were destroyed throughout the country. Grutas Park was founded in 2001 by a local entrepreneur to preserve some of them. This Soviet theme park is not without controversy, as it includes recreations of Soviet prison camps and communist memorabilia.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Birmingham combines massive collections of LEGO® bricks with amusement park–style action to create the ultimate LEGO lovers’ paradise. Here, you can build race cars, watch movies at a 4D cinema, try out VR experiences, go on LEGO–themed rides, and spot miniature versions of Birmingham’s famous landmarks inside the interactive Miniland® city. For the youngest visitors, there are soft-play areas and a DUPLO® zone, too.

Centered on the work of pioneering Greek jeweler Ilias Lalaounis (1920–2013) and housed in his former home, the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum also hosts exhibitions of art, glass, jewelry, and more by other artists. In addition to 4,500 examples of Lalaounis’ classically influenced gold pieces, the diverse permanent collection displays works from as far afield as India and as far back as the 18th century, as well as pieces by modern jewelers.

It may no longer be a working brewery, but the Old Estrella Damm Brewery (Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm) still invites visitors to see old equipment and machinery once used on-site, learn about the history of Barcelona’s iconic beer brand through the permanent exhibit of its historical archive, and, of course, sample different beers. The space also hosts cultural and musical events, including shows, concerts, and festivals.

Housed in the 17th-century palace that was once the Pezzoli family residence, this house-museum contains one of Milan's most prestigious collections. It’s a treasure trove of paintings by Botticelli, Bellini, and Mantegna, as well as decorative art, armor, and ancient artifacts accrued by Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli in the 19th century.

Let loose at Aqualand El Arenal, Mallorca’s biggest water park. Situated just south of Palma on the island’s west coast, this popular park is stacked with slides, pools, and amusements for all ages and tastes, from adults who simply want to relax to teens wanting to brave daredevil rides.

SEA LIFE® Scheveningen is an indoor/outdoor aquarium with a wide variety of underwater creatures, from fish, sharks, and sea turtles to otters and penguins. Here, visitors of all ages can learn about life under the sea, watch feedings, or even interact with sea life through a variety of educational experiences.

Franz Schubert’s 18th-century birthplace is now a small but excellent museum dedicated to the composer's life and work. Delve into Schubert’s musical training and development with Schubert Geburtshaus’ collection of first-edition sheet music, antique instruments, and listening stations with recordings of his music.

Right in the historic center of Lisieux, this Gothic cathedral has roots dating back to 1150—it replaced a Romanesque cathedral on the same spot that’d been built a century before. One of the earliest examples of Gothic architecture in France, Lisieux Cathedral is now preserved as a National Monument and is associated with Thérèse of Lisieux, a 19th-century nun.

The world’s largest indoor waterpark (and one of the largest buildings in the world), Germany’s Tropical Islands Resort offers beachy thrills just shy of virtual reality. In this spot the size of eight football fields, visitors will feel like they’re in the middle of a jungle-y, waterslide-filled Caribbean island—when they’re really an hour south of Berlin.

With more than 40 water slides and attractions to choose from, there’s fun for all ages at Aqualand Maspalomas on Gran Canaria. Relax on a lazy river, bob in a wave pool, race friends and family on multi-lane slides, or experience the high speeds and curves of Snake Falls or Anaconda. Kidzworld caters to younger visitors.