Europe attractions

Nestled in the south of France’s Burgundy region, the medieval town of Cluny developed around its 10th-century Benedictine abbey. Today, visitors admire what remains of this once-powerful establishment before discovering the town’s Gothic and Romanesque architecture, church, and other treasures.

A large square located just behind Old Port (Porto Antico), Piazza Caricamento is the entryway to Genoa’s historic city center. This waterfront plaza is generally less crowded than Porto Antico and features ample space to people-watch. The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is the main must-see landmark in the plaza.

Fans of Antonín Dvořák—whose works include the New World Symphony and Slavonic Dances—can learn more about this Czech composer at the Antonín Dvořák Museum (Muzeum Antonina Dvoraka). Take in the collection of scores and manuscripts as well as posters, photos, correspondence, and his instruments, including a viola and piano.

Uncover the tradition behind one of Italy’s most celebrated candies: the sugared almonds (confetti) exchanged at weddings, baptisms, and other important celebrations. The Mucci family has been producing this symbolic sweet for more than a century, and their dedicated museum offers a behind-the-scenes look at the confection’s history.

Munich's Tierpark Hellabrunn, one of the largest zoos in Europe, offers a range of opportunities for encountering animals, from a petting zoo with goats and deer to a “polarium” with penguins and polar bears. The area is organized geographically by continents and the natural habitats of the animals.

One of the tallest peaks in the Picentini Mountains, Mt. Terminio (Monte Terminio) is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and families in summer, when its scenic trails offer a respite from the heat and crowds of Sorrento and Naples. Visitors can explore the trails on foot or horseback to enjoy the summit views, or join a guided truffle hunt.

In the Golden Sands resort town up the coast from Varna, Aquapolis is a 10-acre (4-hectare) landscaped water park with a lazy river, pools, and a number of slides. Besides adults’ and children’s areas, the extreme zone boasts the Kamikaze, a slide delivering speeds of up to 37 mph (60 kph). There are a number of food options on-site.

Outdoor exhibits surround a long and dark mining tunnel at the Open-Air Mining Museum near Banska Stiavnica. See exhibits on the mine’s history and a short movie before heading underground to experience what was once the lifeblood of central Slovakia. It is an interactive experience that is quite popular among families with kids.

The Space City (Cite de l'Espace) lets you realize your dreams of visiting space without having to undergo years of astronaut training. Here, you can explore inside a space station or space rocket; try on a space suit; and experience the sensation of walking on the moon.

Explore the world of doll art and teddy bears at Artlandya, an unconventional museum unlike any other in Europe. Wander through a traditional Canary Island house filled with over 600 dolls and teddies made from porcelain, felt, wood, and other materials, then stop by the adjoining workshop for a crash course in porcelain doll-making.

The best deals in Budapest might just be hidden in the city's Ecseri Flea Market (Ecseri Piac, a vendor-packed hub for fans of all things antique and vintage. You can explore the stalls and look out for the perfect souvenir. Find everything from Communist-era relics to Hungarian lacework and Bohemian glass, just outside the city center.

Home to one of the most dazzling spiral staircases in Italy, the 16th-century Barozzi Palace (Palazzo Barozzi) is by far the main attraction of sleepy Vignola—a town just outside Modena. Take a jaunt through the area’s famed cherry orchards and admire the elegant structure, created by Renaissance architect Jacopo Barozzi.

While its name may translate as New Street, Jauniela Street (Jauniela) certainly doesn’t look all that new, thanks to the assortment of pastel buildings that line its cobblestones. The street is regarded as one of Riga Old Town’s prettiest, but it’s also one of the city’s liveliest, home to many hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Karwendel Alpine Park (Alpenpark Karwendel) sprawls over 270 square miles (700 square kilometers), making it the largest nature park in Austria. The park is made up of 11 protected areas, characterized by wild rivers, ancient forests, and rugged peaks, which visitors can experience on hikes and tours.

Home to over 250 model ships, as well as numerous naval objects and artworks, the Monaco Naval Museum was founded in 1993. Drawn from the collection of shipbuilding enthusiast Professor Claude Pallanca and supplemented with artifacts owned by Prince Rainier III, it remains one of the city’s most fascinating and unusual institutions.

Escape the city for the wilderness at the Hanover Adventure Zoo (Erlebnis Zoo Hannover), where themed zones re-create some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife destinations. Animal lovers can travel from Canada's Yukon Bay to the African Savannah or the Australian Outback and spot more than 3,000 animals—all within the city limits.

The San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Art (Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes San Fernando) is both a world-class arts institution and museum, located in the heart of Madrid. Known primarily for its numerous Goya paintings, the museum's collection also boasts thousands of works of European fine art, decorative pieces, and sculpture.

On the shores of Lake Como overlooking the Valtellina and Valchiavenna mountains, Forte Montecchio Nord is Italy’s only intact fort dating from World War I. Modern history enthusiasts will enjoy learning about Italy’s role in the Great War by exploring the fort’s powder room, subterranean tunnels, barracks, and original Schneider guns.

The town walls of Cittadella, a 13th-century town in the Veneto, are a rare example of medieval defensive walls that retain a practical, well-preserved parapet walk. Visitors can walk the ancient Rhonda Walkway (Camminamento di Ronda) along one of Europe’s most beautiful defensive structures and admire the town from various vantage points.

Devoted to the world of hearing, Audioversum—Science Center is a high-tech, interactive, family-friendly museum. Walk through core exhibits like a giant 3D ear and a virtual reality sound labyrinth, try games to test your hearing, and experience the soundproof Scream Box to measure the volume of a shout.

The Natural History Museum (Museum für Naturkunde), one of Berlin’s oldest museums, is home to more than 30 million specimens that show the evolution of life on planet Earth. Here you will find an array of exhibitions about natural history—including mounted dinosaur skeletons, minerals, birds, and native animals—and the solar system.

Dedicated to everyday life under the Iron Curtain, this small and quirky museum in Szentendre gives visitors a glimpse at Hungarian household objects, automobiles, toys, and electronics dating back to Communist-era times in the 1970s and 1980s. The time-warp collection is a hit with Gen X Hungarians and history buffs of all nationalities.

Set on 10 acres (4 hectares) on the outskirts of Sofia, the National Museum of Military History pays tribute to Bulgaria’s past glories. An impressive selection of mainly Soviet-designed military hardware includes tanks and fighters. Inside, displays cover art, weapons, uniforms, and insignia, alongside a bookstore, a café, and a library.

At the Old Port in Marseilles, the L-shaped Place aux Huiles is where boats filled with barrels of olive oil would float up a canal once here. Now paved over to make a wide avenue, the relaxing pedestrian-only square is lined with some of the best restaurants and bars in town.

Treppenviertel, in Hamburg's Blankenese district, is known for its Mediterranean–style atmosphere and picturesque scenery. This small and affluent neighborhood features over 5,000 stairs, winding alleyways, and charming riverside villas with views of the Elbe River. Originally a fishing village, it has since become a popular residential area. Visitors are drawn to its distinctive architecture and the romantic walking paths along the riverside.

On the island of Fuerteventura, this zoological park is home to about 3,000 animals representing 250 species, including large savanna animals such as hippos, elephants, and giraffes. You can watch zookeeper demonstrations, with sea lions, parrots, and birds of prey, and also admire the plant life in the park, including the largest cactus garden in Europe.

Located on the French Basque coast south of Biarritz, Saint-Jean-De-Luz is a former fishing village turned destination resort town. The site of King Louis XIV's marriage to Marie-Thérèse of Austria in 1660, Saint-Jean-De-Luz is today home to a bustling harbor, a golden, sandy beach, and pedestrianized shopping and dining streets.

One of Germany’s largest caves, the Atta Cave (also known as the Atta-Höhle, or Attendorn Dripstone Cave) is a magnificent world of caverns, rock formations, and other subterranean wonders. Accidentally discovered by limestone quarrymen in 1907, the cave is a major tourist destination, and attracts more than 350,000 visitors each year.

The Altes Museum, or Old Museum, is the oldest structure on Berlin’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed Museum Island. The neoclassical building was built in 1830 to resemble the Pantheon in Rome, and today its 18 Ionic columns welcome visitors to experience its collection, featuring artifacts from the ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan eras.

Housed in the 20th-century Chamonix Palace, the Alpine Museum (or Le Musee Alpin celebrates the history of the Chamonix Valley and notable ascents of Mont Blanc. The museum’s collection of vintage mountain climbing equipment, old photographs, and maps draw visitors interested in mountaineering history and the development of tourism in the valley.