Europe attractions

One of Barcelona’s most fanciful buildings, Casa Batlló is a creation by celebrated Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Some visitors know the UNESCO World Heritage Site as the House of Bones for its skeletal columns, while others think its rippling, mosaic-covered facade symbolizes the sea. Come up with your interpretation on a visit—and don’t miss the interior’s exquisite tile work or undulating walls and ceilings.

The London Eye offers panoramic views of Central London from its location on the South Bank of the River Thames (including the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, just opposite). The 443-foot (135-meter) Ferris wheel was built to mark the millennium, and it has since become one of the most popular paid tourist attractions in the United Kingdom.

Thingvellir National Park sits in a rift valley along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American tectonic plate and Eurasian tectonic plate are drifting apart. A remarkable (and active) volcanic landscape of gorges, waterfalls, lakes, and more, the park offers endless recreation opportunities: hiking trails, camping, snorkeling, diving, and fishing. In 2004, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a popular stop on Iceland’s Golden Circle route.

More than 30 fountains dot the gardens of Versailles, the most famous being the Apollo fountain, with its horses and chariot, and the Neptune fountain featuring the god of the oceans with his wife. Built in the 17th century, when water was a scarce commodity, the Versailles Fountains (Les Fontaines) were a lavish show of Louis XIV’s wealth and power.

No matter where you are in Florence, chances are you’ll spot this famous Duomo, a defining element of the city’s history, geography, and identity. Beneath its red-tiled dome lies Florence’s largest church, officially called the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. The Duomo complex, which houses the Opera del Duomo Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo), the Florence Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni), and Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto), is the city’s most famous landmark.

One of the most famous sights in all of Tuscany—perhaps all of Italy—stands in the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. This grassy expanse is home to the city’s cathedral complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Duomo, Monumental Cemetery, and Opera del Duomo Museum. The headliner, however, is the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Towering between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the Arch of Constantine remains one of the most impressive ancient monuments in Rome, nearly 2,000 years after its construction. At 69 feet (21 meters) tall, it is the largest triumphal arch in Rome, and the latest built of those standing in the city. Decorated with reliefs and inscriptions praising the achievements of Constantine, this much-photographed landmark is a highlight of ancient Rome tours.

The Anne Frank House (Anne Frankhuis) in Amsterdam was where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II. Overlooking a canal called Prinsengracht, it’s now a museum dedicated to preserving her legacy. Take a self-guided tour through the attic and see personal items belonging to Anne and her family, plus film clips and photographs. You can also watch films about Anne’s life and hear talks by experts on topics such as anti-Semitism in the auditorium. The Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions, and booking your tickets in advance is highly recommended.

More than 500 years in the making, Milan Duomo is the city’s grand cathedral that’s resplendent with its Gothic gargoyles, spires, statues, and pinnacles. Many visit it to discover its wow factor rather than its religious significance, soaking up the views that sweep from its rooftop terraces over Milan. A museum and small archaeological area are also on-site.

Built on a hill overlooking Granada and set against a backdrop of the Sierra Nevada, the Alhambra (Alhambra de Granada) is a sprawling complex of intricately decorated palaces, pristine gardens, and a once-mighty fortress. With its mix of Renaissance and Moorish architecture, the Alhambra Palace is the most sought-after attraction for visitors to Granada, sitting high on most must-see lists for Andalucia and Spain.

Santorini’s Red Beach is not your average white-sand beauty. Rather, it’s a narrow, pebbly stretch hemmed in by high rust-red cliffs and scattered with large volcanic rocks. Together with the sapphire blue waters of the Aegean Sea, these volcanic features create a natural color palette that draws photographers to its shores. It’s particularly striking due to its proximity to White Beach.

Edinburgh Castle—with its fortress walls, cobbled promenades, and winding stone steps—has loomed over Scotland’s capital city for more than 1,000 years. Steeped in history, the former royal palace is now a museum, featuring detailed exhibits; period artifacts, such as the Scottish Crown Jewels (aka the Honours of Scotland); and dark dungeons that illuminate the castle’s storied past.

Few landmarks epitomize a country as perfectly as Big Ben, the iconic clock tower of London’s Houses of Parliament. Heralding Great Britain’s political heart in Westminster, the Elizabeth Tower (as it’s officially known) is the striking centerpiece of the Thames River waterfront. Westminster Bridge is the perfect place to admire its Gothic Revival architecture from afar.

The massive Gullfoss waterfall on the Hvítá River plunges 105 feet (32 meters) in two steps over a deep, dramatic crevasse in a river valley. The falls are considered one of Iceland’s most treasured natural wonders, with a name inspired by the phenomenon when glacial sediment in the water turns the falls golden in the sunlight.

The Roman Baths is one of Europe’s most visited Roman sites and is found in the city of Bath. Today, the well-preserved baths offer a glimpse into Roman life, allowing visitors to visualize how the ancient Romans idled away their leisure time. While you can explore independently, guided tours give the stories behind the site’s many features, including the Sacred Spring, the Roman Bath House, and the Roman Temple.

Situated in a former Borghese family estate, Rome’s Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) houses much of the eponymous family’s vast collection of antiquities, paintings, and sculptures across 22 rooms and two floors. Highlights include paintings by Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Rubens, as well as several Bernini sculptures.

The rippling facade of La Pedrera (Casa Milà) is among Barcelona’s most recognizable landmarks. Created by Antoni Gaudí, the architect behind Sagrada Família and other UNESCO-listed buildings, the apartment complex is now mainly a tourist attraction, and it encompasses courtyards, an apartment filled with early 20th-century furnishings, and a rooftop terrace with chimneys resembling abstract figures. Today, it’s preserved as an interpretive center dedicated to Gaudí’s work—and offers a great first taste of Barcelona architecture.

Piazza della Signoria is the most important public square in Florence, home to the fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio—both a museum and the Tuscan capital’s city hall—and the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air sculpture gallery with masterpieces by Giambologna and Cellini. The political heart of Florence in medieval and Medici times, today’s piazza is an elegant meeting place to sip spritzes and cappuccinos while admiring the stately Fountain of Neptune.

Unveiled at the turn of the 20th century, Pont Alexandre III is arguably the most impressive of all the bridges crossing the Seine. Connecting the Champs-Élysées and Grand Palais on the Right Bank with Les Invalides on the Left Bank, the National Monument is renowned for its elaborate beaux-arts architecture. Four towers, each crowned with a gilded Pegasus, stand watch over the bridge, while the arch is punctuated with ornate bronze lamp posts.

The crown jewel of UNESCO–listed Sintra, Pena National Palace (Palacio Nacional da Pena), never fails to inspire. The fanciful red and yellow palace, combined with its eclectic 19th-century architecture, makes this hilltop landmark unlike anything else you’ll see on a day trip from Lisbon. What’s more, the palace’s sprawling park hides gorgeous chalets and panoramic viewpoints that are just waiting for visitors who take the time to wander.

Situated on the shores of sparkling Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee), at the base of Mt. Pilatus, the small city of Lucerne (Luzern) is one of Switzerland’s most scenic destinations and a popular basecamp for exploring the Swiss Alps. Stroll through Lucerne’s historic center, complete with medieval ramparts and alpine views, then head into the mountains for hiking, cycling, and winter sports adventures.

The Ponte Vecchio—or Old Bridge—is perhaps the most recognized symbol of Florence after Brunelleschi’s Dome. Stretching across the Arno River, the pretty pedestrian bridge is lined with pocket-sized jewelry stores and viewpoints over the city’s colorful riverside palazzi. The windows that run along the top of the 14th-century bridge hint at the Vasari Corridor—a secret passageway built for the Medici family and now accessible to the public.

An eerie world where everything has been carved from salt blocks, the Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli) is made up of a labyrinth of tunnels, the deepest of which lies 1,075 feet (327 meters) underground. The ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site is a major part of Poland’s salt mining history and one of the world’s oldest salt mines, having produced table salt from the 13th century until 2007.

Although it’s also a residential area, the scenic Dutch village of Zaanse Schans is like an open-air museum that recreates life in 18th and 19th-century Holland. Known for its signature windmills and wooden houses, you can learn about traditional industries and crafts as you watch artisans at work, from cheese makers to pewter smiths. Wander among the five working windmills, visit museums, and browse shops for unique souvenirs.

The Spanish Steps are one of Rome’s most recognizable landmarks, connecting the Piazza di Spagna to the Trinità dei Monti church and the ancient Sallustiano Obelisk. Countless postcards and films, including Roman Holiday, have immortalized the 18th-century staircase’s more than 130 steps, and the surrounding square with bustling shops and cafés has long served as a meeting place for locals and visitors alike.

All-too-often mistaken for London’s namesake bridge—London Bridge is the next bridge upstream—Tower Bridge is the iconic castle-esque landmark that dominates the city skyline. With its two neo-Gothic towers and central bascule flanked by suspension bridges, it’s an impressive feat of Victorian engineering that has been front and center throughout London’s history. It’s made movie history, too: James Bond, Spider-Man, and Tom Cruise have all performed daring stunts on the bridge.

St Paul’s Cathedral has been an enduring symbol of London since it was built in the 17th century. King Charles married Princess Diana there, Winston Churchill was buried there, and it famously emerged unscathed after the World War II Blitz. The magnum opus of architect Sir Christopher Wren, St Paul’s Cathedral is most famous for its gigantic dome, second only to Rome’s St Peter’s Basilica in size. (St. Paul’s is wider than six double-decker buses.)

In the fashion capital of Italy, the glass-domed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade—one of the oldest in Europe—never goes out of style. Sandwiched by the Milan Duomo on one side and the Piazza di Marino on the other, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a bright and airy 4-story center full of restaurants and shops. Come for the neoclassical architecture; stay for the brands and fresh baked panzerotti.

Flowing right through the heart of London, the Thames River has long been the British capital’s lifeblood. Today, the waterway is lined by many of the city’s best-known landmarks, from centuries-old attractions including the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul’s Cathedral to ultra-modern skyscrapers and contemporary icons such as the London Eye.

The Burren is one of those rare places that has to be seen to be believed: Amid its swirling limestone formations, in varying tones of gray, the landscape of this national park is streaked with crags where rare flowers peek through and fossils lurk. For geologists and botanists, it’s a place of huge importance, while for historians, the Burren is a treasure trove, dotted with ancient ring forts and archaeological digs.