Europe attractions

The flower-bedecked Church of Panagia Paraportiani is a highlight of your walk through Mykonos’ picture-perfect Little Venice. Built between the 14th and 17th centuries, the island’s most photographed church is comprised of five whitewashed chapels across two floors that once guarded the entrance to the town’s castle.

Founded in 1743, Moët & Chandon is the world’s best-selling Champagne, producing so many bottles that the company claims someone opens one every second somewhere in the world. The Moët & Chandon Cellars in Epernay, France, extend for 17 miles (28 kilometers) through the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Champagne landscape, and are the largest in the Champagne region. No less a figure than Napoleon drank Champagne here.

Once Scotland's largest cathedral, the 12th-century ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral stand as a testament to its former magnificence. Sprawling along the coast of Fife, just a stone’s throw from St. Andrews Castle, the evocative ruins afford impressive views along the coast.

San Sebastian’s medieval Old Town is a maze of bar-packed alleys serving the city’s world-famous pintxos and wine. The neighborhood is also home to the wonderfully chaotic Pescadería (fish market), the San Telmo Municipal Museum, Church of San Vicente, and the Basilica of Saint Mary of Coro.

Though originally constructed in the 14th century by the Knights of St. John, the current Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is a Mussolini-era reconstruction built after the original was destroyed by a 19th-century explosion. The lavish palace now serves as a museum displaying furniture, statues, and ancient mosaics.

The Column of Marcus Aurelius (Colonna di Marco Aurelio) is a majestic Roman victory column in the heart of Piazza Colonna. Modeled after the more famous Trajan’s Column (Colonna di Traiano), it features similar carvings spiraling upwards from its base to the capital. Atop the column—if you can spot it—sits a statue of St. Paul, which was added by Pope Sixtus V in the 16th century. It’s the clear highlight of the piazza, to which it gives its name, and is a symbol of Roman political life.

UNESCO-listed along with other glorious Byzantine mosaic masterpieces in Ravenna, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a testament to the short period when the city was the capital of the Western Roman Empire. Its vaulted interior glitters with mosaics dating from around AD 430, among the oldest in the city.

The city of Rovaniemi, in Lapland, is home to Santa Claus Village, a unique theme park located right on the Arctic Circle—complete with a line to cross. The ultimate destination for kids looking for a private word with Father Christmas, the park includes Santa’s office, reindeer rides, a petting zoo, gift shops, an elf academy, and Santa’s official post office, as well as the opportunity to go ice-karting.

With white sand and marble cliffs, Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach) makes a striking setting. Set on sun-soaked Zakynthos island off the coast of Greece, the cove off of Navagio Beach is a popular boat tour destination, though access to the beach itself is closed due to the risk of landslides. The centerpiece is a long-abandoned freighter—the remains of a smuggler’s shipwreck—that still languishes on the sands, and the turquoise waters are ideal for a dip.

Seville's bullring—or the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla—is one of the oldest in Spain. It was here that the corrida, or bullfight, moved from a rectangular to an oval arena and many of the cherished theatrical traditions of the matador evolved. Completed in the late 18th century, the bullring is a yellow-and-white baroque beauty and a must-see for architecture buffs; tours cover the bullring plus the exhibition hall, stables, and Capilla de los Toreros (“Bullfighters’ Chapel”).

Located in the heart of Córdoba’s Jewish Quarter, and just blocks away from the Mezquita, the Córdoba Synagogue (Sinagoga de Córdoba) is the Juderia's (Jewish Quarter’s) main attraction and is a one-of-a-kind site in the Andalusia region. Built in the 14th century, the small synagogue houses a courtyard, prayer room, and women's gallery.

With so many cultural treasures in Florence, San Miniato al Monte, perched high up on a hilltop outside the city, would be easy to skip. However, this handsome church is considered among the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany. Its intricate exterior stonework, 13th-century apse mosaic, and sweeping views over Florence make the effort to reach it worthwhile. Be sure to visit the church’s crypt, decorated with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi.

The Rock of Cashel is a scenic collection of religious monuments located in County Tipperary. Once the 5th-century home of the kings of Munster, the Rock of Cashel—also known as St. Patrick’s Rock—includes a roofless medieval cathedral and a 12th- century chapel. History buffs are drawn here by the round tower and the high cross, plus excellent views over the green, grassy Irish countryside from the site’s location on top of an elevated knoll.

Nestled among Romania’s lush Fagaras Mountains at 6,560 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level, Bâlea Lake (Lacul Bâlea) is one of the country’s most scenic bodies of water. While the lake water is perennially chilly for swimming, Bâlea Lake offers a wealth of things to do, which range from scenic hikes to snow sledding.

A hundred years ago, Hamburg’s port dominated the city, a maze of waterways bustling with industry. But trade has now taken to the skies, and the port’s been redesigned into the largest inner-city development project in Europe: HafenCity (which translates to “Port City”). Today, in place of shipyards, you’ll find restaurants, hotels and shops, office and apartment buildings—even the Elbphilharmonie.

Tumbling over a wall of moss-covered rock into a clear natural pond, Kursunlu Waterfalls are set inside a forested natural park. Compared to the more visited Duden Waterfalls, which are more expansive and by the Mediterranean Sea, these gentle cascades feel secluded and remote.

The pretty southern Polish town of Wadowice is best known as the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II and now Pope St. John Paul II, making it a major place of pilgrimage. Highlights include the Family Home of John Paul II, a museum centered on the tiny apartment where the saint was born, a historic square, and a basilica.

Every year, the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates drift farther apart from one another, forming fissures in the interior landscapes: This is how Iceland’s Silfra fissure opened in 1789. Since that day, the ravine has gradually filled with water that travels from the Langjökull glacier and filters through lava rock—creating crystal-clear conditions that have earned Silfra a reputation as one of the world’s best diving sites.

One of the highlight outlet shopping malls of the Greater Paris region, La Vallée Village is located in Marne-la-Vallée, very close to Disneyland® Paris. Home to over 110 boutiques from a range of brands and designers, and featuring discounts of at least 33 percent, the mall is popular among budget-conscious fashionistas.

Founded in 1441 by Henry VI, King’s College is one of the University of Cambridge’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious colleges. Notable alumni include writer Zadie Smith and mathematician Alan Turing; however, it’s the grounds and buildings that are the biggest draw for tourists here. Explore landscaped gardens, stroll along the River Cam, and admire the Gothic 15th-century King’s College Chapel.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, an ultra-charming fortified hilltop village in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France, consistently makes every list of day trips from Nice. In the tiny pedestrian-only medieval center, a warren of narrow streets are lined with stone homes, many ground-floor shops, art galleries, craft workshops, and open-air cafes.

Flanked by two of Madrid’s tallest skyscrapers—the Torre de Madrid and Edifico España— Plaza de España sits at the western terminus of Gran Vía in the heart of the city. A statue of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra stands at the center of the square, with smaller statues of Don Quixote de la Mancha and his sidekick, Sancho Panza, at his feet.

Schönbrunn Palace was once the royal summer residence, and its spectacular baroque-style garden, or Schlosspark Schönbrunn, has been open to the public since the late 1700s. Today, the UNESCO-listed grounds are a popular venue for concerts and scenic strolls, and include an iron-and-glass palm house, hedge maze, and viewing terrace.

Located across from the Louvre Museum in the heart of Paris, the Palais-Royal is a 17th-century architectural highlight known for its scenic gardens and regal heritage. As its name suggests, the palace used to house French royalty, but it’s now used for government affairs. Luckily, you don’t have to be a government employee to visit—Palais-Royal’s shop-filled galleries, outdoor art installations, and oasis-like gardens are a popular public meeting place.

With its wraparound lake views, a 13th-century castle, and thermal springs, Sirmione has been a favorite for Lake Garda travelers throughout history—the Roman poet Catallus and the opera singer Maria Callas were both drawn here. Today, the town is attractive both for sightseeing and as a base for exploring Lake Garda, plus nearby cities such as Verona, Brescia, and Mantova.

Berliners are never too far from a reminder of World War II, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche) is one of the most obvious. The ruins of the Protestant church, left as a memorial and standing adjacent to a more modern belfry built in 1963, show the destruction that Allied bombers caused during the war.

Dating back to the 18th century and fronted by the idyllic Parc de Bruxelles (Brussels Park), the Brussels Royal Palace (Palais Royal Bruxelles) might no longer be the official residence of Belgium’s royal family, but it remains one of the capital’s most magnificent landmarks and the site of various royal and state events.

On Letná Hill, the Prague Metronome occupies the plinth that once held a 30-foot (9-meter), 17,000-ton statue of Joseph Stalin, unveiled in 1955. After the statue was demolished in 1962, the plinth sat empty until 1991 when Czech artist Vratislav Novák designed and constructed a massive, functioning metronome. Today, it is a well-loved landmark on Prague’s skyline.

Like the architectural version of a Russian doll, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli) is a church within a church. The grand basilica, one of the largest in the world, was built over and around the tiny 13th-century Porziuncola: a humble stone chapel where St. Francis founded his order and began the first Franciscan community. A popular religious pilgrimage destination, this church and its adjacent convent are also of interest to architecture and history enthusiasts.

Located just north of Berlin, Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen was once one of the Nazi regime’s harshest prison camps. Today, Sachsenhausen is a memorial to those who lost their lives here, as well as a museum with a library, archive, and open-air exhibits to educate visitors.