Europe attractions

Quiraing is a hiking trail on the Isle of Skye in northern Scotland. It's a 4-mile (7-kilometer) loop that passes through some spectacular Scottish landscapes. The trail is part of the Trotternish Ridge, which was formed by a landslide that created cliffs, plateaus, and rock pinnacles. You can soak up coastal views and see many unique land formations in the area.

Linking north and south Rotterdam across the River New Meuse, the Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug is one of the city’s most notable landmarks. Opened in 1996, it’s striking for its single, angled pylon, which lends it the nickname “The Swan” (De Zwaan and makes it a must-see for visitors.

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium is a Finnish architectural gem; it’s a symbol of both sporting history and modern entertainment. Hosting the 1952 Summer Olympics, it has witnessed countless historic moments over the years. Today, it's one of Finland’s biggest arenas and a venue for concerts, sporting events, and cultural festivals. You can also visit its viewing tower, restaurant, and sports museum.

Peneda-Gerês National Park (Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês) is Portugal’s only national park, stretching through the northern districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, and Vila Real. Largely uninhabited, the vast highlands are ideal for hiking, with rugged mountain ridges, dense pine forests, and sweeping plateaus.

Extending from the west of Galway to the Atlantic Ocean, Connemara is Ireland at its most rugged and elemental. The indented coastline is interspersed with beaches and seaside hamlets, while the interior encompasses bog, mountains, lakes, and empty valleys where sheep and ponies outnumber people. With knock-your-socks-off beauty and a promise of peace and solitude, it holds great sway among Ireland visitors and locals alike.

Plaza de Toros de las Ventas is one of Madrid’s largest public squares, dominated by the iconic Las Ventas bullfighting arena—the largest in the world and one of the city’s top attractions. Even those with no interest in bullfights can learn about the history and heritage of this deeply Spanish tradition.

While it’s now showing its age and includes several unfinished buildings, the slightly rundown Skopje Kale Fortress has watched over the city in one form or another since the sixth century. All this fades from view when you walk along its crenelated walls, which offer hilltop views over the Skopje cityscape and the Vardar River below.

Encircling Krakow’s Old Town, Planty Park is a picturesque green space that replaced the city’s former defensive walls, taken down in the 19th century. The park stretches roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and consists of trees, fountains, monuments, flower beds, and seating areas—the ideal place for a break from sightseeing.

The third-largest settlement on the Greek island of Crete, the port town of Rethymno (Rethimno) has been occupied since the Late Minoan period. Its Venetian- and Ottoman-era old town—a knot of narrow, flower-bedecked lanes overlooked by a fortified Venetian castle—oozes history and character. A series of sandy beaches stretch out along the coastline to the east.

Among the many masterpieces inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Michelangelo’s majestic and moving La Pietà is perhaps the crown jewel. The Renaissance artist carved the statue from a single block of Carrara marble in the late 1490s, and it is the only work he signed. This life-size depiction of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ blends classical ideals of beauty with startling naturalism and is one of the world’s most important works of art.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, Kraków’s Old Town (Kraków Stare Miasto or Stare Miasto w Krakowie has been the epicenter of the city’s cultural, religious, and political life since medieval times. Once completely surrounded by a 1.9-mile-long (3-kilometer-long defensive wall, Old Town is packed with history.

Castel Gandolfo is one of the prettiest of the Castelli Romani, a group of 17 medieval walled villages just outside Rome. The town is best known for its Apostolic Palace—a historic summer residence for popes, now a museum with scenic gardens and ruins from Emperor Domitian’s villa. With sweeping views over Lazio’s rolling hills and Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo offers a nearby respite from Italy’s bustling capital city.

In Roman times, the Bergama Asklepion (Pergamon Asclepeion) was one of the world’s most important medical centers, built in honor of the Asklepios, the Greek god of healing. Situated in the ancient city of Pergamon, it dates back to the 4th century BC and is one of the most visited ruins of the Pergamon archeological site.

Piazza de Ferrari is the expansive main square in Genoa, separating the historic district from the modern city center. Its large fountain is the square’s centerpiece and a central meeting point for tourists and locals alike. The piazza is named for Raffaele de Ferrari, who donated a lot of money to help expand Genoa’s port in the 1800s.

The whitewashed windmills lined up on a hill overlooking Mykonos Town are a signature island sight. Capped with wood and straw, the 3-story conical windmills were built in the 16th century to mill flour. Out of the 16 preserved windmills on the island, seven are found in the area of Kato Mili overlooking the Chora Mykonos harbor.

This giant, multi-tiered staircase is one of Yerevan’s most recognizable landmarks. It’s a popular spot for people-watching or to climb the 572 steps to the top—on clear days, views stretch all the way to snow-capped Mt. Ararat. The Yerevan Cascade is also home to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, an Armenian art museum and sculpture garden with free admission.

Built in 1334 for the Brotherhood of Blackheads—a guild for unmarried German merchants in Latvia—the House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju Nams) is one of Riga’s grandest buildings. This Gothic structure, which features an elaborate Renaissance facade, now functions as a venue for concerts, exhibitions, and festive events, and the interior is open for visitors to explore.

A rocky promontory jutting into the caldera, Skaros Rock soars 65 feet (20 meters) into the sky, cutting a striking silhouette that can be seen as far as Fira and Oia. One of Santorini’s most memorable natural features, this black lava-rock cliff is an ideal vantage point for admiring the sunset over the Aegean Sea and Kameni islands.

Built in 1611, the Zuiderkerk (Southern Church) was Amsterdam’s first Protestant church and remains one of its most prominent historical landmarks, crowning the Groenburgwal canal in the heart of the city. Its picturesque Renaissance-style facade and distinctive bell tower have long inspired artists and photographers: Monet famously painted the Zuiderkerk, and three of Rembrandt’s children are buried there. Today, the spire is a much-photographed emblem of the city.

The fairytale Baroque beauty that is St. Andrew’s stands near the top of meandering, hilly Andriivs’kyi uzviz (in English ‘Andrew’s Descent’), which is one of the oldest and most attractive streets in Kiev. The church is one of the few public buildings in the city that has escaped damage during two world wars, Soviet occupation and recent civic unrest; it was completed in 1754 to a commission by Russian Empress Elizabeth, who was daughter of Peter the Great, and the design of Late Baroque master craftsman Bartolomeo Rastrelli. He hailed from France but spent much of his working life in Russia building opulent palaces for the Tsar’s family, including the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Much of the church’s charm is on the exterior; it is a multi-colored confection of five green spires flecked with gold and gleaming white and turquoise walls. It has a stately flight of marble steps leading to the main entrance and inside all is white and gold, with a startlingly scarlet iconostasis (Orthodox altar screen) covered in paintings of Biblical scenes.

Opened to the public as a museum for the first time in 2017, Casa Vicens is Antoni Gaudi’s original modernist masterpiece and the first house he ever designed. Built in Barcelona in the 1880s for Manuel Vicens i Montaner, this UNESCO World Heritage Site sets the tone for the rest of Gaudi’s distinctive architecture, featuring characteristic vibrant flourishes and naturalistic ornamentation.

The royal Habsburgs were collectors, and their holdings—from armor to artwork—make up the heart of the vast Kunsthistorisches Museum. In this palatial building topped by an octagonal dome on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, explore the thousands of artifacts, masterpieces, and treasures that make up one of Austria’s foremost museums.

Immortalized in the 1999 romantic comedy movie of the same name, Notting Hill is a lively West London neighborhood that’s a paradise for shoppers and foodies. Famous for its rainbow-hued houses, the eclectic Portobello Road Market, and the annual Notting Hill Carnival, there’s never a dull moment visiting this area. Notting Hill offers a special blend of culture, shopping, and dining, whether exploring high-end boutiques, enjoying brunch alfresco, or browsing antique stores.

An expansive green space that stretches between the Eiffel Tower and the Military Academy (École Militaire), the Champ de Mars has been an important public park since the 18th century, serving as a backdrop for World Fairs and Olympic Games. The riverside site has a far more tranquil reputation today, thanks to its gardens, fountains, and picnic-friendly lawns overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

The only battery on the Normandy coast to have preserved the guns and casements precisely as they stood in 1944, Longues-sur-Mer is unique. Between the famous landing beaches of Gold and Omaha, it was the target of over 1,500 bombs by Allied forces during the D-Day landings and was taken over by the Allies on June 7, the day after D-Day.

The Medici Chapels are the burial place of several members of Florence’s most powerful family, and they’re decorated with all the Renaissance bells and whistles you’d expect. Part of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the marble-filled mausoleum’s New Sacristy houses some of Michelangelo’s best-known masterpieces: the reclining figures of Night,Day,Dawn, and Dusk, expertly sculpted for the tombs of Medici dukes.

The Plaza de la Reina, dating from 1878, marks the center of Valencia and is home to cafes, terrazas (outdoor seating areas, and one of the city’s oldest restaurants, Horchatería Santa Catalina. Towering over the plaza is the Valencia Cathedral, a gothic structure believed by some to be the home of the Holy Grail.

Antalya Marina (Kaleiçi Yat Limanı) is the heart of the city. It stretches along the waterfront beneath the steep cobbled streets of Antalya’s Old Town, known as Kaleiçi. With cruise ships, ferries, yachts, and fishing boats constantly arriving and departing, this historic harbor is buzzing with activity at all hours and is a popular hub for both locals and visitors.

Lined with high-end shops, restaurants, and bars of all types, Gran Via cuts through the heart of Madrid. The bustling street comes alive at night, when locals eat, drink, and mingle into the wee hours. Gran Via is also known for its 20th-century architecture, including the Edificio Metrópolis, which boasts a magnificent rooftop statue of Winged Victory.

The 12th-century Leeds Castle is among Europe’s best-preserved medieval landmarks. Sitting in the heart of Kent—confusingly, nowhere near Leeds in Yorkshire—the castle and its grounds span 500 acres (202 hectares), and feature a regal moat and green parkland. Dating back to Norman times, the castle is thought to have been built as a look-at-me home, to flaunt the wealth of its owner, but its elegance captured the eyes of British royalty, who successively owned it until around the 16th century.