Discover Europe's Gem: Top Travel Destinations to Explore
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by Unboxify,
10 min reading time
Explore Europe: Top Travel Destinations
Packed full of incredible historical sites, important cultural landmarks, and beautiful scenery, Europe is a treat to explore. With each of its 44 countries home to different people, languages, and cultures, it can be hard to know where to start. Besides its world-class cities, Europe has a myriad of historic towns and idyllic villages. Add in picture-perfect beaches and scenic mountains, as well as magical fairy tale castles and ancient ruins, and it's easy to see why Europe attracts more than half of all tourists in the world. 🌍
Netherlands 🇳🇱
Often associated with tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes, the Netherlands is more widely known for its free-spirited capital, Amsterdam. Located in northwestern Europe, the Netherlands is a relatively small country featuring densely populated cities and picturesque villages crisscrossed by canals and bridges. While Amsterdam, with its art-filled museums, canal-lined cobbled streets, and vibrant nightlife, is the most popular destination, there is much more to the Netherlands than just its capital city.
Highlights:
Art-filled museums
Picturesque villages
Vibrant nightlife
Poland 🇵🇱
Poland has survived centuries of conflict to emerge as a proud independent country ready to assume her new role in modern history. Visitors to Poland are discovering what the locals have long known—that Poland is a country rich in fine culture, scenic landscapes, and extraordinary historical sites. The cities are filled with towering church spires, epic castles, and beautiful historic centers. Having suffered terribly in World War II, they also host many moving memorials and museums to the victims of the Holocaust.
Highlights:
Towering church spires
Epic castles
Holocaust memorials and museums
Portugal 🇵🇹
Hugging the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is blessed with a long scenic coastline dotted with beautiful beaches and sleepy fishing villages. Add in its warm and welcoming weather, and it's no wonder this is a very popular holiday destination. Full of amazing churches and castles, its historic towns and age-old cities of Lisbon, Porto, and Sintra are very pretty and pleasant to visit. While many people stick to the coastal region, its mountainous interior is also well worth exploring for its gorgeous scenery and hilltop towns.
Highlights:
Beautiful beaches
Historic towns
Gorgeous mountainous interior
Romania 🇷🇴
Lying in the southeast of Europe, Romania is in many ways dominated and defined by the Carpathian Mountains and Danube River that run through it. As much of it consists of pristine and untouched forests and rolling hills, the country is a nature lover’s dream. Its medieval towns, fairy tale castles, and age-old monasteries attract just as many visitors. History and heritage are all around you as you wander around the charming streets and market squares of Sighișoara and Brasov, while Bucharest boasts the best restaurants, bars, and nightlife.
Highlights:
Medieval towns
Fairy tale castles
Vibrant nightlife in Bucharest
Montenegro 🇲🇪
Established as an independent country in 2006, the small Balkan nation of Montenegro is quickly becoming a popular travel destination. Gorgeous beaches, verdant mountains, and postcard-perfect historic towns draw an increasing number of visitors every year. Add a mild Mediterranean climate into the mix, and it’s no wonder that tourism is now the driving force behind Montenegro’s growing economy.
Highlights:
Gorgeous beaches
Verdant mountains
Historic towns
Iceland 🇮🇸
From awe-inspiring glaciers to geothermal springs and active volcanoes, Iceland is a place where nature always takes center stage. Even in the nation’s lively capital of Reykjavik, views of the city and nearby mountains steal the show. Illuminated by the Northern Lights in the winter and the Midnight Sun in the summer, Iceland shines in any season, offering you a travel experience unlike anywhere else on the planet.
Highlights:
Awe-inspiring glaciers
Geothermal springs
Northern Lights and Midnight Sun
Croatia 🇭🇷
In recent years, Croatia has experienced a tourist boom as visitors from all around the world flock to its shores, and it is very easy to see why. Located alongside the glimmering Adriatic, its rugged coastline is breathtaking to behold with thousands of idyllic islands lying offshore. Hidden away among its stunning scenery, you can explore incredible seaside towns and cities such as Dubrovnik, Split, and Hvar. Magical to gaze upon, the sparkling Plitvice Lakes count among the country’s most popular attractions and are the highlight of many people’s visit.
Highlights:
Rugged coastline with idyllic islands
Seaside towns like Dubrovnik and Split
Plitvice Lakes
Germany 🇩🇪
Home to fairy tale castles, medieval old towns, and lots of romantic landscapes, Germany is a magical place to visit. The largest and most populous nation in central Europe, it has a surprising number of different sides to it. While the north boasts the beautiful Baltic Sea, the affluent south has the Black Forest and Munich. In the west, the rustic Rhine River Valley awaits, while in the east, Berlin’s great museums and famous nightlife need to be experienced.
Highlights:
Fairy tale castles
Medieval old towns
Berlin’s museums and nightlife
Russia 🇷🇺
The largest country in the world, Russia and its many riches could take a lifetime to explore. Stretching from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, everything about it is epic in size and scale. Replete with enormous fortresses, art-filled museums, and beautiful churches, visiting the world-class cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg is a must. Home to the Kremlin and Hermitage, they also boast some of the best ballets and operas in Europe.
Highlights:
Enormous fortresses
Art-filled museums
World-class ballets and operas
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Composed of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom has long been a favorite European tourist destination because of its beautiful countryside, top-notch museums, and historic sites. From medieval castles to stately mansions and the awe-inspiring scenery of the Scottish Highlands, the UK offers a diverse set of interesting attractions. Whether it’s Buckingham Palace, Harry Potter, or the Premier League, it all depends on your interests and where you want to begin. The heart of the UK is its capital city, London, one of Europe’s largest metropolises and a mosaic of diverse cultures, languages, and religions.
Highlights:
Medieval castles
Scottish Highlands
Culturally diverse London
Austria 🇦🇹
Set in central Europe, the landlocked country of Austria is defined by the majestic Alps with breath-taking views wherever you go. Tucked away among its alpine valleys and along glimmering lake shores, you can find charming villages and towns awash with incredible historical sites and grand buildings. The nation’s capital Vienna is one of Europe’s most elegant cities. While many people head to Austria in winter to go skiing, it is just as worthwhile visiting in summer with lots of excellent hiking to be had amid the marvelous scenery.
Highlights:
Majestic Alps
Charming villages
Elegant Vienna
France 🇫🇷
A sophisticated and culturally rich country renowned for its cuisine, France is one of the most popular places to visit in the world. Its fantastic landscapes include stunning sites such as the Loire Valley, the French Riviera, and the awe-inspiring Alps. Tucked away among its picturesque countryside, you can find everything from Disneyland and Versailles to quaint villages and verdant wine lands. The undoubted star of the show, however, is Paris. Boasting world-famous sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, France’s capital is an artistic and architectural gem that for many is without equal.
Highlights:
Loire Valley and French Riviera
Disneyland and Versailles
Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower
Switzerland 🇨🇭
Although it is renowned for its magical mountains, which include the mighty Matterhorn, landlocked Switzerland has much more to offer. One of the most culturally and linguistically diverse nations in Europe, it actually has four national languages. Consequently, exploring its different regions really is a treat. Places such as Bern, Geneva, and Zurich all proudly showcase their unique history and heritage. With so much gorgeous scenery, Switzerland is a great place to head if you want to go hiking, skiing, mountaineering, or swimming.
Highlights:
Matterhorn and other magical mountains
Historical cities like Bern, Geneva, and Zurich
Outdoor activities like hiking and skiing
Spain 🇪🇸
From the Pyrenees to the Sierra Nevada, the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean, Spain is fully blessed when it comes to gorgeous scenery. While the two main cities of Barcelona and Madrid are full of incredible sites such as La Sagrada Familia and the Prado Museum, it is worth venturing further afield. Seville and Granada, for instance, sport some exquisite Moorish architecture, while Roman ruins dot the peninsula. With warm and welcoming weather, Spain certainly is a fantastic holiday destination.
Highlights:
Stunning scenery from Pyrenees to Sierra Nevada
Cultural hubs like Barcelona and Madrid
Moorish architecture in Seville and Granada
Norway 🇳🇴
Famed for the fabulous fjords that scar its long and jagged coastline, Norway is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. Throw in the spectacular Northern Lights, its many majestic mountains, and icy glaciers, and it's easy to see why its myriad of gorgeous landscapes lend themselves perfectly to all kinds of adventure sports. Hiking, mountain biking, and white water rafting are particularly popular summertime activities. In winter, its snowy panoramas make for perfect dog sledding, skiing, and snowboarding conditions.
Highlights:
Fabulous fjords
Northern Lights
Adventure sports
Italy 🇮🇹
Home to not only Rome, Florence, and Venice but an impressive array of equally alluring smaller towns and cities, Italy really is like nowhere else on earth. Replete with ancient historical sites and cultural landmarks, its many treasures veritably sparkle before your eyes. Add in the fabulous weather and a divine culinary scene, and it can be hard to ever tear yourself away. Just as special and spectacular is Italy’s marvelous scenery with the Alps and the Italian Lake District counting among its must-see sites.
Highlights:
Ancient historical sites
Cultural landmarks
Fabulous weather and culinary scene
Greece 🇬🇷
Known for its plethora of ancient ruins, whitewashed villages, sunny beaches, and friendly atmosphere, it is no wonder that Greece ranks among Europe’s top travel destinations. Greece is made up of a mountainous mainland and hundreds of islands, where each one offers its own share of stunning landscapes and cultural delights. Many tourists like to begin their trip on the mainland, home to the capital city Athens, one of the world’s oldest cities. Athens is known the world over for classic ruins and temples like the iconic Parthenon complex.
Highlights:
Ancient ruins
Whitewashed villages
Capital city Athens and its iconic Parthenon
Europe truly offers a wealth of experiences for travelers. Whether you're looking for the historical depth of Greece, the scenic beauty of Norway, or the cultural riches of France, there's a destination to suit every interest. So pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable European adventure!