Europe Travel Destinations

When one thinks of the beach, images of sunny and warm Maui, Rio de Janeiro, Bali, and Ibiza are the first ones to come into the picture. Now, try putting Germany and beach together in one sentence. Does that still sound like a beach holiday to you?

Located in northeastern Germany in the Baltic Sea, Rügen Island or Rugia is Germany’s largets island and is said to be the most beautiful in the region - with white sandy beaches, rough cliffs, and dunes with green beeches adorning the long 580 kilometers stretch of coastline. Rügen has long been an inspiration to the world’s most artistic and most romantic people and as the region keeps getting warmer, people will soon realize that Germany and beach do paint a picture of a lovely and unforgettable holiday.

Antwerp or the city on the river Scheldt, is the second largest city in Belgium and the major city of the Flemish region. The approximate 500,000 inhabitants call it the Metropolis. This city has so many different facets that it takes a while before one gets to know it thoroughly. There is a variety of unique neighbourhoods — each with its own personality.

The Old City Many of the splendid architectural highlights can be found in the old city which is the area around the Cathedral of Our Lady and the Grote Markt. The destruction of the two world wars has unfortunately left scars on the old city which dates from the 16th and 17th centuries but recent renovation projects have restored part of the glory. The Vlaeykensgang is a typical example of the picturesque medieval streets. The golden age of Antwerp can also be found in the numerous paintings of Peter Paul Rubens who lived in Antwerp in the early 17th century.

Continue reading: travel.aol.com

A trip to Paris, France won’t be complete if you won’t go to the Louvre Museum, or locally known as the Musée du Louvre. It is actually one of the most visited museums in the world.

The museum holds some of the most valuable pieces of art by the greatest masters of all time such as works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Jacques Louis David, Delacroix and Alexandros de Antioch among others.

If you wish to visit this place, you may need to allocate a day or to for you to really appreciate the work of the masters. And yeah, you get to see where the Da Vinci Code was filmed.

The place is accessible by taking the train and dropping of at Palais Royal – Museé du Louvre Métro Station.

Source: Wikipedia, The Louvre

Ask a Stockholmer where they are from, and they will most probably say the name of their closest subway station. Being a city practically on water, it is best getting around its many narrow streets and alleys on public transport. Furthermore, the subway stations separate the different parts of the city.

Stockholm is a city of many beautiful faces and each area of town is distinctive. T-Centralen, for example, is a typical downtown area with traffic jams and bustling crowds. This is the part known as the City or Norrmalm. From here you can choose to walk alongside the water to Djurgården,, a lovely island ideal for walks and picnics, and visit Skansen or Gröna Lund. Why not stroll through Östermalm? This is the most elegant part of town where some of the city’s most impressive buildings are found (Östermalms Saluhall should not be missed!). Go through Kungsträdgården ( The King’s Garden) and walk over the bridge to cosy, little Skeppsholmen, popping into Moderna Museet or Skeppsholmen’s church. You could take one of the ferries out to the magical archipelago and you will still be, geographically at least, within the borders of Stockholm. Of course, you could also take the subway a couple of stations and spot modern, daring architecture (The City Library at Rådmansgatan subway station and the new Cultural Centre at T-Centralen) or see the little red cottages. Whilst strolling around Mosebacke or Fjällgatan (subway station Slussen) you will still be in the same lovely city - Stockholm, the country’s capital, and the Venice of the North.

Continue reading: travel.aol.com

Dam Square The real core of the city is Dam square with its beautiful Royal Palace. Most visitors arrive by train and the route they follow from Centraal Station takes them along the Damrak and Dam square. This area focuses much on tourism. All kinds of souvenir shops, street performers and restaurants can be found here. The square is used for events and concerts and is famous because of the many pigeons. The two main shopping streets in Amsterdam, Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk, are located in this area.

Continue reading ‘Amsterdam, The Netherlands’ »

Spaniards will tell you that while the rest of the world lives to work, they work to live. Nowhere is that more evident than in the capital where the free-spirited Madrileños (people who live in Madrid) provide the main attraction for visitors. The unrivaled number of bars, cafés, discos, restaurants and live music venues, combined with the locals’ enthusiasm for enjoying themselves, make this the place to come for fun. Although Madrid isn’t in the same league as Paris, Rome or even Barcelona for historical sights, you’ll still find plenty of intellectual stimulation at some of the best museums in Europe like the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen Bornemizsa.

Continue reading ‘Madrid, Spain’ »

It’s hard to describe Rome in a few words; a city so vast and rich in art, monuments and exquisite views, a historic city, which has preserved its charm and independence throughout the centuries.

Rome’s history can be read in every monument, and palazzo; in fact, each and every stone bears witness to the periods of splendour, decay, wars, and numerous architectural styles. The city could be described as a gigantic open-air museum, visited each year by millions of tourists, scholars and pilgrims from all over the world.

Continue reading ‘Rome Italy’ »

Turkey If you choose Turkey as your beach vacation destination of choice, you will find friendly locals, a varied choice of clean and contemporary accommodations all for a very good value. Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean costs provide some of the most poplar beach destinations in all southern Europe. The best time to go to this area is between June and October, the waters are warm and the beaches are not as crowded.

Cyprus Cyprus, especially the northern part, has all the fundamentals for a perfect beach holiday. With it’s striking sandy beaches, warm turquoise colored waters and its assortment of cuisine from both Eastern and Western cultures, this destination has a lot to offer its visitors. Make sure to visit the lovely harbor town of Kyrenia when in this area.

Greece The coast of Greece and its islands are world famous for their sparkling blue waters, white sandy beaches and superb small villages that make everyone feel at home. The weather can be very hot in the summer but there is often a breeze to cool things down at this ideal beach vacation destination.

Portugal There are many places in Portugal, which offer a wide assortment of beaches, and resort areas that are perfect for anyone looking for a great place to relax. The Algarve has miles of sparkling clean beaches with many activities for families but also with the nightlife for couples and singles. The Azores, a group of nine varied islands, is another popular beach vacation area of Portugal with lots to offer its visitors.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Cool-Beach-Vacation-Destinations-in-Europe&id=582790″>Ezine Articles

There are many destinations in Europe, which are famous for the quality of their beaches, their temperate climates, and the excellent assortment of resorts that are available. These destinations can be the ideal location for a great beach vacation although many may not be places that you might think of at first. Here are some of the more popular beach vacation destinations for vacationers looking to relax in Europe:

Spain In Spain, you can choose from beach vacation resorts along the mainland coasts on the Mediterranean Sea, or go to one of Spain’s many island beach spots located on Menorca or Majorca. These areas are very popular and offer high quality vacation options at a reasonable price.

Croatia Even though the mainland of Croatia is very beautiful, most tourists head for spots along the coast, especially along the Adriatic Sea. The most popular areas for beach worshipers include Sibenik, Zadar, Dubrovnik and the National Park Brijuni Islands. Croatia has an extraordinary coastline with beautiful beaches but keep in mind, some can be rocky or pebble based.

Source: Ezine Articles

Located in the heart of Paris is the Louvre palace which houses the national Museum of France we all know as the Louvre. The palace started out as a fortress that was built by Louis XIV who instead chose to reside in the Palace of Versailles thus leaving the Louvre Palace to house the many Royal Collections that include sculptures form some of Europe’s greatest artists till the French Revolution when it was designated as a museum for all of France’s national treasures. The palace has been extended many times over to accommodate the growing collections secured within it’s walls, it first opened its walls as a museum in 1793 but was closed a few years later due to structural concerns of the palace. When it re-opened in 1801, the collection was greatly increased during the time of Napoleon who aptly renamed it the “Musee Napoleon” and the collection grew to it’s current strength of eight curatorial departments namely; Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculptures, decorative arts, paintings, prints and Drawings. All of which coming form all corners of the world showcasing a menagerie of talent and genius the world should see.
The Museum has a part of it’s medieval structure left intact to show it’s past and heritage giving way to the modern exhibit halls that shows off works of great masters such as Leonardo, Michelangelo and more. Featured in many films as the famed The DaVinci Code and many more, the Louvre continues to play it’s part in mystery and beauty as it shows us the beauty that has been produced by some of the most brilliant minds of all time.