Europe’s historical values are almost unmatched to any other continent besides its multi-hued culture which is unique on its own. For any history lover, the continent offers an unending variety of historical sites by way of numerous castles, ruins, ancient monasteries, museums and palaces. Any European country has its own original story. Be it the UK, France, Italy, Portugal or Germany, to name a few, history is inextricably linked with them.
Athens, Greece
Location: Greece’s capital city, bound by the three hills, Mt Ymettos, Parnitha and Pendeli, by the Mediterranean sea.
Popular for: The Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Syntagma Square, the Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Panathinaiko Stadium and Lycabettus Hill. Its museums and parks are also great tourist attractions. Other historical places include: Plaka, Thissio & Monastiraki, Kolonaki, Metaxourgeio, Exarheia and Omonia, Mets and Pangrati, Psiri, Syntagma Square and the Port of Piraeus.
Visit in: Late autumn & spring.
Paris, France
Location: Located in France’s northern part by the Seine river.
Popular for: Its romantic environment, historical value, culture, fashion and art. Visit the Louvre Museum, the Left Bank, Cathedral of Notre Dame, the spectacular nightlife offered by world famous nightclubs like Lido & Moulin Rouge, Luxembourg Gardens, Champs Elysees, exotic French food, the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, French cheeses, wines and champagne.
Visit in: April-June
Vienna, Austria
Location: Austria’s capital, Vienna is located by the world famous Danube River.
Popular for: Its intellectual and artistic legacy and was once home to legends like Beethoven, Mozart, and Sigmund Freud. Visit its Schönbrunn palace, the summer residence of the Habsburgs. Walk hand in hand to the Museums Quartier to see art by masters like Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt or watch operas by the musical greats of all times.
Visit in: You can visit Vienna anytime during the year but summers are preferred, particularly in June when the weather is sunny and moderate with a pleasant breeze blowing. September is also another great time to visit Vienna.
Rome, Italy
Location: Also called the Eternal City, Rome is the capital of Italy and located in its Lazio region.
Popular for: Its wonderful palaces, grand ruins, millennium-old churches, opulent monuments, graceful fountains and ornate statues. It is also one of the world’s most well known fashion capitals. Visit the Colosseum, Baths of Caracalla & Diocletian, Palatine hill, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme & Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Villa dei Quintili and Cecilia Metella’s Tomb. The Vatican with its Cistine Chapel is amother must-see.
Visit in: September — December
Istanbul, Turkey
Location: Stretches over both sides of the Bosporus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea.
Popular for: It’s unique combination of both European and Asian cultures and its reasonable tourism rates. Visit the world famous Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia and the grand flea markets of Istanbul and pick up some great mementos at dirt cheap prices. Pamphylia in Southwest Turkey is also ideal for visiting as are the Roman and Greek ruins. Laze on Side beach, close to Antalya.
Visit in : The time between May and October.
St. Petersburg, Russia
Location: Located at the Baltic Sea and River Neva’s eastern tip. Formerly called Petrograd and subsequently renamed Leningrad.
Ideal for: The Winter Palace / Hermitage Museum, Mikhailovskiy Palace, Stroganov & Marble Palaces, Mikhailovskiy Castle, the Fortress of Peter and Paul, Admiralty, the Museum of Artillery, Signal Troops & Combat Engineers, the Ethnographic Museum, Alexander Nevskiy Monastery, Tikhvin Cemetery, Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, the Kazan Cathedral, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, the Cabin of Peter the Great and Kirov’s museum.
Visit in: Late September—early October
Copenhagen, Denmark
Location: Denmark’s capital city that overlooks the strait of Øresund Strait.
Popular for: The Glyptoteket Winter Garden, Moderne Kunst, Thorvaldsens Museum, Ordrupgaard, castles and parks.
Visit in: March — August
London, UK
Location: Capital of England, London is located by the River Thames in the South-Eastern part of England.
Ideal for: Its truly cosmopolitan culture, Hampton Court and Buckingham Palaces, the London Eye, Marble Arch, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Palace, the Big Ben, British Museum, National & National Portrait Galleries, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Modern & Tate Britain art galleries, the Natural History Museum, Greenwich, Shakespeare’s Globe and Kew Gardens.
Visit in: April-August
Warsaw, Poland
Location: Warsaw, Poland’s capital overlooks the River Vistula and has the Baltic Sea to its north with the Carpathian Mountains to its south.
Ideal for: The Wilanów Royal Palace, the Muzeum Plakatu, the Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej, the National Museum, Faras Gallery, Panstwowe Muzeum Etnograficzne w Warszawie, and the Niebo Kopernika.
Visit in: May and September.
Berlin, Germany
Location: Germany’s capital city, located in Germany’s northeastern part by the rivers Havel & Spree.
Popular for: Berling Wall, Berliner Fernsehturm, the Bundestag, Berliner Funkturm, Siegessäule or Victory Column and the Kollhoff Tower.
Visit in: Spring & early autumn.
