Source: bugbog.com

02-01-2008 10:05

Architecture

This crammed and chaotic part of the world has a stunning variety of architectural styles, both public buildings and private. From Paris' Eiffel Tower to the cramped but characterful canalside housing of Amsterdam, from Barcelona's melting Sagrada Familia to Venice's decaying palazzos, and from London's Houses of Parliament to Vienna's backstreets, the area has the greatest concentration of sensational old buildings in the world.

And don't forget some amazing post-modern architecture too, ranging from Bilbao's wacky Guggenheim museum to Berlin's crystal Reichstag.

Walkabout

Most Euro city centres are compact, reasonably well preserved and have developed car-free or car-limited pedestrian areas that make travelling around the city centres a pleasure.

History

2,000 years of brutal, fascinating history lurks behind the civilized facades of most Euro cities. World changing civilizations like ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Napoleonic France, Victorian England, Turkey's Ottoman Empire, Spain's conquistadors and Germany's Third Reich rose and fell in Europe - and the scars are still visible.

Culture

The cultural heritage on show in every Euro city is staggering. Among the world beating museums and galleries are St Petersburg's Hermitage, Paris' Louvre, London's British Museum, Madrid's Prado, Istanbul's Topkapi palace, and Rome's Vatican. In most cases the building housing these treasures are treasures themselves.

Cuisine

European cuisine has also given the world some everlasting icons. Taste the original pizza in Italy, caviar in Russia, roast beef in Britain, coffee in Vienna, croissants in France, sausage in Germany.

Style

Style and fashion are a dynamic part of everyday life in much of the Euro zone too. From London's punk to Paris' haut couture to Italian leather to Scandinavian minimalism, the creative process is constantly being pushed to the limit. Shopping in the right places in Euro cities will yield styles ranging from wild and wacky avant garde to perfect classical, though prices often require deep pockets.

Festivals

Europe's cities also offer a rich crop of strange and wonderful festivals, like the Bull Running in Pamplona [Spain], the masked Carnival in Venice [Italy], Edinburgh's [Scotland] huge and crazy International Festival, Salzburg's [Austria] prestigious music Festival.

Escape

When you're tired of the cities, there's plenty of travel interest in the countryside: castles and palaces and ancient ruins and mountains and lakes and sports of every description to refresh you before you go back to the cities.

 

Editor:Liu Fang