Articles: Articles about Europe

Palermo, Sicily Palermo Cathedral mixes Arab and Norman styles, a testament to Sicily’s multicultural history. The capital of Sicily and the island’s chaotic heart, Palermo is where civilisations – Arab, Norman, Italian – collide. Palermo…

Baikal is the world’s oldest lake, formed around 25-30 million years ago, it is also the deepest and largest by volume, making up 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water.

A vivid yellow Baroque jewel, Melk Abbey, or Stift Melk, is the most famous abbey in Austria

The Juma mosque is included this small group tour of the Caucasus region for mature and senior travellers as part of the tour program for Azerbaijan. The Caucasus tour also visits Armenia and Georgia.

Eggenenberg palace, a world heritage site. This baroque palace is considered to be a national treasure in Austria.

Belvedere Palace (Schloss Belvedere) is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and as much as piece of art as the impressive works housed in its interior. The large complex actually features two palaces (Upper and Lower) and beautiful grounds. Originally built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, the galleries of the Upper Belvedere focus on Austrian art from medieval times to present day, emphasising Austrian culture and history while the Lower Belvedere hosts temporary exhibitions. The grounds also feature the Orangery, Palace Stables which have been converted into a medieval art exhibition and magnificent gardens. The famous historical palace complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a short drive from the centre of Vienna.

Schonbrunn Palace, also referred to as Schoenbrunn Palace, is Vienna's most popular attraction and it is not hard to see why. The opulent summer palace of the Habsburgs is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to be one of the most important cultural, architectural and historical sites in Austria. The palace complex features 1441 rooms (40 of which are open to the public), magnificent gardens, a maze, a palm house, the oldest zoo in Europe and an outdoor swimming pool.

A communist statue graveyard, Grutas Park is a dark homage to one of the worst periods of Lithuanian history. Eight kilometres east of Druskininkai, a spa town on the Nemunas River in southern Lithuania, Grutas Park is essentially a sculpture garden of over 100 Soviet-era statues and artefacts, providing an unprecedented insight into the Red Terror that was unleashed against Lithuania and the stifling atmosphere of Soviet rule. As well as statues, visitors can see an impressive collection of documents, newspapers, propaganda posters, video footage and audio files from the time.

Measuring 2080 kilometres, and situated between the borders of Russia’s far east and China’s North, the Trans-Mongolian railway is journey steeped in the history of great powers.

Agrigento, Italy Temple of Castor and Pollux, Agrigento. The city of Agrigento (Greek: Akragas) has been a hub of people and trade for over 2, 500 years. As Akragas it was among the greatest cities of…

Escorted small group tours for mature and senior travellers to Russia. Designed for couples and solo travellers who like to explore and enjoy learning as they travel across Russia to Moscow, St Petersburg, Irkutsk, Vladivostok or Lake Baikal and beyond.

Noto, Italy Palazzo Ducezio and the Basilica Minore di San Nicolò, Noto. Long off the tourist trail, the city of Noto – capital of Sicilian baroque – is one of the most beautiful cities in…

The House of Medici was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that de facto ruled the city of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance.

Sicily, Italy An autonomous region of Italy, Sicily is a world apart: an ancient and rugged island shaped by successive waves of civilisation. Long the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Sicily is surprisingly untouched by modernity,…

Megalithic temples of Ġgantija, Malta The megalithic temples of Ġgantija, on the Maltese island of Gozo are the world’s second-oldest standing structures (after Gobekli Tepe in Turkey), predating Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Egypt.…

Helsinki, Finland Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a treasure trove for lovers of history and all eras of architecture and design. Dubbed the “white city of the north” due to its buildings constructed from…

Valletta, Malta Few European cities capture the imagination quite like Valletta, the evocative golden capital of Malta. Only 1 kilometre by 600 metres, it packs in so much history and culture that when it was…

Irkutsk, Russia Irkutsk, the administrative centre of the Irkutsk oblast (region) in Eastern Siberia, is a popular stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway due to its proximity to UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, the largest, deepest, and oldest…

An hour outside of Barcelona is the impressive multi-peaked mountain range known as Montserrat. Within its dramatic, rocky mountain tops hides the Benedictine Monestir de Montserrat, a monastery popular with visitors from all over the world. Everyone from pilgrims and culture lovers to hikers and speleologists love the spot thanks to the gorgeous hiking terrain and beautiful abbey village built into the mountain and to top it all off, it is an easy day trip from Barcelona. Today, Montserrat is often used to refer to both Montserrat mountain and Montserrat Abbey.

Skaftafell National Park, Iceland The Skaftafell National Park was established in 1967, but became part of the newly created Vatnajokull National Park in 2008. Skaftafell, which spans 500 square kilometres, now forms the park’s southern…

Egilsstadir, Iceland Egilsstaðir on the banks of the Lagarfljót river is the largest town in East Iceland. As of 2018, it is home to fewer than 3,000 people. With its natural wonders as well as…

Girona is Northern Catalonia's biggest city, an hour and a half's drive from Barcelona. A compact medieval fortress city with the best-preserved Jewish quarter in Europe, Girona offers a medley of galleries, churches, restaurants, museums and medieval architecture to explore.

Malta A Mediterranean archipelago equidistant between Europe and Africa, Malta packs a wealth of beautiful scenery and fascinating history into one of the world’s smallest landmasses. Location has been history for the people of Malta.…

Isafjordur, Iceland Ísafjörður in the largest town in Iceland’s Westfjords peninsula, but is home to fewer than 3,000 residents. The town, fuelled by a thriving fishing industry, did not form on this site until after…