Ten Must-See Destinations in Europe

chillibreeze writer — Aun Abbas Jafery

Sometimes it seems that even a lifetime is insufficient to experience all that Europe has to offer. From the much-fought-over Islands of Malta to the rustic charm of English county Towns; from the efficiency of Munich to the chic nonchalance of Paris, Europe has it all. In visiting Europe one is always pressed for time. There is so much to see and so much more to experience that, like a child in a toy store, one feels hopelessly overwhelmed. There are however a few places that, if given the opportunity, one should not miss or fail to see.

For starters there is London: A picture post card city. Be it because of Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Madame Tussauds or St. Paul’s Cathedral; there may be a number of reasons to visit London; in fact there could be as many as twenty seven million reasons if you were to ask every single visitor to the city, but just something as simple as taking a ride on one of the charming trademark buses should suffice.

One of the advantages of visiting London is that it is a truly cosmopolitan city, in every sense of the word. There are over three hundred languages spoken here, restaurants of every cuisine imaginable and chances are there is something or the other belonging to your forefathers that the English have preserved in their museums for you.

London is also known and renowned for its parks and green spaces most notable of which is Hyde Park. When in London do try and drive down a few hundred miles to Stonehenge in Wiltshire and see what all the fuss was about regarding this UNESCO-designated heritage site dating back 3000 years.

Ah, Paris! No not the one that stole Helen of Sparta’s heart but the equally romantic city of Paris. Located on the banks of the Seine, Paris is as beautiful by day as it is by night, though a moonlit night in Paris is better still. There are a number of places worth visiting which most school and self help French textbooks recommend.

By far one of the most beautiful avenues in the World is the Champs-Élysées. Dating back to the Seventeenth Century the Avenue connects up to the Arc de Triomphe at one end and the Place de la Concorde (the infamous site of the guillotine) at the other. The Arc de Triomphe is a lot like a shrine. It is dedicated to the soldiers who died for France during the bloody Napoleonic Wars and also contains Le Tombeau du Soldat Inconnu or The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Right next to the Champs-Élysées is the Avenue Montaigne which is home to none other then Dior, Chanel, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. The Musée du Louvre is a must see for art lovers and the Basillica de Sacré Cœur for those of a religious inclination. Either way missing any of these is like coming away with an empty shell of what Paris truly is. There is one monument in Paris which requires no introduction. Used alternately as an observation tower, advertising space or a radio broadcast tower; Le Tour Eiffel or the Eiffel Tower is no less a wonder of the World.

It is said that Shakespeare is not to be experienced in the Globe theatre of London but in the Gondolas of Venice. It is here in this city of bridges and water that one can truly get a taste of Othello or the Merchant of Venice. Venice is a rich city in terms of not just culture and art but also architecture. Venice is famous for its transport and mass transit system as well. It is perhaps the only place in the world where buildings nearly float on water and where canals take the place of roads. Well! this is what happens when a city is built on over a hundred and twenty islands. The strongest reason, reasonably speaking, of visiting Venice is the fact that the buildings there are sinking and that global warming and shrinking polar ice caps may make scuba diving the only way possible to visit this future lost city of Atlantis.

The once formidable Iron Curtain is nowhere better felt then in the once Cold War frontline city of Berlin. The Berlin Wall has been removed entirely but parts of it are still preserved for posterity. The city was once divided into its four administrative halves. There was the largest Soviet Sector, and then the Allied Sector to the West that was divided into French, British and American administrative Sections. Those days are now long gone and forgotten, but each part of the city has a distinctively different feel. There are over a hundred and fifty museums in Berlin and over fifty theatres alone besides a vibrant nightlife.

“Good boys go to heaven”, it is said and “bad boys go to Amsterdam”-The vice capital of Europe; but there is a lot more that this Dutch city has to offer than just sensual pleasures and mindless hedonism. The city, most parts of which are well below sea level, is surrounded by dykes to hold the sea at bay. There are canals here very much like those in Venice and picturesque windmills and hamlets abound. Amsterdam is the capital city of The Netherlands, a country which is known for more than just one kind of beauty. The botanical gardens here and the flower shows which are adorned by Tulips are known the World over. If on the other hand, you are interested in more permanent beauty and perfection, than can be found in either flowers or flesh, then let’s not forget that Amsterdam is one of the most important diamond processing centers and market of the world.

Another must see destination of Europe is undoubtedly the picturesque country of Switzerland. Cradled in the Alps and bordering the three giants Italy, Germany and France; Switzerland is perhaps the single most visited country in Europe. It is famous for its astounding natural beauty, its immaculate and precision centric watch making industry, and its discreet and secretive banks; not to mention fine Swiss chocolates. The most one gets to see of these banks is their simple facades and brass plaques, but behind those walls are vaults that hold unimaginable wealth. Most tourist visit Switzerland either in spring or for winter sports and skiing in winter.

For lovers and students of Art, Politics, Architecture and History, the city to visit in Europe is Rome. Though there are a lot of other places to see in Italy missing out on Rome, is a strict no-no. The sites in Rome are varied and many and can be classified on the basis of their origin in history.

There is the Colosseum, Domus Aurea, Trajan’s Market and Trajan’s Column, the Catacombs of Rome, the Arch of Constantine, the Circus Maximus, the Bocca della Verita, and the Pyramids of Cestius which all belong to Ancient Roman times.

Renaissance brought with it its own distinctive style and a number of squares and villas date back to this era. These are the Piazza del Campidoglio, Pallazo del Quirinale, Pallazo Farnese, Pallazo Spada, Piaza Navona, and a host of others. There is also the Monument of Vittorio that is neoclassical and the Palazzo della Farnesina which is from the fascist days under Mussolini. There is also the Cultural side of Rome that can be experienced by visiting the local theatres and cinema; and lets not forget savory Italian food in all of this.

The origins of Western Philosophy and Civilization can be found in Athens; as can be that of the Olympic Games. Athens is the city of Socrates and Aristotle, but most of all of its patron goddess Athena. There are a number of sites to see here; both old and new. There is the most famous of monuments, which is a wonder of the world in its own right, the Parthenon. Located at the Acropolis of Athens, it once served as a temple to the cities patron goddess, Athena. Though the Pantheon is considered the most important landmark in Athens; there a number of other places to see. There is the Kallimarmaro Stadium; this is where the World’s First ever Olympic games were held. Another important venue one cannot afford to miss is the National archeological Museum.

The last two places in Europe that a person must visit are Lisbon and the other Malta. Lisbon in Portugal is now a modern city; but it still enjoys a much laid back atmosphere. There is beautiful sunshine most of the year and the people are very friendly. The food there is lovely and so is the wine. Though Lisbon has its own beaches, a few miles north or south of the city is where a number of quieter beaches can be found. The only thing that one can complain about when talking about Malta is the sheer number of tourists headed there. It is best to plan ones visit to coincide with off-seasons as the weather is pleasant for most of the year. It is after all an island paradise.

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Aun writes for chillibreeze.

Ten Must-See Destinations in Europe

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