Things to Do in Europe

The Stradun - also known locally as Placa - is the main street in Dubrovnik’s Old Town, running west from Pile Gate to Ploce Gate and the harbor in the east.

The city's biggest and most iconic street, the Stradun is also the town’s busiest. There’s a constant shuffle of feet along its limestone and marble pavings as locals go about their business and tourists explore the architectural treasures of the Old Town.

The Stradun was once a shallow water channel that divided Dubrovnik. Filled and paved in the 12th century, this wide street was originally surrounded by Gothic and Renaissance buildings. These buildings were mostly destroyed in an earthquake in 1667, which devastated much of the town.

Leave the present day behind and take a wander around Old Istanbul, the wonderful old Sultanahmet District. This World Heritage-listed district is crammed with historic buildings and enough magical atmosphere to keep you enthralled for days.

The dramatic Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata) marks the eastern entrance to Zagreb’s medieval Gornji Grad (Upper Town) and is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, providing a useful navigation point for visitors passing between the Upper and Lower towns. The stone-carved arch is more than just a gateway though – local legend has transformed it into a shrine and the adjourning chapel flickers with candles, lit daily by local worshippers in honor of the Virgin Mary.

The origins of the Stone Gate date back to as early as 1266 and today the restored archway forms a key part of the ruins of the ancient city walls. The story goes that the original gate featured a painting of Mary holding baby Jesus and after a devastating fire swept through the capital in 1731, the artwork miraculously survived, appearing to locals like the image of the Virgin Mary was emerging from the ashes. Today the painting is the centerpiece of the chapel built in its honor, protected by an ornate iron grille, and forming the basis of the country’s largest shrine.

Running along the remains of Zagreb’s medieval defense walls and marking the southern border of the Upper Town (Gornji Grad), the Strossmayer Promenade is one of the city’s liveliest and most scenic walkways. Named after the famous 19th-century Croatian bishop and politician Josip Juraj Strossmayer, the romantic terraced promenade is shaded by towering chestnut trees and its scenic lookouts offer expansive views over the Lower Town below. The easiest way to reach the promenade is by the funicular railway which runs from Tomićeva Street, close to the central Bana Jelačića Square, and despite being one of the shortest funiculars in the world, riding the 66-meter long track is a quintessential Zagreb experience.

Although most visitors stroll the walkway to take in the panoramic views,  the most atmospheric time to visit the Strossmayer Promenade is during the summer months, when the Strossmarte street festival takes over the area and the street is teeming with artists, musicians and food stalls.

The landmark Geysir Geyser might be the world’s most famous and the one after which all others are named, but its neighbor, Strokkur, is equally impressive. Despite only rising to heights of 60 to 100 feet (compared to Geysir’s 150 to 200 feet), Strokkur still erupts several times an hour (unlike Geysir, which remains largely dormant thanks to its clogged conduit) offering visitors a good chance of witnessing the natural spectacle.

Opened up by an earthquake in 1789 and reactivated by human intervention in 1963 after being blocked by a second earthquake, Strokkur has been erupting regularly ever since. Cradled in a 3-meter wide crater, Strokkur’s highly anticipated eruptions begin with the formation of a pulsing bubble of hot water, which reaches temperatures of around 200 °C before a rush of steam breaks through and shoots into the air. The geyser now stands among Iceland’s most popular natural attractions, located in the Haukadalur geothermal area and a much-visited sight along the Golden Circle route from Reykjavik.

With its crenellated turrets, ornate gables and fortifications, Schloss Stolzenfels exudes the sentimental beauty for which the Romantic Rhine is famed. Originally built in the 13th century to impose illegal river tolls, it had all the necessary features: a drawbridge, a keep, an impressive gateway and a chapel.

A Prussian king rebuilt the castle, ruined by the French, as his summer residence in 1823. Today, the rooms largely remain as the king left them. There is an impressive exhibit of armor and weaponry.

The Swedish National Museum (also referred to as the National Museum of Fine Arts) is the national gallery of Sweden, located in central Stockholm. The benefactors, King Gustav III and Carl Gustaf Tessin, amassed an impressive art collection for the museum that is available for your viewing today. The gallery is home to about art spanning the Middle Ages to 1900, and  the museum features an important 18th century Dutch and Flemmish collection, including Rembrandt, Ruben, and Frans Hals the Elder. In addition you can also admire a lovely collection of porcelain objects, paintings, sculptures, and modern art. The art library for the public and the academic community.

The original museum, called the Royal Museum, was founded in 1792. The current building was then built, inspired by North Italian Renaissance architecture, by architect Friedrich August Stüler in 1866.