Things to Do in Europe

Northeast France isn't a regular tourist destination -- most visitors don't venture past Reims, with its gorgeous cathedral and Champagne culture. But just a bit farther east is a city worth visiting, one that is well-known among World War I buffs: Verdun.

Founded by the Celtic Gauls more than 2,000 years ago, Verdun is located on the River Meuse near the borders of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. It was the site of the longest and most brutal battle of World War I, the Battle of Verdun, which raged through most of 1916. The German and French sides suffered a combined 700,000 casualties, and although the French won, the victory was seen as a blight on the war because of the sheer number of soldiers wounded, lost or dead. The losses were ultimately deemed unnecessary.

The battlefield, which is only six square miles, can still be visited today. There are also several cemeteries and memorials in the area around Verdun where people from around the world can pay their respects to the fallen. The most visited is the Douaumont ossuary, a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives. Although moving, the ossuary is not for the faint of heart; there are piles of actual human bones throughout the structure.

However, the museum itself is astounding, and both the monument and the cemetery of more than 16,000 graves are must-see attractions for those looking to gain perspective on the scale of what soldiers from both sides darkly nicknamed "The Hell of Verdun."

Set amid the idyllic greenery of Kuusisaari Island, the magnificent Villa Gyllenberg is one of Helsinki's most beautifully situated museums. The historic 20th-century villa is the home of art collectors Signe and Ane Gyllenberg, and their impressive private art collection opens it doors to the public two days a week.

Inside, the gallery boasts around 400 pieces, mostly from Finnish artists and including everything from 16th century works by the old masters to modern art dating back to the 1970s.  Highlights include Isak Wacklin's Portrait of a Man, a selection of surrealist paintings by Juhani Linnovara, and a collection of around 30 Helen Schjerfbeck works. The Villa also hosts temporary exhibitions and classic music concerts.

Victoria Eugenia Theater (Teatro Victoria Eugenia) Just steps away from San Sebastián's old quarter sits the Victoria Eugenia Theater. There, the commanding Belle Époque-style building stands watch over Okendo Plaza, as well as the River Urumea, which flows out to the Bay of Biscay.

Francisco de Urcola designed the early 20th-century property in response to the Basque city's growth as a destination for Spanish and European aristocrats. Now, it's considered one of the most beautiful buildings in San Sebastián and also as one of the most prestigious theaters in all of Spain.

And upon seeing it, there's really no surprise as to why. It boasts an attractive sandstone exterior, whose columned front façade is adorned by four prominent sculptures, each of which represents opera, tragedy, comedy and drama. Meanwhile, the interior dazzles with golden balconies filled with red velvet chairs, and a ceiling of frescoes illuminated by an elaborate chandelier.

Apart from shows ranging from opera to dance and musicals, Victoria Eugenia Theater has also played host to the San Sebastian International Film Festival, as well as various movie premieres.

The street called Via San Lorenzo runs in a southeasterly direction from close to the port in Genoa to one of the city's major public piazzas.

Perhaps the biggest attraction along Via San Lorenzo is the church that shares its name "“ the Genoa Cathedral, or Cattedrale di San Lorenzo. It was consecrated in the early 12th century, and the square in front of the church was Genoa's only public piazza during the Middle Ages.

Today, one of Genoa's most popular piazzas is just up Via San Lorenzo "“ Piazza Matteotti leads from the street up to the Palazzo Ducale, and the Chiesa del Gesù e dei Santi Ambrogio e Andrea is off to one side. The church was built in the late 16th century, while the Palazzo Ducale dates from the late 13th century.

Opened in 1913 in a beautiful Art Nouveau building, the Wiener Konzerthaus is one of the largest and most artistically progressive musical institutions in the world. After World War II, it played a crucial role in reviving the Austrian musical scene and soon became the leading organizer of contemporary music in the country, as well as a popular stage for international jazz performances.

The original Konzerthaus was home to three concert halls in which concerts could be played simultaneously and featured a historic organ installed in 1913. A complete renovation of the building between 1998 and 2001 added a fourth hall and made updates to make the Konzerthaus one of the most modern concert houses in the world. The four halls have capacities ranging from 336 to more than 1,800 and together they host more than 700 different events during the season, which runs from September to June. The Kozerthaus also hosts several festivals throughout the year, including the Early Music Festival Resonanzen in January, the Vienna Spring Festival in April and May, the Internationale Musikfest in May and June and the Wien Modern in the fall.

The megalithic temples of Malta and Gozo are a big draw for visitors, and reveal the pre-Christian history of the islands dating back well over 5,000 years. But for a "newer" experience, dating back to the turn of the second millennium and going through WWII, a visit to the Wignacourt Museum is an absolute must.

There are two distinct features to the museum. First there is the former residence of the Chaplains of the Knights of Malta, which has been beautifully renovated into a two-story gallery with displays of Maltese and European artists' works in everything from paintings to coins and rare books. The second part "“ and many say, even more fascinating "“ is the underground level that includes the grotto of St Paul, where it is said that he brought Christianity to Malta, and includes catacombs; and several underground chambers and tunnel network, which was used by residents in WWII to hide from the fighting. 

This medieval complex of buildings atop Vysehrad Hill, just south of Mala Strana (Old Town), has played an important part in Prague's history, having served at various points as a royal residence, religious center, and military fortress. It's one of the most significant of the Czech Republic's National Cultural Monuments, and it offers excellent views across the city.

 

The site dates back to the 10th century"”that's when a church and fortified trading post were built; by 1085, the first king of Bohemia had also built a castle here. Although only fragments of the castle remain, including the underground casemates and the twin spires of the castle's church, the monument underwent a major neo-Gothic facelift in 1895, giving it an impressive, lofty interior. Some of Prague's most prominent citizens are buried in the ornate neighboring cemetery, including composers Bedrich Smetana and Antonín Dvorák, the patriotic author and poet Jan Neruda, and Art Nouveau maestro Alphonse Mucha.

Some Prague sightseeing tours, especially those focused on off-the-beaten path sites, include a visit to Vysehrad, which is sometimes referred to as the city's "other" castle. For a more in-depth explanation of the complex's history, take a private tour. 

The Vysehrad metro station and Albertov tram stations are both a 15-minute walk away. From Vyton tram station it's a 10-minute walk. 

 

The site is open to the public every day of the week, from morning through early evening. Winter opening hours are slightly shorter. Prague is pleasant year round, but winter does bring heavy snow and frost.

 

Vysehrad is a subject of local folklore. Legend has it that Libuse, the founder of Prague, stated her prophecy about the future glory of the city from her seat in Vysehrad. The site also appears in the traditional Bohemian tale, The Maiden's War, about an uprising of women against men. The leader of the band of women attacks the men at Vysehrad; alas, she"”and all the women"”are defeated.

Found along the ancient road to Barcino (the former name of Barcelona) the Via Sepulcral Romana is one of the most intriguing remnants of the city's Roman past. Located on the site of the present-day Plaça de la Vila Madrid, the unique site served as a burial ground, where more than 80 graves have been uncovered, dating from the 1st to the 3rd century AD, during which period burials were forbidden within the city walls. 

Today, visitors can visit part of the excavated ruins and view artifacts found at the site at the on-site museum, which also offers insight into the Roman road network and burial rituals.

A bluff, flat-topped peak in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Untersberg is close to the Austrian border with Germany and rises up to 6,473 feet (1,973 meters); it is the highest mountain in the Salzburg area. In summer it is the destination of hikers for its well-marked trails; paragliders for spectacular alpine views; expert climbers for tough ascents; and tours around the Schellenbergerice cave. In winter local skiers flock to the mountain for the demanding 4.75-mile (7.5-km) run back down to the village of Grödig.

Today the summit of Untersberg can be reached all year around (weather permitting) by a panoramic cable-car ride from the village of St Leonhard; the alpine views are spectacular as the Rositten Valley and snow-flecked alpine peaks spread out far below. The year 2015 sees the 50th anniversary of the releases of The Sound of Music and excursions will run out to the foothills of Untersberg to the spot where the Von Trapp family sang Climb Every Mountain as they escaped across the Alps to safety from Nazi Austria.

Found in the Meilahti district of Helsinki, Tamminiemi is a villa that served as the official residences for former Fininsh president Urho Kekkonen between 1940 and 1981. The house was originally designed by Sigurd Frosterus and Gustaf Strengell for a Danish man by the name of Jorgen Nissen. The building was completed in 1903 and housed a number of residents before finally becoming the home of Urho Kekkonen. Today, the villa is open to the eyes of the public as a museum. It's located next to Seurasaari Museum Island within a beautiful park.

Kekkonen held the office of president in Finland from 1956 to 1981, and Tamminiemi was the official residence, the center of political affairs, and was often used to entertain foreign guests and dignitaries. It is said that Kekkonen would often treat his important guest to a visit to his personal Turkish baths found within the complex. After Kekkonen left office in 1981, it remained his personal home until his death in 1986. Much of the residence has been left as it was during the years it was occupied by the Finnish President. Visitors can step back in time and wander through the house via guided tours. Guests also have the chance to see the living quarters, various art works, and the kitchen area. There is also a cafe and shop on site.

A branch of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Victor Vasarely Museum can be found in a quiet neighborhood in the Obuda area of Budapest. Housed in an 18th-century building that was originally a storage facility for the Zichy Palace, the museum was founded in 1987 when artist Victor Varasely donated his art collection to the Museum of Fine Arts. Often considered the grandfather of the optic art movement, Vasarely was born in Hungary but spent much of his life in Paris, eventually becoming a naturalized French citizen. 

The Vasarely Museum holds one of four permanent exhibitions of Vasarely's works in France and Hungary. The collection includes around 400 original and reproduced works of art, ranging from early advertising graphics to a variety of op art and plastic pieces created in the 1960s and 1970s.

The museum also occasionally hosts temporary exhibitions, often in collaboration with the Open Structures Art Society and focused on a particular theme, the most recent being "Space as Space."

Artist Vincent Van Gogh spent two years living in the village of Nuenen in the Netherlands and today the village serves as an open air museum in his honor. Importantly, Nuenen is where Van Gogh painted his masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. Visitors can follow walking or cycling routes through the village, passing 21 locations related to Van Gogh's stay in Nuenen. Fourteen of those locations were painted by Van Gogh on at least one occasion. Information columns stand outside of most of the locations to provide visitors with insight as to their significance.

The Vincentre is the visitor center in Nuenen and serves as a good starting point for walks throughout the village.  The building previously served as the town hall from 1874 to 1953. Inside the Vincentre, a permanent exhibition uses advanced technology to tell the story of Van Gogh and Nuenen. Visitors can hear from people Van Gogh knew, follow his footsteps to where he traveled before arriving in Nuenen, experience the atmosphere of when he arrived in 1883 and listen to passages from letters he wrote.

 

The large avenue that runs between Piazza della Repubblica and the Largo Magnanapoli in Rome is called Via Nazionale, and it's lined with hotels and shops.

Via Nazionale was built in the late 19th century, though there was already a street under construction at the time - Via Pia, named for Pope Pius IX. The existing plan was altered to make the road wider, as it was deemed a critical artery leading from the area near Termini train station into the heart of Rome.

Because of the proximity to Stazione Termini, Via Nazionale is a popular street for hotels and other accommodation options. There are also lots of mid-range and chain clothing stores, and some chain and fast food restaurants.

Although the construction of Via Nazionale required the demolition of several historic buildings, there are still some attractions along the broad street - many of which were built after the road was finished. St. Paul's Within the Walls was the first Protestant church in Rome, opened in 1880. The Palazzo delle Esposizioni, opened in 1883, has several entertainment and exhibition spaces. The 16th-century church of Santa Caterina a Magnanapoli is is near the end of Via Nazionale, and the street also leads directly to the ruins of Trajan's Market.

Universeum is a public science center and museum in Gothenburg, Sweden. Opened in 2001, it offers hands-on workshops in each of its six sections, including a technology lab and an rainforest exhibit, and houses one of Europe's largest aquariums.

Universeum is divided into six sections: Health, where visitors can test their flexibility and learn about the human body; Ocean Zone, an aquarium featuring over 30,000 species of fish; Space, which houses models of space pods and immersive outer space experience; The Rainforest, a greenhouse where monkeys, birds, and sloths roam free; The Reptilarium, a collection of snakes and lizards; and Water's Way, an exhibit dedicated to the biodiversity of Sweden.

Located on Sodra Vagen, the main thoroughfare in Gothenburg, the museum is often visited in conjunction with Liseberg amusement park and the Museum of World Culture.

Centrally located on the Evenemangsstraket, or "thoroughfare of events," Universeum is easily accessible on foot or by public transit. Vasttrafik trams 6 and 8 both stop in front of the museum.

While busiest on weekend afternoons, the museum's size means that it never feels overly crowded. For a quieter visit, go on a weekday afternoon.

Your Universeum admission ticket grants you access to the Chemistry Lab, open daily 2:30"“5:30pm on weekdays and 10:30am"“5:30pm on weekends. Gear up with a lab coat and goggles: Ticketed guests can take part in hourly hands-on demonstrations that range from slime making to balloon physics. Tickets are released 15 minutes before the start of each program from the board outside the Chemistry Lab.

One of the most famous historic streets in the center of Genoa is the Via Garibaldi. This street has had a few names over the centuries, but it's always been a fashionable address.

What we know today as Via Garibaldi was first built in the mid-1500s, when it was called Strada Maggiore "“ or "Great Street." Later, it became known as "Strada Nuova," or "New Street." It was renamed in 1882 for Italy's great revolutionary leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and in 2006 the street and the historic palaces on it were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

From the time when the Via Garibaldi was first designed and built, it was intended to be a street upon which the wealthy families of Genoa would build their homes. The street was soon lined with palaces, each occupied by a noble family, and many passed down through generations and hundreds of years. Today, several of those former private homes are now public museums and galleries, and the entire street is a feast for the architecturally inclined.

Some of the palaces you can visit along the Via Garibaldi are the Palazzo Rosso, the Palazzo Bianco, and the Palazzo Doria Tursi. Some of the buildings are not open to the public, but with a good guided tour of Genoa you'll be sure to not miss any of the ones you can get into "“ many of which have beautiful old frescoes on internal walls.

If you are in Inverness and want to spend a day out with the family, you will find a beautiful recreational area for just this purpose in Whin Park. Popular among tourists as well as locals, the site is especially great for kids due to the miniature Ness Islands Railway, a large play area and a boating pond.

The train is usually made of a diesel locomotive with long lines of benches attached behind it. If you are lucky though, a tiny steam engine will be in use to take you on the bell-shaped ride through the thick forested areas of the park. It was originally built in 1983, though the current track was finished a few years later to allow it to cross an old iron bridge in the park that was built in 1837.

For those looking for a nice walk, the park's loop trail circles the boating pond and should take about 30 minutes to complete. The pond itself is fit with rowing boats that can be rented out if you fancy paddling around a bit. And of course, there are few better places in Inverness to take an afternoon picnic than Whin Park.

The Victoria Square Shopping Centre is one of the biggest and most expensive developments in Northern Ireland. It includes both residential and commercial space, with the British department store House of Fraser as its anchor tenant. The square's iconic feature is undoubtedly its glass dome that offers panoramic 360-degree views of the city. The 35-meter diameter dome has two covered, multi-level streets linking in, and an ornate Jaffee Fountain sits below the dome in what is the hub of the entire area.

Daily tours of the dome are offered, with guides providing information on some of the sights to see. Important buildings like Belfast Castle, Harland & Wolff Cranes, Belfast City Hall, Belfast Courts of Justice and the Albert Clock are some to be pointed out.

Retail outlets spread out over four floors include Fossil, H&M, Apple, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Hugo Boss and more, while entertainment outlets like Odeon Cinemas, restaurants and bars are also part of the commercial space at Victoria Square. 

Take a trip back in time and across the river from Liverpool to see the U-Boat Story. As you explore an authentic WWII German submarine recovered in 1993"”now a museum boasting interactive displays, accessible viewing windows, and wartime artifacts, including an Enigma machine"”gain insight into onboard life and discover the crew's fate.

Peruse the cross-sections of a wartime U-Boat to uncover the mysteries of the sunken German submarine. This unique museum includes original film archives and an up-close encounter with sections of the U-534. Opt to combine your visit with a ferry across the River Mersey and save on admission prices with some cruise tours. If you have limited time, choose an all-inclusive package to see the museum along with other Liverpool highlights all in one day. You can also take advantage of hop-on hop-off services that allow a customizable itinerary and personalized pace.

The U-Boat Story is located at Woodside Ferry Terminal in Birkenhead, on the Wirral. Situated opposite Liverpool Pier Head, the sight is best accessed by water, with many ferry cruises stopping at the port. You can also take the Merseyrail from Lime Street to Hamilton Square and walk five minutes to the museum, or drive via the Queensway Tunnel.

The museum is open daily, except December 25, December 26 and January 1. The outdoor section is exposed to strong winds, so visiting during the warmer months may be preferable. The sight is popular with school groups; on weekdays arrive early or later in the afternoon to avoid crowds.

The U-534 was kept complete as part of the Warship Preservation Trust until 2006. When the collection closed, the vessel was dismantled in order to move it safely. Previously it had been difficult for everyone to access the submarine due to its tight passages and stepped access, so it was decided to display it in four sections to allow all visitors the opportunity to see inside the historic craft.

Get to know Valencia beyond just the modern-day city by heading to the

Museu d'Història de València. The museum takes visitors back over two

centuries to explore the city's deepest roots via exhibitions that range from pictures to documentaries, artifacts, and more. Perhaps the highlight is the museum's time machine, which captures the evolution of Valencia as it grows and changes over time.

And the building is quite intriguing, too, as the museum is located in an old, essentially underground, water cistern. Constructed in 1850, the brick-and-column structure is emblematic of Valencian industrial architecture. While the space is lighter on artifacts than it is on videos and descriptions, those that are interested in Valencia's history, and seeing this historic space, will find the visit to be a gratifying way to get better connected with the city and its past.

One of several attractions within Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, the Felix Candela"“designed Oceanografic (L'Oceanogràfic) is not only architecturally impressive. It also ranks among the world's best aquariums, with more than 45,000 animals representing over 500 species from the world's main marine ecosystems.

Europe's largest aquarium also ranks as the most popular attraction in the City of Arts and Sciences, with exhibits divided into 11 themed areas, including the Red Sea, Mediterranean, Arctic, and Antarctic. You can purchase admission just for the Oceanografic, or buy a ticket that includes other City of Arts and Sciences buildings"”the Hemisferic and the Science Museum"”at a discount. The aquarium is a stop on the Valencia Maritime route of the hop-on hop-off tourist bus, and you can see the impressive structures from the outside during a City of Arts and Sciences Segway tour.

The Valencia Oceanografic is well connected by public transportation. Take metro Line 3 to Alameda Station, catch EMT Bus 95, or take advantage of Valencia's bike-share program to cycle to the aquarium through Turia river park. 

The best time to enjoy the aquarium's indoor and outdoor exhibits is from April to May, when weather is warm and crowds are sparse. Expect longer lines and temperatures up to 90°F (32°C) during the summer months. Be sure to check show times at the Dolphinarium before you arrive.

While the City of Arts and Sciences is home to several restaurants, none is quite so unique as the Submarine Restaurant inside the Oceanografic. In this underwater restaurant, you have the opportunity to dine in an ocean-like atmosphere, surrounded by more than 10,000 colorful fish.