Things to Do in Europe

Ljubljana’s main church is also its biggest and the grand Cathedral of St Nicholas towers over Pogačarjev trg in the historic Old Town. Despite a history dating back to the 13th century, the present day cathedral dates back to an 18th century design by architect Andrea Pozzo, an elegant baroque structure, featuring twin towers and an enormous central dome.

It’s the opulent interiors that draw the most attention – an expanse of pink marble, white stucco and gilt, lavishly decorated by many of the city’s most prominent artists. Highlights include the baroque-style frescos by artists Giulio Quaglio and Matevž Langus; a pair of bronze walls erected in honor of the late Pope John Paul II; and the magnificent carvings decorating the choir stalls, organ and altar – the handiwork of Italian sculptor Francesco Robba.

One of several churches standing on Cathedral Square inside Moscow’s Kremlin, the Cathedral of the Archangel was the main burial place for Russian tsars for centuries until the capital was temporarily moved to St. Petersburg. Built in the early 16th century, it represented the culmination of a grand building project initiated by Ivan the Great. Built in a style unique from the other Kremlin cathedrals, the Cathedral of the Archangel features Italian Renaissance design elements, as well as five domes representing Jesus and the four evangelists.

While many of the cathedral’s treasures are now displayed in the Kremlin Armory Museum, the 17th century iconostasis remains, as do many 16th and 17th century wall frescoes, painted by more than 100 different artists. The oldest icon in the cathedral, which depicts Archangel Michael in full armor, dates back to the 14th century. Visitors can see more than 40 tombs inside the cathedral, with those of the Grand Dukes and their families lining the southern wall and the vaults of the Romanovs standing in the center of the building.

One of the top scenic drives in Great Britain, this 130-mile (212-kilometer) route winds along the craggy coast of Northern Ireland. Stretching from Belfast all the way to Derry, the Causeway Coastal Route leads to castles, cliff walks, beaches, waterfalls, Game of Thrones filming locations, and other scenic locales. 

While the Causeway Coastal Route can be covered in a matter of hours, most visitors take several days to properly explore it, stopping at various sites en route. Key parts of the route are often included as part of organized sightseeing day trips from Belfast. These may include the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Dark Hedges in Ballymoney, Dunluce Castle, Ballintoy Harbour, and Downhill Strand. 

The best way to explore the Causeway Coastal Route is during a self-guided road trip or by organized tour. From Belfast, follow the A2 road north along the coast. Travelers departing from Derry should take the A2 toward Limavady. 

The Causeway Coastal Route is drivable year-round, with road closures extremely rare. As many of the attractions are outside, however, you may want to go in summer when the weather is typically warmer and daylight lasts for up to 18 hours. 

In addition to the Giant’s Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, this driving route also leads to some lesser-known but no less spectacular attractions. See the Norman-era Carrickfergus Castle, follow cliff-face walkways on the rugged Antrim Coast at the Gobbins, walk amid the scenic Glens of Antrim, and sample whiskey at the Old Bushmills Distillery. 

Known for its artistic atmosphere, the ever-expanding Cathedral Quarter is Belfast’s up-and-coming cultural hub. The former trading district, now home to a number of galleries, music spaces, and trendy restaurants, hosts a number of indoor and outdoor events suited to everyone, including young travelers, foodies, and families.

St Anne’s Cathedral sits at the heart of the historic area, which is best explored by foot. City sightseeing tours usually include the area in their itinerary, or visitors can opt for a more focused political tour for insight into the city’s sectarian past. Alternatively, some round-trip tours of the Antrim coast, including Game of Thrones tours, also offer sightseeing in Belfast.

The Quarter is a 15-minute walk from Great Victoria Street station, and nearby Ulster University Belfast Campus is served directly by the 2a, 2d, and 2e buses. The narrow streets around the quarter are best explored by foot, though there is some paid parking nearby.

The streets tend to be decorated with flowers in spring and summer; winter, meanwhile, brings festive lights and services at the central St Anne’s Cathedral. Aim to explore after working hours to see the neighborhood’s many bars and restaurants come to life.

Get off the beaten path and discover poignant, political, and entertaining murals in the Cathedral Quarter. Find the Yellow Umbrella Passage and follow it into a colorful courtyard—it’s a picturesque setting that will provide good cultural insight. 

The quiet Cappadocian village of Cavusin is famous for three things: beautiful churches, abandoned rock houses, and great hiking opportunities. The village is dominated by its cliff from which a clutter of empty cave houses spill down precariously, making for a fun place to explore. The area of the village where people live today is nice and quiet — most people work in agriculture and you’ll see that the little cafe by the mosque is the local hotspot. 

At the top of the cliff which looms above the village, look out for the famous Basilica of St John the Baptist. It dates back to the 5th century AD, making it one of the region’s oldest cave churches. It’s also one of the biggest cave churches in Cappadocia. You’ll enter the 1,500 year old chapel via a footbridge. Once inside, notice the chapel’s grand arches and images of crosses and stars. In the village, there's also the lower church to check out. Dedicated to the famous Cappadocian general Nicephorus Phocas, who was victorious in the Byzantine era, this church dates back to 960 AD.

The village of Cavusin is also the starting point for hikes into Rose Valley, Red Valley, and Meskendir Valley. 

This popular natural attraction located just outside of Tirana is the ideal destination for outdoor adventurers in search of an easy day trip from Albania’s capital city.

The stunning and enormous cave offers up incredible interiors and impressive rock formations. Giant stalagmites and stalactites cover the cave and visitors can hear their voices echo off the towering walls. The cave measures some 360-meters deep and at one time was thought to be endless due to its size. Researchers say the cave was once home to a rare species of cave bears and later, during periods of war, was used as a safe haven for villagers.

The story surrounding the Cave of the Seven Sleepers recalls the story of a several young men who sought refuge in a cave out outside Ephesus to escape persecution under Decius, roughly around year 250. Indeed, this courageous group refused to obey the greedy king, which had forced his entire kingdom to worship idols he himself selected, and chose to flee their homeland and pursue their faith in God instead. They woke up some odd 200 years later, only to find out the world had completely changed and Ephesus had become a place of freedom for all Christians. They all died a natural death many years later and were all buried in the cave in which they had slept for so long. The grotto was quick to become a major pilgrimage site, and several people asked to be buried there along with the Sleepers over the following centuries.

Today, the area surrounding the Cave of the Seven Sleepers is technically fenced off but most visitors take advantage of the poor state of the structure to climb over and get full access to the cave, where they can visit the church in which the sleepers were buried; there also are numerous 5th-century terracotta lamps, which depict scenes from the Old Testament and various pagan scenes from Greek and Roman mythology and prove the existence of paganism in the region.

Located inside the gates of Diocletian’s Palace, the Cathedral of St. Domnius is a massive octagonal cathedral built in Roman times as the Mausoleum of Diocletian. The structure was converted to a church in the 7th century and mass is still held here today, making it one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in the world still in use in its original structure.  

The Cathedral of St. Domnius is most often visited on a tour of Diocletian’s Palace. Admire the cathedral’s massive wooden doors, which are carved with scenes depicting the life of Christ, view the 15th-century altar of St. Anastasius, and browse the cathedral treasury’s wide array of gold and silver artifacts, including shrines containing the remains of various saints.

The Cathedral of St. Domnius is located in the heart of Diocletian’s Palace at the intersection of the two main streets, Cardo, which runs north to south, and Decumanus, which runs east to west.  You can only visit the Cathedral of St. Domnius on foot, as the cobblestone streets of Diocletian's Palace is a pedestrian-only zone.

The Cathedral of St. Domnius can be visited year-round, although the cathedral does have limited visiting hours in winter. Diocletian’s Palace can get very busy during the summer months, so visit first thing in the morning if you wish to avoid the crowds.  

Diocletian was known for his brutal treatment of Christians and, rather ironically, a section of the mausoleum he built to glorify his life and legacy now serves as a mausoleum for Christians massacred during his ruling. Diocletian’s remains were removed from the mausoleum when it was being converted to a cathedral in the 7th century, and no one knows what happened to them. 

Second only to Paris’ famous cathedral of the same name, the Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame (also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg, or simply, Strasbourg Cathedral) is the second-most-visited cathedral in France, drawing up to 4 million annual visitors. With its 465-foot (142-meter) spire (the second-highest in France) and dramatic red façade sculpted from Vosges sandstone, the cathedral is Strasbourg’s most unmistakable landmark and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

While the cathedral’s history dates back to 1015, the majority of the present-day structure dates from between the 12th and 15th centuries, blending a cornucopia of architectural styles from Romanesque to Late Gothic. Highlights include a series of 12th-century stained glass windows, a magnificent 18-meter-tall astronomical clock and the 66-meter high viewing platform, reached by a grand 300-step spiral staircase and offering unbeatable views over the city.

Don’t be fooled — the beach isn’t the only reason to make it to Sitges; in fact, it might not even be the top one. A visit to the city’s Cau Ferrat Museum will quickly prove this is to be the case given its eclectic collection of art, odds and ends that will keep your eyes dazzled for days. 

Relatively small in size, the museum’s venue was originally founded in 1893 (later opened to the public in 1933) by Santiago Rusiñol as a fisherman home-turned-home workshop. What awaits visitors now is a veritable temple of Modernisme times, which includes a seemingly never-ending collection of items ranging from ceramics to medieval doorknobs and keys, colorful tile work, artwork by Rusiñol’s contemporaries (such as Picasso), and what is said to be the world’s largest collection of wrought iron — among a lot more. Between the items on display, the historic home, and the unbeatable views of the sea, you’ll be glad you found your way to this impressive treasure in Sitges.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important shrines in Christendom, believed to be the final resting place of St. James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles. The Romanesque, Gothic, and baroque structure is the terminus of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) pilgrimage routes through Northern Spain.

 

Whether you’re a pilgrim wishing to bask in the presence of an important holy site or merely interested in one of the most fantastic spots in Europe, the cathedral is a must-see for the sweep and scope of its art and architecture.

 

Many visitors explore the cathedral and surrounding town on a day trip from Porto just across the Portuguese border. To get a sense of the pilgrimage experience, it’s also possible to take a self-guided walk along the last 62 miles (100 kilometers) of the Way of St. James over the course of a week or opt for a weeklong guided cycling tour of the pilgrimage route.

 

 

Most visitors arrive at the cathedral on foot as part of a pilgrimage, and it’s easy to walk to and from just about anywhere in the relatively small Santiago. The easiest way to get there from other cities in Spain is to take the train; the station is within walking distance of the city center. You can also visit as part of a day trip from Porto, Portugal.

 

The basilica and its museum are both open daily throughout the year, though the museum closes on some holidays. Winter is an ideal time to visit the cathedral, as pilgrimages are rare, so you won’t have to queue up. Arrive early if you plan to attend mass in July or August, the busiest months at the cathedral.

 

On some holidays, a huge incense burner known as a Botafumeiro is hung from the main dome of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Eight men use a pulley system to swing the giant censer from side to side some 65 feet (20 meters) above the congregation.

Built in the late 1890s and opened at the turn of the 20th century on one of Bucharest’s main boulevards, the CEC Palace was designed by French architect Paul Gottereau and the construction of this fine Beaux Arts masterpiece was overseen by Romanian architect Ion Socolescu. Designated to be the HQ of Romania’s oldest savings bank, Casa de Economii și Consemnațiuni (CEC) and located opposite the National History Museum of Romania, it is a monumental mansion topped with five cupolas; the central one stands over the grandiose, colonnaded entrance and is made of glass and steel. The palace is slated for transformation into an art museum and was sold to the city council for more than €17.75 million in 2006; while plans are drawn up the CEC Bank rents it back from the council but its sumptuous, marble-clad interior – much of which was covered over in Ceaușescu’s time – is no longer open to the public.

Not far from the town of Santadi in southern Sardinia is a network of caves that stretches more than a mile underground. It’s called the Caves of Is Zuddas, and they are a popular tourist attraction in the region.

While the caves themselves go on for more than a mile, the portion that can be visited by tourists is a little less than one third of a mile long. In that distance, visitors go through multiple large chambers and see the incredible stalactite and stalagmite formations for which the caves are famous. There are also remains of a rodent species that was only found on Sardinia and nearby Corsica, and is now extinct.

Visits into the Caves of Is Zuddas are only possible with a guide. Some guided tours of the Is Zuddas caves also include other geological points of interest in the area, too, such as the Cave of Campanaccio and Cave of Capra.

A Munich landmark, the Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady (Frauenkirche) features two 325-foot (99-meter) towers topped by spherical domes. According to local ordinance, no other building in the city may be taller than this, preserving the cathedral’s central position on the skyline of Bavaria’s capital.

Visible from all over Munich, the Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady is a must-see attraction—whether you want to tour the interior or attend a service. Climb 86 steps and then take an elevator to the top of the south tower for unparalleled views of Munich.

Most Munich city tours include a stop at the cathedral and nearby Marienplatz—the city’s main square. Many WWII history tours also visit the church, which was damaged during the war. Full-day tours from Frankfurt typically include a visit to the cathedral along with other Munich highlights, and some day trips also include a visit to the nearby city of Nuremberg.

The Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady is located just off busy Marienplatz, in Munich’s city center. While guided tours provide easy transportation, it’s also possible to take tram 19 to Marienplatz (Theatinerstrasse), or take the S- or U-bahn to Karlsplatz and walk 10 minutes from there.

The cathedral is open daily from 7:30am to 8:30pm. Services include morning and evening mass and midday prayers, and though you may not explore the church during services, all are welcome to attend. The church frequently hosts concerts and organ recitals, which may require paid admission.

Legend has it that the Devil made a deal with Frauenkirche architect Jörg Halspach—that he would pay for the church if the builder didn’t put windows in it. When Lucifer came to inspect the building, he stamped his foot in fury at being hoodwinked, leaving a large footprint on the floor. Look for der Teufelstritt at the entrance to the Frauenkirche.

Famous as the stage where the Beatles made their debut in 1961, Liverpool’s Cavern Club has become a place of legend, hosting not only the Fab Four, but the Who, the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Elton John, and many more household names. The influential club remains one of Liverpool’s top live music venues to this day.

 

Beatles tours of Liverpool often make a stop at the legendary Cavern Club, and Magical Mystery Bus tour participants receive free entrance the evening of their tour. While Beatles fans are often content to enjoy a drink at the historic venue, the best way to experience the Cavern Club is to attend a gig. Live music performances take place daily at the main stage, the Cavern Live Lounge, and the Cavern Pub. 

The Cavern Club is located on Mathew Street in central Liverpool, a short walk from Albert Dock and the Beatles Story. The nearest train station is Liverpool James Street and the closest parking is at the Liverpool ONE shopping center, each a 5-minute walk from the venue.

The Cavern Club is open every day and night of the week, with later closing times Thursday to Saturday. From Monday to Wednesday, admission is free; on weekends arrive early to avoid the queues. Beatles fans should visit on a Saturday, when the Cavern Club Beatles perform a tribute to the iconic band.  

Starting out as a jazz club in 1957, the Cavern Club became famous around the world thanks to the Beatles, who played almost 300 gigs there between 1961 and 1963 before becoming a global phenomenon. After the club’s 1960s heyday, it closed down in 1973 and was demolished. A new Cavern Club rose on the original site in the 1980s and has since become one of the most popular Liverpool venues of the 21st century, featuring acts such as Jessie J, Adele, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, and even Sir Paul McCartney. 

Once the summer residence of the Russian tsars and now a museum, Catherine Palace was named after Catherine I, who had it built in 1717. The structure was later rebuilt into an elaborately decorated Rococo-style palace in 1756 by Bartolomeo Rastrelli under the direction of Empress Elizabeth, meant to rival the Palace of Versailles in France. Today, the palace is famous for its baroque style and neoclassical interior that exemplifies Russian wealth and extravagance. Its main attractions are the Grand Hall, the opulent Amber Room, which is lined with gilded amber wall panels and ornate furniture, and the 1,400-acre (566-hectare) Catherine Park with its masterful landscaping.

The blue-and-gold Catherine Palace is a highlight for visitors to St. Petersburg, from where it makes an easy half- or full-day trip destination. Many travelers combine a visit to Catherine Palace with a city sightseeing tour of Pushkin or stops at Peterhof Grand Palace and Pavlovsk Palace. It’s also possible to combine a palace tour with a tour of St. Petersburg’s most beautiful Metro stations.

Catherine Palace and Park are located about 12 miles (25 km) outside of St. Petersburg in the town of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo). To visit by public transport from the city, take a suburban train from St. Petersburg’s Vitebsky railway station to Pushkin and then catch a bus or minibus to the palace. Alternatively, take the Metro to Moskovskaya or Kupchino and then take a minibus to the palace, or book a small-group or private tour that includes hotel pickup and dropoff in St. Petersburg.

Catherine Palace and Park are open year-round, but the park is best visited in late spring when flowers are in full bloom and in fall when the leaves change colors. The palace’s opening hours vary by season, but the site is generally open to the public Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 5pm or 7pm.

After touring Catherine Palace, travelers should definitely check out Catherine Park. More than a dozen pavilions are spread throughout the green space, including the Grotto, the Upper and Lower Bathhouses, the Cameron Gallery, the Creaking Summer House, and the Concert Hall.