18 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Europe - Part 1
From France's cultural attractions to Italy's wealth of historical sights and Germany's magnificent list of stunning architectural destinations, European countries have lots to offer visitors. As a result, picking the best attractions to visit can be extremely difficult.
Nevertheless, we've put together a list of the best attractions in Europe, no matter whether you're looking for a mysterious destination like Stonehenge or a chance to immerse yourself in a world of art and architecture in ancient Prague Castle or the magnificent Louvre Museum.
Learn about the best places to visit in this culturally diverse continent with our list of the top attractions in Europe.
- 1. Eiffel Tower, France
The Eiffel Tower is one of France's most famous sights. Sitting in the heart of the Champ de Mars in Paris, the wrought-iron tower was originally built to serve as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair.
Engineer Gustave Eiffel received much criticism for his design, with people calling it a monstrosity and "an impossible task" - at the time of construction, the 324-meter-tall tower (equivalent to an 81-story building) was the tallest structure in the world.
The tower's three levels house restaurants and cafés, gift shops, exhibits about the history of the tower, the original restored office of Gustav Eiffel, and several observation decks. The first two levels of the Eiffel Tower can be accessed via a staircase or a lift, but the third level is only accessible to visitors via an elevator.
At night, the entire tower is illuminated with golden lights. - 2. Colosseum, Italy
Rome's Flavian Amphitheater, better known as the Colosseum, remains one of the most iconic symbols of Imperial Rome and is one of the most visited tourist sites in Italy. It was built in AD 70-80 using travertine limestone and volcanic rock. At the time of its construction, and for a long time after, it was the world's largest amphitheater and held up to 80,000 spectators.
With an outer wall height of 48 meters and a base area of 24,000 square meters, the Colosseum is an imposing structure. At the peak of its glory, it contained a velarium (a retractable awning to protect spectators during bad weather) and a thick wooden floor covered by sand. Under this floor, an underground labyrinth of tunnels held animals and gladiators before the fights.
Although most famous as the site for gladiator fights, the Colosseum was also home to many other shows and spectacles, including re-enactments of famous battles and executions. More impressively, it was also the home of mock sea battles, when the arena was filled and drained rapidly with water so vessels could float during the shows.
Over the following centuries, the amphitheater served as a fortress, a shrine, and makeshift housing. It was also heavily looted by stone robbers. - 3. Acropolis of Athens, Greece
Watching over Athens from atop a rocky outcrop, the ancient citadel is one of Greece's most famous tourist destinations.
The Acropolis' most famous buildings were all constructed in the fifth century BC under the watchful eye of statesman and general Pericles.
The heart of the Acropolis is the Parthenon, a temple built to thank the gods for the victory over Persian invaders (though it also served as the city treasury for a time). Other prominent buildings include the gateway Propylaea (which serves as the entrance to Acropolis), the Erechtheion Temple (dedicated to Athena and Poseidon), and the tiny but beautiful Temple of Athena Nike.
Many of the buildings in the Acropolis were damaged during the Morean War in 1687. Most of the ancient artifacts found within the temples that survived the damage have been since moved to the Acropolis Museum nearby. - 4. Stonehenge, England
The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge is one of the most famous landmarks in the UK. Built between 3000 BC and 2000 BC, Stonehenge sits in an area of England known for its many burial mounds.
A massive ring of four-meter-tall sandstones with an inner horseshoe-shaped stone circle, the breathtaking Stonehenge and its surroundings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The purpose of Stonehenge remains a mystery. Archeologists believe it could have been a burial ground dating back to 3000 BC. It could have also served as a Neolithic calendar (as the layout of the stones is set to mark sun movements), a religious place, or a scientific observatory. The stones, which weigh an estimated 25 tons each, were transported at least 19 kilometers to their current location. - 5. Louvre Museum, France
The world's largest art museum, and the most visited, sits right on the bank of the Seine River. The original 13th-century Louvre Palace that once stood here was expanded and rebuilt over the centuries, resulting in the massive almost 73,000-square-meter building you see today.
Outside, the museum's glass and metal pyramid has become a modern symbol of the Louvre. It measures 34 meters on each side and 21.6 meters tall and is now used as the main entrance to the museum.
Of the Louvre's stunning collection of 380,000 objects, about 35,000 are on permanent display. These include not only paintings but also drawings, sculptures, and archaeological items. In addition to Leonardo da Vinci's La Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo, the museum is also home to the eight-foot-tall Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture and the magnificent six- by nine-meter Coronation of Napoleon painting. - 6. Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Almost two million people visit Prague Castle every year, making it one of the most popular attractions in the Czech Republic. Recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest castle complex in the world, Prague Castle is a stunning combination of Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles.
While the castle itself dates back to the 9th century, some of the other structures inside the 70,000 square meters of the complex were built centuries later. Some of the most stunning buildings within the Prague Castle complex include St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, and the 16th-century Golden Lane. This lane of small medieval houses once housed the palace guards and goldsmiths, and centuries later, writer Franz Kafka and Nobel prizewinner Jaroslav Seifert.
The Castle grounds are also home to the office of the President of the Czech Republic and to a secret room that holds the Bohemian Crown Jewels. The National Gallery has a small museum branch within the castle, and there's also a toy museum focused on wooden toys. - 7. Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, Germany
Built by orders of Prussian king Frederick William II in the 18th century, the Brandenburg Gate has become the symbol of Berlin. A massive 26 meters high and over 65 meters long, the gate is crowned by a quadriga or chariot drawn by four horses.
The gate owes its name to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel as it sits where the road connecting Berlin and Brandenburg town starts. Over the past two centuries, the gate has had center stage in many of the historical events that shaped Germany. It was used as a Nazi symbol and survived WWII despite heavy damage from explosions and shootings.
Years later, the gate became the unofficial border between East and West Berlin until the construction of the Berlin Wall. And when the Wall fell in 1989, 100,000 people gathered at the Gate to celebrate. - 8. Venice Canals, Italy
Italy's magical "floating city" has a wealth of beauty, romance, and history to please every visitor. Over 150 canals run through Venice, connecting 118 tiny islands via some 400 bridges and a number of walkways. A romantic gondola ride is one of the top things to do in Italy.
The magic of Venice doesn't end in the water. Charming alleyways and passageways, hidden courtyards, and stunning examples of Gothic and Renaissance architecture line the banks of the canals. Much of the beautiful architecture can be better appreciated from the water as you travel under bridges and around corners of the Grand Canal on a gondola sightseeing tour or a vaporetto, Venice's water bus.
Venice's Grand Canal, the main water-traffic corridor of the city, is flanked by many palazzos and churches, including the 15th-century Venetian Gothic Palazzi Barbaro and the Rococo-style Ca' Rezzonico Palace, with a facade completely covered in white marble. - 9. The Matterhorn, Switzerland
At 4,478 meters high, the Matterhorn is one of the highest summits in Europe. The stunning mountain sits right over the Swiss town of Zermatt, on the border between Switzerland and Italy. A popular hiking destination in the Alps, the Matterhorn is unique because it's a pyramid-shaped mountain that can be climbed on all four sides.
For the non-climbers out there, it's also possible to complete a 10-day trek around the mountain. This is considered one of the most beautiful hikes in the Alps, crossing glacial lakes, Alpine forests, and flowering meadows.
The area around the Matterhorn and Zermatt attracts skiers and snowboarders during winter, with the Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia resort offering ski lifts high up the Theodul Pass. There's also the Matterhorn Museum, chronicling the fascinating history of Alpinism, and a chance for an up-close-and-personal view of the snow-covered peaks via a helicopter tour.
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Source: planetware.com
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