Best Places to Visit in Europe This Summer

Iceland is one of the most dramatic natural spectacles on the planet. It is a land of dazzling white glaciers and black sands, blue hot springs, rugged lava fields, and green, green valleys. This North Atlantic island offers insight into the ferocious... Read more

Approximately the size of California, Sweden reaches as far north as the arctic fringes of Europe, where glacier-topped mountains and thousands of acres of forests are broken only by wild rivers, pristine lakes, and desolate moorland. In the more populous... Read more

From soaring medieval cathedrals to the latest postmodern structures, from prehistoric Stonehenge to Regency Bath, from one-pub Cotswold villages to London's buzzing eateries, England is a spectacular tribute to the strength—and flexibility—of... Read more

Scotland has astonishing variety, even within a small area. North Sea to Irish Sea, Highlands to Lowlands, the landscapes of Scotland—lush woodlands, windswept moors, lochs as deep as the imagination—may take your breath away. Edinburgh is... Read more

The paradox of Switzerland pitches rustic homeyness against high-tech urban efficiency. While the crude harmony of cowbells echoes in the velvet mountain pastures of the Berner Oberland, digital screens tick off beef futures in Zurich. Switzerland is... Read more

A "blast from the past" is how one recent visitor described her journey through Austria. It remains, she explained, a place where children laugh at marionette shows in the parks, couples linger for hours over pastries at gilt-ceiling cafés, and... Read more

Germany is filled with a strong sense of cultural heritage, where men still don lederhosen and women dirndls. There is beer by the stein under the shade of old chestnut trees. No matter what part of the country you visit, there are thick layers of history:... Read more

Istanbul is the world's only city to span two continents, which makes it something of a metaphor for the nation of which it is the largest city. The constant pull between East and West, between modern and traditional, makes Turkey seems like a whole other... Read more

Clinging to the western edge of England, Wales is green and ruggedly beautiful, with mountainous inland scenery reaching out to a magnificent coastline. With the exception of the engaging capital, Cardiff, and the tough, industrial city of Swansea, this... Read more

If you like majestic open spaces, fine architecture, and courteous locals, Finland is for you. Mother Nature dictates life in this Nordic land, where winter brings perpetual darkness, and summer, perpetual light. Crystal clear streams run through vast... Read more

If you want to get a sense of Irish culture and indulge in some of its pleasures, start by familiarizing yourself with the rituals of daily life. These are a few highlights—things you can take part in with relative ease.... Read more

The word Spain conjures images of flamenco dancers, bullfighters, and white hillside villages. Beyond these traditional associations you'll find that Spain is really several countries within a country, with cutting-edge art museums, green highland valleys... Read more

Belgium has attractions out of proportion to its diminutive size. From medieval cities and abbeys where the monks run their own breweries to forested hills and famous World War I and II battlegrounds for contemplation and remembrance. It's a little country... Read more

The Kingdom of Denmark dapples the Baltic Sea in an archipelago of some 450 islands and the arc of one peninsula. Coziness is a Danish trait, and you'll find lots of it in Copenhagen's canals, cafes, and narrow streets. But don't let the low-slung skyline... Read more

Where else in Europe can you find the blend of great art, delicious food and wine, and human warmth and welcome that awaits you in Italy? This Mediterranean country has made a profound contribution to Western civilization, producing some of the world's... Read more