Best Places to Visit in Europe This Winter

It is a fabled land of unmatched food and delicious wine that has inspired many to gasp in satisfied contentment—"We all have two countries—our own and France!" But it is not just a country for those who worship at the altar of gastronomy... 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

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

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

The Netherlands really is a land of windmills, tulips, and canals, while being a progressive 21st-century nation. The capital, Amsterdam, is famous for its waterways and its laid-back atmosphere. The Hague is home to the queen and a center for international... 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

The sight greets you time and again in Greece—a line of solid, sun-bleached masonry silhouetted against a clear blue sky. A land where temples, theaters, statues, a stray Doric column or two, the fragment of a Corinthian capital: these traces of... 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

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

Planted firmly in the heart of Central Europe, the Czech Republic is culturally and historically more closely linked to Western, particularly Germanic, culture than any of its former Eastern-bloc brethren. The most popular tourist destination in the region... 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

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

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

Nestled between Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, it's no surprise that Portugal has abundant seafood and beautiful beaches. Yet the landscape unfolds in astonishing variety from the coastline to the lush vineyards of the Douro River Valley to a mountainous... Read more

At the crossroads of Central Europe, Hungary has a wealth of cultural and geographic splendors on offer to visitors. Immerse yourself in beautiful, bustling Budapest with its grand old boulevards, age-old baths, and celebrated views. Take in the dramatic... Read more