
Regardless of personal preferences, any person can find an idyllic place just suited for him/her in Europe. The continent is packed with both vibrant cities and beautiful landscapes. Some places are more beautiful during the winter, others are better in the summer, but they are all unique and will no doubts conquer your hearts as soon as you decide to explore them. However, there are some tourist attractions you simply can’t afford not to visit at least once during your life.
We have decided to create a list of five of the most breathtaking places to visit in Europe, either for the beauty of the nature/landscape or the historical significance they carry. Whether you are located in a European country or you live across the ocean, make sure to add the following places to your travel list. We promise you won’t regret it.
1 – Acropolis of Athens, Greece
You must have learned about ancient Greece during your history classes, and you may still enjoy reading resources on sites like Ever Travel about this incredible time in history. We won’t go into too many details about its significance, but if you ever wanted to experience its power and uniqueness, we would warmly advise you to visit the Acropolis of Athens. The Parthenon Temple represents the heart of the Acropolis. The Greeks built the temple as a way to thank the gods for guiding them to victory over the Persians. The Temple also had a role of city’s treasury for quite some time.
Some of the other notable buildings within the Acropolis involve the Erechtheion Temple which was built in the honor of Poseidon and Athena, the Temple of Athena Nike, as well as the Propylaea (Gateway) which represents the entrance to the Acropolis. Some of the mentioned buildings were severely damaged during the Morean War in the 17th century. The sight you’ll get from the top of the rocky outcrop is truly breathtaking.
2 – Eiffel Tower, France
The Eiffel Tower is usually the first synonym you’ll have for Paris. No person can travel to Paris and skip a photograph in front of one of the most famous towers in the world. The tower was initially built to serve as a gateway to the 1889 World’s Fair. People sent a lot of criticism towards Gustave Eiffel (the engineer) when he revealed the potential design.
At the moment of construction, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building on the planet. It represented an equivalent of a building with 81 stories. Visitors can explore three levels at the tower, each of which plays host to different exhibits, gift shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. You can access the first two levels on foot (by climbing up the staircase), but the third is reserved exclusively for an elevator. As we learn on bettingTips4you, another attraction of Paris is also now the PSG with their football stars like Messi, Neymar and Mbappe!
3 – Stonehenge, UK
Stonehenge is one of the most confusing structures you can find on the planet nowadays. Indeed, when you first see it, you have to wonder why it was created and what does it serve for actually. It is exactly this mystery that attracts people into visiting the most popular landmark in the United Kingdom.
Well, Stonehenge is actually a prehistoric (built between 3000 BC and 2000 BC) monument located in Wiltshire (on Salisbury Plain). It consists of an outer ring of vertical standing stones, each very similar in size. A ring of smaller bluestones is placed inside the outer ring, and inside these bluestones, you can see free-standing trilithons. On the summer solstice, the structure is turned towards the sunrise.
The ring of stones (each at least four meters tall) represents a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It remains a mystery how the people who built Stonehenge transported 25-tonne-heavy stones for more than 160 miles to bring them to the current location back in 3000 BC.
4 – Prague Castle, the Czech Republic
The Prague Castle is the biggest ancient castle complex on the planet according to the Guinness Book of Records. It holds an area of almost 70,000 square meters, it is 570 meters long, and 130 meters wide.
The famous site which was built back in the 9th century currently serves as the home of the Czech Republic President. All influential people throughout Czech history, from the kings of Bohemia, across Holy Roman emperors, to presidents of Czechoslovakia, were hosted in the Prague Castle complex.
Almost two million people tourists visit Prague Castle annually. It is really easy to understand why when you combine its historical importance and breathtaking beauty. Furthermore, the buildings that were added to the complex later made it even more appealing. Nowadays, you can thus find beautiful structures such as St. George’s Basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral, or the 16th century Golden Lane. The lane consists of small houses that once hosted famous persons such as Jaroslav Seifert (the Nobel Prize winner) or Franz Kafka (the popular writer).
5 – Colosseum, Italy
We began the article with ancient Greece and we will end it with imperial Rome. One of its most recognizable symbols is Colosseum. It is the city’s Flavian Amphitheater which was built somewhere around 70-80 AD. With the capacity of more than 80,000 spectators, Colosseum became the largest amphitheater in the world. It is still the largest standing amphitheater on the planet nowadays, despite being so old.
You can only imagine how powerful a 48-meter wall that surrounds an area of 24,000 square meters looks. They do say that some places/attractions/buildings can’t be described with words and Colosseum is just one such. Only after you see it in person can you get an idea of how the famous gladiator and animal fights looked like.
Under Colosseum’s floor, there is a huge labyrinth of tunnels where gladiators and animals spent time before their fights. We do know the amphitheater mainly for the aforementioned gladiators’ fights, but it also housed a wide range of spectacles and shows throughout history. If you ever find yourself in the Italian capital, you simply must visit the legendary Colosseum, located in the very heart of Rome.