European destinations are among the top popular travel destinations in the world. Europe’s landscapes and culture, historical sightseeing, city travel, astonishing beaches and more have to offer and attract millions of visitors every year.
The following list of European destinations will give you an idea for the top destinations to explore in Europe.
Best European Destinations to Visit in 2020
Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgia’s ancient and vibrant capital city, founded in the 5th century AD and surrounded on three sides by mountains. This multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious city with surprize you with the food, wine, and hospitality. The main sights of the city are located in the Old Tbilisi district, where you’ll find narrow cobbled streets, natural hot springs, plenty of modern restaurants, bars, night clubs, and art galleries, Metekhi Church, Narikala Fortress, Sioni Cathedral and Anchiskhati Church.
An interesting fact is that the world’s oldest evidence of winemaking is discovered here – 6,000 BC. Tbilisi is one of the safest cities in Europe and ranks among the most popular emerging destinations. Georgia is a developing and rapidly improving country with very low levels of both crime and corruption.
Cyprus
Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey and the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus is a remarkably safe country, with very little violent crime.
The north coast boasts some of the best golden beaches around as well as ruins of medieval castles. Scattered around the island, you’ll find many archaeological and antiquities sites, dating from the New Stone Age through to the Roman Empire.
Forest covers 19 percent of the land area and home to 1,800 species and subspecies of flowering plants.
Malta
Malta is an island nation that consists of three islands: main island Malta, Gozo and Comino. The country’s capital city is Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage site with many historical buildings.
The island is perfect for water sports and beach activities, especially in the summer. Malta is a great place to dive all year round with high visibility of water. Snorkeling is another popular summer activity where you can see a wide variety of seaweed and algae, different fish, crabs, sea cucumbers, starfish, cuttlefish, moray eels, octopus and rays.
A great way to explore Malta is hiking in the countryside offers, especially along the coast of Gozo.
The Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, and the Byzantines have all left their footprint here, making Malta rich in historic places.
Santorini, Greece
Santorini is a volcanic island, located between Ios and Anafi islands of Greece. The main attraction is the landscape and seascape of the island itself.
Santorini was ranked the world’s top island for many magazines and travel sites and became popular on Instagram with the legendary sunsets, some of the most spectacular in the world, drawing an average estimated 2 million tourists visit annually. It is a popular destination for wedding celebrations as well.
On this island can be found one of the most ancient vineyards of the world. Some of the activities include a climb to see Ancient Thira or the monastery, where you can enjoy an amazing view of the island, scuba diving, and snorkeling, horseback riding, tour some of the traditional wineries and taste a great wine or just grab some sun on the many beautiful beaches.
Here you’ll find some of the most photographed scenery in the world – the blue sky, the little white houses on gigantic rocks on hills and the lemon and orange groves.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
It is one of the most prominent tourist resorts of the Mediterranean, a seaport and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and an elite destination and one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean.
One of the main attractions of Dubrovnik is its walls with over 1.3 million visitors in 2018. The walls run almost 1.2 miles around the city and are 13–20 feet thick on the landward side but are thinner on the seaward side and it was built to protect the vulnerable city. The walls of Dubrovnik have also been a popular filming location in the HBO television series, Game of Thrones.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is Spain’s second-largest city and one of the most unique and beautiful cities, and one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The best time to visit Barcelona’s world-renowned and some of the best in the world beaches is around March 15th and goes until around November 15th.
Many of the top tourist attractions are located within walking distance. You can just explore the city’s art by simply walking through its historic center or visit some of the popular museums like the Fundació Joan Miró or the Museu Picasso.
La Sagrada Familia is the most famous building, church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site and must-see for every visitor in Barcelona. Some of the many attractions you must visit are Barri Gòtic with its buildings from medieval times, Temple of Augustus, which date back of the first century BC from the Roman colony of Barcino, visit Placa de Catalunya square, walk around the beachfront or enjoy some of the many festivals and events throughout the year.
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden spread over 14 islands connected by some 50 bridges on Lake Mälaren. Stockholm is one of the cleanest capitals in the world and won the 2010 European Green Capital Award.
Stockholm offers a wide variety of activities and tourist attractions from exploring the stunning natural beauty of the Stockholm archipelago – one of the world’s most spectacular, architecture of the City Hall, visit some of the Royal Palaces and learn more about the Swedish monarchy or experiences some of the wide range of museums, including the Vasa museum and the Skansen open-air museum.
Stockholm’s Old Town well preserved and it is worth visiting along with the Riddarholmskyrkan preserved medieval church.
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.
The Town Hall Square is the heart of the Old Town, which is one of the best-preserved Hanseatic town centers and it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.
The old town has many cobbled streets and alleyways, still protected by the remnants of a city wall, behind you’ll see many green parks, perfect for outdoor activities.
Outside the Old City, you’ll find the Seaplane Harbour of Estonian Maritime Museum, the Tallinn Zoo, Kadriorg Park, and the Open Air Museum, which includes 72 buildings of Estonian vernacular architecture and village milieu of the Tsarist time.
Paris, France
Paris is the capital of France and one of Europe’s largest cities. Paris is known as being the most romantic city in the world. The city is the most visited tourist destination and in 2018 Paris was the second-busiest airline destination in the world.
The Louvre with almost 10 million visitors in 2019, is one of the most visited museums in the world, where you can see Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo statue and many others. Other most visited tourist sites include the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Moulin Rouge, and Lido, Centre Georges Pompidou.
The city has one of the highest numbers of Michelin restaurants in the world. Some of the biggest names in the fashion and cosmetics industries started here, such as Dior and Chanel, L’Oréal, Guerlain and others.
A large part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Château de Versailles must be in your list and it can be easily visited by train.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland, inhabiting around 60% of the country’s population and the world’s northernmost capital city. Reykjavík was inhabited in 874 AD and it is the first permanent settlement in Iceland.
Reykjavik is a great spot to see Northern Lights. You can enjoy the Aurora in downtown Reykjavík is by taking a stroll along the north shore scenic and sculpture walk. You can find plenty of spots in the city or outside the city which offer great spots for Northern Lights viewing.
There are many museums and galleries in the city, showing Viking relics to modern art exhibitions. Reykjavík managed to preserve most of its oldest wooden buildings covered in brightly colored corrugated iron. The old town is small and easy to walk around.
But even being a small city, Reykjavik has a lot to offer. There are concerts most evenings in the center of the city, plenty of outdoor activities, geothermal pools.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. You can feel the rich history of the city by exploring historic buildings, beautiful museums or just have a boat tour on the canals.
A large number of canals are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a country with beautifully preserved nature and varied landscapes. The city is home to more than 7,000 registered historic buildings, the Anne Frank House, which is one of the most popular attractions, museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh museum, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. The city is also well known for its nightlife and festival activity and an amazing collection of museums. Don’t forget to visit the Albert Cuypstraat market, see the Magere Brug and relax in the Vondelpark or see the Begijnhof and smell the tulips flowers at the Bloemenmarket.
Algarve, Portugal
Algarve is the beautiful southern coastline region of continental Portugal. Algarve has historic towns, stunning landscapes, high-quality beaches, golden cliffs, islands between Ria Formosa and the sea, mountains and small coves as wells as blue and calm and warm water inviting you to swims in some of the great spots in the area. The beaches are among the best and cleanest in Europe.
The Algarve is one of the most developed regions of Portugal. It is famous for its hand-painted pottery and ceramics. You’ll find many historic attractions and thousands of species of flora and fauna. In Algarve, you can explore the historic towns like Faro and Lagos, spa town Caldas de Monchique, some of the top beaches include Marinha Beach, Praia da Rocha and Armação de Pêra or play golf in some of the top leading European golf courses.
You can find a wide range of accommodation from high-rise resorts to traditional guesthouses.
Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region which currently belongs to Italy. Sardinia is the Italian region with the largest coastal development and at the same time, the sea is clear of pollution. Many Sardinian beaches are internationally well known, as those of the Costa Smeralda, of Villasimius, and of Alghero.
Sardinia’s Mediterranean beauty is attracting many people for swimming, boating, windsurfing, hiking, climbing, and camping. Sailing has become increasingly popular, in particular in the Costa Smeralda area.
If you prefer mountains you can explore the area of Gennargentu, the vastest mountain range in Sardinia. This region is rich in flora and fauna and home to many species now threatened with extinction, including mouflons, golden eagles, Sardinian deer, and others. There are many hiking trails.
You’ll find many megalithic building structures scattered throughout Sardinia, including Su Nuraxi di Barumini which is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic. The city is also known as the such as the “The City of 100 Towers”. Prague offers many well-known cultural attractions including Prague Castle, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, Charles Bridge, the Jewish Quarter and Petřín hill. The historic center of Prague has been declared in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Prague has many bridges, gold-tipped towers, cathedrals, and church domes.
The city has an extensive modern public transportation system that connects the city and makes it easy to explore the museums, theatres, galleries, cinemas and other historical exhibits. In Prague, you’ll find the biggest ancient castle in the world, offering beautiful views of the areas and on the site is the St. Vitus Cathedral with its lookout tower.
The Palace Gardens, one of the most beautiful Baroque church in Prague – the Church of St. Nicholas, located in the Lesser Town, sight-seeing cruises on the Vltava are all worth visiting.
The city offers many sightseeing places and if you plan to visit more it is better to get some of the Sightseeing passes such as Prague Card, Welcome Card TVCzechia® or Prague Pass, which offers great deals.
Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Veliko Tarnovo is declared the historical and spiritual capital of Bulgaria. The city is rich in museums and historical sites with more than 7000 years of history. A remarkable and unique architectural style is the houses, stacked one above the other, situated on the steep hills of the town.
The old part of the city has a well-preserved collection of traditional renaissance houses over the hills around the river Yantra. Some of the attractions include the castle of the old Bulgarian capital – Tsarevets, various historical museums, located in Old Town, and an art museum on an island in the river. Nearby you can visit the historic village of Arbanassi, located just 5 miles away. The Tsarevets fortress was once among the largest and most impressive castles in the world.
Don’t forget to check some of our other travel resources and destinations in Europe.
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