Tag archives for Europe

Monastiraki Square in Athens, with the Acropolis visible in the background (Photograph by Yannis Skoulas, Visit Greece/Flickr)

Any child who has taken basic world history classes knows about Athens and its indelible contribution to Western civilization. But studying a place and its heritage is far different from actually being there.

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Thalys's most popular high-speed route runs between Paris and Brussels. (Photograph courtesy Rail Europe)

Whether I’m whizzing down to Washington, D.C. or wending my way through Wallonia, traveling by train is by far my favorite mode of transport — especially when I’m in Europe.

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National Geographic Traveler February/March Issue Cover

National Geographic Traveler’s February/March issue is on newsstands now. Find out what’s inside…

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Turns out landlocked Laos is a great place to see by motorcycle. (Photograph by Peter Nijenhuis, Flickr)

The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #NGTradar. Check back on the blog on Wednesdays for our roundups.

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Tyn Church rising up from Staré Město. (Photograph by Peter Makarov, Flickr)

One of the few Central European capitals to survive the bombs of World War II, Prague stepped into the 21st century looking, more or less, as if it were stuck in the Middle Ages. “Tourism thrives in Prague because of its history. Her old towers, bridges, and churches tell a story,” says Karin Líšková, manager of Hotel U Zeleného Hroznu. “Visitors want to experience Prague as it was before, in the old times.”

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Once a gritty industrial area, Grünerløkka is now where the cool kids go to shop and play. (Photograph by Geir Halvorsen, Flickr.)

Oslo’s quirky borough along the banks of the Akerselva River, Grünerløkka (Løkka as locals call it) used to be a gritty industrial area. Now, it’s where the cool kids go to shop and play.

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Paris is known for its fabulous array of outdoor cafes. (Photograph by Casmaron, Flickr)

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The ancient town of Sukhothai in Thailand. (Photograph by Somkid, Flickr)

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A bighorn at Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. (Photograph by Michael Sass, My Shot)

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Looking down on skerries (small, rocky islands) in Norway's Lofoten Islands. (Photograph by Elizabeth Traver, My Shot)

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Seeing Iceland's Skógafoss waterfall might just change your life. (Photograph by Alessio Mesiano, My Shot)

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Get in touch with your spiritual side at Monastero Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast. (Photograph by Maurice Naragon)

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Brussels' main square town hall on a summer evening. (Photograph by Stephen McDonald, My Shot)

Only river boats and barges are small enough to fit in the scenic canals of Brussels. Cruise ships dock in Antwerp (about 28 miles away) and Zeebrugge (69 miles), and both cities offer train service and bus transportation to Brussels. Here’s what you’re missing if you haven’t been to the European Union’s de facto capital.

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Skip Buckingham Palace. See Shir Swaminarayan Mandir instead. (Photograph by Chris White, Flickr)

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India's Festival of Holi marks the beginning of spring. (Photograph by Poras Chaudhary)

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Naeroyfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005. (Photograph by Alexander Mertz, My Shot)

The upstart chic resort, complete with the inevitable martini bar and spa, may be taking root just about everywhere these days. But in Norway, the trendiest things going are the centuries-old farmsteads that have been converted into all-purpose Nordic getaways.

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Constructed sometime between 3000 and 2000 BCE, Stonehenge is still shrouded in mystery. (Photograph courtesy Darren Vaughan, My Shot)

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Bruichladdich Distillery is on the Isle of Islay. (Photograph by Jim Richardson)

Our resident Scotland expert, Jim Richardson, has been traveling to the Highlands and Lowlands for more than 15 years — and after enjoying a few “wee drams” over the years, he’s become a discerning (and poetic) Scotch enthusiast. We asked Jim to tell us if he has a favorite whisky. And, as it turns out, he has far more than a few.

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Mechelen. (Photograph by Joaquan Ossorio, Flickr)

Spotted By Locals writer Igor Daems grew up in the suburbs of Antwerp, Belgium, and finally moved to the city center about four years ago. Since then, he’s become an avid fan of the city he thinks often, and unfairly, gets overlooked in favor of Bruges and Brussels. Check out Igor’s favorite things about Antwerp — and add your own.

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Electric bikes are being fine-tuned by the Swiss. (Photograph courtesy Stromer Bikes)

Apply Swiss ingenuity and an active love of the outdoors to a landscape profuse with mountains, and you get the rechargeable Swiss electric bike.

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MacEwan on the highest hill on the Isle of Muck, which has been in his family since 1896.

Jim Richardson is a familiar name from the pages of both National Geographic Magazine and National Geographic Traveler. And if you’ve followed his career, you may have noticed his passion for Scotland (check out his newest piece, about the Inner Hebrides, in Traveler’s hot-off-the-press August/September 2012 issue). Traveler photo editor Krista Rossow interviewed Jim about photography and why Scotland remains his enduring travel muse. Here’s what he had to say.

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The City of Arts and Sciences is an ensemble of five buildings in a dry riverbed in Valencia, Spain. (Photograph by Ashley Lowry, Traveler Photo Contest)

The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups. Today’s cover photograph was submitted to the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest by Ashley Lowry. The magazine is giving away seriously spectacular prizes this year and the deadline is THIS Wednesday, so don’t miss your chance to win!

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Salamanca's famous Jamon Iberico. (Photograph by La Marga, Flickr)

In a country where ham is king, Spain’s jamón ibérico reigns supreme. Though other dry-cured Spanish hams abound, the pricey, rosy-hued, and deeply flavored Ibérico ham comes from a unique source: native Iberian pigs raised in Salamanca province and two other regions in Spain.

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