Top 10 European Travel Destinations for Summer 2018

top travel

For many people, Europe is a dream destination, offering art, cuisine, and history. Just like any other continent, Europe has several different cultures, each with their own wonders, both natural and manmade.

Where should you even start? Though that decision is ultimately yours, we’ll help in what ways we can. Namely, we’ll offer some advice.

Below you’ll find some of the top travel destinations in Europe, and why they’re considered top travel.

1. Porto

One of the more well-known cities in Portugal, Porto consistently ranks high on lists of the best European travel destinations. Though not that big of a city, Porto is full of activities.

Porto is an old city, full of historic buildings, among them one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. Speaking of buildings, Porto is also known for its architecture.

Porto is also a must for wine-lovers as it boasts wine tastings as one of its premier attractions.

2. Budapest

Also scoring high on most travel lists, Budapest is a wonderful place filled with grand architecture and countless historical sites. It also has great food and quite a nightlife.

First and foremost, any visitor to Budapest absolutely has to take a trip down the Danube river. The city was literally built on it, and that fact in and of itself attracts plenty of visitors every single year.

Even so, this amazing destination offers plenty more than just a boat ride. Budapest has plenty of fascinating architecture, from a chain bridge, known as Szechenyi, to Gellert Hill, a site filled with statues. It also contains gardens and unique churches.

For the history buff’s in the crowd, Budapest does not disappoint. You may want to try checking out Buda castle a historic castle on a hill that once served as a palace for royalty.

There’s also the Parliament building, a historic cathedral, and the largest synagogue in the world, located at Dohany street. For those interested in the less glamorous aspects of history, there’s the House of Terror, a museum dedicated to the torture and political violence committed by the Fascist rulers in the decades before and during World War II, and the Soviets up until 1953.

Finally, visitors can relax in Hungary’s famous thermal baths.

3. Berlin

Nestled in the center of Europe, Berlin is considered the pride and joy of Germany, and for good reason. For much of the 18th and 19th century, Berlin was the epicenter of culture and entertainment, and the city still shows it.

Berlin boasts an opera and a philharmonic orchestra. There is also the Deutsches Theater, a famous stage where historic and noteworthy plays are still being performed.

The city boasts a lot of other breathtaking historical sites as well, such as the Brandenburg gate, and Charlottenburg Palace, which once housed kings and their families.

Sadly, Berlin also has darker histories to acknowledge, and it does so quite readily. The city boasts a few different Holocaust memorials and historical sites. Among these is the Topography of Terror, a museum located in what was once home to the SS and the Gestapo in Berlin that documents the crimes committed by those groups.

There is also the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which stretches for roughly half a mile and is made up of nearly 3,000 concrete blocks. Both of these sites are free so that all can see them and learn from the past.

One can also find fragments of the Berlin wall, and a museum known as Checkpoint Charlie. A lesser-known part of German history, Checkpoint Charlie was the site of the Berlin wall, and the museum is dedicated to those who manage to cross into the western half of the city and those who died trying.

4. Lisbon

Porto isn’t the only Portuguese city that ranks high among vacation destinations. Not surprisingly, the country’s capital also boasts quite a few things to do.

To start off, Lisbon is a coastal city, which means that scenic beaches abound. However, the city itself boasts even more treasures.

Given its long history of staunchly Catholic rulers, it should come as no surprise that Portugal’s capital is home to several historic churches and cathedrals, including the Monastery of St. Jerome.

There are also plenty of historical sights, including St. George’s Castle, which has at some point been occupied by everyone from the Visigoths to the Moors, and finally the Portuguese.

Probably the most famous attraction in Lisbon is its tram system. Spanning basically the entire city, these vehicles are iconic. One route, in particular, is well-known throughout Portugal–tram 28. This route spans some of the most historic neighborhoods and is beloved by locals and travelers alike.

5. Athens

Athens is one of the most historic cities in Europe, with monuments such as the Parthenon and the Acropolis. This city is widely regarded as the cradle of European civilization, and its people take pride in that title.

However, don’t get the impression that Athenians are all stuffy historians, because the people here are known to be quite friendly. Plus, the city hosts great shopping and nightlife.

Additionally, Athens is very near the coast, so the beach is definitely within driving distance.

6. Amsterdam

A beautiful city, and a historical one to boot, Amsterdam is quite the vacation spot for western travelers. It’s also known as one of the friendliest cities in the world.

Quite a few historical attractions dot the city, including an entire museum dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh, and the Anne Frank House.

Also, if you’re one for the water, the lowlands have historically been flooded, so Amsterdam has an impressive amount of canals.

This city has also been hailed as one of the most romantic in the world, no matter who you are. In fact, it has one of the most amazing gay pride parades in the world.

7. Vienna

It seems unfair, even impossible to mention Berlin on this list without also talking about Vienna. These two cities, and the nations they are part of, almost seem like mirror images of each other, twins and opposites at the same time.

Both speak German as a primary language. Both were cultural giants during the Baroque period and even beyond.

The differences, though, are perhaps just as fascinating. Berlin is in Northern Europe, and Vienna is in Southern Europe. Germany was historically Protestant, while Austria was Catholic. Austria is one of the oldest nations in Europe, while Germany is one of the youngest, and so on.

The city is full of history, serving as home to both Mozart, and Freud as well as several others. The city is also full of old cathedrals and other historic building, many of them located at the center of the city, which has been preserved as a sort of historical monument.

Vienna is also known as a very tolerant city, so members of the LGBTQ community are more than welcome.

8. St Petersburg

Where better to spend a summer than in Russia’s old capital? St. Petersburg is a gem of the world.

Founded by a beloved Russian ruler who sought to emulate the west, St. Petersburg has become a gorgeous fusion of Eastern and Western Europe.

As mentioned earlier, this city was once the capital of Russia, and at one of the golden ages of Russian history, when rulers such as Catherine the Great and Peter great ruled Russia.

It even houses an art museum commisioned by Catherine the Great, as well as two palaces and the home where Rasputin was partially assassinated. We say partially here, because technically the assassination attempt started there, though Rasputin technically died in a nearby river.

9. Santorini

A bit of a lesser-known spot in Greece, Santorini is a scenic spot in Greece, offering everything from great food to beautiful sunsets, to a bunch of volcanoes. This last one is a lot more fun than it sounds, we promise.

Being an island, Santorini boasts at least two beaches and beautiful sunsets. It also offers opportunities to scuba dive, snorkel, and parasail. There’s also a hot spring there.

Of course, being Greek, Santorini wouldn’t be complete without a bit of history, and that history comes in the form of a few old villages that are still huge tourist attractions. They are known as Thira and Vothonas village.

10. Rome

Honestly, do we really need to explain this one? Rome was the place to be in the ancient world, and it’s still popular today.

That’s saying quite a lot because Italy is a beautiful country with so many different places to visit. Not only will you find the Coliseum and other historical places, but the city also offers great food and wine.

Even so, Rome is very much a modern city, and there’s plenty to see there. Of course, there are plenty of blogs to follow if you want to learn more.

Top Travel Destinations in Europe

Europe is an amazing place with countless things to see and places to explore. We’ve offered a top ten list above, for those of you who want a second opinion on where to vacation, but even that’s just a snapshot.

We offer a lot more advice than just top travel in Europe, however. Perhaps you want to know about vacation destinations in South America. Maybe you’re just looking for a laugh, in which case, may we recommend our collection of some of Hitler’s less-inspiring images.

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