Cornwall coast / Photo by Lukasz Zelezny

1. Cornwall

Cornwall offers opportunities for coasteering, abseiling, motorsport, deep sea diving, surfing, rock climbing, cliff jumping, quad biking, kayaking and zorbing. Power a hovercraft singlehandedly around the Quarry Lake and fly down The UK’s Longest Zip Wire at Cornwall. The pristine waters, abundant marine lives and high cliffs riddled with deep caves make South West and South East Cornwall great adventure destinations.

2. Dartmoor

If you’re interesting in deep pool diving, head to Dartmoor. There are many deep pools at Spitchwick Common, just waiting for the adventurous jumper to plunge in. Swim to the depths and watch the unique flora that’s been growing there for ages.

3. South Downs

South Downs is a veritable paradise for adventure mountain bikers. It takes about three days to bike to the highest point in South Downs; the lung-bursting ascents and giddy descents make it difficult for any but the best bikers. This is a destination for those that really thrive on a challenge.

4. Malvern Hills, Worcestershire

Malvern Hills count among the oldest rocks in Britain. 1,394ft Worcestershire Beacon is just perfect for a challenging uphill hike. If you want to further challenge yourself, join up for the annual Worcestershire Beacon Race, meant for runners who take up a seven-mile course on these steep slopes.

Malvern Hills / Photo by TomGough

5. Shrewsbury

Go on a wilderness adventure in the backwaters of Severn, Britain’s longest river. Grab an open double canoe and paddle along the 75-mile stretch linking Shrewsbury and Worcester. You’ll have to navigate locks, rapids, cross weirs and manage your canoe among the many twists and turns in this huge river.

6. Peak District

Here you’ll find a wide range of rough terrains, steep rocks, craggy cliffs and other challenges for the rock climber and abseiler. There are dark grit stone escarpments peppered with pale limestone outcrops, all begging to be conquered.

7. Longsands Beach, Tynemouth

The North-east part of England is home to some of its best and highest waves. Maelstorms in the Arctic Ocean create huge waves which rumble down the North Sea. Visit Longsands Beach, Tynemouth and join the top surfing talent of the UK and beat the waves.

Longsands Beach, Tynemouth / Photo by Akuppa John Wigham

8. London

There are many thrills for the adventure seeker in London, such as a ripping fast speedboat ride on the Thames, bungee jumping from the bridges on Thames, tandem skydiving and so on. There are many adrenaline tour organizers in London who can provide any kind of thrill you seek.

9. Northamptonshire

Adventure seekers can enjoy a rare opportunity in Northamptonshire, England. It involves beating fast rapids and facing sharp rocks with your lower body inside rubber tubing. This adventure sport is called White Water Tubing and is very popular in the UK. There’s nothing between the water, the rapids, the hard rocks and you, except a hard rubber tube. This sport takes a lot of guts, and great legwork to keep the tube floating over the rapids.

10. Silverstone

Enjoy an amazing driving experience in Silverstone; drive five supercars in one day, ranging from classic supercars to fast cars such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and more. You can also enjoy being driven a couple of large laps by a pro instructor on any car you choose. Driving a super race car is a unique experience; for a while, you will feel as though you are a real car racer.

Ferrari / Photo by fklv

11. Shropshire

Shropshire’s beautiful countryside and clear skies offers a fabulous opportunity for tandem paragliding. You’ll be strapped to an instructor as you both glide through varying air currents on a silk parachute. Contact any skydiving tour at Shropshire for a half hour of mind-blowing views of the magnificent countryside from a height of over a hundred meters.

12. Wales

Whether you’re in North Wales or South Wales, there are opportunities galore for the adventure thrill of a lifetime. Some of them are: whitewater rafting and canoeing, surfing and coasteering, cave exploration, gorge scramble and abseil, quad biking, mountain biking and off road biking. Wales has an adventure sport to fit every taste, from winter sports on ice and snow, to land sports and flying experiences as well.

View UK’s Top 12 Destinations For Adrenalin Junkies in a larger map

The post UK’s Top 12 Destinations For Adrenalin Junkies appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo by oetztal.com

Ötztal Valley Resorts have a total of more than 300 km of ski slopes, which lie at an altitude ranging from 1377 to 3340 meters above sea level and thus can boast an elevation of nearly 2,000 metres. The most famous ski resort of Ötztal is exclusive Sölden, which offers about 150 kilometers of ski slopes, spreading partially on two glaciers and three peaks with a height exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level. This makes Sölden really a unique ski resort in Austrian Alps. More than 100 kilometers of slopes has another luxury resort Obergurgl-Hochgurgl. But Ötztal is also suitable for cross-country skiers as you can find here around 185 kilometres of cross-country trails.

Ski pass prices and opening hours
Lifts in the Ötztal runs from 8:30 to 16:30. One-day ski pass costs €45 in the most popular resorts like Sölden and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, and six-day ski pass costs about €230.

Also an offer of après-ski activities is on a high level in Ötztal. In addition to restaurants, bars, shops, you can try out all sorts of winter sports and the icing on the cake is a luxury aqua park situated in the town Längenfeld.

For further info visit oetztal.com website.

View Ötztal – ski on exclusive slopes with a great elevation in Austria in a larger map

The post Ötztal – ski on exclusive slopes with a great elevation in Austria appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo

The main feature of the town is Acireale Cathedral. It dates from the 16th and 17th century, however it was rebuilt in the 18th century. The facade is from the 17th century, which is the work of Giambattista Basile and has a beautiful portal of marble and alabaster (17th century). The majestic interior has a dome and is richly decorated with frescoes (created in the 18th century).

The city’s heart is a Piazza del Duomo, where this cathedral is situated. There is also the Palazzo Comunale, which is building from the second half of the 17th century built in a typical Catalonian Baroque style. There is also a Basilica dei Santi Pietro e Paolo from the 17th century. It boasts a beautiful architectural design with ornamental decoration.

You should visit also the public gardens and Villa Belvedere. Here you can enjoy really a beautiful panoramic view of Mount Etna and the sea. You can then take a pleasant walk through beautiful scenery and exciting surroundings, along the steep slopes of The natural reserve La Timpa and get to a picturesque fishing village – Santa Maria la Scala.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo

Acireale is also known for a famous Carnival, which attracts people from around the world. It is considered the most beautiful carnival in Sicily. For 2012 it is planned from the 4th to 21st of February.

The city has two patrons – St. Venera (celebrated on the 26th of July) and St. Sebastian (celebrated on the 20th of January).

View Acireale – a place of the most beautiful carnival in Sicily Italy in a larger map

View Acireale – a place of the most beautiful carnival in Sicily Italy in a larger map

The post Acireale – a place of the most beautiful carnival in Sicily | Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.

This picturesque port city was named after fennel, which grows here. It is a modern city and tourist center of the island. It has a beautiful beach promenade and is ideal for the lovers of history. Funchal is formed by the centre of the city, eastern old town of Zona Velha and western tourist area with hotels and restaurants. From the coastal side it is protected by the volcanic peaks. Green peaks create a beautiful background of the city.

The historic centre is full of narrow streets of cobblestone. Because of frequent traffic congestion it is better to move on foot here. The heart of Funchal is situated near Avenida Arriaga. You can find here a bustling port with a small fleet. The port was an important transport hub already in the 15th century, and you can still see the fishing and merchant ships here together with luxury ocean-going cruise ships. It is worth visiting the pier Ilheu de Pontinha, where you experience an unforgettable view of Funchal.

The most important monument of Funchal is its Cathedral of the 15th century, which is the work of architect Pêra Anes. It is one of the few buildings that remained almost untouched from the early days of colonization of the island. The cathedral has an interesting, relatively dark interior, where you can see the ceiling with Gothic arches and beautiful ceiling decorations of cedar wood in the Arab style. The cathedral features gilded altar or hand carved and decorated seats.

It is recommended to visit also the Botanical Gardens Jardim Botanico, situated on the steep slopes north of Funchal, which is formed into terraces. It was opened in 1960 and you can enjoy plants here from around the world.

Funchal boasts also several palaces, e.g. Quinta das Cruzes, or fortress Palacio de Sao Lourenco and lots of museums. If you wish to enjoy European culture out of Europe, then Funchal with other Madeira’s attractions is best tip for you!

View Funchal – the capital city of Madeira known as Little Lisbon | Portugal in a larger map

The post Funchal – the capital city of Madeira known as Little Lisbon | Portugal appeared first on Europe Explored.

The combination of geographical location, natural scenery and historical landmarks makes Veliko Tărnovo to be historically and architecturally one of the most important towns in Europe.

The first thing a visitor of Veliko Tărnovo will notice is the dominating feature of the city – a high rocky hill Carevec, surrounded by a massive medieval walls. The area is connected to the outside only by a narrow bridge and hide the ruins of Czar’s palaces and churches.

Steep slopes below the walls are several hundred meters deep. All the impressive scenery is completed with thousands of small houses from the 18th and 19th century, which, from the distance, look like they were built one above the other.

With a beautiful view of the city would be satisfied also the tourists who have no idea how many historical events took place in the context of European history.

View Veliko Tărnovo – historical symbol of Bulgaria in a larger map

The post Veliko Tărnovo – historical symbol of Bulgaria appeared first on Europe Explored.