Amsterdam

The compact size of Amsterdam – a city built around a system of canals – means that you are never far from the highlights of the destination, and there is never a dull moment, whatever may take your fancy. There is a charm that comes with the quaintness of Amsterdam, but recently a new wave of urban art has been sweeping the town, with an influx of cool reigniting its bohemian credentials. While Anne Frank’s House and the Van Gough Museum are understandably popular, you should also check out rising photographic talent at Huis Marseille or Foam. Away from the tacky stag-do-central of the Red Light District is Reguliersgracht, where criss-crossing alleys are lined with chilled-out cafés and dinky boutique shops.

Amsterdam, Netherlands by Christian Lendl

Istanbul

While the majority of the population of Istanbul are Muslim, it is a sprawling cosmopolitan city with a huge mix of cultures. Being located on the very edge of Europe and Asia, it is a melting pot of Western and Middle Eastern cultures which will fascinate any discerning traveller. One of the archetypal visions of the city can be found in the Covered Bazaar, where merchants and locals trade wares and offer must-have souvenirs to the tourists who pass through. This will give an idea of the whole city, which is a maze of nooks and crannies, all filled with remarkable cafes and boutique shops offering scents, gold and textiles. The Blue Mosque is a must, presenting fabulous mosaics of ceramics and glass, and offering an insight into the wealth and excess of the home of the Ottoman Empire.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey by Jerzy Kociatkiewicz

Rome

The home of an empire that once included territories in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Rome is a goldmine of cultural artefacts. One of the most popular ruins is the Colosseum, which once held brutal fights to the death for the entertainment of thousands. Standing in the stalls, one can imagine the roars and jeers from the baiting crowds. Opposite is Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, from which some of the best views in the city can be found, looking down over the ruins of the residences of many Roman emperors, including Augustus (27 BC-14 AD), Tiberius (14-37) and Domitian (81-96).

Fontana di Trevi, Rome, Italy / Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

London

The British Empire is one with a long and treacherous history. London has a regal sense about it, with cultural monuments still standing proudly across the city – many of which, such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, are still being used today as the centres of the monarchy and Government, respectively. The Tower of London, along the north bank of the River Thames, was built primarily by William the Conqueror in 1078, with many phases of expansion across the centuries. Juxtaposed with the historical sites is modern urban London, with many waves of immigrants creating a cultural hotpot in areas such as Brixton and Camden, where restaurants serve cuisines from across the globe and boutique shops and market stalls trade in unique gifts.

London, England, United Kingdom by Tim Morris

Berlin

Berlin is a strange mix of cultures, which is sometimes a little difficult to feel at ease with. On one hand, you have the ever-present reminders of its recent history, in the form of Third Reich tours or visits to the Iron Curtain and the location of Hitler’s bunker, where he spent his last few hours. While fascinating, it can also be spine-chilling, thinking how recent those terrible events were. However, there are plenty of opportunities to chill out, with quirky urban spectacles such as pop-up nightclubs, and underground ping-pong events, held in derelict buildings. The best way to do this is get talking to the locals and ask if they know of any happenings close by. A sure-fire destination for weekend parties, though, would be Farbfernseher in Kreuzberg.

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany by Bill Tyne

With so many routes and tour companies available to help you travel across the continent or dedicate your time to discovering one particular city, there is no excuse not to learn about these fascinating hubs, no matter what your budget.

Written by Kat Kraetzer, a travel blogger who loves to visit Europe.

The post Europe’s Best Cultural Hotspots appeared first on Europe Explored.

Channel tunnel, UK <=> France by Mortadelo2005

Aeroplane: there are a high number of flights leaving from all of our UK airports and going to pretty much any airport in Europe. The flights are usually quite short, anything from a 40 minute trip to Amsterdam, an hour’s flying time to Spain, or a four hour journey to get to Turkey. Aeroplane is the quickest method of transportation to get anywhere. There are, a number of people, however, with an aversion to flying, some don’t enjoy it, or really don’t like to fly. If this describes your or someone in your family, then you may feel like you have limitations placed on where you can go to, but there are a number of other methods of transportation for you to take advantage of.

The train: you can drive down to the channel tunnel and take the train over to France, from here you can drive or take a coach or further to trains to get to anywhere you need to get to. This journey can take a bit longer, the drive or train journey to get to the channel tunnel can take a full day depending on where in the UK you live. Once you are in France, you will need to continue to travel for anything up to one or two days more, if for example, you were going to Spain, once you have got off the train in France, you’d either need to drive for about a day or get a train which will take a few hours to get into Spain. The trains are comfortable and offer food, drinks, as well as a bathroom, so you will be travelling in relative comfort.

Ferry UK to France from Dover by Harvey Barrison

The Ferry: if you are unhappy going on the channel tunnel, if the idea of a train underwater concerns you, but equally you do not enjoy flying, consider taking the ferry. You will need to either drive or take the train to Dover in order to meet with your ferry, if you have driven there you can put your car on the ferry so that you can use it when you get to Europe. The ferry ride takes an hour or two to get to dock in Calais, France. From here you can either take another train to whichever European country you wish to visit or you can drive yourself. The train/car journey length will vary depending on which country you are going to and whether you make any stops along the way.

Whilst it may take a little longer to get the train or the ferry, it is much cheaper in costs, and further to this, you get to see more of the countries you are travelling through, if your holiday is a trip to Spain, you can tell your friends that you’ve also been to France too. Travelling to Europe now, is as easy as travelling in and around the UK, and with work being continually carried out, the trip is sure to get easier and easier.