5 Favorite European Cities
5 Favorite European Cities, Paris, London, Rome, Vienna & Barcelona
Paris
There’s no arguing Paris is one of the top cities in the world for art. If you’re looking for a great alternative to the Louvre, be sure to check out the Palais de Tokyo. This spacious building is dedicated to modern and contemporary art exhibitions, plus houses two of the most buzzed about restaurants in the City of Light – Monsieur Bleu and Les Grands Verres.
London
For a unique way to enjoy some peace and quiet next time you’re visiting London, check out Highgate Cemetery, the most famous of the city’s Magnificent Seven Victorian cemeteries. The cemetery’s flora and fauna create a beautiful atmosphere and here you’ll find some of the finest funerary architecture in the country, including the grave of Karl Marx.
Rome
South of the Aurelian Walls, the traditional boundaries of Rome, begins one of the oldest and most important roads in the world: the Appian Way. Begun in 312 BC, parts of the road are still used today by cars, pedestrians, and especially bicyclists. Rent bikes at the Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica office and pedal past Christian catacombs, Roman tombs, and the distant arches of the Claudian Aqueduct.
Vienna
The Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library) is a breathtaking baroque masterpiece, finished in 1726. Formerly the court library to the Hapsburgs, it is one of the world’s major libraries, with an extraordinary collection that dates back to the 14th century. The current collection contains around 2.5 million books!
Barcelona
A beautiful but toxic fountain of mercury, the Calder Mercury Fountain is a nod to Spain’s mercury mines in Almadén which produced some 250,000 metric tons of mercury over nearly two millennia of operation. American sculptor Alexander Calder was commissioned to build this graceful fountain which, instead of water, would pump pure mercury.
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You will visit the following 4 places:
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,193,031, but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. In 2009 and 2010, the city has been ranked among the three most important and influential cities in the world, among the first three "European cities of the future" according to a research published by Financial Times and among the top ten cities in the world in which to live according to the British review Monocle. The city is the home of the most visited art museum in the world; ''the Louvre'' as well as the ''Musée d'Orsay'' noted for its collection of French Impressionist art, and the ''Musée National d'Art Moderne'' a museum of modern and contemporary art. The notable architectural landmarks of Paris include Notre Dame Cathedral (12th century); the Sainte-Chapelle (13th century); the Eiffel Tower (1889); and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre (1914). In 2014 Paris received 22.4 million visitors, making it one of the world's top tourist destinations. It is also known for its fashion, particularly the twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week, and for its haute cuisine, and three-star restaurants. Most of France's major universities and grandes écoles are located in Paris, as are France's major newspapers, including Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération.
London
Westminster is an area of central London within the City of Westminster on the north bank of the River Thames. Westminster's concentration of visitor attractions and historic landmarks, one of the highest in London, includes the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral. Westminster is a city in its own right, the twin to the ancient City of London further east and historically they jointly formed the focus of what is today regarded as London. The Palace of Westminster came to be the principal royal residence after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, and later housed the developing Parliament and law courts of England
Barcelona
Barcelona – Spain's enchanting capital, second largest and most populous city. It is a huge city that vibrates with life, and there’s certainly not another city in the country to touch it for its sheer style, looks or energy. It is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centers, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Barcelona is home to masterpieces of many great architects – the most famous of which is Antoni Gaudí.