Planning a Europe guided tour this summer? Well, you’ve made a fine choice, because Europe has some amazing countries, modern cities, impressive architecture and some of the world famous sights. Here are ten wonderful sights you can expect to visit.
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1. Louvre Museum in Paris
Even those who are not necessarily interested in art or museums, tend to choose the Louvre as a mandatory stop to visit in Paris. And this makes perfect sense, because the Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world and host of some of the most valuable works of art. It is also one of the largest museums in the world, so you should definitely give it a try. By far the favorite of all is the painting of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Among the sculptures you can admire in the Louvre you can include: Venus de Milo, the statue representing the goddess of beauty derives its name from the Greek island of Melos, where it was discovered, Nike of Samothrace, the Greek goddess of victory and many more remarkable sculptures and incredible paintings.
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2. Westminster Abbey in London
Westminster Abbey is a Gothic church in London, the traditional site of coronation and burial site for English monarchs. Is neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey is more of a place of worship owned by the royal family. With parts dating from 1050, Westminster shows the most glorious medieval architecture in London. Because of its royal connections, it was excluded from the general attack at monastic buildings during the reign of King Henry VIII. The interior is a true English history museum. Famous attractions include the medieval coronation throne, Poets’ Corner with memorials to William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other important literary figures, as well as the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, the bloody Queen Mary, the explorer David Livingstone and naturalist Charles Darwin.
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3. Church of Our Lady in Bruges
Bruges, considered the most touristic city of Belgium has the best preserved buildings dating from the Middle Ages throughout Europe. One of its main attractions is the Church of Our Lady, the place where there is the mausoleum of the Dukes of Burgundy. Its tower is among the highest brick towers in the world. In addition, the church and its museum contain one of the largest art collections in Europe. The main attraction is the famous marble statue of the Holy Virgin with the Child, made by Michelangelo between 1503 and 1504. It was bought in Italy by the merchant J. Mouscron and destroyed several times, but each time put back in place and restored to its place of worship. The church was built in the 13th century on the site of a former wooden chapel and a Roman church. It is 30 meters wide and 72 meters long.
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4. Prague Castle
A must see in your Europe guided tour in Prague. (Prazsky Hrad) is one of the major tourist attractions in the Czech Republic and one of the most important cultural monuments in the country. Its impressive dimensions captivate the attention of most tourists, whether they are or not interested in the historical sight. Do not imagine that you’ll see a single colossal building, because, in fact, the Prague Castle is a collection of true secular and spiritual buildings, situated Castle Square, on top of a hill in the center of Prague. The history of the castle starts in the year 870. The first building constructed was the Church of Virgin Mary. Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus were built later, under the reign of Vratislav and his son, in the first half of the tenth century. The first monastery in Bohemia was built in the castle, near St. George’s.
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5. Vatican Museum
One of the most interesting things about visiting the city of Rome is that it gives you the opportunity to go in a totally different country, without exceeding the boundaries of the city. It’s of course the Vatican, the smallest country in the world. Even if you’re not Catholic (or religious in general), a day spent here is will be one of the most exciting days of your life. In fact, only in the Vatican Museum you can spend days on end. The Vatican Museum is actually a complex of different pontifical museums and galleries that began under the patronage of the popes Clement XIV (1769-1774) and Pius VI (1775-1799). They hold paintings, tapestries, ceramics, mosaics and sculptures from every era and from every corner of the earth. Here are the famous frescoes of Raphael and Michelangelo. Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by the latter represents the final point of the tour through the Vatican Museum. But obviously the rest of the museum should not be missed.
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6. Gemaldegalerie in Berlin
Painting Gallery of Berlin (Gemaldegalerie) is one of the state museums of this city. It has one of the world’s European art collections from 13th to 18th century. Gemaldegalerie includes masterpieces by artists such as Albrecht Duerer, Lucas Cranach, Holbein, Hans, Rogier van der Weyden, Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer. It was inaugurated in 1830 and rebuilt in 1998. Over 3,000 works of art are displayed in chronological order in over 53 rooms arranged according to periods, genres and art schools in new and intimidating Kulturforum building located near Potsdamer Platz. Designed in 1997, it covers 7000 square meters of exhibition space. Over 900 masterpieces from the collection can be seen in the Main Gallery.
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7. La Seu Cathedral in Barcelona
Your Europe guided tour simply cannot miss Barcelona. At the heart of Barcelona is located the Gothic cathedral called La Seu. The cornerstone of the present church was laid as early as the 13th century, but the cathedral was finally completed in the early 20th century. The church was named after the patron saint of Barcelona, Saint Eulalia. The official name of the cathedral is Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia, which in Catalan means Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. In 343 during the Roman Empire, a basilica was built on the site where the present cathedral is. In 985, the basilica was destroyed by the Moors. It was replaced by a Roman cathedral which was built between 1046 and 1058. A chapel, the Santa Lucia Chapel, was also built between 1257 and 1268. Later it was incorporated in the monastery chapel next to the cathedral.
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8. The Parthenon in Athens
Built between 447 and 338 BC, the Parthenon is the largest temple on the Acropolis and in the beginning it was built in the honor of the virgin goddess Athena Parthenos, and later it was transformed into a church and then in a mosque. This temple holds works of art by the architect Iktinos and sculptor Phidias. A century ago, there were still remains of the mosque and the church, plus a Franciscan bell. But archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, the discoverer of Troy and Mycenae, was so offended by the presence of this bell that he ordered its destruction.
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9. Buckingham Palace in London
The palace was built mostly between 1820 and 1837, although only the eastern part was added in 1913. Since 1993, Buckingham Palace opened its doors to public access, the revenues collected being used for restoration of Windsor Castle. Although it is the best known royal palace in London, it’s not necessarily the prettiest building, but the Queen lives here. When she is gone on vacation in August and September, you can visit the State Rooms and the Gallery where you can admire the magnificent scenery. In other months of the year, you could just look from the outside.
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10. The Notre Dame in Paris
We started with France, we’re going to end with it. Notre Dame is not even the largest cathedral in the world, but is certainly the most famous. This Gothic masterpiece is located on the Île de la Cité, a small island in the heart of the city. Bishop of Paris Maurice de Sully began the construction in 1163. The cathedral was to be built in the new Gothic style in wanting to reflect the status of Paris as the capital of the French kingdom. It was the first cathedral built on a huge scale which became the prototype for the cathedrals that were built in France in the near future, among them the Cathedral of Amiens, Chartres or Rheims.