Europe Animal, Castles & palaces, Gardens & parks + Mountain pictures

• World

One of the world’s smallest countries lies within eastern Italy’s countryside. Visit the longstanding city-state for natural beauty, culture and food specialties.

Embrace Padova’s rich cultural past at one of Europe’s largest city squares, a historic spot filled with nearly 80 beautiful statues. 

See the swans glide by under weeping willows and relax with a picnic in the park while taking in the pristine beauty of the source of the Clitunno River in Umbria.

Be spellbound by the scale and splendor of the Spanish Royal Family’s former official residence.

Relax by the pond, walk through landscaped gardens, and admire the elegant statues and buildings in one of Madrid’s biggest and most popular parks.

Photograph fascinating geological formations, spot varied wildlife and look out at a chain of scenic bays from the top of an emblematic rock. 

Make your way along elegant promenades to find medieval churches, thermal spas and stunning gardens in the shadow of the Italian Alps. 

This serene mountain town has rustic charm and natural beauty and is the site of one of Europe’s most famous divine encounters.

Get up close to an abundance of animal and bird species while wandering along the pathways of this zoo that is open 24 hours a day. 

Be spellbound by the scale and splendor of the Spanish Royal Family’s former official residence.

Whether you’re catching a train or not, be sure to visit this “secular cathedral,” an early 20th-century icon that sits on a hill north of Old Town Limoges.

Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, nestled between extinct volcanoes and hills, is almost fairytale in appearance, with its medieval buildings in the Old Town and the wide streets and spacious homes Georgian New Town, and the spectacular castle looking down from its cliff. Edinburgh was declared a World Heritage Site in 1995, which only begs the question: why did it take so long?

Visit the upscale ski resorts, trek across the snow-capped mountains and learn about the mixtures of cultures in this eclectic region.

Make your way along elegant promenades to find medieval churches, thermal spas and stunning gardens in the shadow of the Italian Alps. 

Embrace Padova’s rich cultural past at one of Europe’s largest city squares, a historic spot filled with nearly 80 beautiful statues. 

Maze-like hedges, marble sculptures and colorful flower beds adorn this historic royal garden, where the palace’s stables and carriages once lay.

Distinctive architecture, friendly people and interesting history are reasons to stay a while in this UNESCO World Heritage city on Germany’s Baltic coast.

Relax by the pond, walk through landscaped gardens, and admire the elegant statues and buildings in one of Madrid’s biggest and most popular parks.

Marvel at the wooden organ and work out the parables depicted in the stained glass in this blend of two separate religious buildings.

Discover themed gardens, artist pavilions, viewpoints and wildlife stations set around a natural amphitheater in the grounds of a medieval castle.