Europe Castles & palaces, Historic buildings + Waterfall 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.

The smaller basilica in the Sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes is an artistic marvel, famed for its colorful mosaics and themed chapels.

Enjoy the spicy Spanish influence on the cuisine, visit a pilgrimage site and ski in the snowy Pyrénées mountains.

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.

Enjoy the spicy Spanish influence on the cuisine, visit a pilgrimage site and ski in the snowy Pyrénées mountains.

Walk the streets of this charming town and soak up its history, architecture and culture before heading out into the nearby countryside.

Famed for the panoramic views from its soaring clock tower, this ancient religious landmark is also home to a series of striking medieval graves. 

Look for rainbows in the rushing cascade, trek across a glacier and learn about Icelandic traditions around this town.

Creep into the extraordinary secret lair behind this cascade to see the ferocious carpet of water from every angle.

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?

Learn about Wales’ proud heritage and language in this historic region, as you travel by rail past castles and mountains.

Gaze up at the roaring waterfall that marks the point between the coastal highlands and the lowlands reclaimed from the sea.

Explore the crumbling remains and towering gatehouse of this once mighty 14th-century castle, which was an integral part of the English Civil War. 

Creep into the extraordinary secret lair behind this cascade to see the ferocious carpet of water from every angle.

Creep into the extraordinary secret lair behind this cascade to see the ferocious carpet of water from every angle.

One of the oldest museums in France, this institution is a fantastic place to see paintings, sculptures and architecture spanning centuries, back to the Middle Ages.

Appreciate a view of the impressive horseshoe shape of the Waterfall of the Gods and go hiking alongside the foamy rapids of the Skjálfandafljót River.

One of the most eye-catching monuments in Lourdes is the basilica that sits above the grotto, part of a wider sanctuary of impressive churches.

Venture inside a mountain to be captivated by the fascinating sights and sounds of 10 glacial waterfalls. See how the water has created unusual rock formations.

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

Study the intriguing pointed pillars on the river and relax on the grassy knoll of the park beside this iconic bridge.