European Attractions

The third task in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie wherein the four triwizard champions need to get the cup of eternal glory took place in a magnificent and eerie hedge maze. As a matter of fact, the idea of getting inside the maze myself gives me goosebumps. However, the adventure and the excitement you'll get as you go through it is incomparable.

Fortunately, even we muggles who don't have the slightest trace of magic can experience the hedge maze if we want to. All you need is a plane ticket to France and 8 euros to enter the enchanting world of Le Labyrinthe des Merveilles in Haute-Garonne. It is actually a 20 hectare vegetable garden transformed into a labyrinth to give French people and foreign visitors a magical and scary feeling of being trapped inside a long and winding maze.

Inside the maze, you'll get to meet lots of good wizards and fairies that will help you get through the right passages. Don't worry guys, there are no acromantulas, boggarts, nor dementors inside the maze in France. But there are bad wizards and witches so, it will be best if you prepare. There's no need to bring your fake wands and jinx everyone inside the maze, okay! The enthralling maze opens every October 1st.

I don't believe in ghosts, but I love ghost stories so much especially those that happened in real life. Now, if the stinking dung inside your Mezosoic skull can't decipher what I just said, it means: you're a maggot! Anyway, European countries have a lot of haunted castles. Haunted European castles house a lot of ghosts, and history said that it's the people who died because they're undersexed or they didn't have sex at all, whichever you prefer. But I'm lying, so if you gave a hearty, obnoxious laugh with what I said, then you proved that you're a maggot!

Anyway, among the haunted castles in Europe, The Tower of London is the scariest because it was a living witness to multiple murders, hangings, tortures, and beheadings. Thomas Becket's ghost was the first recorded apparition in the castle. Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury and was murdered under the command of Henry III. The guards in the ancient times also said they've seen the ghosts of the two lost princes, hands held together as they vanished through the towers. The decapitated ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn was also seen in the towers as she led a procession of ghosts to the chapel. Most of the ghosts are those that were kept prison and beheaded without proper trial and decent burial.

Berry Pomeroy Castle is one of the foulest and the ugliest castles I've ever been in. No wonder many people died in that castle because they weren't able to stand the shame living in a place full of shit. I've been there last week and wished I went to hell than entered that doomed place.

A quick Internet search told me that the Pomeroys lived in the palace in the 11th century. But all of them died in tragic and gory accidents. The story I've read said that the Pomeroys are royal dipshits and they killed themselves to escape from the cursed abode. I'm lying, but article is not.

The only interesting rumor about the place is it's haunted by ghosts. People said the ghost of Margaret Pomperoy, who died because of starvation, haunts the castle's dungeons. The Blue Lady, another ghost that was allegedly molested by her own father intrudes the towers seeking for justice. It's a pity we haven't met when I was there, or else she'll be haunting the whole castle because I'll rape her to death! If you're a moron and you believe in ghosts, then you earn yourself a new title: Coward Asshole! Do me a favor. Rot yourselves in hell!

When I had the opportunity to visit France last week, I tried to go to someplace new and try something that I've never done before. Since I don't drink too much liquor, I braved myself to go to Bordeaux where shops are famous for their wine tasting events. This attempt is my simple way of convincing myself that my life is still fulfilling and wonderful because its rants about how the world sucks has been consuming me for the past months.

The first winery I stopped at offered food tasting too. I immediately went towards the various cheese delicacies where garlic breads were cut into small strips that seems to remind a person that he is just tasting food and not having lunch. This is what I loved about French, they let you take samples again and again as long as you don't treat their shops as extensions of your kitchen. The staff was pouring grape wines from a bucket so I immediately grabbed a glass to taste them. After sipping every wine, I noticed that people pour the remains back to the bucket where they get it. Thinking it was rude and wasteful, I grabbed my personal digital assistant, took shot of the monkeys, and Bluetooth the image, only to know later that it's a normal custom for tasters to return excess wine to the bucket.

The Rock of Gibraltar is located in Gibraltar off the southwestern tip of Europe in the Iberian Peninsula. The rock is a big monolithic limestone formation which many people call the "Pillar of Hercules." Geologically speaking, it was created when the African tectonic plate collided tightly with Europe some 55 million years ago. During those time, the Mediterranean Sea was sort of a lake but when the Atlantic Ocean broke through the Strait of Gibraltar, the Sea was formed. The rock formation is 426 meters high. It has attracted many tourists to the place, awe-inspired at how the Rock could be how it looks now. The white appearance of the rock was due to the lining made of Portland stone that was constructed in the 1800's.

Inside the rock are the Great Siege Tunnels which are complex system of criss-crossed tunnels and underground fortifications. The tunnels were built in 1782 by the British. This was during the Great Siege by the Spanish over the island of Gibraltar. The fortifications were then rebuilt after the Siege. It has become useful during the World War II, where the civilians were evacuated to the United Kingdom and also to Jamaica.

There's an idiom that goes " solid as the rock of Gibraltar" which is used to signify that a person or situation is difficult to overcome. Needless to say, the strength of the Rock of Gibraltar against aggression has made it a significant emblem in history.

I am a certified beer drinker. I prefer the said alcohol compared to the hard drinks found anywhere. If you need a drinking buddy, then you found a friend in me. I assure you that I'll drink to the last drop. Maybe, we can even go find you a hot chic if your girlfriend broke up with you. As for me, I would like to believe that I am a one-woman-man. Yeah right! I must admit that I am up for some game. Besides, I am not actually committed. I find solace in dating around.

Well, going back to beer drinking. There is one such place that I would never drink beer from. It's from the The Starkenber Beer Myth resort. Let me rephrase that. What I meant was that I am not going to drink beer from the said resort's beer pools! Who knows what other men must have done in those pools. Besides, I don't know anyone crazy enough to drink from the pools even if the other gys don't anything anomalous in those pools. Hell! They immerse themselves in their... right down to their naked backsides. Incidentally, the pools are 13ft in length.

Anyway, you can visit the Starkenberger castle if you would like to experience the one of the seven pools of The Starkenber Myth resort. The castle is at the Tyrol region of Austria. By the way, don't worry about the beer being served. They get it from the bars beside the pool.

Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco is French and Italian, respectively, for 'white mountain.' It is the highest mountain in Western Europe located in the Alps bordering both France and Italy. But if you exclude the Caucasus Mountains of Russia from Europe, than Mont Blanc is the continent's highest peak. It stands tall at 15,774 feet or 4,808 meters but the height may vary depending on the weather conditions and the amount of snow fall. The two most famous cities near Mont Blanc are Chamonix, in Haute-Savoie, France where the first Winter Olympics was held in 1924 and Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley in Italy.

During the summer months, Mont Blanc is a good place for nature lovers and trail hikers. A climb to the top of the Mont Blanc's summit maybe a tough journey but nothing beats the feeling of having to reach the top. You get a view of snow-capped mountains and deep abysses in every direction. If you're lucky, you can even locate the three countries which borders the Alpine range. And that also includes Switzerland.

Beneath the mountain is the Mont Blanc Tunnel which stretches to a length of 11.6 kilometers from Chamonix and Courmayeur. After completion in 1965, the tunnel became one of the major Trans-Alpine routes in the region. On March 24, 1999, a tragic accident occurred in the tunnel wherein 39 people died. A Belgian transport truck carrying flour and margarine caught fire inside the tunnel. Over the past 35 years, 16 other truck accidents occurred in the tunnel.

Famous buildings and structures have something interesting about them. Not only because it overwhelms the naive observer but because deep beneath each structure is an interesting story to tell that is seemingly drawn from the pages of an old storybook. An example of which is the Frederiksbog Castle in Denmark. An interesting tale surrounds this unique structure located in the middle of Hillerød on three islands in the castle lake.

In the 1560s, King Frederick II acquired a country manor called Hillerodsholm from a naval hero named Herluf Trolle. Trolle had a wife named Birgitte Goye. King Frederik renamed the house as Frederiksborg. When the king died his son Christian IV succeeded to his thrown. It took 20 years for Christian IV to beautify the castle his father left him. The castle was built in Dutch Renaissance style with sweeping gables, sandstone decorations and copper-covered roofs and spires. But in 1859, a tragedy swept the castle. Fire almost burned the whole of the main building including its roof. It was rebuilt in 1860-1864 with the financial support of a brewer named J. C Jacobsen of Carlsberg. The Castle provided a fairytale backdrop to the wedding of Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra in November 1995.

You may know this place as what the controversial best-seller The Da Vinci Code refers as "In London lies a knight a Pope interred." The Westminster Abbey served as the site where the story reached its climax and the real enemy was unmasked. Apparently, the knight that was being referred to was Sir Isaac Newton. The renowned scientist was buried in the Abbey and was not interred by a Vatican Pope, but by his friend Alexander Pope.

Formally known as The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, the Abbey is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs. It is situated in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. According to tradition, a fisherman on the River Thames saw a vision of Saint Peter. A shrine was first founded in on the present site, then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Island). King Edward the Confessor built the stone Abbey around 1045–1050 which he chose as the site for his burial. Initially, it served as a coronation site of Norman kings like King Harold and William the Conqueror. Together with Newton, other historical persons buried in the Abbey include Charles Darwin, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Laurence Olivier.

If you happen to visit Barcelona, Spain one of these days, drop by at one of its best and most popular attractions. Located just a mile outside urban Barcelona is the La Sagrada Familia or the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia. It’'s a large Roman Catholic basilica designed by a Catalan architect named Antoni Gaudi. It was built in the 1880s and was under the previous supervision of another architect Franceso del Villar until it was assigned to Gaudi in 1883 due to conflict in the structure’'s design.

For over 40 years, Gaudi took the finishing of the project until his dying days. After Gaudi'’s death in 1926, several Spanish architects continued his work. Architects like Isidre Puig Boada, Fransesc Quitana, and Lluis Gari. In 1935, with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the construction came to a sudden halt until it was recommenced in the 1950s after the end of the Second World War.

Being one of the most, if not the most, popular attractions in Spain, the basilica received over two million visitors in 2004. Contrary to other people’'s notion, the basilica is not Barcelona'’s cathedral, but it is the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia. The most notable feature of the structure is the 18 spindle-shape towers, each one representing a religious figure. The tallest of the tower represents Jesus Christ.

A tourist who would want to experience a serene one-on-one with nature and the sea, has to be in the Isle of Capri in Italy. A trip to this magical island is not complete without a tour of the whole island surrounding the mighty Mediterranean sea. Taking a private boat is probably the best way to tour the island and discover its beauty. In fact, when you have a natural resource like this, some of the most beautiful parts of the island can be seen only when traveling on a boat.

If you opt for an organized tour, you might want to join the Capri boats led by Captain Costanzo De Simone. The boats provide drinks, wine, and snacks during the four hours of travel. The boat ride charges each passenger 300 euros. Or you can arrange private tours via the Capritime Boats luxury speed boats. I know that is quite an amount there, but hey, you can travel the whole island, search for beaches where you can enjoy sunbathing or swimming. There are several secluded beaches in Capri, far from the maddening crowd. So if I were you, take time to explore the island, if you can afford , on a private yacht.

Remember my article entitled “Discover Brussels”? I've mentioned there, although in passing, about the city's famous land mark – the Atomium. I bet you haven't done your homework and research about it but I did. In fact I just went there two months ago.

The Atomium, touted by many as the Eiffel Tower of Brussels, had reopened last February 18, after a year and a half of renovation, entailing the replacement of stainless steel over the faded aluminum sheets composing the balls. The renovation costs about a whopping $32 million dollars. The monument was built in 1958 in honor of the Brussels World Fair. The structure is a very large version of an iron crystal, magnified 165 million times. It stands tall at 103 meters and has nine large atoms that are all connected by large cylindrical tubes that have escalators in them.

A climb to the top sphere will give you a breathtaking view of the city. The atomium serves today as a museum, showcasing exhibits from contemporary artists. It has drawn crowds of tourists and locals to Brussels and continues to be one popular tourist destination in Europe.

I've been to the Netherlands quite a few times, and with those visits I never fail to include the Van Gogh Museum in my itinerary. What sets this museum apart from all the other museums in Europe is that it has by far the largest collection of art works from the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh, who is a native of the country. It houses more than 200 paintings and 600 drawings from the gifted Dutch artist.

It was a long queue but with the help of my iPod mini and chitchat with some Dutch friends, I was patient half the time. After a considerable time, we were ushered into the museum's interior. The artworks have always amazed me even if I'm quite acquainted with them already. The tour was short but fulfilling, as always. The best time to check the museum is during the evening, but the evening schedule is available only once a week. At this time, there is a number of visitors, so you can have a lot of time to examine each artwork.

I especially love 'Starry Night Over The Rhone' which quite resembles another of his famous works, 'Starry Night.' If you happen to see the painting or visit the museum itself you'll notice the difference between the Starry paintings. 'Starry Night Over The Rhone River' has human elements. The thing that is missing in the 'Starry Night' painting.

Probably one of the most breathtaking places to visit in England is the Bath City. A trip destination best seen during the day, Bath's exceptionality is attributed to the hot springs that are exclusive in the United Kingdom area. This enchanting city is built in the mouth of a dead volcano and is also considered a spa city.

Bath City's main attraction is its remarkable architecture. Celebrated architect John Wood, during the eighteen century laid the groundwork for a new Georgian city that was built of honey-colored stones. The effect was that Bath City has a warm and relaxed feel to it. You should also go see the Botanical Gardens in Royal Victoria Park and the Sydney Gardens, which is the oldest park in the city. The city is also home to a lot of museums, among them the Victoria Art Gallery.

Bath is located just in the southwestern part of England and has a population of roughly 100,000. If you still can't get of Europe through Bath, you can also visit its surrounding countryside which also offers tourist attractions like the Stonehenge and the Cotswold. London is also about an hour and a quarter worth of travel by train and Bristol in only fifteen minutes way.

What's a vacation in Europe without a luxury accommodation in some of the finest hotels in the continent. It may sound some freaking rich person is uttering this words but hey you need to treat yourself once in a while, right? Life is short as they say, you'll never know when will your time be so might as well spend like there's no tomorrow.

If you're in Rome, then you might want to try Hotel Scalinata di Spagna and the Albergo del Sole al Pantheon; just be ready to shell out 180 Euros for a night stay. Both this luxurious hotels offer nothing but pure elegance starting from the hotel's lobby to your bedroom shower. Not to mention you have a glimpse of the beautiful Roman landscape at night or in the morning, and that's completely free.

If that doesn't impress you or your bank account then here's something that will. With a whopping 350 Euros a night, you're sure to get the treatment only deserving for the rich and the famous. The InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam in Netherlands holds the title as the most beautiful hotel in the country. Located near the Amstel river, this hotel was built far back in 1867 and has over 111 ritzy suites that cater to the tired and weary traveler that you are.

Europe is a popular destination for lovers of art and culture. For this, it has been 'the' place to find the best museums that are home to the world's greatest and most expensive art collection in the world. A trip to the museum, for many, is a boring activity. However, for most cultured people it is a source not only of pleasure, but also of enlightenment.

Here are three of the most amazing and exciting museums in Europe that tourists should visit. The Acropolis Museum in Greece is considered as one of the most important museums in the world because of its masterpieces from the Greek civilization like pediments and metopes from the Parthenon, sculptures dated back from hundreds of years Before Christ among others. Another is the Louvre Museum in France. The Louvre is famous all over the world because it is home to over thirty-five thousand art works and masterpieces including Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

The Louvre also has collections from ancient civilizations like the Egyptian, Greek, Islam, and Roman Antiquities. Lastly, the Vatican Museum which was founded in 1503 by Pope Julius II della Rovere. The museum houses a collection of religious art, books and paintings of the Pontiffs.

Europe is the home of castles where dreams and fairytales were made. Magnificent castles can be found all over Europe. These castles were built by kings to show its power and wealth in his time. In Germany, the famous Neuchwanstein Castle was built during the year of 1869 to 1886.

It is one the most famous and most magnificent castle collections in Bavaria of the famous King, Ludwig II. It was featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film and it inspired the creation of the famous Sleeping Beauty fairytale. During summer months, visitors and tourists flock to this castle to experience the beauty and ultimate royal feeling of touring the castle.

So, if you are planning to visit this castle, you can purchase tickets from the castle's entrance. You will need a tour guide in touring the castle in order not to get lost. The Munich airport is the closest airport in Neucwanstein. But, if you travel by car, you will consume ninety minutes of your time to reach Fussen and a few minutes reaching the castle premises. It is closed during holidays like the eve and day of New Year and Christmas, and during Shrove Tuesday.

Europe is full of stories about kings and queens, and there are many castles, most of them are centuries-old, are still standing and send an indescribable feeling to all the visitors. A few castles were closed for public viewing for safety purposes, but some are maintained and continuously being renovated to provide enough proof that such castles did existed and still does. Among the grandest castles in Europe is the Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany. It stands three thousand and six feet above sea-level and exhibits the Romanesque style which depicts arched towers, windows, and portals.

The year was 1869. King Ludwig II of Bavaria built his third castle in Hohenschwangau. The construction of the palace took almost two decades. According to the story, the castle has not been really finished because right before the completion of his fairy tale castle, the King was drowned, and this untimely death also put a stop on the construction. The interior of the Neuschwanstein showcases Catholicism inspired paintings.

This massive, haunting, elegantly-built, and holy castle, though located on a mountain, still receives six thousand visitors on a daily basis during summer time. Unfortunately, digital cameras and video recorders are not permitted inside the castle, but visitors will surely enjoy the exciting walk to the Alps, and the mystery of Neuschwanstein castle.

When you are tired of the astounding Eiffel tower in Paris, or the seemingly leaning tower of Pisa in Italy, then it is high time that you set your sights on exotic Turkey. Otherwise known as Constantinople, Istanbul, the capital of Turkey lies near equally adorable Venice. Istanbul is a vivid fusion of history, culture, tradition, belief, and custom from various invasions that ruled the nation.

Establish around the 7th century as a Byzantium Greek city, it was named after the great ruler Constantine I. Invasion from the Ottomans linked the city to the rest of Europe and extended relations in trade, commerce, military, and diplomatic. At times, the country is torn between Asia and Europe. That is why it is such a great fusion bringing together extremities from both sides.

Istanbul prides itself with the Blue Mosque called as such because of the color of its interior tiles. You can also visit Sultanahmet District where you can see palaces and mosques. Take a Turkish bath at Cemberlitas Haman if you want to relax a bit. These and so much more will gratify you when you visit this city. Plus, dare not to forget to enjoy Turkish cuisine and festivals among others.

Perhaps, you have only heard of Monaco during car racing activities on the television. Personally, I was not aware of the exact location of Monaco. I even thought it was a part of France, until I saw a specific European map and did not see Monaco as one of its cities. My hunch then was it was a country.

I was right. Monaco is, in fact, the second smallest country in the whole world. Although it is not a city of France, it is situated in the lower portion of France, near the Mediterranean. As such, it is not surprising that most of the customs and practices in Monaco have French influences. Take, for instance, food. A lot of the foods and beverages being served in Monaco are of French origin. Plus, the people here speak French, albeit its inhabitants are of mixed races -- Belgians, British, Italians, and Americans.

Even though Monaco is only a tiny part of Europe, there are a number of attractions that the area has to offer to traveling enthusiasts. Aside from the famous Monaco Grand Prix, Monaco is popular for its museums, palaces, and gardens as well as beaches and opera houses. Monaco also has casinos that may rival some of Las Vegas'.

The island of Ile de la Cite in Paris embraces the Gothic glorious religious symbol during the Middle Ages, the Notre Dame de Paris. Paris Bishop Maurice de Sully begun its construction in 1163 and was completed in 1345. The cathedral brings some religious pieces, which are reflected on stained glass, in the portals, and on most paintings. The cathedral participated in some major tales of the century. The Notre-Dame became a prayer place for crusaders during Holy Wars. Polyphonic music was made in this cathedral. During the 17th century, the supremacy of Louis XIV and Louis XV saw the destructions of tombs, and stained glasses. In French revolution era, some treasures of the church were destroyed and robbed; but the grand bells were not melted down. The church was offered to the cult of Reason as well as to the cult of the Supreme Being. The interior of the cathedral became a food storage.

Notre-Dame was rebuilt in 1844, which lasted about twenty-three years. Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc restored the triforium, sculptures and little clerestory windows of Notre-Dame church. A program for general preservation and repairs began in 1991 and lasted for ten years.

It is a pleasure to go to a place where you can truly feel the nature's best and manmade arts. The popular English Garden (Englishcher Garten) in Munich, Germany, provides the same mood for each visitor. Visiting the park can be a remarkable experience for every one. It makes Munich a lovely city to stay. The English Garden is a very wide park covering 3.7 square kilometers land. It is one of the Europe's oldest urban landscaped parks, and the largest city park in the continent.

The very famous park was originally created by an American Benjamin Thomson in 1789 as a garden for military. This was soon opened to the public, and became very popular every since then. Why not? English Garden boasts its natural landscapes and huge open spaces that make this park as an oasis in the heart of the city.

The English Garden features a Greek temple, Chinese Pagoda, beer gardens, tea houses, and other attractions. The Kleinhesseloher See, located in the park, is an artificial lake created in 1802. This lake has 3 small islands, and at the shores of the lake is the Seehaus, one of the famous beer gardens in Munich.

If you think Europe is only about enjoying gondola rides in Italy, dining in Eiffel Tower, or being caught up in the Harry Potter fever, think again. Europe has so much more to offer, and knowing that most of the people in the West had their family's roots in Europe may be enough to convince any person that there are so many countries in Europe that should be explored. One of these places is Luxembourg.

For instance, did you know that Luxembourg has one of the European continent's most beautiful castles, the Beaufort Castle? No, you probably didn't. Beaufort Castle is situated in one of the country's regions named Mullerthal, which is considered as Little Switzerland. Beaufort Castle stands on the lush landscapes and what is amazing about these magnificent ruins is that it really epitomizes the type of castle we have envisioned in our dreams. Beaufort Castle has a high tower, moat, and forest grounds, in addition to the tar-nose and torture chambers that are typical, especially in the year 1150 when the castle was built. Beaufort Castle stays open from nine in the morning to six in the evening, but is best seen during summer nights, when the whole area is bright with lights.

For years, I have wondered where in the world Malta is. Before, I even thought that this group of islands is located somewhere in the Pacific or even Asia. Little did I know that Malta has become one of Europe's most exotic places to visit.

For those of you who were just as confused as I was, Malta is located near Italy, in the southern part of Sicily. Based on history, Malta has been known as an area of trade. A traveler does not have to worry about communication because English is the second language of the Maltese people. Likewise, sun worshippers would have a grand time enjoying their stay in Malta, mainly due to its sunny weather. Sure, there are breezes and winters, but these are mild compared to what you probably would have in the northern United States.

So, how do you get to these wonderful islands? Since Malta is accessible to Europe, it is possible to travel by plane through Air Malta or by ferry from Italy. When you arrive, you can make your way around the islands by ferry, bus, or car. In Malta, just make sure to visit the city of Valletta, where the cathedral of Saint John stands, and Mdina, where restaurants and affluent establishments abound.

Ancient artifacts and architecture has always fascinated the modern world. Perhaps it is because of the mystery surrounding them. One of the world's most mysterious ancient construction can be found in Britain.

The stonehenge, a formation of megalithic monuments, is Britain's greatest national icon. It has been portrayed in many stories as a place of gathering for an ancient ritual. Historians are still trying to unravel the enigma behind the construction of the monument. The stones weight over a thousand pounds each, yet early men had the means to arrange them in such manner. Nonetheless, the mystery only adds to beauty to the megalith.