by Stephen H

Created on: January 12, 2010   Last Updated: November 20, 2011

Some of the most  fascinating cities in the world can be found in Europe.  It has a mix of an historic past coupled with the most modern, forward looking attitudes to be found anywhere.  It wears its history on its sleeve but has taken the best of what the modern world has to offer and mixes this sympathetically with its past.  A number of the world’s great cuisines began their life in Europe and nowhere has a greater variety of gastronomic delights to tempt the tourist and more seasoned traveller.  Monuments from the old world abound and are a living testimony to how the world developed over the millennium.  There is great shopping to be had, nearly all the major fashion houses are based in Europe, and nightlife to suit all tastes, including opera, theatre, bars, clubs, cafes and cabaret.  Each city has its own identity, very different from the others.  To get the very best from city destinations in Europe, you should include the following in your itinerary.

London

London is one of the largest cities in Europe, it is absolutely fantastic. If you spent your whole life in London you could not experience all its treasures and you would never get bored.  As Samuel Johnson so succinctly stated

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

This has never been more true than today.  Following some years of neglect, London has been regenerated and reinvigorated.  The whole South Bank of the Thames has been redeveloped and its treasures include Shakespeare's original theatre, the Globe, the transformed power station which is now a wonderful (free) modern art gallery, the festival hall and Southwark Cathedral.  A walk along the south embankment is worth every step, all the way from the clink (London’s first prison) to the London eye, a massive Ferris wheel with enclosed compartments which offer an unprecedented view across the whole city. 

If you are looking for something to stimulate the mind, travel a little further out to South Kensington's museums.  All the major museums are housed here, the science museum, the natural history museum and the Victoria and Albert museum.  If you get good weather, which is somewhat rare here admittedly, you may want to venture out to the royal parks.  They are massive

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