Europe Action & adventure, Art, Autumn, Castles & palaces, Landscape, Lighthouse, Modern architecture, Waterfall + Winter 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.

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

Admire the greatest works of Michelangelo and da Vinci, see the center of Catholicism and pose with the Leaning Tower of Pisa on this Mediterranean peninsula.

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

Enjoy picturesque clifftop views in the town where Dracula took form and Captain Cook learned his trade.

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

The rooftop terrace has stunning vistas of central Madrid, while the interior is a hub of the arts, from music and poetry events to lectures and science exhibits.

The rooftop terrace has stunning vistas of central Madrid, while the interior is a hub of the arts, from music and poetry events to lectures and science exhibits.

For some of the best views over Verona, head up the hill to the castle that stands on the site where the city was founded.

For some of the best views over Verona, head up the hill to the castle that stands on the site where the city was founded.

Scotland’s capital is filled with attractive landmarks, parks and gardens, and hosts cultural festivals that draw millions of visitors each year.

This pretty southern Italian oceanfront town is famous for its ancient Roman buildings, gorgeous scenery and slow pace of life.

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

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

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

Escape the city and head to one of the world’s largest urban parks, which has lakes and meadows, as well as beer gardens and a variety of interesting relics.

Admire the craftsmanship of the Tuscan artists and architects that created this richly ornamented bell tower. Climb its staircase for glorious views of Florence.