Western culture is rooted in Ancient Greece, circa 800 B.C. Since then, different empires have assimilated the continent, resulting in a history that reflects indigenous origins and the marks left by conquerors. No matter where you go, you'll find historic monuments and even some archaeological sites, many of them well preserved.
For centuries, Europe has been a playground for architects who wrote the book on many styles and standards still in use today. There are London Victorian, Paris Art Nouveau, Barcelona Modernism, Prague Gothic or Roman Renaissance. It would take years to see it all.
Europe has always been the hub of all things classical. Some of art history's most important works are housed in many European museums: the Louvre (Paris), the British Museum (London), the Uffizi (Florence) and the Czartoryski Museum and Library (Kraków).
Opera, chamber music and symphonies were all born in Europe. Vienna is the place to catch some Mozart or Beethoven, while Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater guarantees Russian Romantics such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Mussorgsky. Take in some opera at Milan's Teatro Alla Scala.
While France and Italy serve up Europe's most famous cuisine, places such as Spain and Portugal deserve attention for knowing how to accentuate the full flavor of fresh ingredients. In England, Germany and the Czech Republic, hearty meals please the meat-and-potatoes crowd.
In Europe, wine and beer complement your meal. With that in mind, you'll find some of the finest lager and pilsner in Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, not to mention a host of respectable brews in England and Ireland. For wine, try anything that comes from Bordeaux, Tuscany, Rioja or Douro.
