Europe Art, Castles & Palaces + Gardens & Parks Pictures

• The 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.

From its architecture to its industry and sporting events, this is a city of fascinating contrasts just an hour by train from London. 

Relax by the pond, walk through landscaped gardens, and admire the elegant statues and buildings in one of Madrid’s biggest and most popular parks.

Marvel at the wooden organ and work out the parables depicted in the stained glass in this blend of two separate religious buildings.

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

Distinctive architecture, friendly people and interesting history are reasons to stay a while in this UNESCO World Heritage city on Germany’s Baltic coast.

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.

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

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.

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

Relax by the pond, walk through landscaped gardens, and admire the elegant statues and buildings in one of Madrid’s biggest and most popular parks.

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

Attend a theatrical or orchestral performance and admire the artworks on the alleged spot where St. Saturnin of Toulouse was martyred.

With some of Spain’s foremost modern and contemporary artworks and a collection that ranks among the world’s finest, this is a museum art lovers won’t want to miss.

See the swans glide by under weeping willows and relax with a picnic in the park while taking in the pristine beauty of the source of the Clitunno River in Umbria.

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. 

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