In the town of Lüdinghausen, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

 “In every human being there is a child who only wants to play, and the most attractive game is mystery. The mysterious content of the human soul wanders through the meandering corridors of a mythical labyrinth, with underground congregations with candles (or illuminated by candles), secret passages in the double walls of castles, and treasures hidden in the halls!” ― Kurt Seligmann

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(in Germany) The town of Lüdinghausen, in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is found on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, approximately 25 kilometers (~16 miles) southwest of Münster. It is known for its three castles, Castle Luedinghausen, Kakesbeck, and Vischering Castle (featured here). Burg Vischering is the ideal model of a Münsterland moated castle. With its round main castle building seeming to float on the surrounding water, it is an architectural monument of notable unity – widely known as a popular tourist destination. The castle, originally built in 1271, observes its 750th anniverary this year. It consists of an outer defensive courtyard, defensive gateways, a moat, a drawbridge, a main building and a chapel. The sandstone walls, the red tile roofs provide many picturesque views (as evidenced by this image) from its thickly forested surroundings.

In the city of Västerås, Sweden

 "The present moment is significant, not as the bridge between past and future, but by reason of its contents, which can fill our emptiness and become ours, if we are capable of receiving them." -- Dag Hammarsköld

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(in Sweden) Västerås is this country's largest inland port and the hub of its electrical industry. Originally known as Aros (“River Mouth”) and later as Västra (“West”) Aros, it was a market center and a bishopric by the beginning of the Middle Ages. In medieval times it also served as an export harbor for iron and copper from the Bergslagen mining region. Several national parliaments were held here, including that of 1527, which formally introduced the Reformation into Sweden, and that of 1544, which established the hereditary rights of the Vasa family to the throne. In the city’s Gothic cathedral lie the remains of Eric XIV. Beside the Svartån River stands a 12th-century castle, now a museum. With its cobbled streets, interesting houses and flourishing flower gardens, Västerås’ Old Town (depicted here) is quite delightful. Yet, this city is a place of two halves; head just a few blocks southeast and you’ll find modern shopping centers, industrial overloads and sprawling suburbs that bear no resemblance to the narrow lanes and crafts shops you’ve left behind.

In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of the French Riviera

 "The Mediterranean is in my DNA. I'm fine inland for about a week, but then I yearn for a limitless view of the sea, for the colors and smells of the Italian and French Riviera.” — Alain Ducasse

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(in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of the French Riviera) The harbor town and Mediterranean resort of Villefranche-sur-Mer is found on the wooded slopes surrounding the magnificent roadsteads, southwest of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian border. Dominated by Mount Boron. the town is connected by a cliffside road with Beaulieu to the east and with Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to the southeast -- on the scenic Cap Ferrat peninsula, where notable properties include the former Riviera residence of Leopold II, once the king of the Belgians. Thanks in part to its deep harbor, and an imposing citadel overlooking the Cap Ferrat peninsula, this place is a prime port of call for cruise ships. The 14th-century Old Town, with its tiny, evocatively named, streets broken by twisting staircases and glimpses of the sea, is a delight to explore on foot -- enabling visitors to a vision of small-town Mediterranean life (so unexpectedly close to Nice, the cultural capital of the French Riviera).

In the city of Mannheim, Germany

 “All of those cars were once just a dream in somebody’s head.” -- Peter Gabriel

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(in Germany) Mannheim, a city in and around which I lived and worked for 12 years, is closely associated with Karl Benz, the German mechanical engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine. In 1883, he founded Benz & Co. in Mannheim, which initially focused on stationary engines, but Benz continued to work on his dream of creating a motorcar. By 1888, a model of Benz's first car had been made available for purchase. When Karl was discouraged by people’s reactions, because it was deemed unsafe for the roads, his wife, Bertha (literally) rode to the rescue. She stole the vehicle one morning and took a trip of some 100 km (~67 mi.) away, to visit her mother. This trip -- from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back -- was highly publicized and it allowed Karl Benz to market his auto. People soon started buying automobiles -- and the Bertha Benz Memorial Route is now a German tourist and theme route in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and a member of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It follows the tracks of the world's first long distance road trip by a vehicle powered with an internal combustion engine, with Bertha at the "wheel," in 1888.

In Penrhyn Castle, in Wales, Great Britain

 "I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
-- William Wordsworth
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(in Wales, UK) The daffodil is a symbol of rebirth. a sign of the new beginnings that come with spring. Daffodils are often found connected with Easter and Easter religious services because of their new birth significance. Featured here is Penrhyn Castle, in Wales, with its annual display of blooms.

In the largest German state Bavaria, locally known as Bayern

 “How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!” – John Muir

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(in Germany) The largest German state, Bavaria, locally known as Bayern, comprises the entire southeastern portion of the country. It is a place of high plateaus and medium-sized mountains. In the north are basalt knolls and high plateaus; in the northwest are the wooded sandstone hills of the Spessart. The northwest is drained by the Main River, which flows into the Rhine. To the southeast the topography varies from the stratified land formations of Swabia-Franconia to shell limestone and red marl, the hill country of the Franconian-Rednitz Basin, and the limestone mountains of the Franconian Jura along the Danube, which divides Bavaria north and south. On the eastern edge of Bavaria are the Bavarian and Bohemian forests, and in the north is the Franconian Forest. South of the Danube is a plateau upon which lies the capital, Munich, and beyond it are the Bavarian Alps. Featured here is the village of Ramsau, found in the Bavarian Alps, in the Nationalpark Berchtesgadener, of Upper Bavaria. Ramsau is known for its high mountains, including the third highest mountain in Germany, Mount Watzmann, for the Lake Königssee -- and for the famous Parish Church of Saint Sebastian.

On the Isle of Skye, largest of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland

 "Beautiful isle of the sea, Smile on the brow of the waters." -- George Cooper

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(on the largest of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland) The Isle of Skye takes its name from the old Norse sky-a, meaning "cloud island," a Viking reference to the often-mist-enshrouded Cuillin Hills. It’s a 50-mile- (80-km)-long patchwork of velvet moors, jagged mountains, sparkling lochs, and towering sea cliffs. The beauty of the island may be the main attraction, but when the mist closes in there are castles, crofting museums, and cozy pubs and restaurants, plus dozens of art galleries and craft studios. Along with Edinburgh and Loch Ness,and Skye is one of Scotland’s top-three tourist destinations. The crowds tend to stick to Portree (featured here), Dunvegan and Trotternish. Found on the east side of Skye overlooking a sheltered bay, Portree is the island's capital. It is surrounded by hills -- Ben Tianavaig to the south and Suidh Fhinn or Fingal’s Seat to the west, Chrachaig, to the north. Further north along the road to Staffin is the Old Man of Storr, a popular walk. Across the bay to the east, the Island of Raasay can be seen with its distinctive conical hill, Dun Caan. (Portree was created as a fishing village at the beginning of the 19th century by Lord MacDonald.)

In Luxembourg Garden, Springtime in Paris, France

 "And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
— Percy Bysshe Shelley
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(Springtime in Paris, France) Spring is the time to soak up that special "April in Paris" charm that Frank Sinatra sung about so well: chestnut groves blossom, city parks burst into flower, plane trees sprout foliage over boulevards, and cafe terraces buzz with newfound energy as Parisians head outdoors to enjoy Spring’s warming days. Featured here is the city's Jardin du Luxembourg. Found in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, Luxembourg Garden is one fine destination for springtime activities -- in the heart of the city. In the middle of the garden sits the Grand Bassin, an iconic French pool, in which one sees miniature wooden sailboats flying country flags from all over the world; the park's famous boats are "sailed" by the hands of old and young alike. The park also has a puppet theater, pony rides, a merry-go-round, and a playground. There's also space for a round of tennis, or for a jog through the winding pathways. It's really an ideal place for some long-overdue outdoor activities, without having to leave the capital of the République française.

In the old city of Segovia, on the plains of Old Castile, near the Spanish capital, Madrid

 "... I see skies of blue

And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world...."
-- Louis Armstrong
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(on the plains of Old Castile, near the Spanish capital, Madrid) Segovia is an old city with twisting alleyways, the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, and car-free streets, all bordered by a medieval wall and two rivers. In 1985, this sleepy Castillan town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Segovia has always had a bit of legend about it, like the myths that the city was founded by Hercules or by the son of Noah. It may also have to do with the fact that nowhere else in Spain is such a great monument to Roman grandeur (the soaring aqueduct) surviving in the heart of a vibrant modern city. Perhaps, it's because art has imitated life Segovia-style -- Walt Disney is said to have modeled Sleeping Beauty's castle in California's Disneyland on Segovia's Alcázar (a royal palace built sometime around the 11th century where Queen Isabel agreed to fund Christopher Columbus’ exploration of the New World). Whatever it is, the effect is stunning: a magical city of warm terracotta and sandstone hues set amidst the rolling hills of Castilla, against the backdrop of the Sierra de Guadarrama.

In Keukenhof (Kitchen Garden) in the town of Lisse, near Amsterdam, Netherlands

 "... Come tiptoe through the tulips with me...." -- Tiny Tim

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(in the Netherlands) Found in the town of Lisse, near Amsterdam, the Keukenhof ("Kitchen garden"), also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world's largest flower gardens. Once a rural retreat for wealthy city merchants, in the 19th century Lisse's manor houses were sold and their land given over to what this pocket of South Holland is best known for -- the cultivation of bulb flowers. Today, flowers and the tourists they attract are the town's main industry, and the main attraction, the Keukenhof Gardens (normally) host more than a million annual visitors during its eight-week season, when its fields and planted displays of multicolored tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are in bloom. when its colorful tulip fields come into bloom. A trip here in Spring (preferably in the month of April) will likely prove to be one of the highlights of your time in the Netherlands. Although Keukenhof, which dates back to 1857, is widely known for its millions of tulips, it also features numerous other flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations, and irises. The Museum de Zwarte Tulp displays much about bulbs, including why there’s no black tulip, a mythical bloom that helped drive Tulipmania in 1636.

In the town of Grindelwald, a village in the Interlaken, canton of Berne, Switzerland

 "You arrive at a village, and in this calm environment, one starts to hear echo." -- Yannick Noah

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(in Switzerland) There is nothing quite like the majesty of the Swiss Alps. One of the most scenic places in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland is the town of Grindelwald, a village found in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district of this country's canton of Berne. In the valley of the Schwarze Lütschine River, amid the Bernese Alps, it's a hikers' paradise at the base of the mighty Eiger North face and the impressive Wetterhorn -- a great location for all sorts of outdoor activities. The town center is situated along the Dorfstrasse, between the main rail station and the First cable car station, about 800 meters up the road. Outside its center, Grindelwald consists of chalets mainly, in hilly meadows spread out across a lovely field of green (except in Winter). Also known as the "Glacier Village," Grindelwald is a popular holiday spot for dedicated hikers and keen adventurers. One of the best ways to appreciate the area's sheer beauty is to take a ride on the First Flyer -- a seated zip-wire ride that enables four people to fly side-by-side. (After a long day here, relax over a pot of Swiss fondue and a glass of crisp wine as you plan the next day’s adventures.)

In the city of Graz, Austria

 "No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any." -- Thomas Jefferson

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(in the capital of the Bundesland [federal state] of Steiermark, Austria) This country's second city, Graz is found on the Mur River between the Styrian Alps and a wide, fertile basin, the Grazerfeld. (The name Graz is derived from gradec, a Slavic word meaning “small fortress.”) The Schlossberg (“Castle Hill”), some 1,550 feet (470 meters) high, seems to keep an ever vigilant watch over the city. The Schlossberg fortifications were blown up by the French in 1809, to comply with the provisions of the Treaty of Schönbrunn, and the site was laid out with parks after 1839. The 16th-century Uhrturm (clock tower) and the belfry survive as prominent local landmarks. The emblem of the city, the Uhrturm is so beloved that the townsfolk of Graz paid Napoleon a ransom of 2987 florins (and 11 farthings) to spare it during his 1809 invasion. The most notable buildings are in the old section of Graz (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999) —and include the Renaissance Landhaus (the meetinghouse of the Styrian estates), the armory, the Town Hall, an 11th-century castle; St. Aegidius Cathedra, and the adjacent mausoleum of Ferdinand II, a native of Graz and Holy Roman emperor.

In the medieval city of Sibiu, region of Transylvania, Romania

 "What comes to my mind [about Transylvania] are mountains of savage beauty, ancient castles, werewolves, and witches - a land of magical obscurity." ― Elizabeth Kostova

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(in the historical Romanian region of Transylvania) The medieval city of Sibiu is found along the Cibin River, on the north side of the Turnu Roșu (“Red Tower”) Pass, which links Transylvania to southern Romania across the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians). Noble Saxon history emanates from every art-nouveau facade and gold-embossed church in Sibiu. Renowned composers Strauss, Brahms, and Liszt all played here during the 19th century, and Sibiu has remained at the forefront of Romania’s cultural scene through its festivals of opera, theatre and film, as well as rock, jazz and more. The country's first hospital, school, library, and pharmacy were all established here, and locals are quite proud of the spirit of enterprise that endures to this day. Beyond its great architecture, Sibiu has a bit of bohemian flair. Houses with distinctive eyelid-shaped windows monitor a cast of artists and buskers bustling below them. Cafes and bars are found in brick-walled cellars and luminously decorated attics. The soul of Sibiu is said to lie somewhere between a genteel coffee culture and unconstrained creativity.

In the city of Leuven, Flemish region of Belgium

 “Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop

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(in the Flemish region of Belgium) The city of Leuven is found along the Dyle River and is connected by canal with the Scheldt. The city is about 16 miles (26 km) east of Brussels. Established in the 9th century around a fortress built by a German emperor against the Normans, it became important in the 11th century as the residence of the counts of Leuven, afterward the dukes of Brabant. An ancient capital, the old Burgundian university town offers quite a range of adventures for tourists or day-trippers from nearby Bruges or Brussels. Visitors will find everything from gastronomic tours to architectural gems like the Gothic Town Hall. Nature lovers won’t be disappointed. The Kruidtuin Botanical Garden’s herbal gardens are the oldest in Belgium, and Heverleebos, a “city wood,” offers a respite for urban dwellers. Adventure is easily undertaken in Leuven, either on foot or on one of the ubiquitous bikes. At Leuven's heart is the soaring, 15th-century Brabantine-Gothic church, with a remarkable wooden pulpit that's fashioned like twin palm trees dripping with cherubs. The elaborately carved stone rood screen is also marvelous. The three-level town hall is one of the richest and most detailed examples of pointed Gothic architectures.

In the county of Cornwall, southwest England

 "The most beautiful landscape cannot hold my fascinated attention as much as nature by the seaside and all that is connected with water." — Lyonel Feininger

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(in southwest England) Cornwall is the extreme southwestern peninsula of England, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest stretch of continuous coastline in Britain and it is one of the sunniest areas in the UK. With charming villages, Celtic ruins, light blue waters, gardens and parks, and unique architecture, it is among the more scenic areas of England. Celtic place-names are much in evidence here. After the Norman Conquest (1066) the indigenous manors of Cornwall were taken over to form the basis of an earldom; since 1337 they have belonged traditionally to the eldest son of the English sovereign, who acts as duke of Cornwall. Featured here is the village of Looe, a major fishing port and tourism destination, found on the south coast of Cornwall between Plymouth and Fowey. Looe is a popular tourist destination and one of the pretty fishing villages in Cornwall. Its greatest attractions are a lovely sandy beach and tidal river, which border the harbor shops and cafes. Looe Island, now owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and managed as a nature reserve, is just offshore.