In the municipality of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, southeastern France

 “A person should have wings to carry them where their dreams go, but sometimes, a pair of skis makes a good substitute.”

— Hans Gmoser
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(in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France) The municipality of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix, is widely known as the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Located to the north of Mont Blanc, between the peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and the notable Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France.

+ Chamonix is situated at an elevation of 1,037 meters on both sides of the Arve River, which rises in the Mer de Glace (“Sea of Ice”), the largest of Mont Blanc’s glaciers. The peaks of the rugged mountain chain of Brévent and Rouges rise to the northwest above the right bank, while the snow-clad chain that includes Mont Blanc (4,807 meters), the highest mountain in western Europe, towers on the southeast above the left bank. Chamonix is the starting point for the ascent of Mont Blanc. The resort is connected by the highest cable-car system in the world, almost to the summit of Mount Midi; the cable car begins its ascent at 1,036 meters and rises to 3,790 meters). Several other cable cars connect the town to Alpine heights.

+ The Chamonix area is quite popular with skiers and mountain enthusiasts. The valley was first mentioned in 1091, when it was granted by the Count of the Genevois to the great Benedictine house of St. Michel de la Cluse, near Turin, which by the early 13th century had established a priory here.

+ Mountains loom large almost everywhere you look in Chamonix. Skiers and sightseers are launched by cable car to heights of 3,842 meters on the Mont Blanc massif, while the glacial void of La Vallée Blanche, one of Europe's most fêted off-piste adventures, appeals to the brave. Skiers and boarders have a choice of pistes along the valley, while in summer the same lifts access hiking and biking trails.

+ Chamonix has a great history as a winter-sports hub. Rediscovered as a tourist destination by Brits William Windham and Richard Pococke in 1741, Although Chamonix hosted the first ever Winter Olympics, it is now popular for the beauty of the mountains, and a downtown area that hums with life. Streets are lined with Michelin-starred restaurants, sports gear stores and some of the French Alps' more upscale hotels. (Should you discover the town's nightlife, it could exhaust you nearly as much as the mountains.)

+ As the host of the first Winter Olympics, Chamonix will always have its place in the history books. Its main attractions are Mont-Blanc (Western Europe's tallest mountain) and the many ski areas that face the Chamonix Valley. Steep slopes and extreme weather conditions suit advanced skiers best, but there are also runs designed for beginners. Just make sure everyone in your party knows a green circle from a black diamond. (Much of the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough, was filmed here.)

At the Spanish Square in Rome, Italy, a fine example of Italian Baroque style

 “Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.”

-- Giotto di Bondone, Renaissance painter
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(on the Spanish Square in Rome, Italy) A fine example of Italian Baroque style, Piazza di Spagna and its “Scalina Spagna” is one of the most-visited squares in Rome. The Piazza di Spagna is found in one of the most popular neighborhoods of Rome (near the high streets Via dei Condotti, Via Frattina, and Via del Babuino), which houses several impressive 17th and 18th century villas. The Piazza di Spagna "Square of Spain" is one of Rome's most renowned squares. The name comes from the Palazzo di Spagna, the seat of the Spanish Embassy for the Vatican located on this square since the 17th century.

+ One of the most beautiful spots in the city of Rome, this square is also one of the most visited places in the capital of Italy. Before it was known as the Spanish square, this popular spot was called Piazza della Trinità de Monti in the early 17th century -- alluding to the church overlooking the square from above.

+ The Piazza di Spagna is the location of the Spanish Steps (“Scalina Spagna”), another famous landmark in Rome. The square is dominated by the broad, monumental stairway leading up to the Trinità dei Monti church, but it also features the Fontana della Barcaccia, in the middle of the square. Built by Italian sculptor Pietro Bernini in 1629; the fountain exhibits an early baroque style. (The fountain was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, with the aim of depicting the arrival of a boat during the flooding of the Tiber at Christmas in 1598.)

+ In the late 1700s the area around the piazza was much loved by English visitors on the Grand Tour and was known to locals as the ghetto de l’inglesi (the English ghetto). At the top of the steps, the Chiesa della Trinità dei Monti is also notable for the great views over Rome offered from its front staircase, and for its impressive frescoes by Daniele da Volterra.

+ The Spanish Steps were designed by Alessandro Specchi and Francesco de Sanctis, after troubled discussions on how to solve the problem of the steep slope between the church of Trinità dei Monti and the square below. In flawless baroque style, its monumental nature is slowly revealed, as one begins to climb its 135 steps. The aristocratic nature of the steps can be admired in its game of eye-catching perspectives and scenic effects.. (Down on the piazza, you will also find the Barcaccia, the "sinking boat" fountain.)

+ At the right corner of the Spanish Steps rises the house of the English poet John Keats, who lived there until his death in 1821: it is now a museum dedicated to him and his friend Percy Bysshe Shelley, displaying books and memorabilia of English romanticism. At the left corner, there is the Babington's tea room, founded in 1893.

+ To the southeast, adjacent Piazza Mignanelli is dominated by the Colonna dell’Immacolata, built in 1857 to celebrate Pope Pius IX’s declaration of the Immaculate Conception.

In the city of Nürnberg (also known as Nuremberg), southern Gerrmany

 "Nuremberg shines throughout Germany like a sun among the moon and stars."

-- Martin Luther
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(in southern Germany} The city of Nürnberg (also known as Nuremberg) is Bavaria’s second largest city (after Munich). Located on the Pegnitz River where it emerges from the uplands of Franconia, south of Erlangen, the city was first mentioned in 1050 in official records as Noremberg. It had its origin in a castle (now known as Kaiserburg [imperial castle]) built about 10 years earlier by the German king Henry III, duke of Bavaria, who became Holy Roman emperor in 1046. A settlement developed around the castle, and in 1219 the city was granted its first charter. It soon gained full independence, becoming a free imperial city. By the latter part of the 13th century, Nürnberg was no longer just a fortified settlement; it had developed into a city of craftsmen and patricians -- and manufacturing and commerce had become the main sources of income.

+ In 1471 the painter Albrecht Dürer was born in Nürnberg. During the period of Dürer and his contemporaries, the arts flourished in Nürnberg as never before or since. In 1525 the tenets of the Reformation were adopted by the city, and in 1526 the scholar and Protestant leader Philipp Melanchthon founded a Gymnasium here (one of Germany’s first), which continues to bear his name. Together with the humanist Willibald Pirkheimer, the astronomer Regiomontanus, and the cosmographer Martin Behaim, the designer of the first globe, Melanchthon laid the foundation for Nürnberg’s reputation as a center of learning in the developing Western world.

+ Not until the beginning of the industrial age, when the first German railway was opened (in December, 1835) linking Nürnberg and Fürth, did the city begin to flourish as an industrial center. In the 1930s Nürnberg became a center of the Nazi Party and in 1935 gave its name to the anti-Semitic Nürnberg decrees. The city was severely damaged during World War II. It was captured by U.S. troops and was the scene of the Nürnberg trials, the Allied trials of German war criminals. (After World War II much of the city was redeveloped.)

+ Nürnberg is now a major administrative and commercial center, with specialized services. It is also an important producer of fine mechanical and optical goods, and electrical apparatuses. It is a focal point for numerous highways and is connected to the Munich-Berlin and Frankfurt-Cologne autobahns (federal motorways). The city is also connected to the German high-speed passenger rail system. Situated on the old Ludwigs-Danube-Main Canal, there is a modern harbor linked with the Main-Danube Canal, which joins the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers.

+ Nuremberg, now the unofficial capital of Franconia, is quite an energetic place where the nightlife is intense and the beer is as dark as coffee. As one of Bavaria’s biggest draws, it is alive with visitors year-round but especially during the spectacular Christmas market.

In the city of Zaragoza (or "Saragossa"), northeastern Spain

 “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore.”

― George Gordon Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
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(in northeastern Spain) The city of Zaragoza (or "Saragossa"), capital of the Zaragoza province in Aragon, lies on the south bank of the Ebro River. Toward the end of the 1st century BCE, the Celtiberian town of Salduba at the site was taken by the Romans, who made it a colony under Emperor Augustus with the name of Caesaraugusta. The chief commercial and military station in the Ebro valley, it was one of the first towns in Spain to be Christianized, and it had a bishop by the mid-3rd century CE. After falling to the Germanic Suebi and then to the Visigoths in the 5th century, the town was taken by the Moors about 714. In 778 it was besieged by the Frankish king Charlemagne, who had to withdraw because of a Saxon rebellion in his domain. After being captured by the Almoravids in 1110, Zaragoza was taken by King Alfonso I of Aragon in 1118 and thereafter enjoyed three and a half centuries of prosperity as capital of Aragon. In the Peninsular War it was famed for the resistance of its citizens under Gen. José de Palafox y Melzi during a siege (from 1808–09) by the French, who took the city. Among the defenders was María Augustín, the “Maid of Saragossa,” whose exploits are described in Lord Byron’s poem “Childe Harold.”

+ The image of the multi-domed Basílica del Pilar reflected in the Río Ebro is a potent symbol of Zaragoza. Yet, there is plenty more fine architecture here too, including a turreted castle with an interior like a mini-Alhambra, and some underground Roman remains. Still, Zaragoza's appeal goes well beyond its monuments. Spain’s fifth-largest city has one of the best tapas and bar scenes in the country and is well stocked with the epoch-defining art of local lad Francisco de Goya, the genius painter who was born a short horse-ride away in 1746. The historic center (between the Río Ebro, Calle del Coso, and Avenida César Augusto) is refreshingly near-traffic-free, including the 400 meter-long Plaza del Pilar alongside the famous basilica.

+ A rich blend of the historic and modern, visitors like to stroll in the center of town near San Miguel's pedestrian ways or around the Plaza de los Sitios, where they find boutiques, markets, and souvenir shops. A center for gastronomy, Zaragoza offers food and drink for every budget and taste.

+ The seat of an archbishop, Zaragoza has two cathedrals. The older is the Cathedral of La Seo, or Cathedral of Salvador, mainly a Gothic building that shows some traces of the earlier Romanesque church built on the site of the first mosque erected in Spain. The Nuestra Señora del Pilar Cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin of the Pillar, who is the patron of Spain. Outstanding secular buildings include La Lonja (The Exchange), the Palace of the Counts of Luna (in which the Court of Justice sits), and the 17th-century Palace of the Condes de Sástago y Argillo.

At Schloss Neuschwanstein (Neuschwanstein Castle), near Fussen in Bavaria, Germany

 "It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin of Hohenschwangau near the Pöllat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles, and I must confess to you that I am looking forward very much to living there one day."

 — Ludwig II, Letter to Richard Wagner, May 1868
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(near Fussen in Bavaria, Germany) Schloss Neuschwanstein (Neuschwanstein Castle) was built atop a rock ledge over the Pöllat Gorge in the Bavarian Alps by order of Bavaria’s King Louis II. Construction began in 1868. Louis II had spent much of his childhood at Hohenschwangau Castle, a neo-Gothic, medieval-inspired castle decorated with scenes from legend and poetry. After his accession to the throne in 1864, Louis set out to build a “New Hohenschwangau Castle,” which he intended to be a better reproduction of a medieval-style castle in line with his fairy-tale vision of monarchy. The Romanesque designs were drawn by scene painter Christian Jank, and these were translated into architectural plans by Eduard Riedel.

+ Neuschwanstein stands on the site of two smaller castles, the ruins of which were cleared away in 1868. The foundation stone for Neuschwanstein was laid in September 1869. Although Louis expected the project to be completed within three years, only the gateway building was inhabitable by 1873. The topping-out ceremony was held on 29 January 1880, though the castle was still under construction. The castle remained incomplete in 1886, when Louis died by drowning himself. He had lived there, off and on, only some six months in total. Several weeks after his passing, the unfinished castle was opened to the public as a museum. (Only about a dozen rooms were ever finished).

+ Known as a castle of paradox, Neuschwanstein was built in a time when castles were no longer needed as strongholds, and, despite its romanticized medieval design, Louis also required it to have all the newest technological comforts. The structure is complete with a walled courtyard, an indoor garden, spires, towers, and an artificial cave. The castle is equipped with running water throughout, including flush toilets and hot water in the kitchen and baths, and has a forced-air central heating system. The dining room is serviced by an elevator from the kitchen three stories below. (Louis even made sure the castle was connected to telephone lines, though at the time of its construction very few people had telephones.)

+ Appearing through the mountaintops like a mirage, Schloss Neuschwanstein was the model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. King Ludwig II had envisioned it as a giant stage on which to recreate the world of Germanic mythology, inspired by the operatic works of his friend Richard Wagner. The most impressive room is the Sängersaal (Minstrels’ Hall), whose frescos depict scenes from the opera Tannhäuser.

+ For a great view of Neuschwanstein and the plains beyond, walk up to Marienbrücke, which spans the Pöllat Gorge over a waterfall just above the castle.

In the city of Strasbourg, in the Alsace region of France

 “Traveling -- it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

– Ibn Battuta
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(in the Alsace region of France) The city of Strasbourg, capital of the Bas-Rhin department of the Grand Est region in eastern France, lies 2.5 miles (4 km) west of the Rhine River on the Franco-German border.
+ The city was originally a Celtic village and under the Romans it became a garrison town called Argentoratum. It was captured in the 5th century by the Franks, who called it Strateburgum (from which its present name is derived). In 842 Charles II (the Bald), king of the West Franks, and Louis II (the German), king of the East Franks, took an oath of alliance here (the Serment de Strasbourg, a text of which is the oldest written document in Old French). After a struggle for power between its citizens and the bishops in the Middle Ages, Strasbourg became a free city within the Holy Roman Empire.

+ A blend of French and German cultures, Strasbourg naturally stuns in the winter months. Strasbourg’s Christmas markets are renowned (they were first held here in the 16th century), causing the scent of mulled wine and bredele cookies to waft through the streets. The hanging lights that illuminate the city’s centerpiece, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, are also quite a sight to behold.

+ Strasbourg is the perfect overture to all that is idiosyncratic about Alsace -- walking a tightrope between France and Germany, and between a medieval past and a progressive future; it pulls off its act in inimitable Alsatian style. Make an effort to divert your gaze away from the mesmerizing Gothic cathedral long enough to roam the Old Town’s twisting alleys lined with crooked half-timbered houses, and visit the coziest of winstubs (Alsatian taverns) by the canals in the area known as Petite France -- while wondering at how a city that does Christmas markets and gingerbread so well can also be home to the glittering EU Quarter and France’s second-largest student population. (But that is Strasbourg for you: all the better for its contradictions and cross-cultural quirks.)

+ Indeed, Strasbourg is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the European Parliament. Together with Basel (Bank for International Settlements), Geneva (United Nations), The Hague (International Court of Justice) and New York City (United Nations world headquarters), Strasbourg is among the few cities in the world that is not a state capital, yet hosts international organizations of the first order. The city is also the seat of many other non-European international institutions, such as the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and the International Institute of Human Rights. 

+ Strasbourg remains immersed in Franco-German culture and has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries. (It is also home to the largest Islamic place of worship in France, the Strasbourg Grand Mosque.)

In the city of Haarlem , the capital of the province of North Holland

 “Thus I am in Holland, the kingdom of things, great principality of objects. In Dutch, schoen means beautiful and at the same time clean, as if neatness was raised to the dignity of a virtue.”

― Zbigniew Herbert
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(in The Western Netherlands) The capital of the province of North Holland, Haarlem is located at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe; it is also part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area, being about 15 kilometers (~9 mi.) to the west of the city of Amsterdam. Haarlem, which lies along the Spaarne River, is also 4.5 miles (~7 km) from the North Sea.

+ Haarlem was mentioned in the 10th century and by the 12th century had become a fortified town and the residence of the counts of Holland. It was chartered in 1245 and was ravaged in 1346 and 1351 during the civil wars in Holland. In 1492 it was captured by insurgent peasants of North Holland, and, after being retaken by regular troops, was deprived of its privileges. In the mainly Protestant rising against Spain (in 1572), it endured months of siege until starvation forced its surrender to the duke of Alba’s son, Frederick. Recaptured (in 1577) by William of Orange and incorporated in the United Netherlands, it entered a period of prosperity that reached its peak in the 17th century, when it was a refuge for Huguenots and an artistic center. The Haarlem school of painting included Frans Hals, Salomon van Ruysdael, Jacob van Ruisdael, Philips Wouwerman, and Adriaen and Isack van Ostade. The sculptor Claus Sluter was born in Haarlem, and Laurens Coster, also of Haarlem, was one of the first medieval printers to use movable type.

+ The center of Haarlem is formed by the Old Town, which has many canals and gabled houses. The Amsterdam Gate, moats, and some earthworks remain of the Old Town’s medieval fortifications. In the market square are the City Hall (with 17th-century additions), the Meat Market (or Vleeshal), and the Great Church (St. Bavokerk, or St. Bavo’s Cathedral). The Great Church has an 80-meter high tower and contains notable choir screens and stalls, the tomb of Frans Hals, and a famous pipe organ made by Christian Müller in 1738. Among the city’s other churches are the former chapel of the Béguinage (the oldest in the city), the Bakenesser Church, the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk), and the Roman Catholic Cathedral. The city’s museums include the Frans Hals, the Roman Catholic Episcopal Museum, and the Teyler Museum. The Public Library preserves old manuscripts and incunabula and has a collection of early Dutch literature. (The Dutch Society of Sciences and the Teyler Foundation are in Haarlem.)

+ In summary, this classic Dutch city of cobbled streets, historic buildings, grand churches, even grander museums, cozy bars, fine cafes, and canals is just a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam. To its west are the coastal dunes of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the popular beaches of Zandvoort and Bloemendaal aan Zee.

In the port city of Dubrovnik, Croatia

 “Absolutely amazing; Dubrovnik is breathtaking.” -- Cara McLeay

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(in the region of Dalmatia in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia) Often referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic," the port city of Dubrovnik occupies a promontory jutting into the sea under the limestone mass of Mount Srdj. The port’s sea fortifications rise directly from the water’s edge and the round tower of the Minc̆eta Fortress dominates the city on the landward side. (The old city of Dubrovnik was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.)

+ This city was founded about 614 as Rausa, or Ragusium, by Roman refugees fleeing the Slav and Avar sack of Epidaurus (to the southeast). A colony of Slavs joined the Romans here, and from an early date the city formed a link between two great civilizations. After the fall of Rome, Dubrovnik was ruled by the Byzantine Empire. From the 9th to the 12th century Dubrovnik defended itself against foreign powers, and in the period 1205-to-1358 it acknowledged Venetian suzerainty, though it retained much of its independence. The city-republic was liberal in character, affording asylum to refugees of all nations -- one of them, according to legend, was King Richard I (the Lionheart) of England, who landed on the offshore island of Lokrum in 1192 on his return from the Crusades. After abolishing the slave trade in 1418, and by means of treaty and tribute, the city enlarged its territory along the Dalmatian coast. In 1272 it received a statute that incorporated Roman and local practices. Situated at the seaward end of overland trade routes to Byzantium and the Danube region, it became a great mercantile power; Ragusan land trade then flourished throughout the Balkans.

+ One of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, no matter how often one visits Dubrovnik these days, the sense of awe never fails to descend when you set eyes on the beauty of Dubrovnik's Old Town. Indeed it is hard to imagine anyone becoming jaded by the city’s limestone streets, baroque buildings, and the endless shimmer of the Adriatic, or failing to be inspired by a walk along the ancient city walls that protected the capital of a sophisticated republic for centuries.

+ Although the shelling of Dubrovnik in 1991 horrified the world, the city has bounced back with vigor to enchant visitors again. After undergoing repair and restoration works in the 1990s and early 2000s, it re-emerged as one of the Mediterranean's top tourist destinations, as well as a popular filming location. Marvel at the interplay of light on the old stone buildings, trace the peaks and troughs of Dubrovnik's past in museums (replete with art and artefacts), take the cable car up to Mt Srđ, exhaust yourself climbing up and down narrow lanes, and then plunge into the deep blue sea.

+ Nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Dinaric Alps, Dubrovnik makes for an accessible and affordable city break for many travelers. (The pedestrian-only Old Town is especially charming.)

In the city of Murcia, southeastern Spain

 "For austere and gracious allegory, as for so much of its mysticism and its chivalry, its ardors and its endurances, the world is in debt to Spain." -– Helen Waddell

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(in southeastern Spain) The city of Murcia, capital of the Murcia province, lies at the confluence of the Segura and Guadalentín rivers. The site was settled before the Roman occupation of southern Spain in the 3rd century BCE. As Mursīyah, it was first mentioned in the histories and chronicles of the Muslims. According to the Arab geographer Yāqūt, it was founded in 825 by the Umayyad emir of Córdoba, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān II, who made it a provincial capital. After the fall of the caliphate of Córdoba in 1031, the city came under the control of Almería and then of Valencia, until 1063 when its ruler, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ṭāhir, declared the kingdom of Murcia independent.

+ The Segura River divides the city into an older, northern sector and a more modern, southern sector. The Gothic-style Cathedral of Santa María was restored in the 18th century. It contains the chapel of the Vélez family. In the Hermitage of Jesus are the majority of the Passion sculptures of Francisco Salzillo, which attract many visitors during Holy Week.

+ Murcia is a communications and agricultural-trade center for the surrounding areas along the Segura River. Flour is also processed. The city’s silk industry, which dates from Moorish times, still exists. Today, Murcia’s main industries are metalworking, papermaking, and food processing.

+ The antithesis of the city of vice, Murcia is a sizeable but laid-back provincial capital with interesting sights and a pleasant, strollable center. Highlights for visitors include the Cathedral of Murcia and a number of baroque buildings, renowned local cuisine, the Holy Week procession, works of art by the famous Murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo, and the Fiestas de Primavera (Spring Festival). The city, as the capital of the comarca Huerta de Murcia is called "Europe's orchard" due to its long agricultural tradition and its fruit, vegetable, and flower production and exports. Like Valencia, it is famous for its huerta, a surrounding zone of market gardens dating back to Moorish times, which supply the city's restaurants with excellent fresh produce and drive a thriving tapas scene.

+ In Plaza Cardenal Belluga there are two architectural gems -- the Episcopal Palace (18th century), with a rococo façade and Churrigueresque patio, and the Cathedral, begun in the late 14th century, and notable for its combination of different styles. For example, the lavish sculptures of the Baroque façade are particularly striking, and the impressive tower next to it is 92 meters high. Inside, the Vélez Chapel is a magnificent example of Flamboyant Gothic. Some of the most important 19th-century buildings are also worth visiting: the Town Hall, the Roman Theater, and the Casino (with a Neoclassical façade and beautiful interior courtyard with Moorish influence).