In the city of Rennes, in the Brittany region of northwestern France

 Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, is mostly known for its wild coastline and endless beaches wedged between greenery and turquoise water -- but also for its strong folklore and traditions.

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(in the Brittany region of France) Rennes, in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine rivers, is the capital city of Brittany as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.

+ The history of Rennes goes back more than 2,000 years. Together with Vannes and Nantes, it was one of the major cities of the ancient Duchy of Brittany. From the early 16th century until the French Revolution, Rennes was a parliamentary, administrative, and garrison city of the historic province of Brittany in the Kingdom of France. Rennes played an important role in the Stamped Paper Revolt (Revolt of the papier timbré) in 1675. After the destructive fire of 1720, the medieval wooden center of the city was partially rebuilt in stone. Remaining mostly rural until World War II, Rennes developed greatly in the 20th century. During the 1980s, Rennes became one of the main centers in telecommunications and high-tech industry.

+ Though now labeled a city of art and history, it has preserved an important

 medieval and classical heritage within its historic center.

+The city’s name is derived from the Redones, a Celtic tribe that established its capital here. Under Roman occupation the town became the center of communications of the province of Armorica. In the Middle Ages it vied with Nantes as capital of the dukes of Brittany. During the French Revolution, it became the headquarters of the republican army in the fighting with the Vendéens (royalist insurgents).

+ The city, which was greatly destroyed by fire in 1720, was rebuilt to give it wide, regular streets and a main axis running east and west along the Vilaine. The railway and most of the modern districts are on the south side of the Vilaine.

+ Rennes’s cathedral, completed in 1844, has two towers from an earlier edifice destroyed in the 1720 fire. The 18th-century Town Hall was designed in typical Louis XV style. The Jardin du Thabor, a pleasant park, has a French classical garden, a rose garden, and a botanical garden. The museum, much destroyed during World War II, has been rebuilt and has a great collection of paintings (16th–20th century).

+ In Rennes, the seat of an archbishopric, the Universities of Rennes I and II have made the city the intellectual center of Brittany. They are noted specifically for research in the biotechnology and medical fields and are affiliated with the Rennes Atalante Science and Technology Park. (Rennes is also home to the regional headquarters of many firms and organizations in Brittany and western France.)

+ A crossroads since Roman times, Brittany's vibrant capital sits at the junction of highways linking northwestern France's major cities. It is a beautiful city, with an elaborate and stately center and a superb medieval quarter that is quite a joy to explore.

At Pena Palace, in the town of Sintra, in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal

 “Any Portuguese town looks like bride’s finery -- something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”

-- Mary McCarthy
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(in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal on the Portuguese Riviera) Long the home of Portugal’s monarchs, Sintra is a town of marvelous historic mansions, set against the backdrop of lush hills. Sintra’s many castles include the Palácio Nacional de Sintra (a main abode of Portuguese royalty until the early 20th century), the hilltop Palácio da Pena, Quinta de Regaleira (incorporating several architectural styles and with gorgeous surrounding gardens), the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), and the Palácio de Monserrate.

+ One of the most urbanized and densely populated municipalities of Portugal, Sintra is a major tourist destination, famed not only for its historic palaces and castles, but also for its scenic beaches, parks, and gardens. The area includes the Sintra-Cascais Nature Park through which the Sintra Mountains run. The historic center of the Vila de Sintra is famous for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture, which resulted in the classification of the town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
+ With its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichen, exotic gardens, and glittering palaces, Sintra is like a page torn from a fairy tale. Its center, Sintra-Vila, is dotted with pastel-hued manors folded into luxuriant hills that roll down to the deep-blue Atlantic.

+ Sintra is located about 15 miles (24 km) west-northwest of Lisbon. The town constitutes three parishes of Lisbon (Santa Maria e São Miguel, São Martinho, and São Pedro de Pennaferrim) and is within the much larger Sintra municipality. Sintra possesses a beauty that was celebrated by Lord Byron in his poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, and the English author Robert Southey referred to Sintra as “the most blessed spot on the whole inhabitable globe.”

+ On one of the mountain peaks is the Pena Palace (shown here), a 19th-century castle that is partly an adaptation of a 16th-century monastery and partly an imitation of a medieval fortress, which was built for Queen Maria II by her young German consort, Ferdinand II. On the extensive grounds of the castle, Ferdinand created the Parque da Pena, a series of gardens and walking paths that incorporated more than 2,000 species of domestic and nonnative plants. The park incorporates natural elements throughout, adapting to the area’s rugged terrain rather than reshaping it. On another peak is Castle dos Mouros, which was built by the Moors in the 8th and 9th centuries. These buildings and the nearby Monserrate Palace and its park are among the best examples of landscape gardening on the Iberian Peninsula.

+ Two major conventions were negotiated in Sintra, one in 1509 between Portugal and Castile concerning voyages of exploration and another in 1808 by which the British and Portuguese allowed the defeated French army to return home during the Peninsular War (1808–14).

In the city of Nuremberg, in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany

 "The Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders, in open court before an international tribunal, had a profound long-term effect in bringing Germans back to democracy and humanity." -- Anthony Lewis

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(in Germany) Nuremberg (German: "Nürnberg") the second-largest city of the federal state of Bavaria, after its capital Munich, is found on the Pegnitz River, where it emerges from the uplands of Franconia ("Franken"), south of Erlangen. Regnitz, a tributary of the River Main) and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, lies in the Bavarian administrative region of Middle Franconia, and is the largest city and the unofficial capital of Franconia.

+ The city was first mentioned in 1050 in official records as Noremberg, but 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. The city soon gained full independence, becoming a free imperial city. By the latter part of the 13th century, Nürnberg was no longer solely a fortified settlement. It had developed into a city of craftsmen and patricians, and manufacturing and commerce had become the foremost sources of income.

+ For centuries, Nuremberg was the undeclared capital of the Holy Roman Empire and the favored residence of most German kings, who kept their crown jewels here. Rich and filled with architectural wonders, it was also a magnet for famous artists, though the most famous of all, Albrecht Dürer, was actually born here. By the 19th century, the city had become a powerhouse in Germany’s industrial revolution.

+ The inner city, divided into two parts by the Pegnitz, is encircled by a wall completed in 1452, and the older, inner line of fortifications, dating from 1140 and 1320, which can still be traced. The most important are the Gothic churches of St. Sebald and St. Lorenz and, adjoining the marketplace, the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). The Heilig Geist Spital (Hospital Church of the Holy Ghost), rising above the Pegnitz, is now a home for the elderly. In addition, there are the Mauthalle (customs house) on the Königstrasse, the Weinstadel (wine storage house), the Renaissance City Hall, the Schöne Brunnen (a fountain), the Fembohaus (museum of the old city), and, towering above them all, the imperial castle.

+ The Nazis saw a perfect stage for their activities in working class Nuremberg. It was here that the fanatical party rallies were held, the boycott of Jewish businesses began, and the infamous Nuremberg Laws (outlawing German citizenship for Jewish people) were enacted. On 2 January 1945, Allied bombers reduced the city to landfill, killing 6,000 people in the process. After WWII the city was chosen as the site of the war crimes tribunal, now known as the Nuremberg Trials. Later, nearly all of the city’s main buildings were painstakingly reconstructed.

In the city of Toledo, in the small autonomous community of Castilla la Mancha, in Spain

 The city of Toledo, in Spain, is said to be the heart and soul of the country.

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(in the small autonomous community of Castilla la Mancha) Toledo is a city in Spain, capital of the province of Toledo and the de jure seat of the government and parliament of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage. Located on the banks of the Tagus in central Iberia, Toledo is known as the "City of the Three Cultures" for its cultural influences throughout its history. It was the capital, from 542 to 725 CE, of the Visigothic kingdom, which followed the fall of the Roman Empire. Toledo was also the location of historic events such as the Councils of Toledo and was called the "Imperial City" due to the fact that it was the main venue of the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Spain. The city, seat of a powerful archdiocese for much of its history, has a Gothic Cathedral, the Catedral Primada de España ("The Primate Cathedral of Spain"), and a long history in the production of bladed weapons, which are now common souvenirs of the city.

+ Toledo is truly one of Spain's most magnificent cities. Dramatically sited atop a gorge overlooking the Río Tajo, it was known in the Middle Ages as a place where – legend has it – Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities peacefully coexisted. Unsurprisingly, rediscovering the vestiges of this unique cultural synthesis remains modern Toledo’s most compelling attraction. Horseshoe-arched mosques, Sephardic synagogues and one of Spain’s finest Gothic cathedrals cram into its dense historical core. But the layers go much deeper. Further exploration will reveal Visigothic and Roman roots. Toledo’s other forte is art, in particular the haunting canvases of El Greco, the influential painter with whom the city is synonymous. Though it is popular with day trippers, try to stay overnight to fully appreciate the city in all its haunting glory.

+ Synagogues, mosques and churches stand together in Toledo's historic quarter, a testament to the medieval Spanish city's diverse history. The four towers of The Alcazar, a fortress built in 1085, dominate the skyline. Toledo and its surrounding countryside did inspire El Greco, and his paintings are on display in many places around the city, including the museum that bears his name.

+ This 2000-year-old walled city also occupies a significant place in Spain’s history. It was the former capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, a Roman municipium, the seat of power of King Charles V, and the former capital of Spain until 1560. Walk along its narrow streets to glimpse the vestiges of this unique cultural melange -- ancient Roman structures, Moorish architectural styles, the Catedral del Toledo, the El Tránsito Synagogue, and the Cristo de la Luz Mosque. (Be sure to visit the Mirador del Valle for spectacular panoramic views of this historic city by the Tagus River.)

In the city of Amsterdam, capital city of Netherlands

 "We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."

-- Anne Frank
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(in the Dutch province of North Holland in western Netherlands) The city of Amsterdam was founded at the mouth of the Amstel River that was dammed to control flooding; the city's name derives from a local linguistic variation of the word dam. Originally a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became a major world port during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, when the Netherlands was an economic powerhouse. Amsterdam was the leading center for finance and trade, as well as a hub of production of secular art. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The canals of Amsterdam and the 19-20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are both on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sloten, annexed in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam, is the oldest part of the city, dating to the 9th century. The city has a long tradition of openness, liberalism, and tolerance. Cycling is key to the city's modern character, and there are numerous biking paths and lanes spread throughout the entire city.

+ Although Amsterdam is the nominal capital of the Netherlands, it is not the seat of government (which is The Hague).This city's intimate character is best reflected in the narrow, bustling streets of the Old Town, where much of the population still goes about its business. The inner city is divided by its network of canals into some 90 “islands,” and the municipality contains approximately 1,300 bridges and viaducts. Although the city has a modern metro system, about one-fifth of the workforce still relies on the time-honored bicycle for transportation. Since the mid-1960s Amsterdam has been also known for a permissive atmosphere, and it attracts lots of people seeking an alternative lifestyle.

+ To the many tourists who visit each year, Amsterdam is known for its historical attractions, for its collections of great art, and for the distinctive color and flavor of its old sections, which have been well preserved. As a center for the arts, Amsterdam has much to offer. There are some 40 museums, which attract about four million visitors annually.

+ The Rijksmuseum (State Museum) is famous for its collection of 17th-century Dutch masterpieces. The Stedelijk (Municipal) Museum is a leading international collection of modern art. The Van Gogh Museum is dedicated to the work of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. Other important museums include the Anne Frank House, the Amsterdam Historical Museum, the Dutch Maritime Museum, and the Rembrandt House.

+ Must-see sights include the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, and the world's only floating flower market. Rent a bike and join thousands of locals peddling around. Other visitors might want to linger in the local coffee shops, which is just a normal part of the city's landscape.

In the city of Salzburg, north-central Austria

 "The hills are alive with the sound of music" is a line from a song and the title of a musical that sings the praises of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. The musical is based on the real-life experiences of a would-be nun who becomes the governess to a large family in Austria. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1959 and was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1965.

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(in north-central Austria) The city of Salzburg, literally "Salt-Castle," is the capital of the Salzburg Bundesland (federal state); it is found in a level basin on both sides of the Salzach River near the northern foothills of the Alps and the Bavarian (German) border. Now the fourth-largest city in Austria, Salzburg was originally the site of a Celtic settlement and later of the Roman town of Juvavum. Around 700 CE, the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and the Nonnberg Nunnery were founded there by Saint Rupert. Salzburg was made a bishopric by Staint Boniface in 739 and was elevated to an archbishopric in 798. (Its archbishops were acknowledged as princes of the Holy Roman Empire in 1278, and the city became the seat of their powerful ecclesiastical principality.) Its main sources of income at the time were salt extraction, trade, and gold mining. The imposing fortress of Hohensalzburg, one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe, dates from the 11th century. In the 17th century, Salzburg became a center of the Counter-Reformation, while building monasteries and many Baroque churches.

+ Today, Salzburg's historic center (or "Altstadt") is renowned for its Baroque architecture and is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps. The Altstadt was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The city has three universities and a large population of students. (Tourists also visit Salzburg to explore its historic center and the scenic Alpine surroundings.)

The unique combination of scenic Alpine landscape and architectural richness has led to Salzburg’s reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Its chief glories are the episcopal buildings and the burghers’ houses, displaying an Italian Renaissance and Baroque influence that earned Salzburg the designation of the “German Rome.”

+ In the center of the “older town,” on the left bank of the Salzach, is the Residenzplatz with the archbishop’s residence, a gallery of 16th–19th century European paintings, and a large Baroque fountain. Opposite is the Residenz Neugebäude (Residence New Building; its tower contains clockwork and carillon (or "Glockenspiel") that was imported from Antwerp, Belgium. The 35 bells that make up the carillon play many pieces specially composed by Michael Haydn and by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg’s most famous native son. The cathedral, or Dom, was the first church built in the Italian style on German soil. It was constructed on the site of a previous Romanesque cathedral that was damaged by fire in 1598, and an earlier, 8th-century basilica.

In the historic county of Kent along the English Channel, southeastern England

 "There'll be bluebirds over

The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow
Just you wait and see...."
-- Vera Lynn, The White Cliffs of Dover lyrics
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(in southeastern England) The geographic and historic county of Kent lies along the English Channel. It borders Greater London to the northwest, Surrey to the west, East Sussex to the southwest, and Essex to the north, across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces the French department of Pas-de-Calais across the Strait of Dover. It is the fifth most populous county in England, the most populous non-metropolitan county, and the most populous of the home counties (i.e., the eight historic counties of England that surround London).

+ The Romans ruled the area from 43 CE, using Canterbury as a base. It was invaded by Jutes and Saxons in the 5th century and became one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain. The king of Kent welcomed St. Augustine’s Christian mission in 597; St. Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury cathedral in 1170. Kent county has long been known as the “Garden of England.” Within its sea-lined borders visitors find a fragrant landscape of gentle hills, fertile farmland, cultivated country estates, and fruit-laden orchards. It also produces the world-renowned Kent hops and some of the country’s finest ales and wines from its numerous vineyards. At its heart is spellbinding Canterbury, crowned by its enthralling cathedral. You will also find beautiful coastal stretches dotted with beach towns and villages, from old-school Broadstairs to gentrified Whitstable and the port town of Dover.

+ Kent was one of the first British territories to be settled by Germanic tribes, most notably the Jutes, following the withdrawal of the Romans. Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, the oldest cathedral in England, has been the seat of the Archbishops of Canterbury since the conversion of England to Christianity, which began in the 6th century with St. Augustine. Rochester Cathedral in Medway is England's second-oldest cathedral. Located between London and the Strait of Dover, separating England from mainland Europe, Kent has been the setting for both conflict and diplomacy, including the Battle of Britain in World War II and the Leeds Castle peace talks of 1978 and 2004.

+ England relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of its history; the Cinque Ports in the 10th–14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover. Hills in the form of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge span the length of the county and in the Vale of Holmesdale in between, and to the south are most of the county's 26 castles.

+ Kent's economy is diversified: agriculture, haulage, logistics, and tourism are the main industries. Twenty-eight per cent of the county forms part of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the North Downs and The High Weald.

In the The city of Basel along the Rhine River, Switzerland

 "Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself."

-- Herman Hesse
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(in northern Switzerland) The city of Basel It lies along the Rhine River, at the mouths of the Birs and Wiese rivers, where the French, German, and Swiss borders meet. Basel is commonly considered to be the cultural capital of Switzerland and the city is famous for its many museums, including the Kunstmuseum, which is the first collection of art accessible to the public in the world, and the largest museum of art in Switzerland, the Fondation Beyeler, the Museum Tinguely and the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is the first public museum of contemporary art in Europe. The city's commitment to humanism has made Basel a safe haven at times of political unrest in other parts of Europe for such notable people as Erasmus of Rotterdam, the Holbein family, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, and in the 20th century, also Hermann Hesse and Karl Jaspers.
+ Basel was the seat of a Prince-Bishopric starting in the 11th century, and joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1501. The city has been a commercial hub and an important cultural center since the Renaissance, and emerged as a center for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries in the 20th century.

+ This city was originally a Celtic settlement of the Rauraci tribe. At the beginning of the 5th century CE, the bishop of Augusta Raurica moved his see there. The city’s university was founded in 1460 by Pope Pius II, who had been in Basel for the celebrated Ecumenical Council (from 1431–49). In 1501 Basel was admitted into the Swiss Confederation. With the Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus teaching at the university (from 1521–29), the city became a center of humanism and of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland. The Counter-Reformation brought skilled workmen as refugees from other parts of Europe, and by the 18th century political power was in the hands of the trade guilds. In 1831 the rural part of the canton revolted, proclaiming independence the following year.

+ The Rhine divides the city into two parts, linked by six bridges. Kleinbasel, to the north, is the Rhine port and industrial section, with the buildings of the annual Swiss Industries Fair. Grossbasel, the older cultural and commercial center on the south bank, is dominated by the Romanesque and Gothic-style Münster (Protestant); consecrated in 1019, it was Basel’s cathedral until 1528 and has a monumental slab to Erasmus, who is entombed there. Other notable buildings are the late Gothic Rathaus, the Town Hall, the Church of St. Martin, and the former 14th-century Franciscan church. There are three surviving medieval city gates, of which the 15th-century Spalentor (St. Paul’s Gate) is one of the finest in Europe. The new university buildings were completed in 1939; the university library contains manuscripts of the religious reformers Martin Luther, Erasmus, Huldrych Zwingli, and Philipp Melanchthon.

In the city of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina

 "[The Balkans] produce more history than they can consume."

-- Winston Churchill
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(in Bosnia and Herzegovina) Mostar is the chief city and, historically, the capital of Herzegovina. It is situated in mountainous country along the Neretva River and lies on the Sarajevo-Ploče rail line. Mostar is the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina.

+ First mentioned in 1452, Mostar became a Turkish garrison town in the 16th century. In 1566 the Turks replaced the town’s wooden suspension bridge over the Neretva with a stone arch one, whence the name Mostar (from Serbo-Croatian "most," which means bridge).

+ Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva. Spanning the Neretva River and linking two parts of the city, the arched Ottoman bridge in Mostar, was initially built from the orders of Suleiman the Magnificient, in 1557, to replace the prior suspension bridge. The construction was finalized nine years later and broke the record for the widest man-made arch in the world, at that time. However, during the Croat–Bosniak War it was used as a military supply line and suffered heavy shelling that caused it to collapse into the water below in 1993. UNESCO and the international community stepped in immediately with plans to rebuild it, and after intense research and technical monitoring, it was rebuilt between 2001 and 2004 with pieces of the old bridge being incorporated into the structure. It is protected by two towers: Helebija and Tara Towers, which are called “mostari” (the [modern] bridge keepers). Since this bridge is the most visited attraction in town, around it you can find many cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, and art galleries. If you are lucky you can see one of the famous divers of Mostar jumping into the cold river below -- an annual tradition here since 1968.

+ The town of Mostar long served as a center for crafts and trade, and its reconstructed coppersmith’s bazaar is a tourist attraction.

+ Stari Most (the Old Bridge) has become an icon for the city of Mostar, and for the entire country. Currently it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stari Most is a symbol of tolerance and a reminder that, despite the Bosnian War, peace between the people of Mostar is possible again. (The bridge was completely destroyed during the war, but the citizens of Mostar managed to move forward, to find the much needed equilibrium to live in harmony, and to rebuild the famous Stari Most.) If you are lucky, you can see one of the famous divers of Mostar jumping into the river below -- an annual tradition here since 1968. (The best place to watch the divers is from the cafe on the north side of the bridge).

+ To learn more about this bridge be sure to visit the Old Bridge Museum situated on the eastern side of Stari Most.