ArcaMax

It’s hard to top Barcelona, Spain’s most cosmopolitan and fun city. But if you want a break from the crowds, several day trips from Barcelona are tempting scene-changers: the mountaintop monastery of Montserrat, the Salvador Dalí museum at Figueres, and the seaside towns of Cadaqués and Sitges.

For almost a thousand years, Benedictine ...Read more

A visit to the Emerald Isle is not complete without including Northern Ireland. The most important single stop is its capital, Belfast, perhaps best known for the sectarian strife that took place here during the era of the “Troubles,” and as the birthplace of the Titanic. While these two claims to fame aren’t uplifting, this ...Read more

A hundred years ago, bigwigs from London to Moscow began flocking south to the French Riviera and the sun-drenched city of Nice. They came to socialize, gamble, and escape the dreary weather at home, and ended up creating Europe’s first tourist boom. Today, this classy resort town is a popular fun-in-the-sun destination that caters to everyone...Read more

I'm standing on a tiny balcony overlooking the Times Square of all of Spain – Madrid's Puerta del Sol. Within a 10-minute walk I can visit one of the greatest palaces in Europe – Madrid’s Royal Palace, the ultimate town square – Plaza Mayor, or my favorite collection of paintings under any single roof in Europe – the Prado Museum.

...Read more

I'll never forget literally “jumping ship” in Mykonos: enjoying a glass of ouzo in a tiny taverna while watching my mighty cruise ship sail away and taking with it the 3,000 tourists that had inundated that charming port just an hour before. It seemed the locals were satisfied that they’d made their money for the day, they’d pushed away ...Read more

London dazzles year-round, so consider visiting in winter, when the city dresses up to the nines and bursts with festivities. Despite the season's drearier weather and shorter days, London's museums, theaters, and pubs always offer a warm, cozy welcome. And come January, tourist crowds are at a minimum, and airfare and hotel rates are generally ...Read more

Vienna is a city with a rich culture and a vivid history that can be impressively rewarding to the well-prepared traveler. As I walked out of my hotel on a Sunday morning, I decided to skip the sights and immerse myself in Vienna’s wealth of cultural offerings – none of which break the bank.

I kicked off my day with Mass at the Hofburg ...Read more

Turkey is changing fast. And it's modernizing fast. For a recent vacation, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (from my backpacker days) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung, and ducks. While that rustic old world is tougher to find, the deep traditions and warm hospitality of the region are as ...Read more

Long ago I gave up looking for an untouristy, half-timbered medieval German town, but a few years back, I stumbled upon it in the sleepy town of Erfurt.

The capital of the German region of Thuringia, Erfurt has history swinging from its eaves. It's most notable as the place where Martin Luther studied and became a monk, and (by translating the ...Read more

I always feel like a king when I get to explore the splendid châteaux near Paris. A highlight of one memorable trip was climbing under centuries-old exposed timbers through the attic of Vaux-le-Vicomte before popping out on the rooftop to a view of the spectacular garden.

There are several sumptuous palaces studding the region around Paris. ...Read more

The ancient city of Pompeii – famously ruined in AD 79 when mighty Mount Vesuvius blew its top – is one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions. Few visitors know that you can easily visit the summit of the towering volcano. And those who do enjoy a commanding view.

You can get to Vesuvius with a train/bus/hike journey. You start by ...Read more

Nearly four hours south of Prague, this fairy-tale town of 13,000 is buried in the hills of the southern Czech Republic, an area much appreciated for its pastoral countryside. With its delightfully cobbled Old Town, rare Baroque theater, and colorful castle, Český Krumlov feels lost in a time warp.

The town has long attracted visitors. Tucked...Read more

Copenhagen is a thriving metropolis and the main attraction in Denmark. But a trip here isn't complete without a swing through the cute Danish countryside. In under two hours, you can time-travel from modern Copenhagen to a 10th-century Viking ship, 17th-century castle, or 19th-century fairy tale.

While today's Denmark is small – roughly ...Read more

I’m in Volterra, my favorite hill town in Tuscany, sitting under rustic, noble stones at the base of a palace that made commoners feel small six centuries ago. Bats burst through the floodlights amid ghostly towers held together with rusted iron corsets. These stones have soul. The countless peasant backs they bent so many centuries ago gave ...Read more

It's sunset, and I'm at the place to be in Granada – the breathtaking San Nicolás viewpoint overlooking the fortress of the Alhambra. Here, at the edge of the city's exotic Moorish quarter, lovers, widows, and tourists jostle for the best view of the hill-capping, floodlit fortress, the last stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain. For ...Read more

Whenever I visit Amsterdam, I take time to visit the lush lowlands of Holland. In a country like the Netherlands – so small and with such a fine transportation infrastructure – day-tripping is easy to do. Within a half-hour of leaving Amsterdam's main train station, you can be deep in the Dutch countryside – awash with tulips, red-brick ...Read more

One of my favorite corners of France is Burgundy, a region overflowing with edible, drinkable, scenic, and floatable delights. Its rolling hills and a handful of sleepy villages have given birth to the superior wines and fine cuisine that are so quintessentially French.

The city of Beaune, snug within its medieval walls, makes a handy base for ...Read more