Discover the age-old continent through these Europe travel stories, its curious, unsung places as well as its more familiar spots.
You may notice a few countries that may not traditionally be considered European. Europe’s borders are never easy to define. So I’ve decided to go by the old definition I learned in school: In the east, Europe ends at the Ural Mountains. That means the Caucasian countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – are part of Europe, according to Sophie’s World. This is probably also according to the countries themselves: all three are members of the Council of Europe and cooperate with the European Union with a view to future membership. Also, all three countries participate in the Eurovision Song Contest; can’t argue with that.
Albania
Andorra
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
British Isles
- England
- Gibraltar
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
- Channel Islands
- Isle of Man
- Orkney Islands
Bulgaria
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Holy See (Vatican)
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
Azores Islands (Portugal)
Balearic Islands (Spain)
Canary Islands (Spain)
Faroe Islands (Denmark)
Madeira (Portugal)
Republika Srpska
Svalbard (Norway)
Transdniestr (Moldova)
Latest Europe travel stories
The ARoS experience: art as provocation
If you want to show me a modern art museum, I’ll say it right out: it’s going to take something unique to capture my interest. Make me feel! There's too much bland in that world that doesn't move me. All the better then, when I find something I really like. ARoS Aarhus Art Museum is that. I love how this [...]
Villefranche in photos
You're no doubt familiar with the five iconic small towns known as Cinque Terre but do you know the five equally enchanting villages across the border in France? Each has its own unique features: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is for the artist in you, Beaulieu-sur-Mer is next door to Monaco, and almost as glamorous. Up in the hills a bit, Eze is for history [...]
Where to eat in Denmark’s Aarhus region: 2 great restaurants
You may have noticed I don't often write about food here on Sophie's World. That's for good reason. I'm rather picky - there's lots I don't care for (most meats, for example - and most Norwegian Christmas staples, adored by just about everyone else). Furthermore, I don't really appreciate the subtleties of flavours enough, and don't do food the justice it [...]
The Norwegian who went up a hill and came down a… hill
You will excuse the somewhat flippant title of this post, won't you, Denmark? The slogan 'It's lovely to be Norwegian in Denmark' has been around for nearly 30 years. And there's no doubt about it: it is indeed lovely. But you don't really do mountains, do you? When I was in school, 958 years ago, I learned that Himmelbjerget was [...]
Day Out Split: Hvar Island and Stari Grad
My little quest to see world heritage - places that deserve special protection for future generations - has provided some truly amazing experiences I’d never even have considered otherwise. 10 days ago, I was in central Croatia to explore four of them. However, I seemed to be glued to the beaches! So how to explore AND relax? How to have [...]
Day out Zurich: Surprising St. Gallen
St Gallen was one of the first foreign cities I visited. 15 years old and not a care in the world. Also, more interested in shopping than nature and architecture. Naturally, I missed most of what this Swiss gem has to offer. Now, decades later, it is time for another look. A grown-up look. I'm here for a convent. Not [...]
In transit: Fear and folly in Liechtenstein
Malbun, 28 August 2018 I'm driving from Zürich to Chur today, and as I’m going past anyway, I decide to stop off in Liechtenstein. Just a whim. Have a cup of tea. Maybe open a bank account. It’s like Switzerland, y’know. On steroids. (Although, to be fair, money laundering is more difficult these days. They’re off the bad boy tax [...]
Split awakening
There’s something magical about watching a city wake up. And if that city has an old medieval town, contained within a 1700-year-old royal castle, so much the better. Here in Split, in the middle of Diocletian’s Palace, it’s as if I’m watching 2018 waking up in ancient Rome. But who was this Diocletian, you may wonder. Or I do, at [...]
Park Musakowski: biking across borders
See the bridge here? It is one of several bridges in Park Musakowski/Muskauer Park, crossing the River Neisse. Perhaps that name sounds familiar? You may remember the Oder/Neisse line from history lessons in school: at the Potsdam Conference after World War II, on Stalin's insistence, the rivers Oder and Neisse were set as the border between Poland and East Germany. [...]
Kinderdijk, the cat and the cradle
Holland; what image comes to mind? Tulips? Indeed. Wooden clogs? That, too. The sublime paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn? Most definitely. Windmills? Oh yes! And probably the Kinderdijk windmills, specifically. Can’t get a more classical Dutch image than this. And I’ll tell you a bit about this most Dutch of ingenuities, but first, a little story: Have you played the [...]
Alluring Lucerne: 4 hours is but a glimpse
You know how you’ll find articles telling you how to spend 24 hours – or 48 hours or 72 hours – in a given city? Well, this isn’t one of those. This is more of a marathon: 4 hours in Lucerne, a brief glimpse, at best. But 4 hours is better than 0 hours. Way better. What I found, was [...]
World at a Glance: Flemish béguinages, a 13th century women’s movement
A béguinage, what is that? Well, let's begin with a béguine (come on, that was funny...) A béguine is, or rather was, a woman who dedicated her life to her god - but didn't necessarily want to take a vow, or withdraw from the world. Who were these women? According to one theory, wars and crusades left a surplus of [...]
