Best historical destinations in Europe
Best historical destinations in Europe
Ancient medieval towns and historic battlefields in Europe
Europe is one of the most historically dense regions on earth, where the evidence of successive civilisations, empires, conflicts and cultural movements is layered into the landscape in a way that rewards genuine engagement. The continent's relatively compact geography means that it is often possible to move between sites representing entirely different periods and cultures within the space of a single trip.
The range of historical experience on offer is extraordinary. Ancient Greek and Roman sites, medieval fortifications, Renaissance cities, Reformation landscapes and the physical remains of the twentieth century's defining conflicts all exist within a continent where history is rarely more than a short distance away. Some of the most significant sites are well known. Others carry equal historical weight with a fraction of the visitors.
Context matters enormously in Europe, where the significance of a site is often inseparable from an understanding of the broader historical forces that produced it. Arriving with some background knowledge, choosing a good local guide for the most complex sites and allowing enough time to move beyond the surface of what a place represents tends to produce a substantially richer experience.
Lists by region
City in Germany
Trier
Roman gates, baths and Moselle wine
Roman settlers founded Trier around 16 BC, among Germany's earliest cities. The Porta Nigra, a massive Roman gate, still stands largely intact at the city's edge. Emperors ruled the Western Roman Empire from Trier during the 4th century. Roman baths, an amphitheater and a basilica remain scattered throughout the city.
City in Germany
Dresden
Baroque Elbe city rebuilt from the ruins
Allied bombing raids destroyed much of Dresden's historic center in February 1945. The Frauenkirche lay in ruins for decades before reconstruction finished in 2005. Baroque palaces along the Elbe River were rebuilt using salvaged original stone. Dresden's old master paintings collection survived the war after being moved for safekeeping.
City in Germany
Cologne
Gothic cathedral, Roman ruins and Kölsch
Roman general Agrippa founded Cologne as a colony nearly 2,000 years ago. Cologne Cathedral took more than 600 years to complete, finishing in 1880. Its twin spires briefly made it the tallest structure in the world. The cathedral survived Allied bombing raids that destroyed much of the surrounding city in World War II.
Region in Germany
Black Forest
Dark woods, lakes and hilltop villages
Miners settled the Black Forest region as early as the Middle Ages, drawn by silver deposits. Farmers there began crafting cuckoo clocks as a winter trade around the 1600s. Glassblowing also developed as a regional craft passed through generations of families. Traditional Black Forest houses, with steep thatched roofs, still dot the countryside.
City in Germany
Nuremberg
Imperial castle, gingerbread and Christmas market
Nuremberg served as an unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire during the medieval period. Imperial Castle overlooks the old town from a sandstone outcrop above the walls. Nazi rallies were staged here in the 1930s at purpose-built grounds nearby. International tribunals later held the Nuremberg trials in the city's Palace of Justice.
City in Germany
Aachen
Charlemagne's cathedral and hot springs
Charlemagne made Aachen his imperial capital in the late 700s, ruling the Carolingian Empire from here. Aachen Cathedral holds his remains within an octagonal chapel he commissioned. More than thirty German kings were later crowned inside the cathedral's walls. Mosaics and marble columns brought from Rome and Ravenna still decorate the interior.
City in Germany
Potsdam
Prussian palaces and lakes near Berlin
Frederick the Great built Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam as a summer retreat in the 1740s. Terraced vineyards descend from the palace toward its formal gardens below. Allied leaders met at Potsdam's Cecilienhof Palace in 1945 to negotiate postwar Europe. UNESCO later recognized Potsdam's palaces and parks as a World Heritage site.
City in Germany
Berlin
Wall history, Museum Island and all-night clubs
Brandenburg Gate has stood at the heart of Berlin since its completion in 1791. The Berlin Wall divided the city for 28 years during the Cold War. Sections of the wall remain standing, some covered in murals and graffiti. Checkpoint Charlie once marked the main crossing point between East and West Berlin.
Region in Germany
Saxon Switzerland
Sandstone towers and Elbe valley hikes
Konigstein Fortress has crowned a sandstone plateau in Saxon Switzerland since the 13th century. Sandstone quarried from the region's cliffs built palaces and churches across Saxony. The fortress once held prisoners and royal treasures behind its imposing walls. Narrow paths cut into the rock formations here have guided travelers for centuries.
Town in Germany
Bayreuth
Wagner, baroque theaters and Franconian beer
Bayreuth's Margravial Opera House opened in 1748, its Baroque interior largely unchanged since then. Composer Richard Wagner later built his own festival theater on a hill nearby. The Bayreuth Festival has staged his operas there each summer since 1876. UNESCO added the Margravial Opera House to its World Heritage list in 2012.
City in Germany
Munich
Bavarian capital of beer gardens and museums
The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria from Munich for more than seven centuries. Marienplatz has served as the city's central square since it was founded in 1158. A glockenspiel in the New Town Hall reenacts historical scenes several times daily. Beer halls dating back centuries still operate near the heart of the old city.
Castle in Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle
Ludwig II's unfinished castle above a gorge
King Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned Neuschwanstein Castle as a private retreat in 1869. He died before workers ever finished construction on the towers and halls. The unfinished castle later inspired Walt Disney's fairy-tale castle designs. Public tours began just weeks after Ludwig's death in 1886, drawing crowds ever since.
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