Beautiful places in Europe

Beautiful places in Europe. Justine Almaden. B E A U T I F U L P L A C E S J U S T I N E A L M A D E N.

Amalfi Coast, Italy There are a few destinations in the world that make it onto every traveler’s bucket list, and the Amalfi Coast is one of them. From legendary Positano to hilltop Ravello , the glamour of Italy’s most famous peninsula—with its pastel- colored towns cascading down to the Mediterranean, olive groves, and endless limoncello —has not waned for centuries..

Provence, France Lavender fields that stretch over the horizon are an iconic image of Provence , but there’s far more beauty here than just its sweet-smelling flowers—including Michelin-starred cuisine, art studios used by names like Matisse and Cézanne, and scenic roads that pass by sugar-white beaches, mountain passes, and the glittering blues of the Mediterranean Sea..

The Faroe Islands They’re calling them the “next Iceland”—a collection of 18 treeless islands somewhere between Iceland and Norway, dominated by nature and far from tourism. Life in the Faroes revolves around the sea, just as the landscape is shaped by it: craggy cliffs carved from the north Atlantic’s strong swells level off into verdant meadows, where colorful cottages and churches disappear and reemerge from the clouds. Book Hotels in the Faroe Islands.

The Storr , Scotland The Isle of Skye, in the far west Scottish Highlands, is home to landscapes so supernatural that it’s become a go-do backdrop for countless fantasy movies. Especially moving are the Storr , a formation of rocky pinnacles that jut out like spikes from a grassy hillside overlooking the island’s rugged coastline. You have to hike to get there, but don’t be deterred by the weather: Scotland’s famous rain and mist make it look that much more magical. Book Hotels in Scotland.

Venice, Italy Look past the crowds and you’ll find that one of the most storied cities in the world hasn’t lost an ounce of romance. Cruising the Adriatic lagoon by gondola, taking tours of its historic palazzi , snapping a photo in Piazza San Marco—it’s all been done before, but few spots in the world are as worth braving the masses to experience as this..

Lake Bled, Slovenia Slovenia can’t compete in size, but its scenery is second to none. Every serious photographer who ends up here makes a beeline for the hills surrounding Lake Bled, where they can take in its fairytale-like central island (home to a single Gothic church built in the 1400s) and surrounding Julian Alps..

Hallstatt , Austria This tiny, Iron-Age hamlet spills down a slope to the shores of Lake Hallstatt and is surrounded by mountains on all sides, where scenic trails take in the area’s glaciers and incredible fall foliage come autumn. Winter is equally beautiful, especially when snow covers the alpine houses and Baroque churches and a Christmas market takes over the main square..

Cliffs of Moher , Ireland Western Ireland’s majestic Cliffs of Moher draw millions of visitors a year thanks to their sweeping vistas of where land meets sea and have become a symbol of their country’s beauty . See if you can spot colonies of puffins, which nest in its most isolated corners, as well as the distant Aran Islands. Book Hotels in Ireland.

Rakotzbrücke , Germany This addition might come as a surprise, but we love its backstory : in 1860, a local knight in Kromlau , now part of Kromlauer Park, commissioned this arched bridge with the hope that the watery reflection beneath it would create the illusion of a perfect circle. Pictures speak for themselves..