Europe Castles & Palaces, Food, Gardens & Parks, Mountain, Religious + Watersports Pictures

• The World

Scotland’s capital is filled with attractive landmarks, parks and gardens, and hosts cultural festivals that draw millions of visitors each year.

Make your way along elegant promenades to find medieval churches, thermal spas and stunning gardens in the shadow of the Italian Alps. 

Whether you’re catching a train or not, be sure to visit this “secular cathedral,” an early 20th-century icon that sits on a hill north of Old Town Limoges.

Discover themed gardens, artist pavilions, viewpoints and wildlife stations set around a natural amphitheater in the grounds of a medieval castle. 

Escape the city and head to one of the world’s largest urban parks, which has lakes and meadows, as well as beer gardens and a variety of interesting relics.

Photograph fascinating geological formations, spot varied wildlife and look out at a chain of scenic bays from the top of an emblematic rock. 

See the swans glide by under weeping willows and relax with a picnic in the park while taking in the pristine beauty of the source of the Clitunno River in Umbria.

Be spellbound by the scale and splendor of the Spanish Royal Family’s former official residence.

One of the world’s smallest countries lies within eastern Italy’s countryside. Visit the longstanding city-state for natural beauty, culture and food specialties.

Relax by the pond, walk through landscaped gardens, and admire the elegant statues and buildings in one of Madrid’s biggest and most popular parks.

With an opulence worthy of the former monarchs buried inside, this 15th-century chapel is the go-to spot for royal ceremonies and weddings.

Maze-like hedges, marble sculptures and colorful flower beds adorn this historic royal garden, where the palace’s stables and carriages once lay.

Make your way along elegant promenades to find medieval churches, thermal spas and stunning gardens in the shadow of the Italian Alps. 

Find out why literary masters, such as Goethe and Victor Hugo, heaped praise on this remarkable, pink-hued cathedral.

Be spellbound by the scale and splendor of the Spanish Royal Family’s former official residence.

Relax by the pond, walk through landscaped gardens, and admire the elegant statues and buildings in one of Madrid’s biggest and most popular parks.

Visit the upscale ski resorts, trek across the snow-capped mountains and learn about the mixtures of cultures in this eclectic region.