Pompeii, was a town in Italy that was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius back in 79 A.D. The whole town was preserved by the volcanic ash. It was excavated years later and now visitors can view the remains and get an unparalled look at what life was like 2,000 years ago. Many of the artifacts have been removed to Naples where they can be seen at the
National Archaeological Museum
European Vacation Spots Idea #2:
Visit the
La Sagrada Familia, a bizarre and beautiful Gothic cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. It's been under construction for over 100 years, originally designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. The architecture is truly unique. Tour the massive stone temple, the museum and exhibits to get full sense of the history and wild beauty of this vacation spot.
European Vacation Spots Idea #3:
If you don't mind the cold, you can take a visit to
Tromso, Norway, located 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It's a great place to see those famous and beautiful
Northern Lights or
Aurora Borealis. Go between November 21 and January 21. That's what the locals call
Polar Nights because the sun never rises. This is one of the few towns on earth where the Northern Lights are visible. Local tour guides will take you out into the countryside where the night skies allow the best viewing. The winters are surprisingly mild so you really can get out and enjoy the outdoors.
European Vacation Spots Idea #4:
Suceava, Romania is the starting point for a tour of the
Painted Monasteries. Around the mid-fifteen hundreds a handful of artists went from town to town creating incredible dramatic narrative murals by painting the local churches inside and out. A few have survived to modern day and are typically within 30 miles of each other. Basing your tour from Suceava, you can visit many of these church frescoes in 1-3 days depending the time you want to spend admiring these ancient treasures.
European Vacation Spots Idea #5:
Take a guided tour of
The Ruins of Ancient Troy in Hisark, Turkey. Archeologists have uncovered multiple layers of buildings dating back as far as 3500 B.C. Troy was burned around 1200 B.C. and rebuilt 400 years later. It is believed that the seventh layer is the actual remains of the city of Troy. Guided tours base out of Canakkale and Instanbul. This is the best way to see all the reconstructions which include the acropolis of Pergamum, a temple of Athens, a Roman theater , Senate building and even a model of the famous Trojan Horse that you can climb into.
European Vacation Ideas #6:
The Tuscan plain is home to, among many other vacation ideas, the walled town on
San Gimignano. It's 13 noble towers give the plain an unusual medieval "skyscraper" skyline. The
Piazza della Cisterna and the
Piazza del Duomo, 12th century medieval towers and palaces are at the heart of San Gimignano. You can still climb the palazzo's
Torre Grossa tower for an overhead view. Horrible remnants of the Inquisition remain on display in the
Museo della Tortura the Torture Museum.
European Vacation Spots Idea #7:
Take a
World War II Memorial Tour of Europe by the European tour experts
Image Tours. This is a 15-day vacation trip through Holland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg & France. The tour focuses on famous battle sites, war museums, and memorials while also giving you the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the European countryside. It's a great way to sitesee while learning and reflecting on the dramatic events of World War II.
European Vacation Spots Idea #8:
Discovering Serbia can take you on a unique all-inclusive cave exploring package in the most undiscovered destination in Europe - Serbia. Experienced local guides will take exploring through the Usac cave on Pester weald. It's an adventure that takes you under a mountain, through narrow passages, water filled pools, and limestone chambers to an exit overlooking a beautiful lake. It is here that you will discover a colony of large white-headed Griffon Vulture. These gorgeous and very rare birds used to populate all of Europe but now can only be found in Serbia.
European Vacation Spots Idea #9:
Santa's Village is a quaint little theme park just above the Arctic Circle in Finland. Here you will find
Santa's Office where all the secrets of Santa are revealed and everyone can meet with Santa himself every day of the year. This is also where the elves put the official Santa postmark on all letters. The Christmas House is an exhibition that showcases the traditional Finnish origins of Christmas, the Christmas Tree and how it is celebrated in Finland. Nearby is
Napapiri Reindeer Park where Santa's reindeer are kept during the year. Also nearby is
Santa Park where the kids can have some fun helping the elves make toys and bake goodies as well as have a turn sitting on Santa's lap.
