subject: Look Out For Affordable Hotel Deals For European Vacations And Ask About Popular Museums And Festiva [print this page] Festive European Vacations in Barcelona Festive European Vacations in Barcelona
What better way to start your European vacations than with a bang in Barcelona!Visit in September when the Festes de la Merce arrives in town. Through the years, this intimate religious parade has evolved into a weeklong party celebrating Catalan culture. Enjoy entertaining performances and exhibitions, free concerts by local musicians and hip hop artists, dazzling fireworks displays on the shore, and breathtaking air shows on the beachfront. Kids are not left out, as activities targeted to different age groups are also available. A Barcelona fiesta is not complete without a taste of local cooking. A selection of mixed Catalan classics is offered at Cinc Sentits. Try the suckling pig with apple compote, or lamb cutlets with porcini dust, or Catalan float coca bread with foie gras, or slow-braised pork belly on gingerbread. For a truly hefty feast, order all four dishes!Cap your gastronomic adventure in Barcelona with maple quesada, apple sorbet, or a cheese platter paired with a bottle of fine wine.
European Vacations to Lovely Paris
Paris is a great way to start your European vacations. The Eiffel Tower, in its time considered a monstrosity, is now probably the most famous of all its landmarks, but it is by no means the only one. Close to the Eiffel Tower is the Arc de Triomphe at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, built to honor the fallen heroes of France during the Napoleonic Wars. To its east is the Champs-lyses, a haven for those who travel to the city to shop. Museum lovers will no doubt enjoy the city as well. A famous city landmark is the 60,600-square-meter Louvre Palace, home to 35,000 pieces from ancient times to the 19th century. Down at the old railway station of Gare dOrsay is the massive Muse dOrsay and its huge collection of French art -- culptures, paintings, photographic material, and furniture -- covering the period between 1848 and 1915. Numerous impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces by Manet, Monet, Degas, Czanne, Renoir and Van Gogh are on display. If you're in town, live like the French do -- relax at a caf, order a croissant, and watch life pass you by.
European Vacations to Romantic Venice
Nicknamed the "City of Canals", the "City of Water", and the "City of Bridges", Venice is a popular getaway destination for European vacations. Made up of 117 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy, it well deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Begin your journey with a visit to its many interesting museums. A valuable collection of ancient texts and manuscripts are kept at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, the National Library of St. Mark named after the patron saint of Venice. A collection of antique artwork up to the 18th century is on display at the Gallerie dellAccademia. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection displays the work of prominent American modernists and Italian futurists such as Picasso and Dal in the cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism genres. Roam through the picturesque St. Marks Square and Palazzo Ducale, and make a quick visit to the beautiful Doges Palace. Walk along the Rialto Bridge with your loved one; the romantic atmosphere can be the perfect setting for a long-awaited proposal.
Enjoyable European Vacations to Vienna
Vienna has a rich heritage in the arts and culture, making it a great city to visit for enriching European vacations. Visit the Wiener Staatsoper at night, when the Vienna State Opera is as dazzling as its world-class performers who stage 50 to 60 opera shows every year. Marvel at the wealth of the royal family of Habsburgs -- the imperial jewels are on display at the Hofburg Museum. Another demonstration of imperial affluence is the Sisi Museum; devoted to the Empress Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie of Austria, the museum showcases the imperial apartments. Classical antique artifacts and old paintings by the masters are exhibited at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum. There is much to learn about Austrian art and culture at Vienna's museum quarter -- a museum complex refurbished from old imperial stalls in the 1990s. The complex houses, among others, the Leopold Museum, home to one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art and featuring artists such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.
