Art and Culture Trips in Europe

This itinerary shows Germany's cities, and precisely what they have to offer. You'll tipple to your hearts content in the beer gardens of Munich, see the magnificent architecture of Dresden—much of it restored since the fall of communism—before finishing up in Berlin, the design center of Germany and home to many of its modern architectural masterworks.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

This itinerary—ideal for train travel—hits three of central Europe's artiest capitals. You'll see the modern treasures of Berlin, the Baroque beauty of Dresden (Saxony's capital), and the time-honored splendor of Prague.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Great Train Ride
• Architecture
• History
• Art and Culture

To satisfy your deepest craving for Old World atmosphere, this itinerary explores the picturesque and beautiful provinces that straddle the border between Germany and France. From the Bavarian capital of Munich, we head west through Heidelberg and Baden-Baden's old-fashioned German castles and spa. Then to Strasbourg, an irresistible mix of medieval houses and modern Parliament buildings. Finish by tippling your way down the Alsatian Wine Road.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• History

The Italian Renaissance, a golden age of art and culture, celebrated beauty, innovation, and mathematical proportion. You can read it in Dante, see it in Michelangelo, and be engulfed by it when you walk into a Renaissance church. This tour highlights key Renaissance sites and masterpieces in eight different locales, including the major cities of Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome, as well some more remote, less frenetic destinations.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Shopping
• Nightlife

It would take a lifetime to explore all that France has to offer, but this itinerary highlights some of the key regions. Kick off your trip in Paris, to take in the architecture, art, and food. Then wend your way south to Dijon and visit the vineyards of Burgundy before stopping in Provence to see the landscape that inspired Van Gogh. Finish your trip sunning yourself along the French Riviera, exploring the big cities and remote villages. Finally, make your way back to Paris before flying home.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• History
• Beaches

Scandinavia's big cities may draw the tourists, but the locals head out of town to explore the region's countryside nearly every weekend. This itinerary splits the difference, taking you to cosmopolitan Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens and island-hopping through Stockholm with a taste of Danish castles and the northern European beaches of Zealand and Gotland.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Art and Culture

Rugged, misty, and eerie: this trip takes in some of the most beautiful landscapes in Ireland's west and north. Kick off your trip in Dublin before heading west to Galway, then pay your respects to Yeats in Sligo. In Northern Ireland you'll combine hip city experiences with some of the most otherworldly natural landscapes; and who knows, you might even spot one of the "little people."

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Food and Wine
• Architecture
• Art and Culture
• Natural Beauty

For an up-close look at the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous—antique style, nothing beats a visit to Ireland's stately homes and castles. Architecturally, they run the gamut from Gothic to Georgian. On this trip you'll see the largest private home in Ireland, as well as shockingly grand castles and country estates.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Art and Culture
• Architecture
• Food and Wine

Starting in Barcelona and gently curving east, this itinerary showcases the highlights of northern Spain, along with Madrid. You'll explore fishing villages in San Sebastián and rocky beaches along the Basque Coast before hitting the museums of Bilbao. The trip winds down in Madrid, where you can tour the Prado and dance the night away.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Museums
• Architecture
• Art and Culture

This tried-and-true river cruise itinerary takes you through a long cross-section of Europe. Touching the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland, it allows you to experience the Rhine's best, from the leafy canals of Amsterdam to the contemporary art mecca of Basel.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• History
• Great River Cruise
• Architecture
• Art and Culture

This week-long river cruise will take you through Paris, the Ile de France, and Normandy. Along the way you'll see such historic places as Monet's home of 40 years, Joan of Arc's final resting place, and the World War II landing beaches at Normandy. Each stop is along the Seine, so it's perfect as a river cruise—or of course the trip can be driven instead.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Art and Culture
• Great River Cruise

Kick off your trip in Madrid, where you can soak up the art at the Prado and get into the Spanish way of life. Then follow in the footsteps of El Greco to Toledo, before heading to Córdoba to explore its unique architecture. Catch a flamenco show in Seville before ending your trip with arguably Spain's greatest monument —the Alhambra palace in Grenada.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Architecture
• Art and Culture
• Food and Wine
• History

These are the pillars of Central Europe. Prague is the centerpiece, beautifully preserved, walkable, and full of mysterious cobblestone side streets. Vienna is the stately big brother, officious, Hapsburgian, and old-school, from the desserts to the Opera. Budapest is still the scruffy upstart, 20 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the vibrant nightlife and traditional bathhouses make it the most foreign and inscrutable of the three.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Art and Culture
• Great Train Ride

Beginning in London, this trip highlights some of the quintessential attractions and cities in both England and Ireland. You'll see treasures ancient and new, from the Tower of London and the Roman spas at Bath to the Book of Kells and one of Ireland's liveliest cities.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

Cypress trees, vineyards, and rolling hills characterize this gorgeous region of central Italy. Wine and olive oil have been produced here for centuries, and they help make meals something special. On this road trip, you'll see lots of important art in Pisa and Florence, then wind your way through the scenic countryside of Chianti, ending up in Siena.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

If you want to live the jet set life,or just see how the jet set live, this itinerary hits all the right spots along the French and Italian Rivieras. Starting in Italy, you can hike your way through some of the most spectacular cliff-top villages while taking in catch-me-while-I-swoon sea views (and occasional dips in the sea). You'll visit historic cities along the Mediterranean coast as well as smaller villages with nary a boutique in sight.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

Venice truly is a city unlike any other. You can't begin to get a real sense of its unique beauty and complexity in a day or two—which is why this itinerary devotes four days to it. When you move away from the city, you'll continue to feel its influence in the "Venetian Arc," the swathe of northeastern Italy that was once under Venice's rule.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Architecture
• Art and Culture
• Food and Wine
• Natural Beauty