Europe Travel Guides: Countries, Places to Visit & Things to Do

Europe is the continent that convinced the world history should be preserved, then figured out how to charge €35 for admission and another €8 for a bottle of water. Every cobblestone street has survived a plague, a war, or at least an Instagram influencer. Every castle has a ghost. Every church contains enough gold to bankrupt a small nation. And somewhere, buried beneath the postcard-perfect cafés and overpriced souvenirs, are the stories that actually make this continent worth exploring.

At DESTINATIONS UNKNOWN, I skip the sanitized highlight reel and chase the places with scars. Sure, you’ll find legendary cities where centuries of history collide with modern chaos, but you’ll also discover abandoned Cold War relics, forgotten fortresses, UNESCO masterpieces that deserve the hype, volcanoes capable of reminding humanity who’s really in charge, and dark tourism destinations where history stopped being comfortable. Whether it’s hiking across Iceland’s lava fields, standing inside a Roman amphitheater that’s older than most countries, wandering medieval streets after the tour buses disappear, or exploring places where dictators, disasters, and wars left permanent marks on the landscape, Europe has a remarkable talent for making you feel incredibly small.

This collection of guides covers the continent’s greatest cities, spectacular natural landscapes, wildlife encounters, volcanic islands, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the bizarre, overlooked corners that rarely make the glossy brochures. Some destinations will leave you speechless. Others will leave you wondering why thousands of people willingly stood in line for three hours to see that. Either way, Europe is packed with stories worth chasing. You just have to be willing to wander a little farther than everyone else.

Popular Places to Visit in Europe

Norway

Kronborg Castle: Apparently the Good Shit Is Underground

Map of Europe

Destinations to Explore in Europe

Denmark

England

France

Greece

Iceland

Netherlands

Norway

Scotland

Spain

Ukraine

Latest Destinations in Europe

Iceland

Norway

United States

Hunting the Northern Lights: Chasing the Aurora

Some travel experiences aren’t just about the destination; they’re about the moments that make you stop in awe, overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of the world. Chasing the northern lights, nature’s most jaw-dropping light show, is one of those experiences that has failed me spectacularly over the past decade. Multiple trips to Iceland and Alaska …

Norway

Northern Lights Kirkenes: 7 Failures Later, Holy Shit

After three failed attempts in Alaska and four more in Iceland, I was beginning to think the Northern Lights were personally avoiding me. Then I headed offshore from Kirkenes, Norway, into the freezing Arctic darkness for attempt number eight. Apparently, all I had to do was leave the fucking land.

Denmark

Kronborg Castle: Apparently the Good Shit Is Underground

Kronborg Castle is a perfectly respectable Danish castle with towers, cannons, Hamlet and all the usual medieval shit. Then I found the underground casemates, where things immediately went from solidly mid to holy shit, this place is awesome.

Iceland

Gunnuhver: Iceland’s Least Relaxing Hot Spring

Gunnuhver Hot Springs looks exactly like you’d expect Iceland to look if you removed the waterfalls, horses, tour buses and people soaking in suspiciously blue water. The fucking ground is boiling. Steam pours across the landscape. Gray mud violently bubbles beneath wooden walkways. The air smells like somebody boiled ten thousand eggs and then weaponized …

Iceland

Kerid Crater: I Drove Through a Blizzard for This Hole

A February road trip around Iceland’s suspiciously white Golden Circle led me to Kerid Crater, where the snow, ice, and total absence of tourists made a giant volcanic hole considerably more interesting than expected. Thirty minutes, one lap, way too many photos, and somehow nothing broke.