discover experience the best of europe - lonely...

DiscoverEuropeDiscover

EuropeExperience the best of Europe

Britain & Ireland

#p51

France#p175

Spain#p293 Italy

#p383

#p485TheNetherlands &Belgium

Germany

#p553

Greece#p731

Austria,Switzerland& the CzechRepublic#p627

Experience the best of EuropeNow it’s even easier to plan the perfect trip

Must-see sights and all the best experiences

HIGHLIGHTSGreat trip ideas to make your planning easy

ITINERARIESGet advice from people who know the place

LOCAL EXPERTS

See world-class art at the Louvre

Eat tapas in Barcelona

Tour the churches of Florence

Quaff beer in Munich

Roam Swiss peaks and meadows

Discover this and more inside…

3RD EDITION

Choose Lonely Planet because…Our job is to make amazing travel experiences happen. We visit the places we write about each and every edition. We never take freebies for positive coverage, so you can always rely on us to tell it like it is.

Published Dec 2013First Published Mar 2010

USA $29.99UK £17.99

I SBN 978 -1 -74220 -563 -2

9 781742 205632

99925

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Discover

This edition written and researched by

Oliver Berry,Alexis Averbuck, Mark Baker, Kerry Christiani, Mark Elliott,

Duncan Garwood, Anthony Ham, Virginia Maxwell, Craig McLachlan, Andrea Schulte-Peevers, Ryan Ver Berkmoes,

Nicola Williams, Neil Wilson

Experience the best of Europe

Europe

01-prelims-dc-eur3.indd 1 16/08/2013 10:58:48 AM

Britain & Ireland

#p51

France#p175

Spain#p293

Italy#p383

#p485The Netherlands &Belgium

Germany

#p553

Greece#p731

Austria, Switzerland& the Czech Republic#p627

Britain & IrelandHighlights ................................54

Tower of London

London’s Nightlife

Stonehenge

Bath

Edinburgh Castle

FranceHighlights .............................. 178

Eiff el Tower

Versailles

Chambord

Pont du Gard

Côte d’Azur

SpainHighlights ............................. 296

La Sagrada Família

Museo del Prado

Alhambra

Flamenco

Cuenca

The Netherlands & BelgiumHighlights ............................. 488

The Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam’s Canals

Kinderdijk

Bruges

Brussels

GermanyHighlights .............................. 556

Cold War Berlin

Berlin’s Tiergarten

Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau Castles

Munich’s Beer Gardens

Cologne Cathedral

Austria, Switzerland & the Czech RepublicHighlights ............................. 630

Salzburg

The Matterhorn, Zermatt

Vienna’s Coff ee Houses

Prague Castle

Jungfraujoch


Contents

Greece Highlights ............................ 734

Acropolis

Acropolis Museum

Meteora

Knossos

Santorini

ItalyHighlights ............................386

Colosseum

Florence

Venice’s Canals

Pompeii

Amalfi Coast

Britain & Ireland 51Highlights ..................... 54

Best... ............................ 56

Itineraries ......................58

London .......................... 60Windsor & Eton ........... 96Canterbury ....................97Brighton & Hove .......... 98Bath .............................102 Stonehenge .................104St Ives ..........................109Oxford ........................... 111 Stratford-upon-Avon . 113 Cambridge .................. 116York .............................. 118 Manchester .................123 Liverpool .....................128

Wales ............................ 131Cardiff.......................... 131SnowdoniaNational Park ..............135

Southern Scotland ....135Edinburgh ....................135Stirling .........................146Loch Ness ................... 147Glen Coe ...................... 147

Ireland ..........................150Dublin ...........................151Cork .............................158Cliffs of Moher ............162Galway .........................163

Survival Guide ............164

This is Europe .................6

Europe Map .....................8

Europe’s Top 25 Highlights ......................10

Europe’s Top Itineraries ......................32

Europe Month by Month ............................ 42

What’s New .................. 46

Get Inspired ..................47

Need to Know .............. 48

DiscoverPlan Your Trip


Contents

France 175Highlights .................... 178

Best... ...........................180

Itineraries ....................182

Paris .............................184

Normandy ................... 217

Brittany....................... 225

Champagne .................227

Alsace & Lorraine...... 234

The Loire Valley ..........237

Burgundy & the Rhône Valley ...............241

The French Alps & Jura .......................... 249

The Dordogne ............ 253

The Atlantic Coast .... 255

Languedoc-Roussillon ...................260

Provence ..................... 263

The French Riviera & Monaco ........................272

Survival Guide ........... 286

Spain 293Highlights ................... 296

Best... .......................... 298

Itineraries ...................300

Madrid ......................... 302

Itineraries ................... 492

The Netherlands .......494Amsterdam ................ 494The Randstad ............ 508

Belgium....................... 520Brussels ..................... 520Flanders ..................... 530


Germany 553Highlights ................... 556

Best... .......................... 558

Itineraries ...................560

Berlin ........................... 562

Dresden & Saxony .... 582

Weimar & Thuringia ...587

Bavaria ........................ 589Munich ........................ 589

Bavarian Alps ..............597Romantic Road ..........600Nuremberg ................. 605

Stuttgart & the Black Forest ...............608

The Rhine Valley .......609

Moselle Valley ............. 611

North Rhine-Westphalia .......614Cologne .......................614

Hamburg ...................... 617


Castilla y León ............321

Castilla-La Mancha ... 324

Catalonia .....................327Barcelona ....................327

Basque Country ........ 350

Navarra ....................... 355

Valencia & Murcia ..... 356

Andalucía ................... 359


Italy 383Highlights ................... 386

Best... .......................... 388

Itineraries ...................390

Rome ........................... 392

Northern Italy ............ 422Venice ......................... 429

Tuscany .......................446Florence ..................... 446

Southern Italy ...........468Pompeii ...................... 446Amalfi Coast ...............474


The Netherlands & Belgium 485Highlights ...................488

Best... ..........................490

Discover Europe


Europe Today ............. 784

History ........................ 786

Family Travel ...............793

Visual Arts .................. 795

Architecture ............... 798

Food & Drink ...............801

Sports & Activities ...808

European Landscapes .................812

Directory .....................816Accommodation .........816Business Hours ..........816Customs Regulations .................816Climate ........................ 817Discount Cards ........... 817Electricity .................... 817Gay & Lesbian Travellers .....................818Health ..........................818Insurance ....................818Internet Access ..........819Legal Matters..............819Money ..........................819Safe Travel ................. 820Telephone ...................821Time .............................821Tourist Information ....821Visas ............................821Weights & Measures.................... 822

Transport .................... 822Getting There & Away ........................... 822Getting Around .......... 822

Language .....................827

Behing the Scenes .... 829

Index ............................830

How to use this book ............................ 845

Our writers .................848

Austria, Switzerland & the Czech Republic 627Highlights ...................630

Best… .......................... 632

Itineraries ...................634

Austria ........................ 636Vienna ......................... 636Salzburg ..................... 656

Switzerland .................672Geneva........................ 672

Czech Republic ..........696Prague ........................ 696

Survival Guide ............ 719

Greece 731Highlights ................... 734

Best... .......................... 736

Itineraries ................... 738

Athens ........................ 740

Peloponnese ...............756

Cyclades ......................758Santorini (Thira) ......... 761

Crete .......................... 764

Dodecanese ...............770

Ionian Islands ............774Corfu ...........................774


Survival GuideIn Focus


This is Europe

Europe off ers

more iconic experiences

than practically anywhere

else on the planet

Whether you’re cruising along the French Riviera, punting down the canals of Venice, speeding down the slopes of the Alps or sipping coffee in a Viennese cafe, Europe offers more iconic experiences than practically anywhere else on the planet.

History is undoubtedly one of Europe’s major draws. From Neolithic sites and Grecian ruins to Gothic cathedrals and crumbling castles, taking a trip across Europe can feel like stumbling into the pages of a history textbook. While in many ways one of the world’s most forward-looking regions, Europe’s past inevitably informs its present and its future. Under-standing this continent’s turbulent history is essential if you want to get to grips with what makes it tick. Thank-fully, there’s no shortage of amazing museums to put it all into context, from the palatial Louvre and British Museum to Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, recently reopened after a decade-long renovation.

Europe also understands the finer things in life. And it’s never shy about letting you join in the party. It’s a place where you can indulge your taste buds, stretch your muscles, shop till you drop and dance into the small hours – all in the same day, should you so desire. Best of all, the next country is never more than a quick trip away. In a few hours you could swap the glittering Mediterranean for Berlin’s bars, Rome’s ancient ruins or the Alps’ snow-capped peaks. Few places on earth can offer such a wealth of experiences and adventures. But don’t be in too much of a hurry; the journey is an essential part of what makes exploring Europe such fascinating fun.

Wherever you end up, you’re in for an unforgettable trip. So bon voyage, sichere Fahrt, happy travels. And don’t forget to send us a postcard.

Neuschwanstein Castle (p602), GermanyPHOTOGRAPHER: PROFRAME PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES ©

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