France is a wonderful, romantic country, abound with art and architecture. Officially known as the French Republic, France is an incredible tourist destination in Western Europe, stretching from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea.

Each area of France is unique and has its own specialties. For instance, the capital city – Paris, alternatively known as the City of Light, boasts of world class attractions, all of which offer such an experience that lasts for a lifetime. The impressive Eiffel Tower, majestic Notre Dame, historic Musee D’Orsay, unequalled Chateau de Versailles, and Montmarte with an amazing blend of culture and ambience, are just few among them. A peerless host of beautiful buildings, gardens, parks, squares, cafes, and open markets can also be seen here.

For tourists who want to explore the rich history of France, one of the best destinations would be Marseille, which has to its credit some of the charming streets in the country, apart from old ports and attractions like fortresses built by Louis the XIV. Another great historic city is Normandy – a picturesque town with awesome attractions such as D-Day beaches. Places of historic significances also include Rouen – an ancient town where Joan of Arch was cremated. Further, Rouen is home to some of the fantastic buildings of medieval style.

A visit to France is incomplete without an excursion to the unspoilt oasis at the edge of the Mediterranean – French Rivera, also called Côte d’Azur, which is a fabulous assortment of upscale beachfront resorts such as Saint Tropez, Nice, Monte Carlo, and Cannes, hosting the much famed international film festival. Provence is another great destination for those looking to enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle.

The Loire Valley is also a great destination for those who want to explore the beautiful castles, ranging from the periods Middle Ages to the Renaissance. For connoisseur of tastes, a great destination is the lively city of Lyon, acknowledged as the gastronomic capital of France.

For vibrant as well as exciting nightlife, cities including Toulouse are great options. Likewise, cities including Bordeaux arrive with a diverse mix of beaches, forests, and dunes. Also, worth mentioning are superb destinations of Bayonne and Biarritz, located in Basque County.

Found in the Languedoc region is Pont du Gard, an aqueduct built by the Romans during the 19th century BC.

Also, a must-see attraction in France is the Alps – the largest mountain range in Europe, spreading over France, Switzerland, and Italy. This enchanting destination is filled with craggy peaks as well as snow-covered mountains, each of them rendering opportunities for a range of activities such as skiing and snowboarding. Further, the Alps are home to more than 200 resorts, among which most popular are Val d’Isere, Grenoble, Megeve, and Chamonix boasting of the highest cable car in the world. Marvelous mountain ranges in France also include the Pyrenees, offering spectacular views.

Apart from these, France renders opportunities for a host of activities such as shopping, dining, and sightseeing.

Denmark is a tiny country that has some castles that can only best be described as being magical and this country of mermaids and Vikings as well as delightful pastries and lovely beaches can enchant any tourist, which is why people come here year after year in search of the many pleasures that this Scandinavian country has to offer. You will find something here that caters to every taste is it the Tivoli Gardens or the popular beaches that can be found in Legoland and no matter what your age is, there is plenty for you to enjoy in Denmark.

This Kingdom is the tiniest of the five Nordic countries that include Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland as well as Finland not taking into account its offshore territories that include Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. It has regions such Jutland that is situated north of the German border and also its three islands named Zealand, Funen and Bornholm that are situated in the Baltic Sea.

Your first stop to this wonderful country would without a doubt is Copenhagen, its thriving and cosmopolitan capital that is situated in the island called Zealand. It is a city that boasts the wildest side of life and it is also a central part of many international traffic and businesses while also being home to approximately 1.7 million people of which almost a tenth are foreigners. You can enjoy many pleasures here in Copenhagen including swimming the clean waters of Copenhagen Harbor, and lazing on the beaches that are open to one and all, besides which you can go wind-surfing, kayaking and also enjoy grilling and bonfires.

The Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen is a popular theme park and here you can take pleasure in the rides, and other activities including pop and rock concerts. Outside, the Danish country has very appealing rolling flatlands and there are also plenty of wondrous castles and forests that include the world famous castle known as Kronborg, better known as Hamlet’s Castle that is situated in Ellsinore and here you can see the Shakespearean play being enacted every summer.

There are also many peaceful and beautiful areas in South Zealand including Lolland, Falster and also Mon that is home to many splendid castles and manor houses and you will surely find the Alholm castle especially appealing that is situated in the island of Lolland and which serves as the largest car museum in Denmark. Another important attraction is the Knuthenborg that is the largest wildlife park in Europe and well worth a visit. These islands also have wondrous opportunities to enjoy the many beaches that dot all the islands and West Zealand in particular offers beautiful scenic wonders including fjords, harbors and also islets and beaches for bathing.

Also, another attraction that you should not pass up is the delicious and world famous Danish pastries that are a specialty of Denmark and includes open face sandwiches as well as Danish meat balls and much more.

Belgium is a wonderful country situated on Europe’s mainland though it is often overshadowed by other more powerful neighboring countries including the Netherlands, Germany and France. The name of the country originates from the Celtic tribe name of Belgae, and this wonderful country forms a crossroads for much of Europe with particular relevance to mainland Europe and the United Kingdom. This country has seen it become heavily influenced by such powers as England, France and the Netherlands right through its history and there are still remnants of Romans, Celtics, Germans, French and Spanish influences to be found in modern day Belgium.

Belgium has been ruled by various European empires and it has thus had many famous commercial trading posts spring up in the form of Bruges, Antwerp and of course, its capital city Brussels. Belgium is not only famous for diamond trading, but it also has produced some very spectacular artists of whom Eyck and Rubens are perhaps the best known.

Modern day Belgium can be broken down into three separate states that each has significant amount of autonomy and there are Flemish, Walloon and also a tiny Germanic areas. The Flemish language spoken can be attributed to the Dutch influence, while the Walloon is more closely related to the French influences that have affected the country for many centuries. Each of these states is clearly divided and they all enjoy a great degree of autonomy and one may even consider them as being tiny countries in themselves.

Belgium is a Kingdom whose official name is the Kingdom of Belgium and it is a Western European country having about thirteen thousand square miles of territory with Brussels being its capital and which has just fewer than a million inhabitants with Antwerp, its second largest city with roughly half a million inhabitants.

The inhabitants of Belgium are called Belgians and there are about ten million people that all grow at a miserly level each year, which is believed to be about half a percent each year. As you enter the different states in Belgium, the main language changes with French being spoken in the Wallonia, Dutch in the Flanders and Germans are being most spoken in the Brussels area. The majority of Belgians are Roman Catholics though there are also Protestants, Jews, Muslims and also Anglican communities. The country is almost totally literate with as many as ninety-five percent literacy rate.

The country is really a mishmash of many influences and it enjoys a good reputation as being a progressive and friendly country with Brussels forming a major financial capital of Europe. The terrain in the country is generally flat though it can become hilly as well as forested as one enters the southeast of the country near Ardennes, and the climate in Belgium is generally cool and temperate with a lot of rains and summer temperatures hover in the seventies while in the winter it stays around the forty-five degree Fahrenheit. All in all, Belgium has a well developed market economy and boasts of having among the highest per capita GDP in the world.

One of the most beautiful countries in the world, Austria is certainly a very special place whose scenic beauty was best highlighted in the movie ‘Sound of Music’. There are many wonderful cities as well including Vienna, Salzburg and the towns in the alpine parts of the country like Hallstatt that are worth visiting. However, when visiting this lovely country make sure that you have enough money to spend as it is a very expensive place, which is why some people abstain from making it their holiday destination.

Nevertheless, Austrian cities, especially Vienna have a lot of history behind them and of course, as everyone knows, the country is the home of the waltz and its musical past is perhaps without a peer anywhere else in the world. You would also be impressed by the Habsburg Palaces or the Schoenbrunn Palace Gardens and walking the cobblestone streets of Vienna will be a special experience, and you can almost feel and hear many a music composer hard at his or her work. You will notice that many walking areas too have small orchestras playing their music in the evenings.

For all the impressive attractions that a city such as Vienna has for the tourist, the only drawback is the high cost of visiting Austria as it does pinch the pocket to come and visit this outstanding city. You may also like to pay a visit to the home of Mozart, which is Salzburg that is much like Vienna though it does allow you some quietude as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the capital. Here, you can enjoy a glass of beer and enjoy the operas and even take pleasure in walking the unique rose gardens.

If you are the skiing type, then you must head down to the little Alpine town of Halsatt that is about an hour’s drive from Salzburg and is best reached using the train services. What’s so unique about Halsatt you may ask? Well, for starters, the scenery is uniquely splendid and it also is an Alpine town that does not have any cars. When you come to Halsatt, you will feel like you have stepped into a time machine and been transported into the past. For a change, the prices are reasonable and you will be met by the friendly peoples of Halsatt and everywhere you will feel an atmosphere most conducive to romancing. There are swans swimming in the lakes and for the incorrigible romantic, Halstatt is certainly the place to be.

No doubt, Austria is expensive; but, it is so beautiful and appealing that you should make the effort and save enough to at least visit it once in your lifetime as you will surely find great pleasure and feel that your money has been well spent given the many attractions that are on offer.

The Swiss call their country the Swiss Confederation but in normal usage it is known as Switzerland and a visit to this mountainous country that is uniquely placed at the crossroads of many of the routes of Europe will be a very special experience indeed. No doubt, at present Switzerland does not quite enjoy the importance that it once had; however, its location in purely geographical terms makes it special and it is a country with more than one language that is quite unique in itself.

When in Switzerland, be prepared to hear German and Italian as well as Romansch and French that is especially spoken in the west of the country, while most people can speak English as well. With all these many languages being spoken in the country you can be forgiven for wondering whether the country has a national language or not.

A visit to Switzerland should impress most visitors that will find it to be very modern and it also has one of the highest standards of living in the world while also enjoying almost hundred percent literacy. In fact, almost a fourth of all adults hold a diploma which reflects its higher education standards and you will also find that it is a very religiously free country. It also is at the top of the heap when it comes to computer and Internet usage and it also enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. The Swiss need not have to worry about their health as not only is the extremely health climates but the health services are outstanding and almost all Swiss peoples are insured.

The first race that inhabited the country was the Helvetic Celts who later were ruled by the Romans and it was during this period that cities such as Geneva, Basel and also Zurich became the major commercial hubs of the Roman Empire. With the fall of the Roman Empire, there were many other conquerors till it passed into the control of the popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Later, there followed a period that saw three dominant families in Switzerland declare their intention to pursue joint peace, defense as well as autonomous rule. At present, the Switzerland of today is renowned for its neutrality that came about after the defeat of the Swiss by French and Venetians and which led to a renouncement of expansionism.

Present day Switzerland has about 7.3 million inhabitants with the rate of population growth being less than one percent annually. The predominant religious groups comprise the Roman Catholics (42%), Protestant (33%) and Muslims (4.3%) with another 5.4% having other religions, and the remaining eleven percent having no declared religion. The average Swiss male can expect to live up to seventy-six years while women may live till they reach eighty-two years. The country that follows a policy of neutrality was untouched by the two World Wars and with a number of high mountain peaks and wonderful cities; Switzerland is indeed a tourist delight.

Slovakia is really an ideal place to visit because this is where you can experience your very own place in the sun. This country that was formerly a part of Czechoslovakia and is now a full fledged republic of its own is a welcome change and it seems to have forgotten its Communist past, which had influenced it from the close of the Second World War right until the year 1991. It would be hard to find any vestige of the old communist days in present day Slovakia and there is also very little mention of those times in modern Slovakia.

There are eight self-governing regions in Slovakia and each has its own capital that include Bratislava, Trnava, Trencin, Nitra, Zilina as well as Banska, Bystrica and Kosice as well as Presov. If you want to come to Slovakia on a cheap flight you will most probably land at the airports of Bratislava or Kosice on budget airlines such as Sky Europe. Slovakia lies west of Austria, and has Hungary to its south while to the north are the Czech Republic as well as Poland and finally Ukraine lies on its eastern side.

Though the language in Slovakia is predominantly Slovakian, there is also English that is taught as a second language and many people even understand Russia, thanks to its past history. Bratislava is the place where most of Slovakia’s economic life centers and there are also the western parts that contribute significantly to the economy of this newly formed republic.

The country has seen a rapid increase in tourist arrivals and as recently as towards the end of the 1990s it was getting more than half a million visitors annually thanks to the number of towns of historic relevance as well as the many mountainous ski resorts that attract hordes of tourists. One of the striking features to visiting Slovakia and places such as Bratislava is that there aren’t any McDonald style commercial attractions that you must be used to when you visit Western Europe.

People in Slovakia pride themselves on their culture that is both quaint as well as jovial and you will mercifully also be spared the usual congestion that most tourist destinations are famous for. You would enjoy a visit to the High Tatras that are a truly splendid range of mountains which are interspersed with small villages having a tradition of their own which is mainly peasant oriented.

You will also appreciate the extremely helpful nature of the Slovaks who are also very pleasant and will readily go out of their way to welcome tourists. There is much to see and do in Slovakia not least of which are the folk festivals as well as taking tours to see castles. Other attractions include snow boarding as well as hiking, which is especially appealing given that the countryside is so spectacular.

Germany is a West central European country that has the North Sea along with Denmark as also the Baltic Sea to its north and is bordered by Poland and Czechoslovakia to its east while to its south lie the countries of Austria and Switzerland, and France, Luxembourg as well as Belgium and Netherlands lie to its west. The capital of the country is located at Berlin, and its political system is one of a parliamentary federation that includes sixteen separate states.

Germany, the same country that had to subdued by the Allied powers during the Second World War, seems to have shrugged off its defeat of that time and is now one of the modern as well as great powers of the world and is also a member of NATO, the United Nations as well as G8 and G4 nations and it is the fourth largest spender in defense matters in the world. It is also the third largest economy of the world and has the distinction of being the largest exporter in the world, while also ranking second amongst importing nations of the world.

The main religion of Germany is shared between Protestants that live in the north and east and Roman Catholics that are found in the south and west of the country with each comprising about thirty percent of the population. The people are well educated and the main language is German, and this country is rich in its cultural history and is often called the ‘Land of poets and thinkers’ and German culture has spanned many centuries being shaped by some key intellectual as well as popular events that have taken place in Europe. Among the more renowned German poets and authors the names of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as well as Friedrich Schiller stand out. And, one should also not forget the folk tales collection of the Grimm Brothers.

As would be expected of a rich and developed country of the world you will be sure to find that it has big cities that are quite elegant and that is in sharp contrast to its many postcard sized small towns. You will also enjoy the many pagan-style festivals held in Germany including the world famous Oktoberfest and the art and culture of this mighty land are also quite well developed.

There are a number of forests as well as enthralling castles to visit and of course you will find plenty of fine wine and beer throughout the country. Another popular tourist attraction is the Berlin Botanic Gardens, which is home to over 18,000 different kinds of plant species.

You can visit Germany at any time of the year though the months between May and September are especially good because of the sunny skies that make the outdoor adventure seeker being drawn here in great numbers. There are many beer gardens and the cafes are always almost busy and there is also plenty of outdoor activity such as hiking, cycling as well as swimming to enjoy.

The wonderful island of Malta that is located in the Mediterranean Sea allows you to bask in its sunshine almost all through the year with as many as three hundred days of sun to provide you with much relaxation as well as fun. It is also a wonderful destination for those who are seeking a country with low taxes and which also has properties available at attractive prices.

Malta is an ideal offshore land that is popular among those who want to have lower business as well as personal tax burden, and it also makes an ideal place where to retire. The real estate business in Malta is a thriving one that has active as well as well-priced properties available for anyone interested. This is a good reason why many real estate investors are making good profits from their property deals in Malta.

Malta is a tax haven and if you can achieve residency in the country you would end up paying just fifteen percent income taxes on all remittances made to this island nation. If you purchase property in Malta you are eligible for residency and thus have the opportunity to considerably reduce your tax burden. The emigration laws are more or less the same as those of EU countries, as it is also a part of the European Union and so, anybody that is an EU national would not require a visa or passport as an ID card would be sufficient to enter the country.

So, if you are interested in these advantages you would do well to learn more about Malta which is a tiny though densely populated island nation that has an archipelago of seven islands, and which is a Southern European country that is situated south of Sicily as well as to the east of Tunisia and just north of the country of Libya. Most people speak both Maltese as well as English and the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism.

As would be expected from a Mediterranean country, the climate is also Mediterranean with many mild though rainy winters that see a lot of dry heat in the summer. The country had a very small number of industries till the year 1800 and what industry there was consisted of cotton, tobacco as well as shipyards. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Malta’s economy got a major boost especially through shipping.

There are supposed to be just a little over four hundred thousand inhabitants on the island including those foreigners that have resided on the island for a minimum of one year and there are almost equal number of males and females. The Maltese language which is native to the island has been derived from Arabic as well as having borrowed from Italian; more particularly from Sicilian.

If you are in the Center of Europe you most likely would want to visit the lovely land of Poland that lies there and in between Germany and Ukraine. Close at hand and to the south of its borders lays Czechoslovakia, while Russia and the Baltic Sea lie to its north. It joined the European Union in the year 2004 and most of the businesses in Poland are now under the Central Authority of the EU. The currency is also the Euro which has replaced its old currency and the country has also seen a number of reforms taking place regarding its trade as well as commerce.

The history of Poland is both interesting as well as turbulent and the native term for Poland is Polska, which country actually came into existence about a thousand years ago with the formation of Poland by its Piast dynasty. The Poland of that time went through a golden period thanks in no small measure to the Jagiellonian dynasty around about the end of the sixteenth century. At that time, Poland enjoyed its best period and was considered the richest as well as most powerful regions of Europe.

The Second World War saw the decimation of Poland that left it as a penniless country that, until 1989, adopted the communist way of life that saw communist parties from Russia ruling Poland. Today, a democratic country, Poland is far better than what it was after the Germans left it at the end of the Second World War. At present, it enjoys free trade as well as a thriving economy that is flourishing in the European Union and Poland today is certainly a much reformed country as compared to its communist past. It is now a new country strongly marching ahead in economic as well as political terms.

Warsaw is the capital and it is also the biggest city as far as population is concerned having more than 1.7 million inhabitants. Other cities of significance in Poland include Lodz, Krakow as well as Gdansk. You will find the terrain in this country as being mainly flat though there are also some mountainous regions near its southern borders. The majority of the inhabitants of Poland are native Poles, which are quite different to the other European countries that have multi cultured societies, and only two percent of the Polish population is non-Poles of which there are many Germans, Ukrainians, Byelorussians as well as Lithuanians.

Though it lies in the center of Europe, it does not get quite the same type of tourist arrivals as its neighbors Czechoslovakia and Hungary, though it is still an attractive tourist destination especially if you want to get away from the fast-food joints that are so predominant in the west. This quaint country certainly will appeal to those who want something that is not the usual western oriented tourist fare.

At the southernmost part of the continent of Africa lies the lovely country of South Africa that borders other countries including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana as well as Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland. South Africa is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and has a history of having many different peoples settling here over the years, with many Europeans coming to this part of the world because of its strategic value – being central to the Cape Sea Route.

South Africa has seen many Europeans migrate here, especially after the formation by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 of a station that has come to be known to us as Cape Town. South Africa has many other ethnic peoples that include whites, Indians as well as the racially mixed African communities. However, the majority (about ninety percent) of the population is made up of black South Africans that speak nine separate officially recognized languages.

The climate of South Africa is temperate in the main which can be attributed to it being surrounded by the Atlantic as well as Indian Oceans and because it is located in the mild southern hemisphere. Inland, you will find deserts in southern Namib as well as subtropical climates in the east and you can best describe the country as being semi-arid though the climate as well as topography varies considerably throughout the entire country.

South Africa is also reasonably affluent and is classified as a middle-income country that is blessed with abundant resources, a well formed financial, legal as well as communications system that also has plenty of energy and good transportation. Despite all these factors, the country still has large gaps in income and is a dual economy that means it is designated as being a developing country, with the dubious distinction of being a country with one of the highest income inequalities in the world.

If you are planning to visit South Africa, you should be prepared for plenty of entertainment with plenty of sun, sea as well as sardines as epitomized in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal that is the ultimate beach in South Africa and a must-visit destination of this wonderful country. Here you will find sun all round the year and there is exciting surfing and diving opportunities as well as a sardine spectacle that keeps visitors flocking here year after year.

No visit to South Africa would be complete without a visit to see its world famous wildlife of which five are especially appealing – leopard, lion, elephant, rhino as well as elephants. If you are seeking entertainment in South Africa you won’t be disappointed as you can come to the famous Golden Mile in Durban that has a luster all of its own and you would certainly enjoy the Sunset Coast Casino as well as uShaka Marine World.

You will also find the untouched coastline of the West Coast to be especially appealing and it is one of the few places on our planet where you see waterfalls tumbling into the sea. There is also world class fly fishing available in South Africa and of course, a visit to Florida Road in Durban would provide you even more fun and a taste of the many influences of Durban itself.