Introduction
Europe is home to many popular landmarks and historic sites, some of which are ancient while others are new. You may be familiar with these famous landmarks, but on a European trip you’ll likely discover many more interesting places to visit. Here’s a list of my recommendations for discovering ancient landmarks in Europe:
Romania: The Bran Castle
Bran Castle is a landmark of Romania, and it’s located in the Bran area. It’s also known as “Dracula’s Castle” because it was featured in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. The castle was built by Teutonic knights in 1330, and then it changed hands several times until it became property of Prince Vlad III Dracula (Vlad Tepes) in 1431.
The Bran area is full of interesting places to visit like: Brasov – The capital city with many churches and museums; Sighisoara – A fortified medieval town; Rasnov Fortress – An old military stronghold built on top of a hill; Peles Castle – Built for Queen Marie by King Carol I between 1873-1914; Lake Snagov Monastery – Founded by monks from Athos during Byzantine era
France: Notre Dame Cathedral
The Notre Dame Cathedral is located in the heart of Paris. It was built between 1163 and 1345, but its history goes back much further than that: according to legend, it was originally commissioned by Charlemagne in 786 AD. The cathedral was destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt under Napoleon III in 1858-1890; today it’s considered one of France’s most important landmarks.
The main attraction inside Notre Dame is its stained glass windows–there are 59 different ones throughout the building that depict scenes from Genesis through Revelations (including one called “The Last Judgment” which depicts Jesus Christ judging all humanity). Outside you’ll find statues depicting various saints including Joan of Arc, Saint Denis (who brought Christianity to France), Saint Genevieve (who saved Paris from Attila), Sainte Anne (mother of Virgin Mary), Sainte Marguerite Bourgeoys (founder of Montreal), Saint Martin de Porres (a Dominican brother who worked with lepers) and Pope John XXIII among others!
Spain: Palace of Alhambra
The Palace of Alhambra is a Moorish palace-fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. It was originally built by Moorish rulers in the 9th century and later rebuilt many times by Christian rulers. The palace is most notable for itsoutstanding architecture that blends both Muslim and Christian styles of design, as well as its rich cultural history.
The Alhambra was originally built as a fortress to protect the city from Christian invaders during Spain’s Reconquista period (711-1492). It wasn’t until later when it became home to some of Spain’s most powerful rulers who transformed it into an extravagant palace filled with beautiful gardens, fountains and courtyards
Greece: Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece. It was a fortified settlement and a sacred place for the ancient Athenians. The word acropolis comes from the Greek words “akros” meaning “peak” and “polis,” meaning “city.”
The Acropolis is considered to be one of the most important monuments in Western civilization and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Italy: Colosseum of Rome
The Colosseum of Rome is an elliptical amphitheater in the center of Rome, Italy. Built by Vespasian and Titus between 70 and 80 AD, it is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. The Colosseum could hold up to 50,000 spectators and was used mainly for gladiator fights and public spectacles such as animal hunts.
The Romans began building their famous amphitheaters in around 80 BC when they established a permanent city near modern-day Rome. They started with wooden structures but later moved onto stone arenas like this one at Pompeii (which was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius). The Colosseum wasn’t finished until about 80 AD under Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasianus Augustus (Vespasian).
UK – Stonehenge (England)
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, 2 miles west of Amesbury and 8 miles north of Salisbury. It consists of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks. The outermost circle comprises 56 stones (with one fallen), each around 13 feet (4 m) high with an average diameter of about 7 feet (2 m). The next inner circle has Sarsen stones that were placed there during three main building phases; these consist of four trilithons each measuring about 30 feet (9 m) across with a height up to 15 ft (4.6 m). In addition there are 10 single upright stones known as bluestones which originally stood in the centre of this inner circle but have now been moved to their present position outside it; these may be natural boulders or quarried blocks from Preseli in south-west Wales where they were discovered by archaeologists between 1808 and 1815.
The site was built between 3100 BC and 1600 BC by successive cultures who left many artifacts behind: flint tools used by hunter gatherers who lived there before farming was introduced from continental Europe; pottery from Neolithic farmers who built causeways across what became flooded marshland; bronze axes etcetera
These are some of the most popular landmarks in Europe, but there’s no telling what you might discover on your own trip.
If you’ve been to these landmarks, or if you’re planning to go on your own trip, we’d love to hear about it! Please leave us a comment below and let us know what your thoughts are.
If there are any other places in Europe that you’d like us to visit and write about, please let us know! We will do our best to get there and share the experience with everyone else who loves exploring new places as much as we do!
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you discover some of the most famous landmarks in Europe, and maybe even inspired you to visit some new ones. We also want to remind you that these are just a few examples–there are so many other places that are worth seeing! So if you’re planning your next vacation and want something different than what everyone else is doing, consider exploring some of these ancient sites. They might just be what makes it special for all of us
