Amazing Europe

History

The earliest concrete signs of written European culture can be found in Hellenic Greece. Homer (c. 800 BC), Hesiod (753 BC) and Kallinos (728 BC) are three of the oldest poets in Europe. The Romans believed that their city was founded in 753 BC, while modern archaeologists and historians believe that the area of modern day Rome has been inhabited since at least 1000 to 800 BC.

In 2004, a further 10 countries joined the EU. These were: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania joined; Croatia joined in July 2013, while Albania, Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey are all official applicants.

Places To Visit

Paris
Paris is filled with museums (like the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay), monuments (like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe) and churches (like the Sacré-Coeur and Notre Dame). Still, save some time for drawn-out meals and relaxing at sidewalk cafes.

Cinque Terre, Italy
The Cinque Terre, the string of five towns clinging precariously to the most rugged portion of Liguria’s coastline, is back. Ligurian farmers have been reclaiming the wild slopes with neat stone terraces for over 2000 years.

Bern, Switzerland
You can’t blame a traveller for being distracted by the unreal alpine adventure heaven (and frequent Bollywood backdrop) that is the nearby Berner Oberland. But Bern itself is perhaps the most underrated capital city on the continent.

Marseille, France
Just 10 years ago, Marseille was a byword for urban decay and crime around France. Times have changed. But even after a major makeover and investment in revitalizing the port, transport and arts institutions – as well as being named the European Capital of Culture in 2013.