Stockholm, the cultural, political, and economic center of Sweden since the 13th century, is strategically located on fourteen islands at the mouth of Lake Mälaren. Since the city is built on islands and known for its beauty, "Venice of the North" is how it is known to some.

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Barcelona is a layered pastry of cultures millenia old: of rambling Roman walls and steroidal Medieval grandeur. Of promenades below palms and fish-scoffing sessions for all the family, while beach breezes play with the tablecloths. In quiet squares, the days inch by like shadows across sundials, and life among generations plays out without artifice.

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The pageant of Seville unfolds in the shadow of La Giralda, still the loftiest tower in Spain. It's size and the ostentatious play of its arches and arabesques make it the perfect symbol for this city, full of delightful excess and the romance of Southern Spain.

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San Sebastian is the undisputed queen of Basque resorts, with its chic La Concha Bay resort. The deep and sparkling still aqua of the bay and beautiful beach area bounded by lush, rolling hills has drawn celebrities and sun lovers to the mild winters and hot summers for generations.

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Yes, this is the town of the "Running of the Bulls", one of the most famous events in all of Spain. The Great American writer Ernest Hemingway loved Pamplona for this spectacle which is part of the popular festival of Sanfermines.

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The coastal zone of the Costa Brava begins 4kms North of Barcelona and extends to the French border. It is well known for its beaches and resorts, with a scenic and rugged coastline featuring a succession of coves, cliffs, and mountaintop lookouts.

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As Henry James' brother William found, the eternal city is "a feast for the eyes, from the moment you leave your hotel door, to the moment you return".

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Paris has long been considered the paragon of style. It is arguably the most glamorous city in Europe. With world renowned museums and monuments, world-class shopping and food that is hard to beat, Paris is a must.

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Aix-en-Provence, often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains, is in southern France, some 30 km north of Marseilles. Provence's former capital is an international student's town, with one of the regions most cosmopolitan streets of restaurants and bars.

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Arles is a major town on the tourist circuit in Southern France. Its noted for the extraordinarily well-preserved Roman arena, Les Arènes, at the city's heart. There is also an impressive variety of other stones and monuments, both Roman and medieval. Arles is also known for being the town that Van Gogh came to in the late nineteenth century to produce many of his famous works.

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Avignon, known as the great city of the popes, has for centuries been one of the major artistic centers of France.

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Marseilles is France's oldest city and its premier port. It is a surprisingly attractive mix of fishing boats, commercial docks and the old town. It is populated by cultures so varied that Alexandre Dumas called it "the meeting place of the world".

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Carcasonne, located on the main Toulouse–Montpellier train link, is a must-see for anyone traveling through this region. Its medieval fortifications make it one of the most dramatic towns in the whole of Languedoc.

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Munich is Germany's third largest city after Berlin and Hamburg. This 800-year-old city is the capital of Bavaria and the home of the world-famous Oktoberfest. Sometimes called the "Village of One Million" Munich is a southern city located near the Alps.

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"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." This is as true today as it was in Samuel Johnson's time.

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