In ancient times, the term barbarian referred to any group or tribe that wasn’t part of the great European civilizations, namely the Greeks and Romans. Later, unchristianized people generally fell into this category. When we think about barbarians that terrorized Europe throughout the ages, the Huns, Mongols, and Vikings almost always come to mind. 

Either by sea or by land, “civilized” Europe seemed, at times, unable to get a reprieve from these incessant marauders. Here’s a list of 10 other such barbarian tribes that terrorized Europeans throughout history…

10. The Chatti

As the Romans were steadily expanding out of the Italian Peninsula, they came in contact with many other barbarians they had not previously encountered. Among the fiercest of these tribes were the Germanic peoples. It was not until Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars during the 1st century BC that the Romans made a clear distinction between them and the Celts. Fast forward roughly 100 years and the Chatti, a Germanic tribe, were among Rome’s most powerful enemies of the 1st century AD. 

In his literary work entitled Germania, the famous Roman historian and politician Tacitus provides some truly insightful glimpses into just how menacing the Chatti truly were. He describes the people as having “hardy bodies, well-knit limbs, fierce countenances, and unusual mental vigor.” 

He goes on to talk about a certain custom of the Chatti; a sort of ferocious initiation ritual. “As soon as they reach manhood they let their hair and beard grow as they will. This fashion of covering the face is assumed in accordance with a vow pledging them to the service of Valour; and only when they have slain an enemy do they lay it aside. Standing over the bloody corpse they have despoiled, they reveal their faces to the world once more… The coward who will not fight must stay unshorn.” 

Tacitus also describes the older Chatti warriors as always being the first to start the battle and making up the first ranks of their military formations. Even in peacetime, these veterans maintained a ferocious look on their faces and would fight “until old age leaves them without enough blood in their veins for such stern heroism.” It’s believed that around the 3rd century AD, the Chatti became part of the coalition of the Franks.

9. The Harii

Located further to the East in what is now Czechia, Slovakia, Southern Poland, and Western Ukraine, the Harii were further away from civilized Europe and were, therefore, less documented. And while there’s some confusion around who the Harii people were, we have gotten some detailed descriptions about how they waged war. Unlike the Chatti, whose prowess in battle came from their stern heroism, the Harii relied on camouflage and psychological warfare. 

Tacitus says that “they [the Harii] black their shields and dye their bodies, and choose pitch dark nights for their battles. The shadowy, awe-inspiring appearance of such a ghoulish army inspires mortal panic; for no enemy can endure a sight so strange and hellish. Defeat in battle starts always with the eyes.” 

As to their identity, some scholars believe the Harii to be a somewhat small Germanic tribe part of the Lugii federation, which itself was part of the larger Suevi confederation of tribes. Others believe the Harii to be Continental Celts predating the Germanic migration to the area. 

Some scholars believe the Harii were not even a tribe, to begin with, but a specialized army of young warriors that worshiped Woden (Odin). They were inspired to replicate the Einherjar (those who fight alone), mythical ghost warriors who’ve entered Valhalla and were personally chosen by Odin to fight the last battle of the world, known as Ragnarok.

8. The Picts (Caledonians)

Known to the Romans as Caledonians, the Picts were a people of Celtic or even older origin. Initially used as a pejorative by the Romans, the name Pict literally translates to “painted one.” This was based on their custom of either painting or tattooing their bodies. Yet, by the 7th century AD, the Picts began self-identifying as such. They lived in present-day northeastern Scotland and came in direct contact with the Romans after their invasion of the island. 

Around the year 80 AD, roughly 40 years after the initial Roman invasion of Britain, Roman governor and general, Julius Agricola, started the invasion of Scotland. Although they won the Battle of Mons Graupius against the Picts, the Romans didn’t follow up and retreated instead. Modern scholars speculate that the battle didn’t go exactly as was recorded by the Romans, which is further corroborated by the fact that they made very few other attempts at conquering Pictish lands. They, instead, switched to a containment strategy by building Hadrian’s Wall in 122 AD, and the Antonine Wall further north in 142 AD. 

According to the Roman soldier and historian, Ammianus Marcellinus of the 4th century AD, the Picts were “roving at large and causing much devastation.” Their go-to military tactics were primarily hit-and-run. They feigned retreat as soon as a battle started and while the Romans were setting up camp later in the day, the Picts would pour out of the woods and attack them. They would also lure the Roman cavalry into traps by following similar tactics.

7. The Vandals

The Vandals were another Germanic tribe originally from present-day southern Poland, which began migrating West with the arrival of the Huns at the start of the 5th century AD. They invaded Gaul and moved into the Iberian Peninsula, settling there in 409 AD. By 429, however, they were driven out by the Visigoths, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar into Northern Africa. In 435, they became clients of Rome but only a few years later, they would break that treaty, capturing Carthage and establishing their own autocratic kingdom.

Over the coming years, they conquered the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Mallorca, and Ibiza; effectively taking control of the majority of Rome’s grain supply. Their pirate fleets now also had firm control over the Western Mediterranean. In fact, the Old English word for the Mediterranean was Wendelsæ (Sea of the Vandals).

In 455, they also invaded Italy and captured the city of Rome, plundering it for all its riches. Although it’s well-known that they didn’t destroy any buildings or kill the city’s inhabitants, this act was later used by the French abbot Henri Grégoire de Blois during the French Revolution of the 18th century to come up with the word “vandalism.” In 533, the Byzantines invaded their lands and in a single campaign defeated the Vandal kingdom, ending their reign.

6. The Avars

While the Huns were among the first and fiercest nomadic tribes to have originated somewhere in Central Asia and wreaked havoc on the European continent, they were certainly not the last. Not even a century after the Hunnic Empire disintegrated in the second half of the 5th century AD, another group of warmongering horse lords from the East took their place. These were the Avars and although not as notorious as their predecessors, they would carry on a similar legacy of war and destruction. It was the Avars who introduced the iron stirrup into Europe as well as the main cause for the southward migration of the Serbs and Croats. 

Their first appearance in Europe was during Emperor Justinian I’s rule of the Byzantine Empire (527 to 565 AD) who hired them as mercenaries against other troublesome tribes. After Justinian’s death, the Avars began looking for a place to settle and they found it in the Pannonian Plain (present-day Hungary); exactly where the Huns centered their empire previously. Under the leadership of Bayan I, the Avars expelled the Gepids from the area and began expanding their newly found Khaganate in all directions. Some sources say that Bayan killed the Gepid King, Cunimund, and even turned his skull into a wine cup.   

Over the following two centuries, the Avars would conduct many raids against their neighbors, displacing or subjugating tribes to use as “cannon fodder” in their wars or extort those they couldn’t defeat outright. Their main focus of attack was the Balkan Peninsula, deep inside the Byzantine Empire, even laying siege to Constantinople in 626 AD. Their end came with Charlemagne of the Franks. He was able to defeat them once and for all, conquer their capital known simply as “The Ring,” and take their huge treasure hoard back to Paris. By 796 AD, the Avar Khaganate was no more.

5. The Drevlians

The Drevlians – roughly translated to forest dwellers – were an East Slavic people living in present-day Ukraine and Belarus, northwest of Kiev, during the 6th and 10th centuries AD. One thing that seems to have set them apart from most of their neighbors is that, together with the Polyanians (field dwellers), they were the only tribes to have a monarchical rule. Moreover, the Drevlians seem to have “thought in common with their prince,” which hints towards some direct democracy. But this is not what appalled Christian Europe about the Drevlians, nor was it their prowess in battle. It was actually their pagan customs surrounding marriage. 

If the Medieval Slavic ecclesiastical writers had only praise for the Polyanians, saying, among other things, that they were respectful towards their wives, parents, siblings, and parents-in-law, the Drevlians were the complete opposite. In The Rus’ Primary Chronicle from the early 12th century, the Drevlians are said to have “existed in bestial fashion and lived like cattle. They killed one another, ate every impure thing, and there was no marriage among them, but instead, they seized upon maidens by capture.”

They would meet a brutal end, however, at the hands of Olga of Kiev. After they assassinated her husband, Grand Prince Igor of the Kievan Rus, Olga wanted vengeance. She started by burying the Drevlian ambassadors alive and luring the Drevlian nobles into her bathhouse which was burnt down with them still inside. She then organized a feast in the Drevlian capital of Iskorosten to commemorate her husband, but after everyone got drunk, Olga ordered the people massacred, set the city ablaze, and enslaved the survivors.

4. The Pechenegs

The Pechenegs were a semi-nomadic Turkic people that terrorized much of Eastern and Southeastern Europe throughout the 8th and 12th centuries. During the 9th century, the Pechenegs occupied a large territory between the Ural and Volga Rivers, constantly fighting with their eastern neighbors, the Khazars and the Oghuz. At the instigation of the Byzantine Empire, the Pechenegs began expanding westwards, attacking the Kievan Rus and forcing the Magyars across the Dnieper River and into the Carpathian Basin.

Throughout much of the 10th century, they would fight many battles with the Rus, even killing Prince Svyatoslav I in 972 and turning his skull into a chalice, as was apparently customary with many steppe nomads. It’s believed that during this time, many Slavic people living between the Danube and Carpathian Mountains began migrating north of the Dniester River to escape them. However, the tables would begin to turn by the end of the century, and the beginning of the 11th with the Pechenegs being systematically expelled from the Pontic Steppes, most notably by the Cumans. 

It was at that time that they began intensifying their raids into Byzantine territory across the Danube River, even laying siege to Constantinople in 1090. They were, however, defeated by Emperor Alexius I with the help of the Cumans (more on them in a bit), and again at the Battle of Beroia in 1122, effectively putting an end to the Pechenegs as an independent people.

3. The Magyars

The Magyars are believed to be a mixture of Turkic and Ugric people who lived in western Siberia during the first several centuries of the first millennium AD. They would migrate to the southwest around the 5th century and by 830 AD, they crossed the Don River, north of the Black Sea. They were comprised of seven tribes and were later joined by an additional three of Turkic Khazar descent, known as Kavars.

After the Pechenegs pushed them out of the Pontic Steppe, they moved into the Pannonian Plain in Central Europe in 895. They quickly subdued the people living there, defeated the Great Moravian state in 906, and completely obliterated the East Frankian army at the Battle of Pressburg one year later. 

For the next 60-plus years, up until 970 AD, the Magyars became the scourge of Europe. They raided and pillaged across most of the continent from present-day Denmark to Spain and Portugal, and from the Balkan and Italian Peninsulas to Western France. After that point, the Magyars became Christianized and in the year 1000 AD founded the Kingdom of Hungary. 

Even today, the Hungarians still call themselves Magyars, after the largest of the original seven tribes. The name Hungary comes from On-Ogur, which was the name given to them by their neighbors while still living in the Pontic Steppes. This name translates to “ten tribes.” The letter H was added later by some scholars who believed them to be descendants of the Huns.

2. The Cumans

From the 11th to the mid-13th century, Eastern Europe between the Volga and Lower Danube rivers was dominated by three peoples. These were the Kievan Rus to the North, the Volga Bulgars to the East, and the Cumans to the South. They were a semi-nomadic Turkic group of people who were never politically centralized and lived in a confederation of loosely connected but independent tribes. Nevertheless, they posed a significant military threat to all their neighbors, with their lands extending from the banks of the Danube River in the West all the way to present-day Kazakhstan in the East. 

The Cumans first came in contact with the Kievan Rus in 1055 and a few years later began invading their lands, causing much devastation. The resulting war lasted a total of 175 years. They would go on and attack all of their neighbors, including the Kingdom of Hungary, the Volga Bulgars, the Kingdom of Poland, the Byzantine Empire, and all statal entities within the Balkans. 

They also played the role of kingmakers, helping the Bulgars and Vlachs gain independence from the Byzantines to form the Second Bulgarian Empire. They also aided the Kingdom of Georgia to halt the advance of the Seljuks and become the most powerful kingdom in the region. 

Their end came in the late 1230s and early 1240s with the Mongol invasions. Although the Cumans put up fierce resistance, they were eventually defeated. Their confederation was broken, and the individual tribes were either absorbed or sought refuge with their neighbors. Many Cumans had already settled in their neighbors’ lands in previous decades, most notably in Hungary, where they became integrated into each nation’s elite.

1. The Barbary Pirates

Named after the local Berber tribes of Northwestern Africa, the Barbary Pirates were the bane of the Mediterranean Sea from the 16th to the 19th centuries AD. Although North African piracy was far older than that, it was not until the arrival of Barbarossa, that united the small pirate states of Algeria and Tunisia under the Ottoman Empire’s protection in the 16th century. During the 17th century, the Barbary pirates also switched from galleys to sail ships, after learning their significant advantage from a Flemish renegade, Simon Danser.

Although comprised mainly of local Berbers, these pirates also recruited many Arabs and other Muslims, as well as some European Christians. Throughout the following centuries, they plundered merchant ships, raided villages, and enslaved people from the Italian coast, France, the Iberian Peninsula, England, the Netherlands, Ireland, and as far away as Iceland.

After commerce all but stopped in the Mediterranean, the United States began paying tribute to the Barbary states in 1784. This eventually led to the First Barbary War (1801–05) between the Americans and the pirate state of Tripoli, which helped stifle piracy in the region. It was not until the full-scale conquest of Algeria by France in 1830 that the Barbary pirates were fully subdued.

Medieval Europe was a violent place where ruthless kings ruled with iron fists. Assassinations were an easy way of removing a tyrant or political enemy, and they were often carried out with shocking brutality. Some of them were also fiendishly clever.

10Duke Conan II Of Brittany

In 1065, William of Normandy was preparing to invade England. To secure his borders, he proposed alliances with the surrounding lords. However, Duke Conan II of Brittany hated the Normans because he believed they had poisoned his father. Conan refused to ally with William and strongly implied that he would attack Normandy as soon as the army left for England.

This turned out to be a bit of a mistake since William quickly had Conan poisoned as well. According to Orderic Vitalis, William had to be clever about it since the Breton would obviously have been careful to avoid the same fate as his father. So instead of targeting Conan’s food, William’s assassin smeared poison on Conan’s riding gloves. While out riding, Conan wiped his mouth with the back of one glove and soon suffered a fit and died.

9Kenneth II Of Scotland

Kenneth II was assassinated in AD 995. The death is primarily notable for the absolutely insane story of the booby trap that did it. According to John of Fordun, the princes Constantine and Gryme persuaded a noblewoman named Finnguala to do the deed. Since Kenneth had killed her son, she was happy to oblige.

Finnguala rigged up her house with multiple crossbows hidden behind tapestries. The crossbows were connected by strings to a statue in the middle of the room. Finnguala then invited the king to inspect the statue. As soon as he touched it, the crossbows went off, firing a dozen arrows through him at once.

We can say for sure that Kenneth was killed in AD 995 and that Constantine and Gryme were blamed. However, most historians are skeptical of a crazy crossbow statue as the murder weapon.

8Louis, Duke Of Orleans

Charles VI of France was insane. (Among other things, he believed that he was made of glass and might shatter at any moment.) This prompted his nobles to struggle among themselves for power.

The immediate winner was the king’s brother, Louis of Orleans, who seduced the queen and effectively became regent. Louis was opposed by John the Fearless of Burgundy, who even tried to kidnap the king’s son. In response, Louis may have tried to rape John’s wife.

Things came to a head on November 23, 1407. Louis was leaving the queen’s house in Paris when he was attacked by a gang of eight hooded men. An eyewitness said that they struck Louis repeatedly “as if they were beating a mattress” until his brains were all over the road. John didn’t even try to deny ordering the murder, insisting that it was “for the good of the realm.”

7John The Fearless

The murder of Louis of Orleans sparked a civil war between his Armagnac supporters and John the Fearless of Burgundy. This was the last thing France needed because it was the middle of the Hundred Years War and the English were invading.

In 1419, the two sides agreed to meet to resolve their differences in a special enclosure in the middle of the Montereau Bridge. However, as soon as John the Fearless arrived, three old friends of Louis of Orleans pulled out swords and killed him in revenge.

Although the Armagnacs insisted that the murder was not premeditated, John’s son Philip allied with the English, changing the tide of the war. It was later joked that the English entered France through the hole in John’s skull.

6Peter The Inquisitor

In the 13th century, the Catholic Church was campaigning against the Cathars, a heretical sect that believed in two gods, one good and one evil. The Albigensian Crusade had devastated the Cathar stronghold in southern France, while the Inquisition was established to hunt them throughout Europe.

One of the best inquisitors was Peter of Verona, who was known for his humble lifestyle and was unusually successful at persuading Cathars to rejoin Catholicism. As a result, the Cathar underground in Milan gathered funds and hired a pair of hit men. The killers tracked Peter to a lonely spot on the road, where they jumped him and put an axe through his head.

Peter was immediately declared a saint, and Pope Innocent IV released a bull allowing Inquisitors to use torture for the first time. Interestingly, one of the hit men, Carino of Balsamo, later repented and is now considered something of a holy man.

5Philip De Montfort

Philip de Montfort had an interesting family history. His father and uncle were leaders of the Albigensian Crusade, while his cousin Simon was the lover of Queen Isabella of England. The couple eventually overthrew and murdered Isabella’s husband, Edward II.

Philip was Crusader Lord of Tyre. His talented leadership alarmed the Egyptian Sultan Baibars, who asked the notorious Hashishin (“Assassins”) to take care of the problem.

A Syrian Assassin was sent to Tyre, where he successfully disguised himself as a Christian and prayed daily at Philip’s church. Once the Assassin was a familiar face, he wandered up behind Philip while he was kneeling at prayer and stabbed him in the back. Baibars attacked the Crusader states a few months later.

4Godfred Of Denmark

Godfred was king of Denmark around AD 800 when the famous Frankish Emperor Charlemagne dominated Europe. Charlemagne had conquered the pagan Saxons and forcibly converted them to Christianity, which was quite alarming to the pagan Godfred. In anticipation of a confrontation, he greatly expanded the Danevirke, a mighty series of earthen fortifications in southern Denmark.

When the Baltic city of Reric allied with Charlemagne, Godfred attacked and destroyed it. In 810, his fleets ravaged Frisia and Godfred began to talk of reconquering Saxony. According to Frankish chroniclers, Godfred boasted that he would stable his horses in Charlemagne’s palace. Furious, the emperor began building a fleet of his own.

It seemed that everything was set for a huge war between the Franks and Vikings until Godfred was suddenly stabbed to death by one of his own warriors. Many historians have suggested that the murder was ordered by Charlemagne, who presumably found assassins cheaper than fleets.

3Godfred Of Frisia

Murdering Danes named Godfred seemed to run in the family because Charlemagne’s grandson Charles the Fat did the same thing. Charles had named a Viking called Godfred as the Duke of Frisia. In return, Godfred agreed to stop raiding Frankish lands and to keep other Vikings from doing the same.

Unfortunately, Godfred got greedy. Frisia was poor land, so Godfred demanded that Charles give him some rich, wine-producing areas along the Rhine. This attempt at extortion seriously annoyed the Franks. They invited Godfred to discuss the issue on an island in the Rhine. To Godfred’s surprise, the previously meek Franks showed up armed to the teeth and hacked him to death.

2Harthacnut

It’s often forgotten now, but the Norman invasion of William the Conqueror was actually the second time that England had been conquered in 50 years. Cnut (aka Canute) of Denmark made himself king of England in 1018. After his death, the throne eventually passed to his son Harthacnut.

Edward the Confessor was the son of the overthrown Anglo-Saxon king of England. Thanks to some complicated family politics, he was also Harthacnut’s half-brother. (They shared a mother.) If Harthacnut died, Edward was in line for the throne. As luck would have it, Harthacnut did die after suffering a mysterious fit at a banquet at age 25.

So what’s suspicious about that? Well, after Edward took the throne, the rebellious Earl Godwin of Wessex also died after suffering a mysterious fit while eating dinner with the king. Meanwhile, Edward’s half-brother dropped dead days after returning to England from exile in Kiev. Which starts to seem a little suspicious, really.

1Pedro The Cruel

Pedro the Cruel was not a nice guy. As king of Castile, he was accused of numerous crimes. This included the murder of his brother Fadrique, who was dining with Pedro when a guard walked up behind Fadrique and hit him with a mace. When Pedro noticed that Fadrique was still moving, Pedro gave a knife to a page to finish the job while Pedro continued eating.

Fadrique’s twin, Enrique, soon rose in revolt and besieged Pedro in his castle. Enrique was supported by the famous French knight Bertrand du Guesclin. Bertrand had a reputation as a bit of a weasel, so Pedro offered him a bribe to help him escape. Since Bertrand was actually a huge weasel, he accepted and then informed Enrique, who agreed to match the bribe if Bertrand handed Pedro over.

On March 23, 1369, Bertrand helped Pedro sneak out of the castle and led him to a tent. To Pedro’s surprise, Enrique was waiting for him. The Spanish princes immediately started throwing insults, calling each other “son of a whore” and “son of a Jew.” Then they started wrestling. Pedro was winning until someone pulled him off and sat on him while Enrique stabbed him in the stomach.

We tend to think of the Middle Ages as a lawless time when desperate outlaws roamed the land. While that’s not totally fair, it is true that law and order often broke down. This allowed daring rogues to run wild, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

10Seguin de Badefol

Seguin de Badefol first appears in history as a mercenary for John II of France. After John was defeated by the Black Prince at Poitiers, France, England signed a peace treaty and the mercenaries were dismissed.

Instead of disbanding, the various mercenary companies simply transitioned to banditry, raiding and pillaging across France. De Badefol led the Margot, one of the largest bands, which could field up to 2,000 men. His favorite trick was occupying a town and demanding that the citizens pay him to leave.

In 1362, France sent an army to deal with the mercenaries, but Seguin united the various bands into the “Great Company” and shattered the royal force at the Battle of Brignais. It was a stunning victory, leaving eastern France completely at the mercy of the bandits.

Seguin died four years later from eating a poisoned quince while trying to extort some cash from ruthless maniac Charles “the Bad” of Navarre.

9Geoffrey Of Mandeville

After Henry I died without a son, the throne was claimed by the Empress Matilda (who was Henry’s daughter and rightful heir) and Stephen of Blois. Law and order broke down as England plunged into a civil war known as the Anarchy.

Perhaps the most notorious outlaw of the period was Geoffrey of Mandeville, a nobleman from East Anglia. Stephen made him Earl of Essex in return for his support, but Geoffrey betrayed Stephen and defected to Matilda, who gave him virtually unlimited control of Essex. Then Geoffrey defected back to Stephen in return for power over Middlesex and Hertfordshire.

In 1143, Stephen felt powerful enough to move against Geoffrey, but he escaped into the marshes of East Anglia. With a base on the Isle of Ely, Geoffrey became an outlaw, raiding and burning his way through the fens. He was killed by an arrow during a minor skirmish in 1144.

8Robert Fitz Hubert

During the Anarchy, Stephen shored up his position by hiring sellswords from Flanders, who soon developed an evil reputation. Arguably the worst was the practically feral Robert fitz Hubert.

Robert arrived in England in 1139. But instead of taking service with Stephen, Robert immediately attacked Malmesbury Castle and took it for himself. Stephen forced him out a few weeks later, at which point Robert hired his band out to Matilda.

He lasted a few months before sneaking away from Matilda’s army and taking Devizes Castle in a surprise night attack. He summoned more knights from Flanders and began to ravage the land in a determined effort to carve out a petty kingdom between Winchester and London.

This wild plan was only foiled by the cunning of John the Marshal, who offered to surrender his castle and then slammed the gate shut behind Robert when he arrived to negotiate. Robert was subsequently hanged.

7Eustace The Monk

At the height of his career, Eustace the Monk was so feared that he was rumored to be a sorcerer. A former monk, he was declared an outlaw and fled to the English Channel, where he became the most notorious pirate of his day.

Eustace was a formidable sea captain, and King John of England hired his powerful fleet to capture the Channel Islands from the French. Eustace subsequently used the island of Sark as a base to ravage the Norman coast and stage daring raids down the Seine.

In 1212, Eustace defected to the French. His pirates were sailing with a large French fleet when they came under attack from an English armada in 1217. The English triumphed by throwing quicklime onto the enemy ships, blinding the crew. Eustace was found hiding in the bilge and beheaded as “a traitor to the king and a most wicked pirate.”

6Owain Red Hand

Owain Lawgoch (“Red Hand”) was the last male-line descendant of the old Welsh kings of Gwynedd and one of the finest warriors of the 14th century. He was determined to regain his rightful throne and even launched two invasions, causing panic in England. However, his first fleet was prevented from landing by storms, while the second force was diverted to aid the king of France.

When not invading Wales, Owain fought for the French in the Hundred Years War and commanded a company of Welsh mercenaries against Pedro the Cruel of Castile. In 1375, Owain led the Guglers, a massive army of mercenaries that invaded Switzerland, only to be ambushed in a night attack by the enraged Swiss citizens.

Owain was assassinated in 1378 by an undercover agent of the English.

5Roger de Flor

Originally a member of the Knights Templar, Roger de Flor was drummed out of the order after his disgraceful conduct at the Siege of Acre, where he took control of a Templar galley and charged huge fees to carry civilians to safety in Cyprus.

After a spell as a pirate, Roger saw a chance to secure his fortunes. The king of Aragon had dismissed many of his soldiers after signing a peace treaty in 1302. Many of the newly unemployed Catalans had been fighting for two decades and had no other marketable skills. Roger recruited 6,000 into a mercenary band known as the Catalan Company and signed a lucrative contract with the Byzantines.

The Catalans were mildly successful against the Turks, but they also looted Byzantine land and openly fought rival Byzantine soldiers. To make matters worse, Roger was clearly plotting to carve out his own kingdom in Anatolia. Declaring him a bandit, the Byzantines murdered him in 1305.

4The Catalan Company

After the murder of Roger de Flor, the Byzantines sent an army to wipe out his mercenaries. Although the Catalans were outnumbered, they were also hardened veterans and defeated the Imperial Army at Apros in 1305.

After a fairly pathetic attempt to blockade Constantinople, the Company crossed into Greece, where the Duke of Athens realized they were a threat. Cunningly, he offered to hire the Catalans.

They conquered large territories of Greece for him until they realized that their money was never coming. Meanwhile, the duke was trying to split the Company by offering full pay and land to 500 of the Catalans if they would help him defeat the others.

The 500 Catalans declined to betray their comrades but sensibly took the bribe first. Then they pulled off another underdog victory over the duke’s larger army and established their own petty kingdom in Greece, which lasted for the next 80 years.

3Adam The Leper

In the mid-14th century, England experienced something of an urban crime wave. Even the Black Prince once sent his servants out to buy food, only for them to return beaten and robbed. The most notorious gang leader was Adam the Leper, who often targeted royal officials.

In his most famous crime, Adam learned that Queen Philippa had left her jewelry with a local merchant. The leper’s gang surrounded the merchant’s house and demanded that he hand over the gems.

The outraged merchant refused and stoutly beat off several attacks until Adam became exasperated and set the building on fire. Now the tables were turned, with the merchant and his family trying to get out and Adam keeping them in until they tossed out the jewels. The leper was apparently never punished for this daring attack.

2Momcilo

Hajduk Momcilo was a Bulgarian bandit who built a personal army of peasants in the Rhodope Mountains. He briefly served Stefan Dusan of Serbia but really came into his own during the Byzantine Civil War of 1341–1347.

In an impressive display of backstabbing, Momcilo switched sides in 1343, 1344, and 1345. By playing both sides, he was able to establish his own power in the borderlands.

Momcilo eventually became such a threat that the Byzantines teamed up with the Turks to launch a joint attack on his city of Peritheorion. Sensing which way the wind was blowing, the citizens locked Momcilo’s army outside the gates, where he was defeated and killed.

1The Archpriest

Arnaud de Cervole was Archpriest of Velines until he found that a career as a mercenary was more to his liking. (He kept “the Archpriest” as a nickname.) After the Battle of Poitiers, Arnaud was the first to realize that the French crown was no longer strong enough to hold the mercenaries in check.

He formed the first “Great Company” and led it into Provence, which had avoided serious damage in the war. Before long, the mercenaries had turned it into a wasteland. Arnaud even besieged Marseille with 3,000 men, although the city held out.

In 1358, the Archpriest ensured his infamy by essentially taking the Pope hostage, surrounding the Papal seat in Avignon, and demanding 20,000 florins to leave the region. After that, Arnaud largely went back to legitimate mercenary work and was part of the royal army defeated by Seguin de Badefol’s raiders at the Battle of Brignais.

In 1365, Arnaud was hired to lead the mercenaries in a crusade against the Turks, although the real goal was to get them out of France. He was stabbed to death months later in an argument over supplies.

Medieval Europe was theoretically pretty conservative on sex. One 13th-century bishop even put out a list ranking the five known sexual positions from least to most sinful. (If you’re curious: missionary, side-by-side, sitting, standing, and “dorsal.”) But just like any other era, the medieval period still had its share of sex scandals.

10Abelard And Heloise

In the early 12th century, Peter Abelard was the most famous philosopher in Europe. Huge crowds turned out to hear him speak, while students paid him handsomely to act as their tutor. He courted scandal when he started sleeping with one of his students, the beautiful and brilliant Heloise.

Heloise was the niece of Fulbert, canon of Notre Dame and Abelard’s landlord, who was enraged when he discovered the illicit affair. Fulbert demanded that the couple get married. Neither was keen, but they agreed so long as the marriage was kept secret. But after Heloise gave birth to a son named Astrolabe, Fulbert revealed the marriage—only for Heloise to publicly deny it. Fulbert was furious.

Abelard sent Heloise to safety in a nunnery, which only annoyed Fulbert more. In 1117, a group of men burst into Abelard’s bedroom and brutally castrated him. He survived to become a monk and remained in contact with Heloise.

9Katherina Hetzeldorfer

In the late 1400s, an unmarried young man moved to the city of Speyer in Germany. He soon developed a reputation as a real rogue, conducting several affairs and groping women during the carnival. Nobody cared until 1477, when it was revealed that the philandering youth was actually a woman named Katherina Hetzeldorfer.

According to the trial records, Katherina had built herself a prosthetic penis “half as big as an arm . . . with a red piece of leather, at the front filled with cotton, and a wooden stick stuck into it.” She used this to have sex with several women, all of whom insisted at trial that they had no idea it wasn’t real. Katherine’s one-night-stand Else Muter even claimed that it somehow produced “semen . . . beyond measure.”

Katherina was drowned in the local river. The court accepted that her lovers had been hoodwinked, and they were sentenced to exile rather than death.

8The Swedish King And His Sister-In-Law

Princess Jutta was the daughter of King Eric IV of Denmark. As a young woman, she was placed in a cloister, where she was expected to live out the rest of her life as a nun. Instead, she staged a daring escape to Sweden.

Jutta was welcomed by her sister Sophia, who was married to King Valdemar of Sweden. Unfortunately, Valdemar started a passionate affair with the beautiful Jutta. They even had a child together. Soon, all Sweden was in an uproar with rumors that the king was cheating on his wife with her own sister.

Valdemar eventually had to make a pilgrimage to Rome to beg the Pope for forgiveness. It wasn’t the PR triumph he had hoped since the Pope imposed a hefty fine. The Swedes were furious that they had to cough up extra taxes for this, and Valdemar was quickly overthrown by his brothers.

7The Naughty Nuns Of Littlemore

In 1517, the local bishop decided to inspect Littlemore Priory in Oxfordshire, England, and uncovered the scandalous behavior of the nuns living there. Apparently, the sisters “romped and played with boys in the cloister.”

Even the prioress had an illegitimate daughter by a priest from Kent. To make matters worse, she had stolen church property to give her daughter a dowry, selling off the nunnery’s “candilsticks, basynes, shetts, pelous, federe bedds, etc.”

The nuns weren’t particularly repentant. In fact, when one was put in the stocks as punishment, three others broke down the door and freed her. The four nuns then set fire to the stocks and smashed their way out through a window.

Such immoral behavior couldn’t be tolerated, and the nunnery was eventually shut down on the orders of Cardinal Wolsey.

6The Pervy Pope

John XII became Pope when he was just 18, entirely thanks to his powerful family. The teenager rapidly proved himself more interested in sex than religion, to the point that his official palace came to resemble a brothel. It was said that local monks actually stopped praying for his health and started praying for him to die.

Before long, the scandal had spread across Europe. The Holy Roman Emperor wrote to warn that “not just a few, but all . . . have accused you of homicide, perjury, sacrilege, [and] incest with some of your female relatives and two sisters.”

John died in AD 964, apparently while making love to a woman named Stefanetta. Some accounts say that he had a stroke from the exertion, while others say that Stefanetta’s jealous husband burst into the room and threw the Pope out the window.

5William The Conqueror

These days, William I of England is best known as William the Conqueror. But in his own lifetime, he was often derisively referred to as “William the Bastard” or “William the Tanner.” That’s because he was born from a teenage tryst between Duke Robert of Normandy and a tanner’s daughter from Falaise.

Since Robert never had other sons, William was legitimized, but the scandal of his birth continued to haunt him. When he besieged Alencon, the citizens dangled animal skins from the walls and shouted, “Hides, hides for the tanner! Plenty of work for the tanner!” An enraged William fired a bunch of their severed hands from a catapult.

William’s descendants had more of a sense of humor about the whole thing. Henry II was stitching a torn glove when a bishop shouted that he looked just like his relatives in Falaise, prompting Henry to “burst unto uncontrollable laughter.”

4The Demon-Kings Of England

Henry II had an even more disconcerting story in his ancestry. While his mother was William the Conqueror’s granddaughter, his father was Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou. The family had a reputation for cruelty, and it was said that they were descended from a demon.

According to the story, one of the early counts married the mysterious beauty Melusine but noticed that she always slipped out of church before the Eucharist. One day, he stood on her cloak to prevent her from leaving. As soon as the priest raised the Host, Melusine screamed, sprouted wings, and flew out the window, leaving behind two of her demon babies.

Of course, nobody buys that story nowadays, but the Plantagenets loved it. Both Henry and Richard the Lionheart often joked about being half-demon. Meanwhile, Bernard of Clairvaux summed up popular opinion of the family by declaring “from the Devil they came and to the Devil they will return.”

3The King, His Son, His Wife, And Her Brother

A more realistic scandal involved Henry, his son Richard the Lionheart, and Princess Alys of France. Alys and Richard had been betrothed as children, and Alys was sent to live with Henry when she was nine. But even when Alys passed the age of 16, Henry declined to actually let Richard marry her. Soon, sensational rumors leaked out that Henry had taken her for his own mistress.

The Pope threatened to excommunicate Henry’s whole kingdom unless he let Richard and Alys wed. King Louis of France demanded either a marriage or his daughter back. Henry begrudgingly agreed but didn’t name a date and continued to drag his feet for the next decade.

To make things even messier, some historians have suggested that Richard was having sex with Alys’s brother Phillip. In any case, Richard refused to marry Alys after his father died, alleging that she had already given birth to his half-brother.

2Heretical Spooning

In the late medieval period, the Church became increasingly worried about heretics, who were encouraged to admit to all sorts of disturbing sex acts on top of their religious crimes. In a famous case, a German heretic named Lepzet confessed that his sect met in a cave, where their bishop would insert the handle of a silver spoon into his anus and use it to hold an offering.

Then the congregation would kiss the bishop’s buttocks and a cat’s rectum before having an orgy—“men with men and women with women.” The confession was considered extremely shocking, although some killjoy historians suggest that Lepzet was probably making the whole thing up.

1Machiavelli, Da Vinci, And The Holes Of Truth

In the 1400s, the rulers of Florence placed several boxes known as “holes of truth” around the city. Citizens could write anonymous accusations and place them in the boxes to be investigated by the authorities.

It was a recipe for innuendo and rumormongering. Even Niccolo Machiavelli had to deny sodomizing a local courtesan known as La Riccia. He was presumably lying since he mentioned in a letter that La Riccia jokingly called him her “house pest” because he visited so often.

But the biggest scandal came in 1476 when multiple notes were left accusing Leonardo da Vinci and three other local notables of regularly having sex with a 17-year-old named Jacopo Saltarelli.

Soon all Florence was abuzz, and the artist found himself hauled in for questioning by the Officers of the Night, who weren’t nearly as cool as their name suggests. Fortunately, the charges were eventually dropped without damaging Leonardo’s career too much.

Europe is a huge continent full of numerous possibilities and with one week there, you may need help in creating your perfect itinerary. Our staff has consulted online sources and fellow frequent flyers to narrow the options down to 25 different ways to spend a week in Europe. These itineraries strike a balance between being just busy enough that you get to do a lot in a short period of time, but not so fast that you will feel like you’re in a race.  Thus, here are 25 excellent itineraries for one week in Europe.  

1 Week In Europe: 25 Excellent Itineraries

Info On These Itineraries

If you’re planning a trip to Europe and have seven days, you can visit two big cities or one big city with day trips.  If you’re planning a road trip through one small region in Europe and have one week, it’s possible to do so. However, with only seven days, you’ll have six full days for sightseeing. While it’s tempting to see as much as possible, adding more cities to your itinerary will result in losing roughly half a day in travel time.  The itineraries on this list are designed to help you do a lot in a short period of time without feeling like you’re always in a race.

1. London And Paris, UK And France  

Undoubtedly a trip to both London and Paris is a nigh-classic European trip and it is perfect for first-time visitors.  You can visit the famous, world-class Louvre and British Museums, stroll along the Champ-Elysees, and climb the iconic Eiffel Tower too.  These two grand cities are easily connected by train, so this trip is easy to plan and can be done at any time of the year.  You’re sure to make some marvelous memories!

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Land in London, England

Days Two and Three: Tour London

Day Four: Last Full Day In London

Day Five: Take the train to Paris, France in the morning

Days Six and Seven: See Paris

2. Paris And Amsterdam, France And Netherlands

This trip is also quite wonderful for first-time visitors to Europe.  You can visit world-class art museums in both Amsterdam and Paris, see some incredible landmarks in Paris, and stroll hand-in-hand along the canals in Amsterdam.  It is very easy to connect Paris and Amsterdam with the popular high-speed Thalys train. What more? This particular travel itinerary actually works great in either direction.

Travel Itinerary

Day One:  Arrive in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Days Two and Three: Tour Amsterdam

Day Four: Take the morning train to Paris

Days Five and Six: See Paris

Day Seven: Leave Paris

3. Rome And The Amalfi Coast, Italy

There are a number of different ways to spend a single week in Italy.  (Indeed, you will see a few of them in this very article).  Spend a week in Italy by splitting your time between Rome and the Amalfi Coast. 

Start your trip in Rome where you can explore the ancient city’s many highlights such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Monti. Then take a train to the Amalfi Coast and visit Pompeii along the way. Spend three magical days on the Amalfi Coast and Capri before flying back home from Rome.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Rome, Italy

Days Two and Three: Tour the city

Day Four: Travel to the Amalfi Coast and visit Pompeii

Day Five: Set out on an Amalfi Coast road trip

Day Six: See Capri

Day Seven: See Sorrento, return to Rome at night

4. Florence And Tuscany, Italy

Spend a week exploring the very heart of Italy.  It is home to some of Europe’s best art museums.  Florence is beautiful and there are a lot of things to do there too.

You can wander around the city and climb towers, go shopping for souvenirs, and eat genuine gelato.  Next, travel to Tuscany and book a room in a Tuscan villa or in one of the quaint hill towns like Siena.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Florence, Italy 

Days Two and Three: Explore Florence

Day Four: Arrive in Tuscany, Italy

Days Five and Six: Tour Tuscany

Day Seven: Leave Tuscany, go back to Florence/Rome, fly home

5. Rome, Florence, And Venice, Italy

If you don’t mind a bit of a busy, rushed schedule,  you can visit Rome, Florence, and Venice in seven bustling days with or without a tour.  You’ll need to make the most of your time by flying into Rome in the morning.  Next, you spend two days in the city.  You take a train to Florence and then take another one to Venice.  You can explore both of the cities with or without a tour but you will need to be organized if you do it yourself.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Land in Rome, Italy in the morning

Days Two and Three: Explore Rome

Day Four: Catch the morning train to Florence

Day Five: See Florence

Day Six: Catch the morning train to Venice

Day Seven: Goodbye, Venice

6. Barcelona With Day Trips, Spain

Barcelona offers visitors numerous opportunities. With three days in Barcelona, you can visit the Gothic Quarters. You can also visit Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, and Park Güell. Be sure to dine on tempting tapas and see the stunning sunset from a local rooftop bar.  Spend your remaining days exploring nearby towns such as Montserrat, Girona, Costa Brava, and possibly even Cadaques and Tarragona.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Barcelona

Days Two through Four: Explore Barcelona

Day Five: Day trip to Montserrat

Day Six: Day trip to Girona

Day Seven: Last Day/Day Trip to Costa Brava 

7. Lisbon And The Algarve, Portugal  

Spend a week in Portugal and experience the best of both worlds by splitting your time between the superb southern coastline and Lisbon. Begin your trip with three days in Lisbon, spending one of those days on a day trip to sunny Sintra. Take a road trip on the Algarve coast.  Hit the beach, see Benagil Cave, explore some saltwater lagoons, and visit the local fishing villages.

Travel  Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Lisbon

Day Two: Explore Lisbon

Day Three: Day trip to Sintra

Day Four: Road trip to the Algarve

Days Five and Six: Explore the Algarve

Day Seven: Last chance in the Algarve, return to Lisbon at night

8. Lucerne And The Jungfrau Region, Switzerland

If you enjoy beautiful areas in Europe, consider the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. It’s located at the foot of the Bernese Alps.  The region is named after the highest mountain here: the Jungfrau.  

This is a big tourist destination in Switzerland and the Alps, renowned for its majestic mountains and lovely lakes like Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.  Go hiking, skiing, paragliding and more.  Spend a day exploring lovely Lucerne too.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Land in Zurich, go to Jungfrau 

Days Two through Six: Explore Jungfrau 

Day Seven: Take an early morning train to Lucerne; spend the night

9. Vienna, Salzburg, And Hallstatt, Austria

Embark on a magical journey through Austria’s three most beautiful cities. You begin your trip in Vienna, the home of cute cafes, the Habsburgs, the opera, world-class museums, the Opera, and exceptionally delicious pastries.  After Vienna, you can travel via train or take a road trip to Salzburg and Hallstatt, two picturesque towns that are nestled nearly next to each other.  

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Vienna

Days Two and Three: Tour Vienna

Day Four: Travel to Salzburg in the morning and explore

Day Five: See more of Salzburg

Day Six: Visit Hallstatt

Day Seven: Head to Munich or return to Vienna

10. Munich And Bavaria, Germany

Bavaria is beautiful.  It’s also the perfect destination for nature lovers and history buffs alike. Start your journey in Munich.  If you’d like to participate in Oktoberfest, the best time to visit is the end of September.  

Next, take a road trip to Bavaria and the towns in the area.  See the Alps from Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany.  Tour the storybook palace of crazy King Ludwig II, Neuschwanstein.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Munich, travel to Berchtesgaden

Day Two: Tour Berchtesgaden

Day Three: Drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Day Four: See Neuschwanstein

Day Five:  Visit Zugspitze

Days Six and Seven: Last two days in Munich

11. Ireland Road Trip

Start your trip in Dublin and see the sights.  Next, hit the rugged western coast.  See the Rock of Cashel too.  Hike the Cliffs of Moher, cruise the Ring of Kerry, and dine on fish and chips.  Enjoy a pint of good Guinness at a little local pub.  Visit in the summer and see Skelling Michael Island!

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Dublin

Day Two: Drive to Killarney, visit Rock of Cashel

Day Three: Visit Ring of Kerry and/or see Skellig Michael 

Day Four: See Dingle Peninsula

Day Five: Go to Doolin

Day Six: See Cliff of Moher

Day Seven: Galway, return to Dublin

12. Croatia And Montenegro

Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast is a stunning stretch of coastline that spans from Dubrovnik in the south to Zadar in the north.  It is home to breathtaking islands, dramatic scenery, and charming walled towns worth exploring.  While you could spend a week exploring the coastal towns, you should also visit Montenegro.  It’s a beautiful country next to Croatia.  Don’t miss Biogradska Gora National Park or Sveti Stefan.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Dubrovnik, drive to Split

Day Two: See Split

Day Three: Visit Hvar or Brac

Days Four and Five: Tour Dubrovnik

Day Six: Visit Kotor, Montenegro

Day Seven: Return to Dubrovnik

13. Paris And The Alsace Wine Region, France

Foodies and wine lovers should consider combining two of France’s most popular destinations in a one-week trip.  You can tour Paris for three days then take a high-speed train to Colmar.  Rent a car there, take a road trip through the Alsace wine region, and then return to Paris on the train. 

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Paris

Days Two and Three: Tour Paris

Day Four: Take the train to Colmar

Days Five and Six: Explore the Alsace wine region

Day Seven: Return to Paris via train 

14. The Lofoten Islands, Norway

Norway’s Lofoten Islands is a place where magnificent mountains meet brilliant white sand beaches, fishing villages dot the coastlines, and hiking trails crisscross through some of Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes.  This is a great way to spend one week in Europe if you enjoy hiking, the great outdoors, or taking pictures of stunning landscapes.  If you’re a hiker, the best time to visit is in the summer.  If you want to see the northern lights, wait until the winter.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in the Lofoten Islands

Days Two through Six: Explore islands

Day Seven: Fly to Oslo, fly home

15. Warsaw And Krakow, Poland

Explore two of Poland’s most popular cities as well as take a day trip or two.  Travel between these cities in either order via train.  In Warsaw, you can sample Polish food, walk through the historic old town, and get a history lesson at the museums.  

Krakow is a popular place for folks touring Poland.  It features budget-friendly restaurants, colorful streets, historic sites, and a massive market square.  Take the impressive Auschwitz-Birkenau day trip too.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Warsaw

Day Two: See Warsaw

Day Three: Go to Krakow

Days Four through Six: Tour Krakow

Day Seven: Take the Auschwitz-Birkenau trip

16. The French Riviera, France

The south of France is known for its beautiful coastal cities, vineyards, glamorous beaches, and one of the best cuisines on the planet.  Time your visit right, and attend the Cannes Film Festival or the Monaco Grand Prix.  Spend your week on the French Riviera and explore the coastal towns. Alternatively, you can take a two-day trip to Provence.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Nice

Day Two: See Nice

Day Three: Visit Villefranch-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Day Four: See Monaco and Eze

Day Five: Explore Antibes and Cannes

Days Six and Seven: Explore more of the  French Riviera or see Provence

17. Edinburgh And The Isle Of Skye, Scotland

Edinburgh is a city that is really easy to explore on foot.  Tour a castle, learn about whisky, climb up a volcano, and see where author JK Rowling got her inspiration for her famous Harry Potter books.  Take a scenic drive through the country to the popular Isle of Skye. There, explore the rugged, misty landscapes, look for fairies, and sample some fresh seafood.  This trip is also great for kids.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Edinburgh

Days Two and Three: Explore Edinburgh

Day Four: Go to the Isle of Skye

Days Five and Six: See Isle of Skye

Day Seven: Return to Edinburgh

18. Copenhagen And Stockholm; Denmark and Sweden

Tour two Scandinavian cities, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Copenhagen is known for its colorful buildings, and fabulous food scene, and can be explored on bicycles.  Visit one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, Tivoli Gardens!  In Stockholm, you can see City Hall, explore the charming streets of Gamla Stan, and learn something about the famous Nobel Peace Prize. Visit in the summer and see more of Sweden via a day trip to Sandhamn.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Copenhagen

Days Two and Three: Visit Copenhagen

Day Four: Fly to Stockholm

Days Five and Six See Stockholm

Day Seven: Visit Sandhamn, Sweden

19. Greece

You should fly directly to Santorini so you can start your island-hopping holiday right then and there.  There are several stunning islands from which to choose.  There are three isles, however, that are very easily visited via ferry.  Mykonos and Santorini are fantastic for first-timers, but Ios, Naxos, and Paros are must-see places as well!

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Land in Santorini

Days Two and Three: See Santorini

Days Four and Five: Visit Naxos

Days Six and Seven: Visit Mykonos

20. London And The Cotswolds, England 

Spend several busy but memorable days exploring London. Once you have your fill of city life, take a trip out into the countryside.  Visit the rugged, 5,000-year-old Stonehenge, the historic, spa town of Bath, popular Oxford, the city of spires, and Cotswolds and its scenic villages–Woodstock, Lacock, and Bourbon-on-the-Water. 

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Land in London

Days Two and Three: Tour London

Day Four: See Stonehenge and Bath

Days Five and Six Visit Cotswolds

Day Seven: Back to London

21. Iceland

Iceland is a cool, small country that offers some of the best outdoor experiences in Europe. With just one week in Iceland, you can embark on an epic road trip, walk on a real glacier, witness the northern lights, visit countless waterfalls, explore the lovely landscape of the Highlands, chill in a hot spring, stand on an actual volcano, or hike some of the world’s most scenic trails.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Iceland, See Blue Lagoon

Day Two: Visit Reykjavik

Day Three: Go to Golden Circle

Day Four: Take Landmannalaugar Day Trip

Days Five through Seven: See the South Coast of Iceland

22. Budapest, Vienna And Bratislava; Hungary, Austria, And Slovakia 

Here you spend a single week in Europe exploring the two beautiful cities of Vienna and Budapest, with a day trip to the charming and overlooked city of Bratislava.  All three of these cities are joined via direct trains, making it easy to plan your trip.  You can actually fly into Budapest and even fly home from Vienna or vice versa.  Whatever works for you! 

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Land in Budapest

Days Two and Three: Explore Budapest

Day Four: Go to Vienna

Days Five and Six: Visit Vienna

Day Seven: Take a Bratislava day trip from Vienna

23. Ljubljana And The Julian Alps, Slovenia

This small, mountainous country is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.  Explore the karst caves, visit Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj, hike the Julian Alps, and stroll through lovely Ljubljana. This trip is perfect for hikers, families, and anyone who enjoys road trips.  Enjoy the scenic gorges, the picture-perfect lakes and majestic mountains, and Triglav National Park.  Slovenia is truly a hidden gem that’s just waiting to be discovered!

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Ljubljana

Day Two: See Ljubljana

Day Three: Take a day trip to Predjama Castle and the Škocjan Caves

Day Four: Visit Lake Bled

Day Five: See Lake Bohinj

Day Six:  Visit Vintgar Gorge

Day Seven: Hike in the Julian Alps

24. Berlin And Prague, Germany And Czech Republic

Experience the best of both worlds by combining a pair of world-class cities with an exceptional, memorable road trip.  Your adventurous journey begins in Berlin, a diverse metropolis that is rich in culture and history.  Explore its beauteous squares, historical sites, and world-class museums.  Get a rental and take a drive to Prague.  Don’t forget to visit Rakotzbrucke, the fairytale bridge, and the striking Bastei Bridge too.  Conclude your one-week tour in the stunning city of Prague, where you can wander through its charming streets and immerse yourself in its unique, lively atmosphere.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Berlin

Days Two and Three See Berlin

Day Four: Go to Rakotzbrücke and Bastei Bridge, sleep in Dresden

Days Five Through Seven: Enjoy Prague

25. The Norwegian Fjords, Norway

Explore the landscapes of southern Norway.  This trip is perfect for your bucket list if you enjoy scenic drives, beautiful landscapes, and hiking in other countries.  Embark on an unforgettable journey through southern Norway. Start your adventure in Stavanger, a charming small town that’s the perfect base for two amazing hikes: popular Pulpit Rock and cragged Kjeragbolten.  

Head to the town of Odda.  Hike Trolltunga, a rock formation that looks like a troll’s tongue.  Next, visit Flam.  Enjoy a scenic train trip on the Flamsbana to Myrdal.  Lastly, end your visit in Bergen.

Travel Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Stavanger

Day Two: See Kjeragbolten

Day Three: Hike Pulpit Rock, drive to Trolltunga

Day Four: Explore Trolltunga

Day Five: See Flam and Myrdal 

Day Six: Road trip to Bergen

Day Seven: Last Day in Bergen

Have a good trip…whatever you decide!

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft in Europe. Then as now, witches were typically thought of as female, and most of the victims in the witch trials were women.

However, men were occasionally accused and executed for witchcraft as well. Sometimes, they were linked with a female witch. Other times, they were accused independently. In a few areas of Europe, such as Estonia and Normandy, men actually made up the majority of the accused.

10 John Fian

In late 1589, the Scottish king James VI traveled to Scandinavia to marry Princess Anne of Denmark. While sailing home, James and his new queen were stalled by terrible storms. Instead of bad luck, the Danish authorities blamed the weather on witchcraft, duly arresting and executing six supposed witches. Back in Scotland, some of James’s subjects were accused of a conspiracy to magically sink the king’s ship.

John Fian, a schoolteacher, was allegedly one of the plot’s ringmasters. According to the many wild legends surrounding him, Fian could fly and unlock doors by blowing on their locks. In one bizarre story, Fian asked a local boy to steal pubic hair from his sister. The hair was an ingredient for a love charm. But Fian was tricked and given cow hair, making a cow fall in love with him instead.^[1]

After being taken into custody for treason and witchcraft, Fian was tortured and interrogated. He confessed that the charges were true, escaped from jail, and then ended up being tortured again. This time, Fian recanted his confession and refused to budge, even after having his nails pulled out and his legs crushed. Despite Fian’s resilience, his interrogators and King James VI weren’t convinced. Fian was strangled and burned at the stake in Edinburgh in January 1591.

9 Thomas Weir

Thomas Weir was probably the last person anybody would suspect of being a witch. He was an elderly veteran of the English Civil War, a stern, religious man who was greatly respected in Edinburgh. In 1670, however, Weir suddenly suffered a kind of breakdown. He’d been harboring a lifetime of guilt and wasn’t nearly as saintly as everybody believed.

From the time his sister, Jane, was 16 until she was 50, Weir had repeatedly slept with her. He’d also had sex with his stepdaughter, his maid, and some mares and cows.^[2] After the secret was leaked, Weir and his sister were arrested for incest. Jane not only confirmed her brother’s claims but told the authorities that she and her brother were witches.

Weir freely admitted to being a witch. He claimed that he’d slept with the Devil and that his walking stick was actually a wand. In the end, Jane was repentant about what she’d done. On the other hand, Weir refused to apologize. Both brother and sister were sentenced to death, although curiously, only Jane was convicted of witchcraft.

8 John Walsh

Not everybody who used magic in Early Modern Europe was considered evil. In England and Wales, for example, the “white witch” used its magic for good. Since the label “witch” was a negative one, these benevolent magicians went by other names, like cunning-man, wise woman, or conjuror. Though they might have been popular with the ordinary people, these folk healers and seers weren’t always safe from the law.

In August 1566, an English white witch named John Walsh was arrested and questioned in Essex about his powers. Walsh claimed that he was in contact with fairies and that he could tell when a person was bewitched. He also had a familiar, a supernatural creature said to help witches with their magic.

Walsh’s familiar would come to him in the shape of a dog, bird, or cloven-footed man. It could identify thieves and tell Walsh where the guilty had hidden what they’d stolen. Walsh swore that he never hurt anybody with his magic, but what ultimately happened to him is unknown. Witches were hanged rather than burned in England. Convictions were rare, so there is a chance that Walsh was acquitted and let go.^[3]

7 Thomas Looten

In September 1659, a merchant named Thomas Looten was plagued with gossip that he’d killed a neighbor boy. Looten had given the boy a plum. When the boy died a few days later, some neighbors believed the plum was bewitched. To clear his name, Looten asked the town bailiff to arrest him and give him a trial.

Looten was apparently confident that the judges would take his side, saying he didn’t need a lawyer or counterevidence to prove his innocence. As it happened, things turned out the exact opposite. His neighbors testified against him, and a torturer claimed that there was a Devil’s mark on Looten’s body. After being strangled with a garrote, Looten told his interrogators that he attended sabbaths and earned his wealth from money that the Devil gave him.^[4]

A witchcraft confession was exactly what the authorities wanted. A day after his confession, Looten died in jail from his wounds. His corpse was burned and then publicly displayed. To cover the rest of his court costs, Looten’s property was also seized and sold off.

6 Quiwe Baarsen

The Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia, had a rich tradition of shamanism. Since ancient times, Norwegians had consulted Sami shamans, who maintained that they could tell the future and travel out of their bodies. The shamans used a special drum for their rituals, which put them in a trance and allowed their souls to roam around.

In 1625, the shaman Quiwe Baarsen was paid by a Norwegian named Niels Jonsen to summon wind for a voyage to the village of Hasvag.^[5] A while later, the wife of a man who left with Jonsen paid the shaman again, asking for good wind that would bring her husband’s ship home. This time, the spell went awry and Baarsen was afraid the wind was too strong.

Coincidentally, Jonsen and his crew drowned during a storm on their way back. Two years later, in May 1627, Baarsen was brought to trial by a court in Hasvag. He admitted to creating wind for Jonsen’s ship and explained how a Sami drum worked. The Christian court took Baarsen’s words as proof of witchcraft, ruling him responsible for the drownings and sending him off to be burned at the stake.

5 Andrew Man

Today, fairies are regarded as harmless, fictional creatures, but some witchcraft interrogators believed that they were demons in disguise. Other interrogators figured that they were delusions caused by Satan. But whatever the cause, people who claimed to be involved with fairies were sometimes tried for witchcraft.

In Scotland, several witch trials mentioned a figure known as the Queen of Elphame, a fairy queen who had an angel husband named Christsonday. Andrew Man, an elderly man who went on trial in 1597, said that he had a sexual relationship with the fairy queen.^[6] Man had first met the Queen 60 years earlier when he was a little boy. She later gave him the power to heal any animal or human.

Man had other magical powers as well, such as being able to steal a cow’s milk and tell the future. Christsonday acted as his familiar, and Man could summon the angel by uttering the word “Benedicite.” Man called Christsonday his lord and king, and he also said that he kissed Christsonday’s bottom. To the authorities, the bizarre story reeked of the Devil, and Man was burned for witchcraft.

4 Johannes Junius

Between 1624 and 1631, nearly 300 people were burned for witchcraft in the German city of Bamberg. The city was gripped with paranoia, and even government officials were suspected of being witches. In June 1628, the mayor Johannes Junius was questioned after he was allegedly seen at some sabbaths.

As with many other witch trials, Junius swore he was innocent until he finally broke down after being tortured. According to his confession, Junius met a demon woman who turned into a goat and threatened to break his neck unless Junius gave himself up to her. The woman disappeared and came back with more demons, and Junius was forced to renounce God and worship Satan.

Junius took the new name of Krix, and the demon woman who converted him became his lover. The demon encouraged Junius to kill his children. But he refused, leading her to beat him on one occasion.^[7]

A few weeks before his death at the stake, Junius sent his daughter a secret letter from prison. He said that his words were “sheer lies” and “made-up things” to keep himself from being tortured. He also mentioned his accusers, who admitted to lying and apologized to Junius before their own executions.

3 William Godfrey

In 1609, the farmer William Godfrey rented out a house to John and Susan Barber in New Romney, England. While living there, the Barbers would hear inexplicable dripping and knocking sounds on the ceiling, making them afraid that the house was haunted. After having a baby, Susan swore that three familiars sent by Godfrey tried to steal her child. The Barbers ended up leaving the house. The Holtons, the next couple to take the house, experienced ghostly phenomena, too.

It wasn’t only Godfrey’s house that weirded out his neighbors. The Barbers had terrible luck after moving to a new house and suspected that Godfrey was the cause. Strangely, the Holtons’ son, who suddenly fell sick in 1614, died an hour after Godfrey paid a visit to the house one day. After years of reputedly bewitching people and animals, Godfrey’s neighbors finally took him to court in April 1617.

William Clarke, a man who thought Godfrey had bewitched his ducks, was the first to testify. The trial lasted months. During the wait, Clarke and Godfrey got into a brawl after Godfrey joked about bewitching Clarke’s mare. Other neighbors were brought in as witnesses, but the court ultimately acquitted Godfrey in February 1618. The only person charged with anything turned out to be Clarke, who was fined for assaulting Godfrey.^[8]

2 Chonrad Stoeckhlin

Chonrad Stoeckhlin was a healer and horse wrangler who lived in the German town of Oberstdorf. In 1579, Stoeckhlin met a guardian angel who took him on a nocturnal journey to a “strange and distant place.” Stoeckhlin and his angel would go on these trips several times a year, accompanied by other travelers known as night phantoms. The night phantoms helped turn Stoeckhlin into a powerful healer, and he also learned how to identify witches.

Based on information from his night phantoms, Stoeckhlin accused a woman named Anna Enzensbergerin of being a witch in 1586. Enzensbergerin was arrested, but Stoeckhlin was also taken into custody. His stories about the night phantoms roused the authorities’ suspicion, and soon Stoeckhlin was being investigated as a witch, too.

During his trial, Stoeckhlin’s night phantoms were interpreted as witches. His guardian angel was seen as a demon, and the “strange and distant place” was theorized to be a sabbath. Furthermore, Enzensbergerin and another woman accused by Stoeckhlin confirmed that his mother was a witch.

After the usual bout of torture, Stoeckhlin confessed that everything was true. Ironically, the man who cried “witch” was sentenced to burn at the stake in January 1587.^[9]

1 Louis Gaufridi

In 1609, the French priest Father Romillon became convinced that two nuns, Madeleine and Louise, were possessed by demons. The women would go into horrible convulsions and cried and screamed when Romillon attempted to exorcise them.

Madeleine told Romillon that a priest named Louis Gaufridi had raped her when she was nine years old and that the same man had used spells to fill her body with demons. Months passed without the nuns getting any better, and they made more accusations against Gaufridi when another priest exorcised them.

In February 1611, Gaufridi was arrested and interrogated. He admitted that he was a witch, explaining that he had found a magical book in his uncle’s possessions years earlier.^[10] As he read the book, Gaufridi inadvertently summoned a demon. The demon made a deal with Gaufridi. In exchange for his body and soul, the demon would advance Gaufridi’s career and make any woman he wanted fall in love with him.

Madeleine was questioned as well, and both she and Gaufridi said they attended sabbaths together. In April the same year, Gaufridi was strangled and burned at the stake. Unsurprisingly, Madeleine was eventually accused of witchcraft herself. She was sentenced to life imprisonment but was let out early after serving 10 years.

Tristan Shaw runs a blog called Bizarre and Grotesque, where he writes about crime, folklore, and unsolved mysteries.

When you put the words “castle” and “Europe” together, several famous castles are bound to enter your mind. Thanks to the rise of social media, these renowned fortresses are more prevalent than ever. Perhaps the most famous castle in the world is Neuschwanstein, near Munich, Germany, which is said to be the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. There’s also Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle in England, made famous thanks to the British royal family and their many generations of rule. There’s the outrageously opulent Versailles Palace near Paris or Kronberg Castle in Denmark, the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

However, there are European castles other than Neuschwanstein and Versailles. Europe is full of unique castles, hidden gems found off the beaten path. With little effort, you’ll find giant fortresses looming over old towns, ornate beauties hidden in the mountains, ruins on the coast, ancient strongholds balanced on the edge of cliffs, and more. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t strike your fancy, whether you prefer to view from afar, from a hiking path, from the inner courtyard, from a boat, or just from your own two feet.

Here, we look at ten castles, in well-known castle destinations such as Germany and Ireland or in less-visited countries like Montenegro and Slovenia, that will have you plotting your own fairy-tale ending—or at least planning your next trip to these enchanted destinations!

10 Peles Castle
Romania

Peles Castle, high in the Carpathian Mountains, seems to be right from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s a happy and sudden surprise to come upon this ornate beauty in the remote woods, far from any large cities.

The building of the castle began in 1873 at the bequest of Carol I, king of Romania, who fell in love with the surrounding area. The castle took ten years to build and was immediately considered one of the most modern in Europe, thanks to the amenities.^[1] Additional work was done on the castle until 1914.

Today, you can tour the beautifully preserved interior (keep an eye out for the spiral staircase!) and the nearby Pelisor Castle, a smaller hunting lodge. Or you can just stare at Peles and imagine yourself using it as a stronghold from which to fight vampires. Or is that just me?

9 Spis Castle
Slovakia

High on the hills near the town of Spisske Podhradie in Slovakia, you’ll find the ruins of Spis Castle. Slovakia itself is even more off the castle path than any of the others on this list and is underrated as a tourist destination in general, often overlooked in favor of the more famous Czechia.

However, Slovakia is well worth a visit. The history and landscape are quintessential Central Europe, and Spis Castle adds to this charm. Spis has occupied the top of a hill above a small village since the 12th century and has been used as a defensive stronghold and as an upper-class courtier destination at various points in history, giving it a both a decorative and defensive air.^[2] The castle is in ruins now, but many sections have been preserved as a museum. Old, awesome, and in a spot you would never think to venture, it’s only for those in the know.

8 Cesky Krumlov Castle
Czechia

Although not nearly as famous as its big sister to the north, Prague Castle, Cesky Krumlov Castle in the south of Czechia has appeared in several films, for good reason. The unique pink tower rides high over the Vltava River and the ridiculously charming town of Cesky Krumlov.^[3]

Cesky Krumlov itself is a beautifully preserved medieval village, picturesquely situated on the same river that flows through Prague. The castle is the crowning glory of this hamlet, and the distinctive pink tower can be seen all over the surrounding countryside. When you visit, make sure to spot the bears living in the castle moat.

7 Karlstejn Castle
Czechia

Who knew Czechia had so many amazing castles? For a true medieval experience, visit Karlstejn Castle, a short hour’s train ride from Prague.^[4] Karlstejn appears over the flat farmlands well before you arrive, like a brooding giant, with its black roof and Gothic architecture. It will continue to loom over you as you make your way through the small village below from the train station.

The castle aims to transport you back to the medieval days, through food, the setup of the castle, and the artifacts on display. Grab a variety of sausages to sample, explore the ancient courtyard and battlements, and be sure to spot a blacksmith at work, performing his age-old craft.

6 Predjama Castle
Slovenia

Possibly one of the most unique castles in the entire world, Predjama Castle in Slovenia, about an hour south of the capital, Ljubljana, is built into a cave on the side of a cliff. That’s right—in a cave. If that wasn’t enticing enough, the Slovene version of Robin Hood, Erazem Lueger (also referred to as Erasmus of Lueg), famously lived and died here.^[5] He was able to evade the Holy Roman Emperor for so long thanks to a series of hidden passageways leading through the cave in which the castle was built. In fact, he was only defeated—while on the toilet, according to legend—because he was betrayed.

If this story straight from Game of Thrones doesn’t inspire you to visit, keep in mind that in 1991, treasure was discovered on the castle grounds as well. A robber baron, hidden treasure, secret passageways, a castle built into the side of cliff . . . Predjama Castle is truly the stuff of legends.

5 Bled Castle
Slovenia

Lake Bled in Slovenia is gaining international attention for its picturesque beauty. It’s easy to see why—the crystal blue waters of an alpine lake, full of history, a resort-type feel, a famous island church, and a castle. While the island in the lake with its accompanying church is more iconic as a symbol of Lake Bled and Slovenia itself, Bled Castle, towering over the lake on a nearby cliff, is equally stunning.^[6]

Bled Castle looms over the glacial lake, with the Julian Alps as a dramatic background. Reputed to be the oldest castle in Slovenia, dating from at least the year 1011, the castle today holds events such as weddings and important political meetings and boasts a restaurant, wine cellar, museum, and more. The best part? The views from the castle itself are breathtaking and give a unique vantage point to look upon the lake and surrounding mountains.

4 Castle Stalker
Scotland

Scotland is another place full of absolutely iconic castles. While many of these are worth a visit (such as Eilean Donan in the Highlands), the ones that you stumble upon unexpectedly seem even more magical. Castle Stalker, on an island in Loch Laich, is one such place. The small tower, inhabiting a tiny island on a classic Scottish loch, features a gorgeous background of mountains and the Highlands.

Loch Laich, located near Oban on the west coast of Scotland, has housed the small tower-keep since 1320. Castle Stalker has a long and varied history and has passed through the hands of many powerful Scottish clans, such as the Stewarts and Campbells.^[7] Today, Castle Stalker is privately owned and difficult to tour, but you can gaze at it from the shore any time of the year. Although Castle Stalker may seem hard to reach, it is ideally situated in the region of Argyll between many other well-known Scottish destinations.

3 San Giovanni Castle
Montenegro

San Giovanni Castle, also known as St. John’s Castle, is situated high above the breathtaking Kotor Bay, and the charming old town of Kotor itself, in Montenegro. San Giovanni has been a fort since Byzantine rule and has a long and storied history. The castle has known Venetian conquerors, survived several earthquakes, was bombed by British forces, and was occupied during World War II.^[8]

Today, San Giovanni is part of the greater Kotor fortifications, which extend down into the city walls of ancient Kotor itself. The fortifications were made a UNESCO site in 1979. The hike up to the castle is difficult, but the views from the top over Kotor, the bay, and the stunning Montenegrin mountains are well worth every step.

2 Ballinskelligs Castle
Ireland

It seems like every bend in the road in Ireland will give you a stunning vista, a charming cottage, or best yet, an ancient ruin. Ballinskelligs Castle, also known as McCarthy Mor Tower, is yet another of these ruins, made even more spectacular by the setting. Ballinskelligs Castle lies in the Ballinskelligs Bay and is only easily accessible when the tide is out, although it is visible from Ballinskelligs Beach. It is said that the tower was originally built as a stronghold to protect against pirates rampaging along the Irish coast.^[9]

A castle that combines the beauty of the Irish coast and pirates is one to add to your list! In addition, the castle is part of the Ring of Kerry, perhaps one of the most picturesque routes in the world.

1 Eger Castle
Hungary

Nestled in the “Valley of Beautiful Women” is the town of Eger, Hungary. Eger is a short two-hour train ride away from the Hungarian capital, Budapest. While Eger isn’t well-known outside of Hungary, the city and its corresponding castle are full of rich history.

Eger Castle is the storied site of the famous eponymous siege in 1552, in which the Hungarians stopped the invading Ottomans in their tracks.^[10] The monthlong siege, which ultimately failed, stopped the further invasion of the Ottomans for roughly another 50 years. Legend says that when the Ottomans fled, they told tales of the Hungarians and their strength, which they believed was due to the Hungarian tradition of drinking “bull’s blood” for extra energy and power. This “bull’s blood” was actually red wine, a specific wine to the region that retains its name to this day—Egri Bikaver.

The castle is a short hike up from the lovely little square, with a view over the city and the valley. After a tour of the castle, make your way to the famous wine cellars of the valley, where you can try Egri Bikaver and a variety of other fresh local wines besides, straight from the source. Cellar-hopping. It’s the new wine-tasting.

Amy McMahon currently resides in Montana with her husband and baby daughter, after spending ten years living and teaching all over the globe, from Peru to China to Hungary. Find more of her storytelling at her blog, Amy and the Great World, or on Instagram: @amygreatworld.

There’s no shortage of armchair experts on World War 2, due to the humongous scale and impact of the war, and its relative proximity to today. While widespread passion for history is great, it’s important to not fall for the huge number of myths and misconceptions surrounding the conflict. From winter saving Stalin’s neck to D-Day being a turning point, let’s bust some myths about WW2 in Europe. 

10. Blitzkrieg was an official strategy 

As German armies bulldozed their way through Europe in the opening blows of WW2, one word was plastered across global newspapers: “Blitzkrieg.” Meaning “lightning war” in English, it was the official battlefield doctrine of the Nazi war machine and was employed with devastating effect from 1939 to early 1942. Right? 

Well, not really. First, the only thing directly implied by “lightning war” is “attacking fast,” and it would be absurd to suggest the Nazis were the first ones to come up with that idea. It’s not like Alexander the Great used to tell his guys to “attack slow and make sure they see us coming.”

Turns out, the Germans were as surprised by the speed of their success in Poland and France as anyone else was, indicating that they were anticipating much longer, more difficult campaigns than they actually got. 

In the end, “Blitzkrieg” was a buzzword coined by the press to sell newspapers. The Germans were just making the most of out what they had to work with. 

9. Germany was more mechanized than the Allies

Europe stood no chance against Hitler’s Wehrmacht in the early years of the war. While Britain and France were still working with old WWI equipment and strategies, the Germans were using the most bleeding edge tech of the day. 

Nope! As it turns out, the image of legions of Panzers being the tip of a mechanized German spear was an invention of Nazi propaganda. They wanted the world to look on their war machine with envy and fear. But the reality was vastly different. Due to shortages of oil and spare parts that only worsened as the war continued, the Germans were actually far more reliant on marching, as well as horses and other pack animals, to get around, than any of their foes. 

When they attacked France in 1940, only 16 of their 135 divisions were mechanized. In November 1943, 52 of 322 total divisions were mechanized, and a year later, only 42 of 264 divisions got around without horses. The Allies, meanwhile, enjoyed almost full mechanization due to an abundance of oil, spare parts, trained mechanics and engineers, and every other critical resource of which the Third Reich was cripplingly short.

8. The Soviets relied on human wave attacks 

Nobody suffered more in WW2 than the USSR, which lost at least 26 million people. But they inflicted many casualties on themselves through human wave attacks: hurling masses of inadequately armed peasants into German machine guns until there was no ammo left to resist them. With limitless manpower, who needs better tactics? 

Yeah, no. Did the Soviets launch poorly coordinated infantry assaults in the desperate early months of the war, that the Germans may have mistaken for human wave attacks? Many times. But they learned. And at no point were Red Army soldiers ever sent into combat without weapons. Also, regarding “limitless manpower,” their numerical superiority was significant – but rarely exceeded 3:1 odds in their favor: not enough of an advantage to recklessly waste the lives of their men. 

Let’s also debunk the myth that the Soviets never learned from their mistakes. During the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, for example, they stopped spreading anti-tank guns evenly along the line and grouped them together in well-defended hardpoints. It’s just one example, but it’s enough to disprove the notion that they were nothing but savage, idiot brutes who relied solely on overwhelming numbers. 

7. Winter saved the USSR

The Axis were unstoppable leading up to their invasion of the Soviet Union. But then they stupidly invaded Russia during the winter and forgot to bring jackets! With temperatures plummeting, they were forced into retreat. 

Okay, let’s put this tiresome, cartoonish myth to bed. No, the Germans did not invade during the winter. Operation Barbarossa began on June 22, 1941 – the second day of summer. The Germans merely thought the campaign would be over long before winter started. It seems foolish in hindsight, but they weren’t alone in thinking that the battle-hardened Wehrmacht that had brought France to heel in just 6 weeks could make short work of an unprepared Red Army. 

When the winter hit, both sides suffered from it. And if anything, it helped the Germans more because it froze the ground solid and allowed Panzers to get back on the road to Moscow after spending months stuck in the Autumn mud. Rather, it was fanatical Soviet resistance, and German logistics breaking down so deep into freezing enemy territory, that saved Moscow and allowed the Red Army to fight another day. 

6. The Soviets slaughtered their own men

Movies love depicting Soviet officers in WW2 gleefully shooting their own men for anything that even looked like cowardice, defeatism, or desertion. But is there any truth to this? 

A little – but just a little. Blocking detachments, which had orders to fire on their own men to prevent unauthorized withdrawal, did exist. They were established in summer 1942 by Stalin’s Order no. 227 (made famous by the quote “Not a step back!”) to enforce a new no-retreat policy as the Germans advanced into the Caucasus, and towards Stalingrad. 

But here’s the thing: any army desperate enough to employ such measures to prevent the collapse of the front line was certainly too desperate to waste good men and weapons outfitting them. Therefore, actual blocking units were far more toothless than popular history suggests, and were really only useful for rounding up stragglers. 

Of the 900,000 Soviets found guilty of cowardice throughout the war (a small fraction of the total Red Army), 422,000 were sent to penal (punishment) battalions, and 436,000 were jailed. Very few men were executed during the war, much less on the spot and without trial. 

5. D-Day was the turning point 

Hitler was winning the war on June 5, 1944. But then Anglo-American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, in Nazi-occupied France, bringing about Germany’s defeat less than a year later. 

Well… not exactly. Operation Overlord was a huge deal: it opened up a second front, and laid the foundations for the liberation of Western Europe and the downfall of the Third Riech. 

But a turning point? Not so much, because the Germans were well on their way to defeat by 1944. It’s tough identifying a single turning point in a war this big, but November 1942 might be the closest we’ll get. That month, the Germans suffered back-to-back-to-back reversals from which they never recovered. In Africa, a tide-turning British triumph at El Alamein immediately preceded long-awaited American landings in Operation Torch, which began squeezing the Axis out of the continent entirely. Weeks later, the Soviets surrounded the Germans at Stalingrad. Germany still held onto much of its conquered territory in June 1944, but the battles that in hindsight determined the war’s final outcome had already been fought. 

Rather than turning the tide, it’s more accurate to say that D-Day accelerated an already inevitable Allied victory. 

4. The Western Allies weren’t important 

The narrative that brave, selfless America and plucky sidekick England saved the world from Hitler alone has been rightfully criticized. But while it’s true that the Soviets did much of the fighting and dying in Europe, it’s an overcorrection to say that the Western Allies dawdled on the sidelines and jumped in at the last second to seize the glory. 

Between the Allied blockade, the Battle of the Atlantic which destroyed the German Navy, Lend-Lease, and the strategic bombing campaign which devastated Axis industry and cities and which tied down and destroyed the once-mighty Luftwaffe (thus preventing the German air force from supporting the front, giving their enemies a decisive edge), the Allies took a huge bite out of Hitler’s plans. Furthermore, the Western Allies still liberated massive swaths of territory from, and inflicted huge casualties on, the Axis, and captured millions of POWs in the process (just as effective as killing them if your goal is to remove enemy combatants from circulation). They also prevented the Germans from ever being able to fully concentrate on the Eastern front. 

It’s not diminishing the sacrifice of the Soviets to appreciate the importance of the Western Allies. 

3. Germany almost won the war with an atomic bomb 

Several issues here. First, Germany was never getting a bomb. Between Nazi rejection of “Jewish science” (nuclear physics), Allied sabotage, and resources being needed elsewhere, their atomic program was mothballed long before the science, much less the logistics, of developing one had been worked out. 

Second, it wouldn’t have saved them. It would take multiple nukes to bring Britain, the USSR, and the USA to heel – none of which would’ve been on the brink of defeat, when shock and awe weapons are most psychologically effective. Furthermore, the Germans lacked bombers capable of carrying such a device. And where would they drop it? London was the easiest target, but also the capital of the least threatening member of the “Big Three.” The Soviets had already lost 26 million people (what’s another 80,000?) and New York was well out of reach. 

For Germany to blast its enemies to oblivion, it would need a larger (unbombed) economy to develop multiple nukes, and control of the seas and skies to deliver them. If they had those advantages, they’d be winning the war without a Bomb in the first place and therefore wouldn’t need it.

2. The Wehrmacht didn’t commit atrocities 

Everyone knows the Nazis were evil, but the worst were the SS. Short for Schutzstaffel, this group (and its paramilitary arm, the Waffen SS) was controlled directly by the Nazi party and responsible for many of their most heinous crimes, from massacring civilians in the field to staffing the Reich’s numerous concentration and death camps, like Mathausen and Auschwitz. Regular Wehrmacht soldiers shunned such behavior and were just trying to fight the war. 

Yeah, let’s stop right there. This is the so-called “clean hands” myth, and was cooked up by Wehrmacht generals after the war as a way of absolving themselves of responsibility for countless atrocities. 

Putting aside the fact that the distinction implied by “controlled by the Nazi Party” isn’t meaningful in a totalitarian regime where everyone answered to Hitler, the fact of the matter is that the German military not only happily participated in war crimes and massacres, but that it was an anti-semitic organization before the Nazis even came to power. Furthermore, to Hitler’s Germany, mass murder wasn’t just an accidental byproduct of their conquests – it was the entire point. German soldiers were fighting for genocide. And they knew it. 

1. Germany could have won 

No, they couldn’t have. Why would capturing Moscow force the Soviets to quit? Sure didn’t help Napoleon. Why would Hitler merely listening to his generals more have changed anything? They agreed with him most of the time and weren’t always right when they didn’t. Merely producing more of this tank or that plane wouldn’t have saved them, either, due to oil shortages and logistical problems preventing them from being properly utilized. And Nazi “wonder weapons” were either laughably unfeasible or didn’t work well enough to change anything. 

It’s true that Hitler foolishly forbade some retreats that might’ve prevented this or that disaster. But he authorized withdrawals at Rzhev, Kursk, and Southern France. Those retreats didn’t save Germany. And even if the Nazis had averted a few more disasters, it would’ve only extended the war long enough for them to get nuked. 

Here’s the thing – Germany didn’t lose because it made blunders, and therefore couldn’t have won by merely avoiding them. It lost because it was outnumbered, outgunned, out-industrialized, and out of fuel. One way or another, these Nazi buffoons were going down. Maybe they shouldn’t have picked a fight with the whole world in the first place?

Lost cities have long been the subject of fascination. Places like Atlantis, El Dorado, or the Lost City Of Z have stirred all sorts of wild theories and deadly expeditions but to no avail. Others like Troy, Petra, Memphis, or Machu Pichu have since been rediscovered. When it comes to lost cities, we tend to think of mysterious faraway places. Yet too, the Old Continent has its fair share. Some of these long-lost European cities were only recently discovered by accident, others still remain missing, while some have since entered the realm of myth and legend.

10. Jomsborg (Poland or Germany)

Made recently popular by the second season of Vikings: Valhalla TV show, Jomsborg was a fortified settlement and home of the Jomsvikings. Located somewhere on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, most likely in what is now northwestern Poland, Jomsborg is believed to have existed between around 960 and 1043 AD.

Its inhabitants, the Jomsvikings, were a group of Viking warriors who, although strongly believed in the old Norse gods, were mercenaries and fought for whoever paid better. Some have claimed the Jomsvikings were an elite group of men 18 to 50 years old who adhered to a strict code of conduct. They were allowed to join only after defeating another member in single combat. They were also forbidden to quarrel among themselves, show fear, flee in the face of an equal or inferior enemy, or badmouth their brothers in arms, among other things. 

The exact location of Jomsborg, however, remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. In fact, some scholars aren’t even convinced it ever existed, dismissing it as mere legend. The most comprehensive mentions of the fortress and its warriors are in the Icelandic sagas, particularly The Saga of the Jomsvikings from the 13th century. After a couple of serious defeats on the field of battle, the Jomsvikings’ power and influence began to wane, culminating with the siege and destruction of Jomsborg in 1043 by the King of Norway, Magnus Olafsson, also known as “the Good”.   

One possible location for Jomsborg is in or around the present-day town of Wolin, in present-day northwestern Poland, on the island with the same name. Although historical sources seem to indicate this area, archeological evidence doesn’t completely corroborate it. Another possible location would be on Usedom Island next to Wolin, on the German side of the Oder River, on land that is now submerged.   

9. Seuthopolis (Bulgaria)

Founded sometime during the last quarter of the 4th century BC by King Seuthes III, Seuthopolis was the capital city of the Odrysian Kingdom. This was a Thracian kingdom that came into existence due, in large part, to the retreat of the Persians from Europe as a result of their failed invasion of Greece in 479 BC and the power vacuum they left behind. A longtime ally of Athens, the Odrysian Kingdom became the largest political entity in the eastern Balkans, encompassing much of today’s Bulgaria, Northern Greece, Southeastern Romania, and European Turkey. However, before the foundation of Seuthopolis, there was no fixed capital.

Lost for centuries, Seuthopolis was only discovered in 1948 during the construction of the Koprinka Reservoir in the Rose Valley, central Bulgaria. Archeological digs uncovered Seuthopolis as an elite Thracian settlement with numerous Greek-Hellenistic influences. Although different enough not to be equated to a true Hellenic polis, Seuthopolis had Greek-style houses and buildings. It also had two main roads that intersected in the center of the settlement, creating an agora. Most of the streets were paved, had underground drains, and were built in a grid pattern to create rectangular insulae. 

But unlike typical Greek-Hellenistic towns, the common people of Seuthopolis lived outside the city walls. Its buildings were typically spacious and luxurious and had ample space between them. The king’s palace was also separated from the rest of the town by walls and watchtowers. This points to a lack of “national unity” within the Odrysian Kingdom, with the king being more of an overlord over other tribal leaders. Another distinctive feature is that every house had its own altar, known as eschar, common in the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Other similar archeological and historical evidence points to Seuthopolis being a religious center and Seuthes a priest-king. 

8. Noreia (Austria)

Located somewhere on the eastern slopes of the Alps in present-day southern Austria, Noreia was described by Julius Caesar as the capital city of the Kingdom of Noricum. Known to the Romans as regnum Noricum, this was a Celtic kingdom comprised predominantly of the Taurisci; the largest of the Norici tribes. At its largest extent, Noricum was comprised of modern central Austria, parts of southern Bavaria, and northern Slovenia. 

As early as 500 BC, the Celts discovered that the iron ore mined in the area produced high-quality steel and established a major industry around it. Starting from around 200 BC, Noricum became a strong ally to the Roman Republic, providing it with superior weapons and tools in exchange for military support. In fact, the Romans came to the aid of the Norici when a large host of two Germanic tribes, the Cimbri and the Teutones, descended upon their territory. Although the Battle of Noreia in 112 BC resulted in a resounding defeat for the Romans, they would go on to win the Cimbric War that followed.  

The exact location of the battle and the capital city of the Kingdom of Noricum are still debated today. Even Pliny the Elder, who lived during the 1st century AD, already referred to Noreia as a lost city during his lifetime. To confuse matters further, Noriea was also the name of the national goddess of Noricum. For this reason, the name could have been given to more than one place. 

7. Castro (Italy)

Located in modern-day Lazio on the western side of Lake Bolsena, Castro was an ancient city founded during prehistoric times. It was later inhabited by the Etruscans, probably being their own lost city of Statonia. In 1537, Pope Paul III created the Dutchy of Castro, made the city of Castro its capital, and installed his son, Pier Luigi Farnese, as its Duke.

The Farnese Family remained in charge of both the Dutchy and the city until 1649 when they came to butt heads with Pope Innocent X over past grievances. The Pope also accused Ranuccio II Farnese of assassinating the newly appointed bishop of Castro and marched the Papal armies to battle. In August, the Duke lost the war and on September 2, 1649, the city was completely leveled on the Pope’s orders. 

In a final act of revenge, the Pope also raised a column among the smoldering ruins with the inscription Quì fu Castro (Here stood Castro). The city was never resettled and is now an overgrown ruin in an, otherwise, picturesque location overlooking the countryside. 

6. Evonium (Scotland)

First mentioned in the 16th century by the Scottish humanist and historian Hector Boece, Evonium was the coronation site and seat of power of forty Scottish kings. Evonium was supposedly built by the 12th king, Evenus I (98-79 BC) who named it after himself. Being heavily intertwined with myth and legend, however, Boece’s writings, as well as the list of ancient Scottish kings going back to 330 BC, should be taken with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, the genealogy of these semi-mythical monarchs was in place at least as early as the 13th century AD.

Evonium is believed by many to be at Dunstaffnage, close to the town of Oban in western Scotland. Yet, Scottish historian AJ Morton argues that if Evonium ever truly existed, it would have probably been at Irvine further to the south. Among his other arguments, Morton points to Irvine’s significant strategic importance as both an administrative and military center during the Middle Ages compared to Dunstaffnage’s remote location. He also points to Irvine’s surrounding lands being known historically as Cunninghame, which could be translated as “king’s home,” as well as the many old Scottish rulers who either came from or lived in the area. 

In any case, given the unreliable nature of the available evidence, Evonium could be somewhat seen as the Scottish version of the English Camelot; a legendary and romanticized seat of power instead of an actual historical location. 

5. Pavlopetri (Greece)

In 1967, on the southern tip of the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece, marine geo-archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Flemming uncovered the ancient ruins of a long-lost settlement. Pavlopetri (Paul’s Stone) is considered to be the oldest underwater city in the Mediterranean and among the oldest in the world. 

Initially believed to date back to the Mycenaean period (between 1600 to 1100 BC), further investigations revealed that it was inhabited as early as the Final Neolithic around 3500 BC. Archeological studies have also shown that the settlement was a major trade port and had a significant textile industry. Cist graves and chamber tombs were also found, indicating a stratification of social classes within the city. The ruins still hold their original layout since they were never built over or were affected by centuries of agriculture. 

The ancient Greek settlement is believed to have slowly gone beneath the waves after a series of several earthquakes spanning many centuries. Researchers hypothesize that back when it was first founded, Pavlopetri stood roughly seven to ten feet above sea level. By 1200 BC, it was only about three feet above the shoreline. Further tectonic activity finally pushed it down some 13 feet below sea level sometime around 480 to 650 AD.   

4. Vicina (Romania)

Located somewhere on the Lower Danube in present-day southeastern Romania, the town of Vicina was once the most flourishing trading hub in the region. Its main advantage, but what scholars also believe led to its eventual demise was the specific geopolitical circumstances in the region at the time. Vicina was built by the Genovese as an Emporia (tradepost) sometime during the 10th century. The town reached its peak during the 13th century, went into decline during the mid-14th century, and eventually disappeared from records by the end of the 15th. 

At the time, the Danube Delta was the meeting point between the Byzantine Empire, the Golden Horde, and the West. And being located on a major navigable river, Vicina was strategically placed to conduct trade between them. The Mongol conquest of the surrounding region during the 13th century also led to a relatively peaceful time for the inhabitants known as the Pax Mongolica, which further facilitated commerce. Vicina was ruled at different times by either the Genovese, the Pechenegs, Byzantines, Mongols, Turks, or Tatars yet trade was never interrupted – quite the contrary – as all parties benefited. 

Its decline began in the aftermath of the Genovese-Byzantine War of 1351-1352 when the Byzantines lost their foothold in the Lower Danube. The power vacuum and increased instability in the region led to the rearrangement of the regional trade routes with the West through the port in Braila on the more peaceful Wallachian side of the river. Some scholars also believe Vicina’s complete disappearance resulted from a natural phenomenon not simply geopolitical factors. Based on some maps and descriptions at the time, they believe this once mighty trade center was located on an island that eventually sank beneath the river. 

3. The Ring (Hungary)

After the death of Attila de Hun, aka the Scourge of God, and the dissolution of the Hunnic Empire in 469 AD, Europe was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, this was not to last as another group of warmongering horse lords from the Mongolian Steppes, the Avars, was to take their place soon after. 

In 567 AD, Under King Bayan I the Avars defeated the Gepids in the Pannonian Plain and made it their home. Incidentally, the Gepids were the same people who drove out the Huns from there roughly 100 years prior. Some accounts even say that Bayan killed the Gepid king Cunimund and turned his skull into a wine cup. Over the coming years, the Avars under Bayan I would expand their newly-formed Khaganate in all directions, subjugating the local populace and using them as “cannon fodder” in their future wars. 

According to historian Erik Hildinger, “The Avars established their headquarters near Attila’s old capital of a hundred years before and fortified it. It was known as The Ring.” The name probably comes from its circular shape but not much else is known about it. Over the coming centuries, they would conduct many raids, particularly against the Byzantines in the Balkans’ even laying siege to Constantinople at one point.  

It was with Charlemagne of the Franks, who rose to power in 768 AD, that the Avars finally met their match. He led several successful campaigns that eventually pushed the Avars into a disastrous civil war in 794 AD. Charlemagne was then able to easily capture The Ring the next year, which was laden with centuries’ worth of plundered treasure. It’s said that fifteen wagons, pulled by four oxen each, were needed to haul this hoard back to Paris. The exact location of The Avar Ring is unknown but it’s believed to be somewhere in Hungary between the Danube and Tisza Rivers. 

2. Rungholt (Germany)

Long believed to be a local legend and dubbed by some as the “Northern Atlantis,” the city of Rungholt in present-day northern Germany was very likely a real place. Although the exact location still remains unconfirmed, this once-flourishing trade port sank beneath the waves of the Wadden Sea in the second half of the 14th century AD. This was a period of extreme storm events in the North Sea area that caused many land losses by turning arable marshlands into tidal flats. This was the same fate that befell the medieval Uthland region of present-day North Frisia where Rungholt once stood. 

In mid-January 1362 a particularly devastating storm surge known as the Second Grote Mandrenke (2nd St. Marcellus’ flood) destroyed over 30 settlements and killed roughly 10,000 people in the area out of a total of roughly 25,000 across other parts of the North Sea coast, Britain, and Ireland. The storm also pushed the shoreline by many miles to roughly its present-day location. Rungholt was the largest of these settlements in the region and an important commercial node between Scandinavia, Northern Germany, Flanders, and England. Historians estimate that around 2,000 people (a third of the population of Hamburg at the time) lived in the city when the storm hit. 

1. Tartessos (Spain)

Even as early as the first millennium BC, Tartessos was known all across the Mediterranean as one of, if not the wealthiest city of its time. It was seen by many as a sort of “El Dorado” of the ancient world. Located on the southern coast of modern Andalusia in Spain, Tartessos was the name of both the region and the supposed harbor city. The Tartessian culture was a mix of Phoenician and Paleohispanic people who took great advantage of the rich metal ore deposits such as copper, tin, lead, silver, and gold. 

Thanks to these precious commodities, Tartessos’ wealth and fame even made it into the Bible in several chapters. One example is in the “Book of Kings 10:20” of the Old Testament, where it says that “For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish [Tartessos] with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.” 

And speaking of kings, Arganthonios (Argantonio in Spanish) was the most important leader of Tartessos who ruled from 630 BC to 550 BC. His name loosely translates to “King of Silver” or “The Silver One” which made some speculate that this was more of a title than an actual name. 

Given the semi-legendary nature of historical sources surrounding Tartessos, scholars long believed it to be a myth. In fact, due to Herodotus’ description of it being beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar), some have even gone as far as saying that Tartessos was actually the mythical Atlantis. To further give credence to this idea, the city of Tartessos is believed to have sunken somewhere in the present-day marshes of the Guadalquivir River, southwest of Seville, which at the time formed a navigable estuary that led into the Atlantic.

One day, once the ‘great re-opening’ occurs, we all hope that international travel with commence again. In that spirit, why not plan a totally off-the-wall, weird tour of Europe? That question was rhetorical…

From magical roads to vampire preventions methods, beer gods to little slices of America, Europe is full of wacky, weird and wonderful attractions, all ready to open back up and accept visitors. Take the list, make your booking (when safe to do so) and get ready to see Europe in a different way.

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10 Tring Natural History Museum, Tring, England

On the surface, this isn’t all that weird an attraction to visit. This museum is affiliated with the larger ‘National History Museum’ located in London, effectively making the Tring site a regional outpost for one of the world’s best-known museums. But a mere outpost it is not—the museum dates back to 1889, originally built to house the private collection of taxidermy animals amassed by Lionel Walter Rothschild (yes, one of the Rothschilds of banking dynasty fame. Keep your tinfoil hat on…) The museum has maintained an impressive, invaluable number of the Victorian-era exhibits and remains one of the most important collections of taxidermy anywhere in the world.

Not that weird, though, is it? Wait until you see the fleas. The museum’s collection of dressed-up Mexican fleas is quite a sight… if you look really close, of course. Sold as tourist curios over a century ago, these colourful little beasties are quite bizarre.

What would you do with them once purchased, invite guests to look at them through a huge spyglass? Yes, that is exactly what was expected (after a dinner party and good old glug of some laudanum-laced absinthe, most likely). Now you can go to Tring and see an extensive collection of these oddities. Jeez, the things people used to find entertaining, eh? Ok maybe things haven’t improved that much.

9 The Magic Hill, Dundalk, Ireland

Any place with ‘magic’ in the name seems like it’s bound to be lame – probably just an awful kiddies’ theme park with slow rides and washed-up losers parading around in costumes. The ‘Magic Hill’ in Ireland certainly bucks this trend. It is gloriously weird.

The road is found in the countryside beyond Dundalk in County Louth, Ireland. It runs up or down, depending on which side of the road your travelling, and displays a very curious effect – cars that are left in neutral (not in gear) and with the parking break off will start to gently roll uphill. The effect remained unexplained until Dr. Eoghan Sweeny-O’Connor from Trinity College Dublin’s “Department of Celtic Sciences” discovered that it was the combination of residual magical energies emitted by a nearby colony of leprechauns paired with the gasses occasionally emitted by fating banshees passing by that caused the laws of physics to reverse.

Or, if you haven’t decided to write a listicle whilst drinking a bottle of Black Bush whiskey, it’s just an optical illusion; the countryside surrounding the road slopes in such a way as to trick you into thinking the road slopes that way also. In fact, the road goes ever so slightly the opposite way, causing the effect. Still, if you find yourself in Dundalk with time to kill, why not go there, leave your car in neutral* and go up and down the Magic Hill. Calling out “Weeeee!” whilst doing so is a hallowed Irish tradition, and thus obligatory.

*WARNING – expect to get rear-ended by at least 1 tractor when doing the above action

8 Ride And Eat On The Bustronome, Paris, France

Paris isn’t short on nice places to eat. The main issue with all the amazing restaurants in France’s capital is that they don’t move. Enter the Bustronome, a mobile restaurant that lets see the city and eat some pan seared beef cheeks with carrots followed by a lemon and meringue intermezzo, all at the same time… the sites and the food, not the beef and the meringue, that is.

You’ll travel around the ‘City of Light’ in a converted double-decker bus, eating a six course sampling menu (four courses for lunchtime bookings), listening to gentle music and take in the sights. The roof has also been converted to a fully transparent one, making the guest feel as though they are dining on a cruise ship sailing gently through on of the world’s foremost metropolises. Bon Appétit!

7 Mini Hollywood, Tabernas, Spain

What could be more surprising than the fact that Spain has Europe’s only sandy desert? Probably the fact that there is an amusement park with a Wild West style town plonked in the middle of it.

This theme park has a pretty cool history – back in the age of the ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ (the 1960s), the site was used to film such classics as Sergio Leone’s ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ and ‘A Few Dollars More’. It was also used to film (the far less impressive) ‘A Town Called Mercy’ episode of the re-booted ‘Doctor Who’ series in 2012.

The park boasts a panoply of live-action stunt-based events every day – a bank raid, gunfights and even a re-enactment of the death of famed Old West bandit Jesse James. There’s a zoo, a swimming pool and a play barn for the kids. Plus, mercifully for parents, a saloon. No opium dens or bordellos; the period specific authenticity only stretches so far, it seems.

6 Spreuerhofstraße, Reutlingen, Germany

There are plenty of streets in major cities all over the globe where it would be prudent for a person to take a deep breath and hold whilst walking – there are some pretty polluted, unsanitary places around. In Reutlingen, a beautiful medieval city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, there is a street where a sharp intake of breath is required for a very different reason—it’s 31cm (12.3 inches) wide. The narrow lane was built in 1727 as a part of a reconstruction in the city after a fire had raised large tranches of it the previous year. A better city planner may have decided against building this titchy walkway, but hey, it’s there.

Now, according to the Guinness Book of World records, this is the narrowest street in the world. But there is a street in France – ‘L’Andouno’ in the commune of Gassin – which is 29cm at its narrowest point. But a shiny, annual almanac has deemed the German street as the narrowest there is, so that’s the one you should visit… as long as you don’t down several steins of beer and a couple of bratwursts before you try to, that is.

5 Rynek Underground, Kravov, Poland

Underground museum with innovative light projections on smoke? Awesome. Preserved cemetery with an exhibit on anti-vampire burial customs? Uh… how many stairs are there to climb back out?

Your entrance to this popular museum is pretty unspectacular – a nondescript little door. But as you descend, your welcomed by a short film projected onto a wall of smoke that gives an overview of the site and its history. That’s more like it!

The exhibits make heavy use of modern tech, with touch screens and holograms everywhere. This modern approach to curation contrasts with the fact that you are not really in a museum – you’re walking around an archaeological dig site, albeit a fancily packaged one. The place is vast and dimly lit, so older visitors or families with small kids may want to steer clear. Medieval history buffs, prospective Van Helsings and Indiana Jones wannabes? This is the museum for you.

Located in one of Europe’s most amazing cities, this cool museum is a great place to visit in order to shake up your city break – nice meal, historic architecture, subterranean vampire-deterring graveyard experience. Not exactly a trip to the Louvre, is it?

4 Fekete SasPatikamúzeum, Székesfehérvár, Hungray

From an uncovered historical site found underground, we now go to a preserved historical site found on a normal Hungarian street. Back in 1688, just after the nation’s liberation from the Ottoman Empire, the first ‘modern’ pharmacist (‘modern’ insofar as he was a guy who didn’t try to cure your plague after consulting chicken entrails) set up shop in the central Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár. After changing hands a few times over the centuries, the site continued to operate right up until 1971.

A few years later, it passed to the King István museum. The shop was restored and renovated, the beautiful baroque wood carvings polished and patched, and the centuries of collected pharmaceutical artefacts collected and put on display. As you walk around, you can marvel at the ornate carvings and wonder if that was one of the last sights some ill Hungarian saw before getting prescribed some powdered mummy to cure his TB.

This place is really stunning, a glimpse of a bygone era and a lost world – a world emerging from the middle ages into the age of reason.

3 The Visnes Statue of Liberty, Karmoy, Norway

This is the perfect place to visit if you like classic Americana but also value your respiratory health. Or hate bagels. It’s a little slice of freedom near the village of Visnes up in Europe’s frozen north. A scaled down Lady Liberty. God bless, uh, Norway!

So why is this here, near a small village in northern Europe? Was Abraham Lincoln a fan of pickled herring? Did Martin Luther King Jnr support Tromsø football club? Was Donald Trump actually born in Bergen (please, run with that one conspiracy theorists – it’d be hilarious)?

The truth, although still cool, is a good deal more mundane. It had been rumoured for decades that the copper used in the making of the New York statue came from the French-owned mine in the area. At the centennial celebrations of the statue, researchers uncovered that the copper had indeed come from the Visnes mine. By 1986, tests had been conducted on samples of copper from the statue, confirming that it was indeed from Norway.

2 Statue Of Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton Boulevard, Pristina, Kosovo

A Wild West theme park and randomly located Lady Liberty not American enough for you? How about a giant statue of the good ole’ US of A’s greatest ever president (according to numerous studies conducted by experts at the Clinton Foundation)?

But if chest-clutching, tear-jerking patriotism isn’t your thing, maybe badly rendered statues of famous people is. Since Blackpool, England’s main attraction – no not the tower, the beach or the theme park, we mean ‘Louis Tussaud’s House of Wax’, the single worst wax museum ever—decided to ditch their crappy old waxworks in favour of ‘realistic’ models, this statue in Kosovo can help you scratch that hilariously unrealistic itch. It really looks nothing like him. And that’s just wonderful.

1 The Altar Of Ragutis, Vilnius, Lithuania

Beer is god to many people nowadays. It seems that this was true for ancient Lithuanians too, given that central Vilnius still has an altar to the God of Beer found in a small park. Well, Ragutis is one god of beer – there are 2 more in Baltic paganism. I Sveikata!

This may not be the most razzle-dazzle, spectacular entry on this list, but after a good night out in downtown Vilnius, having sampled the beverages the Lithuanian capital has to offer, you can stumble over to thank the god that allowed you to enjoy by lighting a candle at his alter. Just take care not to stand too close, especially if you’ve spilled half your libations on your sweater over the course of the night. Ragutis may unleash a fiery Armageddon if he receives a human sacrifice.

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About The Author: CJ Phillips is a storyteller, actor and writer living in rural West Wales. He is a little obsessed with lists.