It’s only 65 years since the end of the Second World War but the transformation of Europe in that time is nothing short of staggering. The continent that tore itself apart, then built a physical and ideological barrier through its heart before knocking it all down, may not yet be ready to embrace Churchill’s vision of a ‘United States of Europe’ but 25 of its nations are now members of a single trading market and 12 have so far signed up to a single currency. Such startling political developments have, inevitably, had a major impact on European travel.
You can gaze in awe at Picasso’s Guernica in Madrid one weekend and climb to the top of Norman Foster’s Reichstag in Berlin the next; spend a night at the opera in Verona one week, and a night on the tiles in Tallinn the next. Rome or Brussels? Valencia or Venice? Each has its own appeal, whether it’s museums and galleries stuffed with priceless treasures, delicious food, cheap booze or stunning architecture.
Extract from Footprint Travel Guides 'European City Breaks'
