Europe’s cultural heritage is second to none: the whole of western civilisation has its roots in the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. Throughout the continent and especially around the shores of the Mediterranean you can explore the legacy of the Greek and Roman empires, at spectacular sites such as the Acropolis in Athens or Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy. Every era and every civilisation since then has left its mark, from the medieval cathedrals of northern Europe to the Renaissance art and architecture of Italy and Baroque cities of central Europe. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy this wealth of culture and heritage: it makes up the fabric of most of Europe’s greatest town and city centres.
If you like to be active on holiday, Europe has it all. You can hike in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Tatras, the Picos de Europa and a host of other mountain ranges, or you can opt for gentler walking in the hills of Andalucia, among the olive groves and vineyards of Italy, or along beautiful Mediterranean coastlines. For cyclists of every level Europe is full of opportunities: well developed networks of rural back-roads and dedicated cycle paths make it easy to cycle away from busy roads throughout the continent. Spain, Italy and France are favourites with Explore cyclists, but so also are the less well known cycle trails of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Baltic Republics. Being rich in rivers and mountains, Europe is also ideal for multi-activity holidays, with rafting, kayaking, canyoning, climbing and many other activities widely available.