A journey through Europe: Seven cities to visit [graphic]

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European Cities to Visit_Infographic

  • Paris, France

    • Paris was originally a Roman city called Lutecia.  The city’s ruins can be seen in the archaeological crypts under Notre Dame.
    • The obelisk in Place de la Concorde indicates international time making it the largest sundial in the world.
    • Victor Hugo wrote Notre Dame de Paris as a statement to preserve the Notre Dame cathedral — and it worked.
  • London, England

    • Big Ben does not refer to the clock but to the bell.
    • The original medieval London Bridge was in use for more than 600 years; it featured heads displayed on spikes for more than half of that time.
    • Europe’s largest crypt is in St. Paul’s Cathedral.
  • Prague, Czech Republic

    • Commissioned by King Charles IV in 1357, the Charles Bridge spans 16 arches and is lined with 30 Baroque statues of religious figures.
    • Roughly the size of seven football fields, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world.
    • Prague’s Old Town Square has remained virtually untouched since the 10th century.
  • Barcelona, Spain

    • Barcelona natives speak in two tongues; Catalan and Spanish.
    • The expiatory church of La Sagrada Familia, begun in 1882, will be finished in the first third of the 21st century.
    • With over four kilometers of beaches, Barcelona was named the Best Beach City in the world by National Geographic.
  • Berlin, Germany

    • The Brandenburg Gate symbolizes both division and reunification.  In 1989 it was the site of the first television event transmitted to both East and West Germany in over 30 years.
    • Museum Island, a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, is home to five of Berlin’s most important museums.
    • The Berlin Wall Memorial is the only place where visitors can see how the elements of the Wall and the death strip fit together.
  • Rome, Italy

    • The Colosseum was made to hold more than 50,000 spectators and could fill up in under 10 minutes.
    • Napoleon reigned in Rome from 1798 to 1814 — visitors can learn about his legacy at the Museo Napoleonico.
    • The Capitoline Museums constitute the oldest public gallery in the world.
  • Krakow, Poland

    • Ryneck Glowny, the geographic center of the Old Town, is the biggest medieval market square in Europe.
    • The Wieliczka Salt Mine’s unquestioned highlight is St. Kinga’s Chapel, a full-scale underground temple made of salt.
    • At the turn of the hour at St. Mary’s Basilica, a trumpeter sounds his horn. It breaks off on an abrupt sobbing note to commemorate a bugler struck in the throat by an arrow as he was warning the city of attack.

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