Europe Gardens & parks, Island & reefs + Religious pictures

• World

This serene mountain town has rustic charm and natural beauty and is the site of one of Europe’s most famous divine encounters.

One of the most eye-catching monuments in Lourdes is the basilica that sits above the grotto, part of a wider sanctuary of impressive churches.

Make your way along elegant promenades to find medieval churches, thermal spas and stunning gardens in the shadow of the Italian Alps. 

Alongside games of football and couples in pedalos, the art galleries, buskers and 17th-century palace give El Retiro a different flavour to your average park.

Maze-like hedges, marble sculptures and colorful flower beds adorn this historic royal garden, where the palace’s stables and carriages once lay.

Containing parts of Limousin history from Roman times to the present, this magnificent Gothic house of worship is an important part of the skyline of Limoges.

Distinctive architecture, friendly people and interesting history are reasons to stay a while in this UNESCO World Heritage city on Germany’s Baltic coast.

Find out why literary masters, such as Goethe and Victor Hugo, heaped praise on this remarkable, pink-hued cathedral.

A city with a rich and often chequered history. Old Berlin has morphed into a contemporary, cosmopolitan city, rich in culture, architecture, museums and festivals.

Discover themed gardens, artist pavilions, viewpoints and wildlife stations set around a natural amphitheater in the grounds of a medieval castle. 

See the swans glide by under weeping willows and relax with a picnic in the park while taking in the pristine beauty of the source of the Clitunno River in Umbria.

Marvel at the wooden organ and work out the parables depicted in the stained glass in this blend of two separate religious buildings.

Come and take a walk around one of the largest palaces in Western Europe...and try not to get lost!

Enjoy the spicy Spanish influence on the cuisine, visit a pilgrimage site and ski in the snowy Pyrénées mountains.

Whether you’re catching a train or not, be sure to visit this “secular cathedral,” an early 20th-century icon that sits on a hill north of Old Town Limoges.

With an opulence worthy of the former monarchs buried inside, this 15th-century chapel is the go-to spot for royal ceremonies and weddings.

This serene mountain town has rustic charm and natural beauty and is the site of one of Europe’s most famous divine encounters.

Alongside games of football and couples in pedalos, the art galleries, buskers and 17th-century palace give El Retiro a different flavour to your average park.