Europe Bird, Gardens & parks, People + Water sports pictures

• World

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.

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.

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

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

A lake and a majestic fountain are among the highlights in this urban park that stands on the site of the city’s former fortress.

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

Learn about Toulouse’s long history of aeronautics with the three guided tours of this iconic developer’s factory and main sites.

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.

One of the Costa Blanca’s finest beaches is loved by locals and vacationers alike for its soft sand, crystalline water, busy promenade and nightlife. 

Discover the charms of one of the world’s largest urban parks, which offers lake boating, horse riding and even some surfing around a picturesque, manicured landscape.  

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

Enjoy the pleasant ocean breeze and relax on pristine stretches of white sand on this island of scenic parks and dunes.

Although it’s not the Auvergne region’s highest summit, this dormant lava dome is its most iconic. Join the thousands of hikers who visit every year.

Visit the upscale ski resorts, trek across the snow-capped mountains and learn about the mixtures of cultures in this eclectic region.

Visit this centerpiece of a program of new construction in Stuttgart for the architecture as well as the books contained inside.

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.

Ponds, sculptures and slides grace the leafy park near this long and innovative two-part bridge that doesn’t quite meet in the middle. 

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

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

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.

Five centuries of Swedish culture are on display in this museum of historic photographs, furniture and everyday artefacts.

Nature and technology, history, festivals and performing arts make this one of the most popular cities in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region.