Spain
Spain, a country on Europe's Iberian Peninsula, includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geographical and cultural characteristics. Its capital, Madrid, is home to the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum, which houses works by European masters. Segovia has a medieval castle (the Alcázar) and an intact Roman aqueduct. Catalonia's capital, Barcelona, is characterised by Antoni Gaudí's extravagant modernist works, such as the Sagrada Familia temple.
France
France, in Western Europe, encompasses medieval cities, Alpine villages and Mediterranean beaches. Paris, its capital, is famous for its haute couture labels, classical art museums such as the Louvre, and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower. The country is also renowned for its wines and sophisticated cuisine. The drawings of the ancient Lascaux cave, the Roman theatre in Lyon and the imposing Palace of Versailles attest to its rich history.
Italy
Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has had a major influence on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican, ancient ruins and iconic works of art. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo's ‘David’ and Brunelleschi's Dome; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy's fashion capital.
England
England, the birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles, is a country in the British Isles bordering Scotland and Wales. The capital, London, is located on the River Thames and boasts the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the 11th century Tower of London. It is also a modern, multicultural arts and commercial centre. Other major cities include Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and the university centres of Oxford and Cambridge.
Germany
Germany is a Western European country with a landscape of forests, rivers, mountain ranges and beaches on the North Sea. It has more than 2 millennia of history. Berlin, its capital, has art and nightlife sites, the Brandenburg Gate and many sites related to World War II. Munich is known for Oktoberfest and beer halls, including the 16th-century Hofbräuhaus. Frankfurt, with its skyscrapers, is home to the European Central Bank.
Austria
Austria is a German-speaking country in Central Europe, characterised by mountain villas, baroque architecture, imperial history and rugged Alpine terrain. Vienna, its capital on the Danube River, is home to the Schönbrunn and Hofburg palaces. Its residents included Mozart, Strauss and Freud. Other important regions of the country include the Bohemian Forest in the north, Lake Traunsee and the vineyards on the eastern slopes of the Danube.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, in Central Europe, is a country known for its ornate castles, native beers and long history. Prague, the capital, boasts the grand 9th-century Prague Castle, a preserved medieval old town and the statue-lined Charles Bridge. Český Krumlov is a small town in the South Bohemian region noted for its abundance of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, many of which house restaurants and shops.
Belgium
Belgium is a Western European country known for its medieval cities, Renaissance architecture and the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. The country has distinctive regions, including Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, French-speaking Wallonia in the south, and a German-speaking community in the east. The bilingual capital, Brussels, has ornate town halls in the Grand Palais and elegant art-nouveau buildings.
Portugal
Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean influenced many aspects of its culture: salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the beaches of the Algarve are a major destination, and much of the nation's architecture dates from the 16th to 19th centuries, when Portugal had a powerful maritime empire.
Switzerland
Switzerland is a mountainous country in Central Europe, with several lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps. Its cities have medieval quarters, with monuments such as the Zytlogge clock tower in its capital, Bern, and the wooden Chapel Bridge in Lucerne. The country is also famous for its ski resorts and hiking trails. The banking and financial industries are key, and Swiss watches and chocolate are known the world over.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a northwestern European country known for its flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycle paths. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, the van Gogh Museum and the house where the young Jewish girl Anne Frank hid and wrote her diary during World War II. Canalside mansions and a treasure trove of works by artists, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, remain from the city's ‘Golden Age’ in the 17th century.
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