Europe

These spiders and their webs aren’t meant to be scary.

The Eastern European tradition is rooted in a beloved folktale often known as 'The Legend of the Christmas Spider.'

Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco.

With more twins being born than ever, it should be no surprise that a handful have royal blood. In Europe, four ruling families of Europe currently have a set of twins.

Nidelven Blå, a semi-solid blue cheese from Norway, is the best cheese on Earth according to the prestigious competition.

The best thing you can do in all of Europe is treat yourself to an Irish pint.

In the coming decades, five princesses are expected to ascend the thrones of Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

If you're planning a solo trip abroad, consider one of these destinations.

Her reign was short, but her legacy is long.

The daughter of King James VI and I was Electress Palatine of the Rhine and Queen of Bohemia, and through her grandson, the founder of a new British ruling dynasty.

Here's which European cities are best prepared for a "smart city" future.

Which European cities are best prepared for a “smart city” future? According to researchers, London leads the way.

The Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, thousands of hexagonal stone columns of various heights rise out of the North Atlantic Ocean and climb up to the foot of a cliff, as if they had been placed by a massive mythical creature.

A lion as depicted in a French Book of Hours, circa 1432.

Just because lions were depicted frequently in medieval art and design doesn’t mean they were depicted well.

An Irish family at the ruins of their house In Killarney.

The lack of proper aid paired with layers of broken policies and a fractured response from a distant British government led to unimaginable—and likely avoidable—suffering in Ireland.

A little lad relieving himself is the Renaissance-era version of the peeing Calvin bumper sticker.

Modern guidebooks offer nearly a dozen different explanations for why Brussels' 'Mannekin Pis' statue is relieving himself.

‘Moulin Rouge!’ movie fans can finally live out their dreams of spending a romantic night in Paris’s most iconic red windmill.

"La Queue à la Boucherie en 1871" by Clément-Auguste Andrieux

For Christmas dinner in 1870, Paris restaurant Voisin publicized a menu that featured kangaroo stew, elephant stock, stuffed donkey head, and bear chops.

A pillory, 1805. Artist: William Henry Pyne

Here are some particularly brutal torture devices that have thankfully been phased out of our penal systems.

Chernobyl's nuclear power plant is in crisis.

It’s a development that could potentially have serious repercussions for Europe.

The Millau Viaduct during a cycling race in 2012.

At about 1.5 miles long, France’s Millau Viaduct is far from the world’s longest bridge—but it is the tallest.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and The Duchess of Sussex leave following their wedding ceremony in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.

From England to Japan, royal family members have been upending tradition and risking it all to be with the people they love for decades.

Stefan Mrozinski jumps from a rail at the Sandboarding World Championship 2007 at Monte Kaolino.

Guests can sand ski and sandboard down the massive Monte Kaolino sand dune in Hirschau in Bavaria, Germany.

You’ll be hard pushed to find a European city that doesn’t host a Christmas market these days—here are some of the continent's most enchanting.

An illustration of a woolly mammoth, blissfully unaware of its species impending doom.

How many ice ages have there been so far? The same number of ‘Ice Age’ movies that have been released. (Five.)

Your bread and your yoga mat might have something in common.

Red dye 40, olestra, and rbST all have the FDA’s stamp of approval. In other countries, they’re on the do-not-use list.

A 1788 portrait of Marie Antoinette by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.

Not all of Marie Antoinette’s jewels stayed within the family after her death. These two bracelets did.

Nine southern Italian villages are offering people a $33,000 incentive to move and work in their towns.

Why Ukrainians Hang Spider Webs on Their Christmas Trees

4 Royal European Families Have Twins—But Only One Set Includes a Future Ruler

Norwegian Blue Cheese Wins Prestigious World Cheese Awards

Guinness Storehouse Crowned Europe’s Best Tourist Attraction of 2023

5 European Princesses Who Are Preparing to Reign

The 10 Best Destinations for Solo Travelers

The Lasting Legacy of Elizabeth Stuart, the ‘Winter Queen’ of Bohemia

The 10 “Smartest” Cities in Europe

8 Facts About The Giant’s Causeway

Why Medieval Artists Drew Such Goofy Looking Lions

Ireland’s Great Hunger: 13 Facts About the 19th-Century Potato Famine that Devastated the Emerald Isle

Why Are There So Many Ancient Fountains Featuring Little Boys Peeing?

You Can Soon Spend a Night at the Moulin Rouge in Paris—For Just $1

'I'll Have the Kangaroo Stew': When Paris Was Forced to Eat Its Zoos

11 Brutal Torture Devices From History

Chernobyl Has Lost Power in Ukraine, Raising Concerns Over Escaping Radiation

Meet the Millau Viaduct: The Tallest Bridge in the World

11 Royals Who Married Commoners

At This Ski Resort, the Slopes Are Covered With Sand Instead of Snow

11 of Europe’s Most Magical Christmas Markets

20 Cool Facts About the Ice Age

7 Everyday American Food Additives Banned in Other Countries

Marie Antoinette’s Diamonds Are Hitting the Auction Block

Villages in Southern Italy Are Paying People to Move There