Top 10 Weekend Getaways in Europe

When it comes to varied and interesting destinations, Europe has it all – with it’s abundance of cultures, cuisines and access to transport. Everyone is heading off on a weekend getaway to Europe at the moment. It is the place to go, with the continent being as big as Europe, there being over 50+ countries to explore and cultures varying over a few hundred miles. Whether you are looking for a relaxing weekend or an adventure-filled week away of sightseeing, there are plenty of destinations to choose from. Here are 10 destinations perfect for weekend getaways in Europe….

Also read my guide to travel around Europe here which gives you tips and tricks on how to see five countries in 2 weeks by travelling through Europe by train.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman archaeological sites.

Highlights

• Visit the magnificent Sagrada Familia – it is massive with a unique style. Considered the absolute must-see in Barcelona
• Admire the architectural work of Gaudi with his emphasis on natural curves and patterns, creating the catalan modernism movement
• Enjoy the light and music show at the Magic Fountain
• Go to the top of the Tibidabo Mountain to admire Barcelona from above
• Visit the Joan Miro Foundation to discover some of the artist’s most iconic work

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Barcelona

Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik, on the coast of Iceland, is the country’s capital and largest city. It’s home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. The striking concrete Hallgrimskirkja church and rotating Perlan glass dome offer sweeping views of the sea and nearby hills. Exemplifying the island’s volcanic activity is the geothermal Blue Lagoon spa, near the village of Grindavik.

Highlights

• Hallgrímskirkja
• Harpa
• Golden Circle
• Whale Watching
• Road trip around Iceland
• The Sun Voyager

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Iceland

Paris, France

Paris, France’s capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

Highlights

• Admire the iconic Eiffel tower and its impressive structure
• Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and travel back in time
• Visit the underground world at the Catacombs
• Admire the stained glass windows at Sainte-Chapelle
• Get up to the Sacré-Coeur to look over Paris
• Watch a show at one of the cabarets
• Take a road trip to the Beaujolais wine region
• Enjoy an evening cruise on the River Seine to see the lights of Paris
• Feel royal at the Versailles Castle

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Paris

London, United Kingdom

The British capital is one of the largest and most influential cities on the continent, and it has a wonderful variety and diversity that makes it a great destination. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.

Highlights

• Tower Bridge
• London Eye
• Buckingham Palace
• Big Ben & Houses of Parliament
• Tower of London
• Camden Market
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Harrods Department Store
• Trafalgar Square
• Madame Tussauds

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in London

Stockholm, Sweden

The cosmopolitan Swedish capital is set over three main islands, and has a good balance between a modern city center and historic sights, many of which date back centuries to the heyday of the Swedish empire. The old town is filled with narrow cobbled streets that are great to explore, while the Royal Stockholm Palace and Drottningholm are grand buildings, and you can see the maritime history on the restored warship at the Vasa Museum.

Highlights

• Sip a hot chocolate in Stockholm’s oldest square
• Catch a ferry to the city’s greenest island, Djurgården
• Rummage the vintage stores in creative Södermalm
• Taste Sweden’s national dish at a meatballs restaurant
• Get naked at Hellasgården’s lakeside sauna

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Stockholm

Verona, Italy

Verona is a city in northern Italy’s Veneto region, with a medieval old town built between the meandering Adige River. It’s famous for being the setting of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” A 14th-century residence with a tiny balcony overlooking a courtyard is said be “Juliet’s House.” The Verona Arena is a huge 1st-century Roman amphitheater, which currently hosts concerts and large-scale opera performances.

Highlights

• Arena di Verona
• Piazza della Erbe & Torre dei Lamberti
• Juliet’s Balcony
• Piazza dei Signori & Loggia del Consiglio
• Sant’Anastasia

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Verona

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This city of canals is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and the center is a UNESCO World Heritage site (dating from seventeenth century). The relaxed atmosphere and friendly locals make it a great place to unwind. Known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. Cycling is key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.

Highlights

• Exploring the 165 canals
• The Rijksmuseum
• The Begijnhof
• Brown Cafés
• Anne Frank House
• Vondelpark
• Oude Kerk (Old Church)
• Waterlooplein

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Amsterdam

Valletta, Malta

Malta is a nation known for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British. It has numerous fortresses, megalithic temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers dating to circa 4000 B.C. Valletta is the tiny capital of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta and also a walled city, established in the 1500s on a peninsula by the Knights of St. John, a Roman Catholic order. It’s known for museums, palaces and grand churches. Baroque landmarks include St. John’s Co-Cathedral, whose opulent interior is home to the Caravaggio masterpiece “The Beheading of Saint John.”

Highlights

• Valletta and the Three Cities
• Comino Island and the Blue Lagoon
• Mdina and Rabat
• Sliema and St Julian’s
• Mellieha and Mellieha Bay
• Ħaġar Qim
• Blue Grotto
• Dingli Cliffs

Read More: How to Spend a Week in Malta

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy’s capital, is a sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture and culture on display. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, has St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which house masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes.

Highlights

• Imagine ancient games at the Colosseum
• Imagine how life was as you explore the Roman forum
• Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain
• Admire the many historical buildings, especially the pantheon
• Visit another country: the Vatican

Read More: How to Spend 24 Hours in Rome

Ibiza, Spain

Ibiza is one of the Balearic islands, an archipelago of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s well known for the lively nightlife in Ibiza Town and Sant Antoni, where major European nightclubs have summer outposts. It’s also home to quiet villages, yoga retreats and beaches, from Platja d’en Bossa, lined with hotels, bars and shops, to quieter sandy coves backed by pine-clad hills found all around the coast.

Highlights

• Ibiza Town
• Ses Salines Area
• Trucador Peninsula
• The famous nightclubs
• Sant Miquel de Balansat & Around
• Santa Eulària des Riu

Read More: How to Spend 48 Hours in Ibiza

Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!