Austria

Austria has few peers as a year-round holiday destination, with plenty of winter sports in the Alps, some of the most impressive and overblown architecture in Europe and an unrivalled musical tradition that even The Sound of Music couldn't sully. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Belgium

A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Cyprus

Cyprus is divided into two independent regions; roughly one third of the island to the north is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the remaining two thirds of the island is the Republic of Cyprus, referred to as the Greek part of the island. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

France

Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Germany

Deep in the heart of Europe, Germany has had a seminal impact on Continental history. From Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire to Otto von Bismarck's German Reich, Nazism and the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, no other nation has moulded Europe the way Germany has - for better or worse. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Greek Islands

Ionian islands: - Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Kefallonia, Ithaki, Zakynthos and Kythira. Aegean Islands: - Methymna, Delos, Rhodes, Telos, Cyclades, Naxos, Chios, Samos Samothrace, Thera, Kos, Kalymna, Arkesine, Euboia, Crete, Cyclades Islands : - Santorini

Italy

Italy is at its best in spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November). During these seasons, the scenery is beautiful, the temperatures are pleasant and there are relatively few crowds. Try to avoid August, as this is the time that most Italians take their vacations, and many shops and businesses are closed as a result. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Malta

Megaliths, medieval dungeons and Calypso's Cave - Malta is positively mythic. The narrow cobblestone streets of its towns are crowded with Renaissance cathedrals and baroque palaces. The countryside is littered with the oldest known human structures in the world. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Netherlands

The Dutch aren't bogged in their clichés, even though bikes, dykes, windmills and blazing flower fields are pretty much the norm outside the major cities. Do as the locals do - grab a bike and explore. It's a very big small country, and full of salutary surprises. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Portugal

Portugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered with UNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one of Europe's most relaxed and attractive capitals, it also remains refreshingly affordable. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Spain

Spain can be enjoyable any time of year. The ideal months to visit are May, June and September (plus April and October in the south). At these times you can rely on good-to-excellent weather, yet avoid the extreme heat - and the main crush of Spanish and foreign tourists - of July and August. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com

Switzerland

Switzerland may be neutral but it's far from flavourless. The fusion of German, French and Italian ingredients has formed a robust national culture, and the country's alpine landscapes have enough zing to reinvigorate the most jaded traveller. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com
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Turkey

Check your Midnight Express stereotypes at the door - this is a rapidly modernising country with one foot in Europe and one in the Middle East. It's not all oriental splendour, mystery, intrigue and whirling dervishes but it is a spicy maelstrom of history knocking up against a pacy present. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com
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