EuropeD

iscoverEASY-TO-USE

MAPS

2ND EDITIONPublished Dec 2011First Published May 2010

USA $27.99UK £16.99AUS $55.00

p51

Britain &Ireland

p173France

p287

Spain

p377

Italy

p483The Netherlands &Belgium

p551

Germany

p625 Austria, Switzerland& the Czech Republic

p731 Greece

Our promiseYou can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage, so you can rely on us to tell it like it is.

Experience the best of EuropeAncient Rome, the Louvre in Paris, London’s Tower of London – we’ve selected the most iconic sights and incredible places so you can enjoy the real Europe with the minimum fuss.

puts the streets of Europe in your pocket

EASY-TO-USE MAPS

recommend what not to miss

LOCAL EXPERTS

ITINERARIESmake planning your trip simpler than ever

reveal the must-see attractions and unbeatable experiences

HIGHLIGHTS

Experience the best of Europe

Discover

EuropeEASY-TO-USE MAPS

HIGHLIGHTS

LOCAL EXPERTS

ITINERARIES

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Discover

1 Sights

5 Eating

6 Drinking

4 Sleeping

8 Information

The Best…Lists for everything from bars to wildlife – to make sure you don’t miss out

Throughout this book, we use these icons to highlight special recommendations:

These icons help you quickly identify reviews in the text and on the map:

Don’t MissA must-see – don’t go home until you’ve been there

If you like…Lesser-known alternatives to world-famous attractions

Local experts reveal their top picks and secret highlights

DetourSpecial places a little off the beaten track

ContentsI

This edition written and researched by

Oliver Berry,Brett Atkinson, Alexis Averbuck, Kerry Christiani,

Mark Elliott, David Else, Duncan Garwood, Anthony Ham, Virginia Maxwell, Craig McLachlan, Caroline Sieg, Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Nicola Williams, Neil Wilson

Europe

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p51

Britain &Ireland

p173France

p287

Spain

p377

Italy

p483The Netherlands &Belgium

p551

Germany

p625 Austria, Switzerland& the Czech Republic

p731 Greece

Britain & IrelandHighlights ................................ 54

Tower of London & Beefeaters

St Paul’s Cathedral

Tate Modern

Stonehenge

Bath

Castle Howard

FranceHighlights ...............................176

Versailles

The Louvre

Chambord

Mont St-Michel

Giverny

Pont du Gard

Côte d’Azur

SpainHighlights ..............................290

La Sagrada Família

Museo del Prado

Alhambra

Cuenca

Flamenco

Teatre-Museu Dalí

The Netherlands & BelgiumHighlights ..............................486

Van Gogh Museum

Amsterdam’s Canals

Kinderdijk

Hoge Veluwe National Park

Bruges

Brussels

GermanyHighlights ..............................554

Cold War Berlin

Berlin Tiergarten

Cologne Cathedral

Neuschwanstein andHohenschwangau Castles

Munich’s Beer Gardens

Eagle’s Nest

Austria, Switzerland & the Czech RepublicHighlights ..............................628

Prague’s Architecture

Salzburg

Jungfraujoch

Zermatt

Český Krumlov Castle

Vienna’s Coff ee Houses

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Contents

GreeceHighlights ............................ 734

Acropolis

Acropolis Museum

Meteora

Knossos

Santorini

Greek Tavernas

ItalyHighlights ............................380

Colosseum

Basilica di San Marco

Florence

Venice’s Canals

Sistine Chapel

Pompeii

Amalfi Coast

This Is Europe .................6

Europe Map .....................8

Europe's Top Experiences ..................10

Europe's Top Itineraries ......................32

Month by Month ......... 42

What’s New .................. 46

Get Inspired ..................47

Need to Know .............. 48

Britain & Ireland 51Highlights ..................... 54

Best... .............................58

Itineraries ..................... 60

London .......................... 62

Southeast England ..... 94

Southwest England .... 98

Central England .........102

Eastern England ......... 110

Northeast England .... 113

Northwest England ....122

South & West Wales ...130Cardiff..........................130

Southern Scotland ....132

Edinburgh ....................133

Central Scotland ........144

Northern & Western Scotland ......145

Ireland ..........................148Dublin ..........................148

Survival Guide ............164

France 173Highlights .................... 176

Best... ...........................182

Itineraries ....................184

Paris .............................186

On the RoadPlan Your Trip

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Contents

Belgium........................518Brussels ......................518

Survival Guide ........... 543

Germany 551Highlights ................... 554

Best... .......................... 558

Itineraries ...................560

Berlin ........................... 562

Saxony .........................579

Thuringia .................... 582

Bavaria ........................ 585Munich ........................ 585

Nuremberg ................. 595

Bavarian Alps ............. 598

Black Forest ...............600

Rhineland-Palatinate ................... 601

North Rhine-Westphalia .................606

Hamburg ......................612

Survival Guide ............ 617

Austria, Switzer-land & the Czech Republic 625Highlights ................... 628

Best... .......................... 632

Seville ......................... 349Granada ...................... 363

Survival Guide ........... 369

Italy 377Highlights ...................380

Best... .......................... 386

Itineraries ................... 388

Rome ...........................390

Northern Italy ............. 417Cinque Terre ............... 417

Milan ........................... 420

Venice ......................... 424

Tuscany .......................439Florence ..................... 439

Pisa ..............................451

Southern Italy ...........459Naples ........................460

Capri ........................... 469

Amalfi Coast ...............472

Survival Guide ............477

The Netherlands & Belgium 483Highlights ...................486

Best... ..........................490

Itineraries ................... 492

The Netherlands .......494Amsterdam ................ 494

Normandy ...................221

Brittany....................... 228

Champagne ................ 229

Alsace & Lorraine...... 233

Loire Valley ................. 236

Burgundy & Rhône Valley ..........................240

French Alps & Jura .... 246

Dordogne .....................251

Atlantic Coast ........... 252

Languedoc-Roussillon ................... 256

Provence ..................... 259

Côte d’Azur & Monaco ....................... 269

Survival Guide ...........280

Spain 287Highlights ...................290

Best... ..........................294

Itineraries ................... 296

Madrid ......................... 298

Castilla y León ............314

Castilla-La Mancha ....316

Catalonia .....................318Barcelona ....................319

Aragón, Basque Country & Navarra ... 339

Valencia & Murcia .....346

Andalucía ...................349

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Europe Today ............. 780

History .........................782

Family Travel .............. 790

Visual Arts .................. 792

Architecture ............... 795

Food & Drink .............. 799

Sports & Activities ...806

European Landscape ...................810

Directory .....................814Accommodation .........814Business Hours ..........815Climate ........................815Customs ......................815Gay & Lesbian Travellers .....................815Electricity ....................816Health ..........................816Insurance ....................816Internet Access .......... 817Legal Matters.............. 817Money .......................... 817Safe Travel ..................818Telephone ...................819Time .............................819Tourist Information ... 820Visas ........................... 820Weights & Measures.................... 820

Transport ....................820Getting There & Away ........................... 820Getting Around .......... 820

Language .................... 826

Behind the Scenes.... 828

Index .............................831

How to Use This Book ................... 845

Our Writers .................848

Itineraries ...................634

Austria ........................ 636Vienna ......................... 636

Salzburg ..................... 657

Switzerland .................672Geneva........................ 672

Bern .............................681

Zürich ......................... 686

The Czech Republic ...692Prague ........................ 694

Bohemia ...................... 712

Moravia ........................ 718

Survival Guide ............ 719

Greece 731Highlights ................... 734

Best... .......................... 738

Itineraries ................... 740

Athens ..........................742

Peloponnese ...............752

Central Greece ...........753Delphi ......................... 753

Northern Greece ....... 754Mt Olympus ............... 756

Cyclades ......................756Santorini (Thira) ........ 760

Crete ............................762

Dodecanese ................765

Ionian Islands ............ 771

Survival Guide ............774

Survival GuideIn Focus

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This is Europe

in many ways it

remains eternally young at

heart

Europe may be old in spirit, but in many ways it remains eternally young at heart. Whether it’s sunbathing on the Côte d’Azur, cruising along the Danube, sipping wine in an Italian vineyard or simply watching the world go by from a Parisian street cafe, Europe has been setting trends and forming fashions for the rest of the world to follow for centuries, and it’s still a place that really knows how to appreciate the finer things in life.

Europe is home to some of the world’s most fascinating cities, as well as many of the finest museums, smart-est restaurants, greatest galleries and weirdest buildings. It’s plagued by more clichés than practically anywhere else on earth, and yet often seems to do everything it can to live up to them. It still leads the world in fashion, art, architecture, gastronomy and design, but often seems stubbornly resistant to change. And while it’s often fascinatingly forward-thinking, it’s also a place that remains perpetually in thrall to its turbulent and often troubled past.

Uncovering the contradictions is what makes travel in Europe so rewarding. The continent is complex and contrary, and while you might never quite manage to get a handle on what makes it tick, you’ll have an enormous amount of fun while you try. The next surprising moment or eye-opening experi-ence is never more than a quick train ride away: in just a few hours, you could find yourself switching the grand boulevards of Paris for the canals of Amsterdam, the coffee shops of Vienna or the ruins of ancient Rome, while watching some of the world’s most magnificent land-scapes unfold from the carriage window. Take your time and enjoy the trip: the journey from A to B is often all part of the essential European experience.

Au revoir, auf wiedersehn, arrivederci: however you choose to say farewell, you’re in for the journey of a lifetime. Savour every moment.

Neuschwanstein Castle (p603), GermanyPHOTOGRAPHER: SUPERSTOCK INC/PHOTOLIBRARY ©

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