Europe is a stunning continent. Nobody will ever deny that!
But we’ve all seen the same cities and images of the Eiffel Tower by now! And we’re all looking for those drop-dead gorgeous places that are more than worthy of your time and effort to get there.
So here’s a list to get you started with some of the most beautiful countries in Europe!
Before you leave, learn more about this continent by checking out these 25 interesting facts about Europe.
Montenegro
Montenegro is an upcoming travel destination in Europe and the country is gaining more traction in tourism each year. That is for a good reason because the country is simply stunning.
There’s more than one highlight and Montenegro has tons of scenic national parks, mountain ranges, and medieval cities. Those assets could not remain undiscovered and if you want to visit Montenegro without stumbling upon thousands of tourists, we recommend visiting in the off-season or planning your travels soon!
These are some of the most memorable places to visit in Montenegro:
- The Bay of Kotor and Kotor Old Town
- Durmitor National Park
- Prokletije National Park
- Lake Skadar
- Perast
Discover Montenegro on a tour
Iceland
Iceland is, without a doubt, one of the most popular destinations in Europe right now.
It’s wild and beautiful, filled with breathtaking waterfalls and mountain ranges. And then we have to mention the hot springs and glacial lakes!
Iceland is so worthy of your precious exploring time, but prepare to be accompanied by thousands of other travelers, all looking for the natural beauty of this raw land.
The highlights of Iceland are endless, but these are some of them:
- The Blue Lagoon
- Kirkjufell falls
- Gullfoss Falls
- Seljalandsfoss Falls
- Reynisdrangar cliffs
- and so much more!
Discover Iceland on a tour
Romania
This hugely underrated country has a lot more to offer than you can imagine!
First of all, it has hundreds of scenic and mysterious castles, like the famous castle of Dracula: Bran castle. But there are others to discover:
- Dracula’s Bran Castle
- Peles Castle in the Carpathian Mountains
- Corvin Castle, which has been the setting in a variety of movies
- Rasnov Citadel, a medieval fortress in the mountains
- The ruins of Poenari Castle, once home to Vlad The Impaler
- … and so on.
It’s impossible to drive for 50km in Romania without stumbling upon a nicely laid out castle on a hilltop or in a gorge.
Speaking of gorges… The Iron Gates is a beautiful mountainous gorge in the East of the country, which offers some scenic views over a meandering Danube valley. And this national park has a few castles and historical sites too!
What’s so special about traveling to Romania, is that you won’t run into mass tourism and you get a chance to discover a lot of these awesome sites on your own. On top of that, most of the towns and villages in Romania will release your imagination and you won’t have trouble visualizing medieval times in those ancient countryside villages.
Other highlights in Romania are Salina Turda: an underground salt mine, Bicaz Gorge, Retezat National Park, and more.
Scotland
Scotland has a variety of different scenery, most of them super impressive and dramatic!
The rugged shoreline and the medieval castles, … Scotland has everything a nostalgic traveler could ever dream of.
There’s an abundance in castles and palaces, dating back to a different era, like Dunnottar Castle, Urquhart Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, …
And Scotland is also pretty famous for its scenic lochs. Who hasn’t heard about Loch Ness?
But above all, or at least in my personal preference, … Those rugged shorelines again. Scotland has quite a bit of wild beauty, especially up in the North.
The area and cliffs around Dunnottar Castle are just amazing!
There are just too many highlights to sum up! For instance, just the Isle of Skye on its own could be a separate listing in this article: The Storr cliffs, the Fairy Pools Waterfalls, The Quiraing ridge and cliffs, and Dunvegan Castle (also known as the home of the legendary MacLeod clan). And that’s just the Isle of Skye…
Austria
Landlocked on all sides, Austria is located in the heart of Europe.
It’s a thriving country with some of the most beautiful cities in the world. It actually has everything a traveler or an inhabitant could ever wish for. Austria offers some of the best public transportation systems in the world and it’s very high on the happiness scale for European countries.
Maybe it has something to do with the abundance in natural beauty the country has to offer.
Most visitors travel to cities like Vienna, Innsbruck, or Salzburg and they’re right to do so, but we’re going to talk a little more about the beautiful nature and scenery you can find in Austria.
A large part of Austria is located in the beautiful Alps, which results in some epic views, glacial lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.
These are some of the highlights of Austria: Hallstätter See and the iconic Hallstatt town, Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, Dachstein mountain and lake views, Lake Wolfgang, Krimml Waterfalls, …
Switzerland
Right next to Austria, Switzerland shares a large part of the Alps with Austria, so you can expect to find a few steep mountains and impressive peaks when visiting Switzerland.
In fact, the famous Matterhorn Mountain can be found in Switzerland (and on the Toblerone chocolate bars).
But the Central European country has more to offer! Like the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express train rides, which are two of the most scenic train rides in Europe.
The most impressive mountains in Switzerland are again the Matterhorn, Schilthorn, Eiger mountain, Titlis mountains, … and more.
All of these snow-capped mountains have a river flowing down into the most idyllic glacier lakes!
Switzerland won’t disappoint travelers who want to see tons of natural beauty and breathtaking scenery.
By the way, have you ever visited a waterfall inside a mountain? If you haven’t, you should definitely check out the Trümmelback Falls!
Norway
We’re stumbling from one rugged landscape into the next!
Noway is also one of these countries that has the best of both worlds. In the South, you’ll find some of the most modern and welcoming cities of the entire continent. And when you travel up north, the landscape becomes more barren and wild.
For travelers, Norway has a lot to offer and the country has a lot of assets and highlights you can’t find anywhere else.
First of all, the fjords! Scandinavian fjords were formed when glacial water retreated over the centuries. These inlets of the sea carve a way into the land, leaving beautiful trails of water. Some of the most impressive fjords in Norway are Geirangerfjord, Lysefjord, Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, …
Some of these fjords have legendary viewpoints on cliffs that rise hundreds of meters above the water. Some best viewpoints in Norway are Preikestolen Cliff, Trolltunga Cliff, and the wedged boulder of Kjerag.
Norway is also famous for the possibility to see the Northern lights. In the Northernmost areas of Norway, the sun never sets during the summer days and it never rises in winter months.
You won’t run out of things to see and do in Norway, ever!
Serbia
Another “under-the-tourist-radar” destination in Europe!
Serbia is a massively underrated tourist destination in Europe and it has a lot of natural beauty to offer for travelers.
The country is largely undiscovered and if you plan on visiting, you can expect to meet just a few tourists along the way.
All over the country, you can find ancient cities and towns that look like they have not moved in time. And then there’s the precious nature.
Check out the beautiful Uvac Canyon, where the Uvac River meanders its way through the lush scenery. This natural wonder is one of the most impressive natural highlights in Serbia.
The country also has a few impressive cave systems, of which Stopica and Resava Cave are probably the most impressive ones.
Portugal
Portugal could not be missing in this list, as it has some of the coolest shorelines in the world. And that’s not all that Portugal has to offer!
The prettiest places where the Portuguese land meets the Ocean are Ponta de Piedade, Parque Natural da Arrabida, Padrao dos Descobrimentos, Cabo da Roca, …
A large part of the coastline in Portugal offers views over rock formations and natural arches leaning into the sea. In between these rock formations, pristine sandy beaches line up the rest of the shoreline.
So Portugal is an awesome beach destination for sunbathers, as well as surfers and kite surfers, but what else is there to see?
Well, as it is with the rest of Europe, Portugal also has a fair share of medieval castles and fortresses, like the Castelo de Mouros, Castelo de S Jorge, the Tower of Belém, …
As a surplus, the magical island of Madeira and the Azores islands are also officially a part of Portugal. And those islands might even offer some of the most magnificent views of the entire continent. Madeira is often called: the Hawaii of Europe.
Bonuses:
Madeira
As we thought it didn’t get the attention it deserved in the previous paragraph! Madeira!
Even though Madeira isn’t officially a separate country, it is one of the most beautiful places in Europe!
This island is officially a part of Portugal, but it’s located quite a bit offshore of the mainland. Often referred to as the flower island or the European Hawaii, Madeira is a beautiful and scenic island in the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s a mountainous piece of land and hikers will have the time of their life on the island, because Madeira is bulking with precious and lush landscapes.
The most impressive mountain ranges and peaks on Madeira are: Pico de Arieiro, Pico Ruivo, Ponta de Sao Lourenco, Pica das Torres, … and so many more!
Madeira also doesn’t have a shortage in waterfalls and you’ll see these along the walking trails all over the island.
Most of the beaches are not ideal for swimming, but they are looking amazing from the different viewpoints all over the island.
Faroe Islands
Since we’re already naming specific islands that actually belong to a larger country, we decided to list the Faroe Islands as well!
The Faroe Islands are officially a part of Denmark and they’re a true piece of art. The archipelago consists of 18 volcanic islands and most of them are accessible for visitors.
These islands are quite rugged and a lot of the roads are unpaved.
Most highlights on the islands include names nobody can pronounce, so let’s just state that the entire archipelago is super impressive and we’re not lying about it!
Most beautiful countries in Europe
We listed 11 of the most beautiful countries in Europe. But to be honest, all of Europe is awesome and if you were still in doubt whether you should plan a visit, we hope that we were able to help you make up your mind!
Just book that flight and get over here!
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