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The largest department store in continental Europe, Kaufhaus des Westens (usually abbreviated as simply KaDeWe) is over a century old and a must for any shopper visiting Berlin. After being largely destroyed in World War II, its reopening in 1950 was not only an important shopping moment but a propaganda one too, an embodiment of the prosperity of West Berlin. Regardless of its Cold War significance, the sixth-floor food hall provides an unforgettable culinary experience with a chance to sample the best German and international products.

Santa María del Coro is San Sebastián‘s token beautiful European church. It has the quiet, sunlit beauty that one comes to expect in European churches. It also is the site of several of the city’s unique celebrations, organ concerts, and the iconic San Sebastián, pierced with the famed arrows.

This 700 year old fortress lies nestled by the Oslo fjord, still quite imposing even though lots of modern buildings have shot up all around it. The remains of the Medieval Akershus Castle lies within the fortress walls, once home to Norwegian kings and queens. Complete with narrow winding corridors, dungeons, and great halls, this truly is one of the most important buildings in Norway if you’re historically inclined. The castle church is still used for services, christenings, weddings and concerts, and the whole fortress area is visited by thousands of people each year, perhaps proving that history still matters?

Shop for everything old, antique and secondhand at Barcelona’s largest flea market. Once a collection of ramshackle stands, Els Encants moved into a modern mirrored structure in 2013 where vendors sell everything from home items and clothes to musical instruments and antiques.

Come for auctions Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 8am to 9:00am or try your luck at negotiating a deal on your own schedule. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00am to 8:00pm for non-auction shopping.

You probably didn’t think of traveling to Peru for world-class French cuisine, yet here it is. The minute you walk in, you leave the Andes behind in favor of a European vibe, reflected in music, decor, and, of course, what’s on the table. Everything on the menu is French, including the expansive choice of wines. The five- or seven-course tasting menus are the perfect way to sample as many flavors as possible, but if ordering à la carte, save room for sumptuous desserts and a delicious coffee, picking your personal ideal from a wide range of blends.

Kampa, in Prague’s charming Malá Strana district, is Prague’s largest island. Tucked between the Vltava River and the romantic Čertovka channel, the island’s park comes alive in the warmer months with picnickers, dog walkers, and friends gathered on the greenery desperate to catch up on their vitamin D. With direct views of the Vltava’s roaring rapids and the city’s famous Charles Bridge, Kampa is also home to the Kampa Museum, a former mill turned modern art museum dedicated to 20th-century Central European art. Artist David Černý’s gigantic crawling babies are outside the building, while the inner courtyard and galleries showcase other freestanding works, sculpture, paintings, and photographs.

This gourmet Japanese fusion restaurant, located on fashionable Tjuvholmen, specializes in sushi and robata grill dishes. Boasting a large selection of small dishes, customers select as many as they want to make up a luxuriously fulfilling meal. The dishes are made in a modern fusion-style, where chefs use traditional techniques on new and exciting dishes, and the result is quite glorious.

Flamant is a refined Belgian homeware and furniture brand that brings understated elegance to the heart of Paris. Tucked away in a beautifully designed boutique, the shop features a curated selection of timeless pieces—from clean-lined sofas and rustic dining tables to elegant tableware and home accessories. Every item reflects a dedication to quality and quiet sophistication. It’s no surprise that Flamant is often praised by design lovers and tastemakers, including Ina Garten.

Lemongrass restaurant is one of Oslo’s only Caribbean restaurants. Their food is inspired by the French, Spanish and British colonial history throughout the Caribbean, and they offer everything from bouillabaisse to jerk chicken and curried goat. Located next to Nasjonalgalleriet (the National Gallery) and just a stone’s throw from Oslo’s high street, it makes for a satisfying tropical meal when the winter cold sets in.

Occupying a prominent space between Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz, this memorial (also known as the Holocaust-Mahnmal, or Holocaust Memorial) has almost 3,000 gray oblong pillars (stelae), arranged at varying heights, that form a kind of labyrinth intended to reference the disorientation felt by Europe’s hunted Jewish population. Designed by New York architect Peter Eisenman, it opened in 2005. The effectiveness of the labyrinth is arguable; you may see groups of teenagers playing tag and picnicking on and among the blocks. However, there’s no denying the power of the site’s underground information center, which relates some of the life stories of Holocaust victims. Several other smaller but related memorials are nearby, dedicated to homosexuals, gypsies, and victims of National Socialist euthanasia killings.

Nestled under an old tree, Lazy Wave offers fresh Asian, Latin, and European fusion cuisine. The setting is wonderful, with fluffy cushioned couches and candle-lit tables in an exotic garden.

Locals all agree this is the home of Zurich’s—perhaps Europe’s—best sausage. What they’re divided on is which is better, the St. Galler bratwurst or the Servelat—both superbly juicy, flavorful, and with excellent snap—and divine with a crusty bürli roll and super spicy mustard. After a two-year renovation (during which the grill operated out of an airstream trailer nearby), the original 1963 location reopened its doors in 2013 with roomier, more modern digs.

Why we love it: An extravagant hideaway where guests can live the palace life

The Highlights:
- Meticulously restored rooms with balconies and original Maltese tiles
- An infinity pool with panoramic city views
- A glamorous restaurant in the tradition of Europe’s grand cafés

The Review:
The only hotel in Malta to be a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, The Phoenicia combines historic elegance with modern sophistication. Built in 1939, the five-star stay sits on 7.5 acres just outside the entrance to Valletta’s old town, within easy walking distance of the city’s top sites. An infinity pool and adjacent bar afford epic views of the harbor and ancient bastion walls, while The Phoenix Restaurant serves traditional Maltese cuisine amid high ceilings, chandeliers, and velvet banquettes. Also on site is Café Phoenicia for casual dining, The Club Bar for craft cocktails, and The Palm Court Lounge for afternoon tea.

Rooms, dreamed up by London-based Peter Young Design, feel fresh and modern, with a white, blue, and pink color palette and original Maltese tiles that recall the Mediterranean. Many feature private balconies for taking in the scenery, but all come with spacious bathrooms, plush robes and slippers, and minibars stocked with complimentary drinks.

Every detail at this former farm has been carefully executed to highlight the spectacular setting, a nature preserve near Norway’s southwest coast. The hotel’s nine wood cabins hover atop metal rods discreetly drilled into boulders above the Valldøla River—the architects’ solution for securing hard-to-get government permits while leaving the land virtually untouched. Purposefully spare yet stylish, each is furnished with only a bed and a couple of lounge chairs next to a wall of glass that encourage quiet meditation on the beauty of the Valldal valley and snow-capped mountains beyond. The concept continues in the spa, which is perched on a bluff overlooking the river and features a small outdoor hot tub and glass-enclosed steam room. Meals are served at a long communal table in a renovated cow barn; though breakfasts are included (the smoked salmon is to die for), three-course dinners are extra but worth the splurge thanks to locally foraged and sourced ingredients such as reindeer steaks.

For the arrival of Peninsula Hotels in Europe in 2014, many millions of euros were lavished on an Avenue Kléber landmark a cobblestone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe. Born in the Belle Epoque as the Hotel Majestic, the historic property where George Gershwin wrote “An American in Paris” was transformed by the country’s finest artisans—including the company of tassel-makers who decorated the Paris Opéra.