A coat of arms adorns a fortification near the entrance to Venzone, Italy. The walled medieval town in the northeastern part of the country is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Walled medieval Italian town stands strong despite ravages of time, tectonic forces

The medieval walled village of Venzone offers a mix of the modern and the historical.

Swell heads have been a main feature of the Mainz Rose Monday carnival parade since 1927. They are made of papier-mache and worn on the shoulders with a hole to see and breathe through. There are about 30 swell heads, and all of them have names. This is Schorsch.
Carnival museum in Mainz presents all the spectacle of pre-Lent festivities

In Mainz, Germany, a carnival stronghold on the Rhine, the Fastnachtsmuseum traces the city’s carnival culture.

Tours of the Thurn und Taxis museum are available daily every 90 minutes. Visitors have an opportunity to view historical state rooms and learn how the family, a key player in the postal services of Europe for many centuries, affected the way information was spread.
This 1,000-room palace in Regensburg is still a family home

In the heart of Regensburg lies the elegant palace of the Thurn und Taxis family, and unlike many others in Germany, St. Emmeram Palace is still inhabited. Not only does this former monastery-turned-palace showcase a beautiful array of state rooms, ballrooms and more, it also comes with a small history lesson. 

The Hoegne River transforms from a slow-flowing stream to a rushing torrent in the stretch covered by the Promenade de La Hoegne in Jalhay, Belgium. Hikers on the route see small waterfalls, rapids and distinctive globs of foam as well as lush forest scenery.
Spa and Echternach: Deluxe walking, gawking in Belgium and Luxembourg

Within an hour’s drive of Spangdahlem Air Base are two awe-inspiring hiking trails, each boasting the added attraction of being near a charming city begging to be explored. Belgium’s Promenade de La Hoegne is an hour away, and a 40-minute drive south leads to the stony splendor of Luxembourg’s Gorge du Loup.

The reliquary bust of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, on the altar of the chapel holds the skull bones of the saint. Several of his relics, including vials of blood, are safeguarded at the Italian city's cathedral.
Treasure of San Gennaro offers insight into Naples’ love of patron saint

Three times a year, hundreds of Naples citizens gather outside the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in the city’s historic district to see if the martyr will liquefy his dried blood, a relic kept since his beheading in 305. Visiting the site’s chapel and museum offers not only a better understanding of Naples’ love for San Gennaro but also preparation for taking in the fervor and spectacle of upcoming miracles.

A guide leads a student tour group to the site of the old ball court and adjacent dungeon at the Saar Historical Museum in Saarbruecken, Germany, on Oct. 19, 2023. The ball court allowed castle residents to play early forms of tennis and racquetball.
Underground castle ruins, car lore, Gestapo’s grim legacy on show at Saar museum

Saarbruecken Castle is home to the Saar Historical Museum. The building itself occupies only a small part of the museum. The real treasures lie beneath, with more than 90% of the exhibition rooms located underground.

The entrance to the vineyard that starts the tour through the Giffords Hall Vineyard. A tour guide usually walks guests through and describes the variety of grapes grown on the property.
Gems from the stems: Family tour of UK vineyard quite the grape escape

Giffords Hall Vineyard gives a different and tasty look at an aspect of England many may not think much about -- viniculture.

A view of St. Justin's Church and the tower of the Hoechst Palace from a path that runs along the Main River. Hoechst is a borough of Frankfurt located a couple of miles downstream from the city center.
Hoechst hides whole day’s worth of sights in shadow of Frankfurt

The Frankfurt borough of Hoechst has charming surprises in store for those who give it a chance.

Stahleck Castle towers above the Rhine River in Bacharach, Germany. Now a hostel, the castle is one of four featured in the Legendary Rhine Romance app.
Fall is a wonderful time to tour a foursome of nearby castles along the Rhine River

In Germany’s Rhine Valley, several centuries-old castles sit just minutes from one another, and visiting them can be particularly enjoyable as the foliage changes color in the fall.

Visitors to the Museum of Bell Foundry Mabilon in Saarburg, Germany, can learn how bronze bells were cast in a workshop dating back nearly three centuries. Signs throughout the museum are in German, but an audio tour in English fills in all the details about the complex craft of bell-making.
Former bell foundry in Saarburg now a museum showcasing centuries-old craft

For more than 230 years, bronze bells were forged in Germany in a family factory that’s now the Museum of Bell Foundry Mabilon. Visitors can see the fascinating, proprietary craftsmanship and get a bit of the history of bell-making.