Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the orthodox cathedral of Tallinn, Estonia. It was built while the country was part of the Russian Empire; scheduled for demolition while independent; neglected under the non-religious USSR; and finally restored after the new independence in 1991. Estonia is now a developed country, providing universal health care and free education to its citizens.

Östermalm Food Hall, Stockholm

Östermalm Food Hall in Stockholm is a covered market dating back to the 1880s. Sheltered from the cold weather, patrons are offered a large choice of traditional Swedish dishes, with an emphasis on sea products like lobster.

Tour Eiffel, Paris

The Tour Eiffel soaring at 324 meters of height on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. Built as the entrance to 1889's World Fair, its observation deck stands at 276 meters from the ground, the highest in the European Union.

Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

The gothic cathedral of Antwerp is six hundred years old, and has survived several Catholic-Protestant wars and a French invasion at the time of the revolution. The 123-meter spire shown here makes it the tallest church in Benelux.

Colosseum, Rome

The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built, and one of Rome's most popular attractions. Built in the 1st century AD, it was capable of holding between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, nothing less than a modern stadium. It was used, most famously, for gladiator fights, but also for battle re-enactments and classical dramas.

Amore e Psiche, Paris

Antonio Canova's neoclassical sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss depicts the popular story of the two lovers. The Age of Enlightenment, at the end of the 18th century, experienced in Neoclassicism the rediscovery and imitation of the arts of Rome and ancient Greece, and of their values of simplicity and simmetry. The sculpture ended up in France after being acquired by Joachim Murat, Napoleon's general and brother-in-law.

Bicycles outside the station, Amsterdam

The huge bicycle parking lot at Amsterdam's central station. More than 60% of trips inside inner Amsterdam are made on one of the 1 million bikes presented in the city, which explains why it is considered one of the most famous symbols of bicycle culture.

Manneken Pis, Brussels

A full scale chocolate reproduction of the Manneken Pis in a Brussels shop. There are many legends about the small statue imitated here, either representing a child lord, or a missing boy, or an hero who peed on the fuse of explosives which would have otherwise blown up the city walls. In the four hundred years since the statue was put in place, the Manneken Pis has become the symbol of Bruxelles; Belgian chocolate in general is also renowned all over Europe.

Arc de Triomf, Barcelona

The Arc de Triomf by night in Barcelona. Triumphal arcs are of Roman inspiration, but this arc was built by the modernist architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas as the access gate for the 1888 Universal Exposition.

College Park, Dublin

College Park, nestled between the buildings of Dublin's Trinity College, is awashed in the light of a November sunrise. Cricket has been played here at least since 1868, when Dublin and the whole of Ireland were part of the United Kingdom and the first Catholic professors were about to be instated in the Protestant university.