Things to Do in Europe

Hamburg’s alter ego is raffish St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn, forever synonymous with strip clubs and the Beatles.

The city’s red light district, the Reeperbahn is a pedestrianised street lined with clubs, brothels and sex shops. Its proximity to the port has attracted sailors for centuries, while more recently the Beatles cut their musical teeth playing the seedy clubs here back in the early 1960s.

The scene is still in-your-face but a little less brutal these days, and up-market restaurants and theaters hosting shows like Cats and the Lion King rub shoulders with the less family-friendly forms of entertainment.

Notre-Dame de Reims is known as the seat of the region’s archdiocese and also the location of coronations for kings of France. Built on the former site of a church that was destroyed by fire in 1211, the impressive portals, statues and spires of Notre Dame have become one of the most popular attractions in Reims.

After taking in the chevet’s ornate exterior and Notre Dame’s famous rose window, travelers can venture indoors where colorful stained glass dating back to the 13th and 20th centuries decorates the nave and altar. A vast collection of tapestries, including a series representing the life of the Virgin Mary, is also on display, and the church’s treasury, dating back some 800 years, showcases rare artifacts like a holy flask broken during the French Revolution.

Situated in the former home of the renowned Dutch painter and etcher, Rembrandt Van Rijn, the Rembrandt House Museum, boasts an illustrious history with world famous paintings like the ‘Night Watch’ created between its walls.

The building in Jodenbreestraat, Amsterdam, was purchased by the man himself back in 1639 and he lived there with his wife Saskia and son Titus for 20 years, before being declared bankrupt in 1656. Today, the rooms have been reconstructed to their original condition and form part of the museum.

A tour of the Rembrandt House showcases an almost complete collection of artworks (over 250 graphic prints), alongside exhibits on the life and times of the iconic artist and his renowned painting techniques. The printing studio, where a fully working traditional printing press demonstrates how Rembrandt made his famous etchings, is one of the most interesting rooms, but the kitchen, showrooms and bedrooms are all also open for exploration. The upstairs rooms are another highlight, where Rembrandt’s studio houses his personal collection of artworks, artifacts and curiosities. Paintings by Rembrandt’s students are also on display around the house and two additional exhibition galleries, a library and the Rembrandt Information Centre, are now housed in a new annex, adjourning the main building.

A far cry from its origins as a butter and dairy market, Rembrandtplein is now one of Amsterdam’s busiest and liveliest squares, sandwiched between the Mint Tower and the Amstel River. Named after the city’s most famous baroque painter and printmaker, Rembrandt van Rijn, a cast-iron statue of its namesake, sculpted by Royer, has stood proud in the heart of the square since 1876.

With both the plaza and its surrounding streets crammed with cafés, music clubs and bars, Rembrandtplein comes alive in the evening hours, as locals and tourists cram onto the rooftop terraces to admire the glittering skyline and party into the early hours. Club rain and Escape are two of the square’s most popular institutions, while De Duivel is the go-to venue for hip-hop and the nearby Reguliersdwarsstraat is the central hub of the city’s renowned gay scene. Dutch café culture is alive and well here too, with many opening their stages in the evening hours to local folk singers. Uniquely, Rembrandtplein is also home to Europe’s largest interactive video screen, a 15-meter wide display that allows passersby to post messages and access interactive features via Bluetooth.

Don’t just wait until the sun has set to visit though, as Rembrandtplein is home to some landmark architecture, including the dramatic Art-Deco inspired building that houses the modern Pathe Tuschinski cinema and the late 18th-century De Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam’s oldest theater. Throughout the summer months, café-seating spills out onto the square, making it the perfect spot for people watching, coffee drinking and soaking up the atmosphere of Amsterdam’s most happening hotspot.

Red Square is the central square in Moscow, sitting just northeast of the famous Kremlin. Once a marketplace, over the years it has been the sight of public ceremonies and proclamations, the occasional coronation and during Soviet times, military parades. Together with the Kremlin, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, one of the first sites in the Soviet Union to receive such designation. Today Red Square also serves as a major concert venue, with Paul McCartney, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Shakira, among stars who have performed in recent years.

The main entrance to Red Square is through the Resurrection Gate, which was rebuilt in 1995 to copy the gate that was originally finished in 1680. At the center of the gateway stands a small chapel housing an icon known as the Iverian Virgin. It’s not uncommon to see crowds of people gathered around the chapel throughout the day.

Just inside the Resurrection Gate you will find the entrance to the State History Museum and Lenin’s Mausoleum, as well as the Kazan Cathedral and GUM – the State Department Store. The iconic St Basil’s Cathedral sits on the opposite end of the square. If you plan to visit Lenin’s Mausoleum, be sure to check your bag and camera at the State History Museum first, as you won’t be allowed to bring them inside.

The elegant Rector’s Palace was built on the site of an old fort near the harbor in Dubrovnik’s Old City.

The Rector was the town’s puppet ruler, set up to project an image of order and importance to the outside world. Elected for only one month, the Rector  was not allowed to leave the palace except on official business.

In addition to the Rector’s office and private chambers, the palace was the seat of the minor council and state administration and contained a watch-house, a prison and an armoury.

It was in that armory that a major explosion took place in 1463 destroying much of the Gothic architecture that had only been completed 25 years before by Onofrio di Giordano della Cava of Naples. What we see today is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles that were added to the building over the years as a result of subsequent explosions and earthquakes.