44 cities, 27 countries

Two hundred meters of sheer Atlantic drama, eight kilometers long, with puffins in spring and Aran Islands on the horizon.

Day tours run from Dublin (~3h each way) or base yourself in Galway. Walk the clifftop trail toward Hag's Head to lose the crowds. Base yourself in Dublin.

An alpine lake with an island church, a clifftop castle, and a cream cake tradition. Slovenia's postcard, an hour from the capital.

~1h by bus from Ljubljana. Row to the island, walk the 6km lake loop, and order kremšnita at a lakeside café. Base yourself in Ljubljana.

Monasteries balanced on sandstone pinnacles hundreds of meters in the air, half geology, half faith, entirely unreal.

~4h from Athens by train to Kalambaka. Dress modestly for the monasteries; sunset from the viewpoints is the show. Base yourself in Athens.

A medieval abbey rising from the tide like a mirage, France's most extraordinary silhouette, ringed by racing tides and salt marshes.

~3.5h from Paris: TGV to Rennes, then direct bus. Stay past sunset if you can, the crowds leave and the mount lights up. Base yourself in Paris.

Mad King Ludwig's fairy-tale castle in the Bavarian Alps, the one Disney borrowed. Turrets, alpine gorges, and a bridge with the best view in Germany.

~2h from Munich by train to Füssen + bus. Book the timed castle tour online well ahead; the Marienbrücke bridge view is free. Base yourself in Munich.

The palace against which all palaces are measured: the Hall of Mirrors, Marie Antoinette's hamlet, and gardens that stretch to the horizon.

40 min from central Paris on the RER C. Closed Mondays. Book timed entry; go early or late and give the gardens a full afternoon. Base yourself in Paris.

Sixteen terraced lakes spilling into each other through waterfalls, threaded by wooden walkways, a UNESCO wonder in every shade of turquoise.

~2h from Zagreb by bus. Buy timed tickets online (they sell out in summer); Entrance 1 gives the classic canyon view. Base yourself in Zagreb.

A Roman city frozen mid-breath by Vesuvius in 79 AD, streets, frescoes, bakeries, amphitheatre and all. The most complete window into ancient daily life anywhere on earth.

~40 min from Naples on the Circumvesuviana train (Pompei Scavi stop). Book timed tickets online, wear real shoes, bring water, there's little shade. Base yourself in Naples.

A hilltop fantasy of candy-colored palaces, mossy castles, and gardens lost in Atlantic mist, Byron called it a 'glorious Eden'.

40 min by train from Lisbon's Rossio station. Book Pena Palace timed entry; wear walking shoes and start before 10am to beat the tour buses. Base yourself in Lisbon.

Moorish Spain's masterpiece in Granada: carved stucco, quiet courtyards, and gardens built around the sound of running water.

~2.5h from Seville by train/bus to Granada. Nasrid Palaces tickets sell out weeks ahead, book the official site the moment dates open. Base yourself in Seville.