Liechtenstein Travel Guide - Overview

Liechtenstein seems to be the forgotten corner of Europe; tucked in between Switzerland and Austria, this beautiful country is often overlooked, despite being more than a fair match for its neighbours.

In the summer, hikers and cyclists can traverse the stunning mountain ranges or valleys, while in winter these same areas offer skiing, ice skating and sledging.

Pretty villages with quaint chapels dot the land, while the capital Vaduz, with its stunning hill-top castle, has plenty of history, and shops, to explore.

With its intrinsic links to Switzerland and low tax, Liechtenstein's population is one of the most prosperous in the world, so you won't be the only one smiling when you're there.

Latvia Travel Guide - Overview

Latvia is a small country on the Baltic Sea with ancient history and traditions. If you want to enjoy nature, there is not only the serene Gulf of Riga and the open Baltic Sea, but also nature parks, lakes and beautiful forests.

Old Riga offers not only fabulous architectural monuments, but also various nightclubs and pubs. According to legend, once every 100 years the devil rears his head from the waters of Riga's River Daugava and asks whether Riga is ‘ready’ yet. If the answer is ‘yes’, the now nearly 900-year-old city will be condemned to sink into the waters.

For now, however, there is no chance of Latvia being 'ready' to sink. Long the Baltic favourite, Latvia is now also beginning to emerge as a tourist destination further afield, championed as one of Europe's hidden treasures. Those who visit will appreciate the small picturesque medieval towns, country castles, museums and folk parks, ruined fortresses and, occasionally, grand palaces. They will also appreciate the little Latvian quirks still entrenched in customs, crafts and culture.

Kosovo Travel Guide - Overview

The world's newest nation state, Kosovo is an eye-opening destination for adventurous travellers. It offers many historic landmarks, beautiful mountains and traditional towns, which are all within easy reach of the capital, Pristina.

The tiny, impoverished territory unilaterally declared itself independent from neighbouring Serbia on 17th February 2008 to great jubilation within the country but mixed reactions abroad. Located in the heart of the Balkans, Kosovo is populated by 90% ethnic Albanians, and has for many centuries been the stage for tension between its Serb and ethnic Albanian inhabitants.

A landlocked and largely agricultural country, Kosovo is now one of Europe's poorest nations. It was administered by the UN for many years following conflict in the 1990s and fears that Slobodan Milosevic was planning ethnic cleansing. Some 100,000 Serbs remain following a post-war exodus of non-Albanians.

Serbia, which regards the region as its historic birthplace and reminiscent of a Serbian ‘golden age', has vowed never to accept Kosovo's independence.

Italy Travel Guide - Overview

Stylish, cultured, good-humoured and volatile - Italy, with its golden light, stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage, has inspired poets and painters for centuries. Perhaps more than any other country, it has influenced the course of European development, particularly in culture and political thought.

Today, besides the renowned cities of Venice, Florence, Siena and Naples, each with its own unique identity and architecture, Italy features romantic medieval hill towns, such as San Gimignano in Tuscany, and unspoilt fishing villages, like Positano on the Amalfi coast. Operatic productions are staged in Verona's ancient amphitheatre, while the influence of Federico Fellini is celebrated in Turin's museum of cinema.

Throughout the country visitors can find vineyards and cellars to taste fine regional wines, workshops where crafts are produced by hand, and friendly trattorie where simple but superb dishes are served.

The most important early settlers were the enigmatic Etruscans, but by the third century BC their culture had been displaced by the mighty city state of Rome.

At its greatest extent, the Roman Empire stretched from Egypt to England and for several centuries conferred on its inhabitants the benefits of the Pax Romana: culture, law, relative peace and comparative prosperity. This sophisticated society left a rich architectural legacy - Rome is still dominated by buildings like the mighty Colosseum.

In the 15th century, Italy was at the heart of the Renaissance, an extraordinary flowering of art and culture. It produced artists such as Fra Angelico, Raphael, Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, whose works take pride of place in Italy's galleries.

Italy combines art, history and contemporary fashion with stunning natural landscapes: the turquoise waters of Sardinia's Costa Smeralda offer one of Europe's most beautiful stretches of sand, sea and sunshine, while the snow-covered slopes of the Dolomite mountains are a haven for winter sports enthusiasts.

Ireland Travel Guide - Overview

As far as tourist appeal goes, the small island of Ireland punches far above its own weight. The country is so packed with delights that visitors are often reduced to describing its charms in hyperbolic clichés: it is the greenest country, full of the friendliest people, all of whom would be geniuses if they weren't distracted by the lure of the pub.

Ireland is indeed a green country - so much rainfall must have its benefits - and the people are justifiably renowned for their friendliness. As for the geniuses, well, the Irish will proudly point to their four Nobel Laureates for Literature and declare that the success rate is unmatched in any other country of its size, all the while ensuring that the sacred 'round' system (where everyone buys a drink for everyone else in turn) is strictly adhered to.

Yet Ireland's charms run far deeper than the legendary craic of the pub or the accomplishments of a bunch of (mostly) dead writers. It has a remarkable history that is woven into virtually everything, from the prehistoric stone monuments of the Boyne Valley to the monuments honouring its fallen patriots, men and women who dared challenge the imperious might of its longtime occupier and contemporary friend, Britain.

It has a vibrant and dynamic capital, Dublin, which has spearheaded a stunning period of economic growth that has seen the country transformed from rural backwater to the envy of Europe. As a result, the Irish have grown in worldliness that continues to propel them to greater heights of achievement. Even the thorniest issue of all - Northern Ireland - has seen a kind of resolution and Ireland looks to the future with untrammelled confidence.

Iceland Travel Guide - Overview

Iceland is a large island in the North Atlantic close to the Arctic Circle. The landscape is wild, rugged and colourful, with black lava, red sulphur, hot blue geysers, rivers, waterfalls and green valleys. Its coastline is richly indented with bays and fjords.

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. Hekla, in the south of Iceland, has erupted no fewer than 16 times, and was once described by clergymen as the gateway to Hell. Certainly, Iceland's seething mountains contribute towards this sense of otherworldliness.

Yet around the coastal regions, Iceland is a bustle of activity, particularly in the capital city, Reykjavík, where more than half of Iceland's population lives. Reykjavík is set on a broad bay, surrounded by mountains, and is in an area of geothermal hot springs, creating a natural central heating system and pollution-free environment. It is a busy city combining old-fashioned wooden architecture and modern buildings. Despite being a relatively small capital city, Reykjavík has managed to forge a reputation for partying, and its nightclubs and bars are regularly filled with hordes of fun-loving citizens.

Whether you wish to quietly watch for birds or whales, or prefer to get active and ski, glacier skidoo or horse ride, Iceland amply provides for both.

Hungary Travel Guide - Overview

The small country of Hungary (Magyarország), surrounded by a sea of Slavs, is unique for its language, culture and ability to survive. Settled by the Magyars (a Finno-Ugric tribe who arrived via Russia in the ninth century), the country and its people have remained true to their heritage despite Mongol invasion in the 13th century, Turkish occupation in the 16th and 17th centuries, Austrian rule in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and communist domination in the mid 20th century.

The pride locals have for their nation is immense, but it doesn't spring solely from the stalwart strength of their nation. Hungary is also home to historic urban centres and evocative landscapes, not to mention quality wines, rejuvenating thermal springs, and a thriving arts and music scene.

Budapest, the capital, is a fantastic city split in two by the Danube. Buda is older, hillier, and more graceful, while Pest is the commercial centre dotted by gorgeous art nouveau buildings. Budapest contains the country's best bars and clubs, and has been a long time haven for writers, artists and musicians. Other centres, such as Eger, Pécs, Szentendre and Sopron, to name but a few, are vibrant cities with rich histories and stunning architecture.

The Puszta, a seemingly unending prairie topped by big skies, is the country's defining landscape, but Hungary's outdoor beauty doesn't stop there. There are 11 national parks and hundreds of protected areas to explore, along with Lake Balaton, Europe's largest body of fresh water, a multitude of meandering rivers and thousands of acres of vineyards and orchards. And at the end of a hard day sightseeing, there's no better place to relax than in one of Hungary's 150 thermal spas, some of which date back to Roman days.