The country of Belgium has a strategic location in Western Europe that has occasionally turned it into a battlefield between the continent’s great powers.

Iceland is a small island nation with a population of approximately three hundred thousand and lies just below the Artic Circle.

Rome was once the capital of an empire that ruled most of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East for five centuries and built dozens of important cities in its image all around the Mediterranean.

Paris is an epic destination for visitors from around the world. The impressive mix of art, culture, food, history, entertainment, and museums has made it a model for cities everywhere.

Over 2.9 million of the nation’s people live in the metropolitan area of the Lisbon, Portugal’s beautiful capital city located near the mouth of the Tagus River.

London has played an important role in the history of Europe for over 2000 years. Today, it boasts a population of more than 14 million people in its metropolitan area and remains one of the world’s most important financial, cultural, and governmental centers.

The Dutch people of the Netherlands and Flemish regions have always been ahead of their time.

For 3,000 years, people have settled on a narrow and rocky peninsula now known as Nessebar located on the West coast of the Black Sea.

The Greek island of Santorini in the Aegean is a popular stop for cruise ships touring the Mediterranean, and Europeans seeking an exotic island retreat for a week’s vacation.

The fjords and mountains of Norway attract people from around the world seeking to gaze upon the calm deep waters, majestic waterfalls and quaint cottages of the surroundings.

For two millennium, the great empires of the Mediterranean contested for control and influence in the Andalusian section of Spain.

Throughout the 1700s, Russia competed with the other great empires of Europe to develop geopolitical power and become a world leader. Living in the dreary capital of Moscow, Russian czars envied the great palaces of the French royalty in Versailles, the Ottomans in Istanbul and the Hapsburgs in Vienna.

Ukraine has been at the center of regional rivalries for 600 years. At various times, parts of the country have been annexed, partitioned or claimed by the Lithuanian empire, the Polish state, Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.

Few Americans travel to Slovenia or know where it is. But well informed travelers have started exploring Slovenia in recent years as a result of the restoration of the historic old city within the capital city of Ljubljana, several natural wonders and the clean countryside, and the friendliness of its people.

The small nation of Montenegro has burst onto the tourist scene in recent years by offering reasonably priced beach vacations and nightlife in places like Budva and Bar to European, Russian and Serbian visitors, along with providing some exclusive sanctuaries for the rich and famous.

For the past few years, Game of Thrones fans have traveled to Croatia to see various fortresses and other sites which were used as backdrops for the popular television series.