Europe is a magical continent, transforming you from one spectrum to another as you move from north to south or east to west. While there are snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes, there are also beaches and bays and warm Mediterranean paradises. While there are wonders like the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum and the Parthenon, there are also idle canals cut through Amsterdam and small cute footbridges in Florence. While you can eat pasta to your heart's content in Italy, there are also delicious bites of Tapas in Spain. So if you are scouting what to visit and what’s the best around in Europe, then here are the top countries to visit on this continent.

The country of ‘The Queen’ and red telephone booths, of the the Big Ben and Scottish Highlands, of the Westminster Abbey and the London Bridge, Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and Cambridge and Oxford! These sufficient to prove that the United Kingdom is one of the best countries to visit in Europe? After all, it creates a beautiful balance of rich history, some of the most stunning architecture and the renowned British accent (swoon).

Of course, you can visit its great cities like London, Bath, Manchester, Bristol and Leicester among many. Or travel to Scotland for places like Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow.

The UK’s cousin and neighbour across the English Chanel, France is another great country that you must visit in Europe. Of course, renowned for its iconic Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, the Louvre and Sienna in Paris, France has so much more to offer. From the wine district of Bordeaux to the gothic city of Lyon, from Marseille to Versailles and Nice to Chamonix Valley, France is another type of beauty altogether. The French Riviera or Cote de Azure in the South of France is also worth visiting for its luxurious resort towns fringed on the clear Mediterranean beaches.

Oh, the land of Swiss Alps and snowcapped mountains, lakes in evergreen valleys and cities right out of fairytales… Switzerland, the land of cheeses and chocolates. If you are into museums, delicious food, fine wines, hiking up snow and being in a picturesque locality all day in general then Switzerland is the best place to go in Europe. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg and there is too much you can do here. From small towns like Interlaken and Biel to the bigger ones like Zurich and Geneva, you will be in for a treat.

The Germans are known for their penchant for heart-breaking art, some of the best classical music, beautiful towns and of course - beer! Visit this European city in the heart of the continent if you are in love with the beautiful history and geography of this region, from the Black Forest thickets to the mountains of Bavaria and the North Sea. Visit in September end to partake in the month-long Oktoberfest and chug down beer with local sausages all day. Or go during the festive months of November and December to celebrate Christmas in their night markets and cute shops and cafes! Oh, and Beethoven was from here.

And Mozart was from here. Just saying. 

Austria, hence, is a lyrical tune of one of the most beautiful places on the continent. Probably the ‘Sound of Music’ was inspired from this land of snowcapped hills and rolling mountains, of cobblestone-lined streets and rivers slicing through medieval towns. A mostly landlocked country in the east of Europe, Austria is great for fans of museums, theatres, cute medieval towns and some of the most scenic postcard meadows and mountains of the world. Visit the capital Vienna for theatricals and musicals, museums, cafes and the famous chocolate cake (sachertorte), Salzburg to see Mozart’s birthplace and Innsbruck for skiing.

The only word that pops in most minds when prompted ‘Belgium’ is ‘chocolate.’ But of course, this country is a thousand things more than just its decadent delicious production of smooth chocolate. Did you know Belgium is also the birthplace of the humble, beloved French Fries? Well, one has two reasons to die for Belgium now! For tourism in this West-European country of course, visit the capital city of Brussels, see the ancient houses of Bruges, Antwerp and its diamond districts and the river port town of Ghent.

One cannot visit West Europe without going to Netherlands, can one now? It would be like the cardinal sin to not go see the canals of Amsterdam, eat the delicious fries and waffles from its streets, cycle through its tight lanes and stop at tulip farms and windmills just outside its city radius. There are some great museums here in Amsterdam, displaying stunning classic works from many artists, including Van Gogh. Visit in April to see the tulip gardens and sunflowers here in full bloom and check out Dutch cities like The Hague and Rotterdam.

Pasta, pizza, antipasti, A Roman Holiday, vineyards, gelato, the Duomo, footbridges of Florence, the Vatican, Leonardo da Vinci, basil and oregano, gondolas of Venice, high-end fashion of Milan… there are endless dimensions to Italy and we will end up writing forever if asked to describe it. But in a nutshell, this country is a beautiful amalgamation of rich history, richer cuisine, beautiful people and even more beautiful cities. Poets, artists, writers, chefs… they all come here at least once in their lifetime to draw inspiration from the Italian sun. From Rome to Venice to Florence to Bologna, from Amalfi Coast to Sicily, do visit Italy when you are planning a European holiday.

The Czech Republic, nation of beautiful medieval towns and cobblestone streets that are lined by gothic lamp posts and lead to gothic benches, of the fairytale cities that rise into castles on hills and towns that have the chic BoHo vibe in every part of it! Visit cities like Prague, Pilsen, Brno and Karlovy Vary for their unique cultures, stories and history. Cesky Krumlov is another very romantic town not too far from Prague and a must visit for fans of fairytales and cute everything.

Moving away from the central and western belt of Europe, there are many countries in this continent that receive loads of sunshine almost year round. One of them is Greece, the eastern country of Europe. With its Mediterranean coastline and ancient pre-CE monuments, Roman ruins and Greek God temples, Greece is a heavenly holiday destination. Its stunning islands add to the charm, with whitewashed houses and cobblestone streets, stepped hotels and bougainvillea showering over walls. Visit Athens, Crete, Santorini Islands and Mykonos among the many that Greece has to offer.

A Spanish summer is something everybody must experience at least once in a lifetime. The sun, the sand, the tapas, the open-top roof bars and unlimited cultural explosion that leaves you smitten! From the streets of Madrid to football fever of Barcelona, from cathedrals and ancient heritage buildings to Tapas bars and open-air galleries of Alhambra, Spain is a great place to go to between summer and autumn. And the island of Ibiza is just the right kind of sexy, with its uber cool beaches that become the playground of the rich and famous of the world.

The easternmost European country, one that straddles the Bosphorus Strait that divides Europe from Asia, Turkey is a blend of ancient and modern. With its Blue Mosque and minarets, Topkapi Palace and Galata Towers, Istanbul stuns you; while the hot-air balloons rising over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia make for an experience created in heaven. The bazars are colourful here in Turkey, the beaches pristine and smelling of salt and fish and breadcrumbs, while the the eastern reaches remain covered in rustic arid deserts that get snowed in during winter. Of course, winter and summer make the best seasons to holiday here!

Shoutout to the Game of Thrones fans out there, Croatia was one of the most used outdoor locations to shoot this show! From its gorgeous walled cities to the towns that open up onto beaches, Croatia is a wonder. The culture here is not Spanish or Italian or even a mix, but uniquely Croatian. With its parks, historical buildings, turrets and moats of walled cities and dense forests that trail up into the mountains, there is so much to see! Visit cities like Dubrovnik, Hvar, Plitvice Lakes and Kornati archipelago’s islands on your trip here.