The country's principal political, economic, financial, educational center, Moscow is one of the oldest and most beautiful Russian cities. It is the site of the famous Kremlin and is world-renowned for its architecture and performing arts culture. Its museums and galleries are some of the largest and most important in the world, housing frequent art exhibitions. Moscow is also well known as the site of Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 as a "window to Europe," Saint Petersburg served as the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years. Nowadays it became a major European cultural center, and the most important Russian port on the Baltic. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main tourist attractions are: the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Russian Museum. The most famous inhabitants of this city were Dostoyevski, Pushkin, Tschajkovski, and Tcherniavski.

The German capital holds a world cultural record with three opera houses, two concert halls and eight symphony orchestras. This is the heart of Germany, with a stoic beat that echoes through grand public buildings, glorious museums and theatres, urbane restaurants, bustling pubs and raucous nightclubs. Today, structures of steel and glass tower over streets and parks and gardens are again lush. With its field of new skyscrapers and hip clubs and fashion boutiques, post millennium Berlin has recast itself as the Continent's capital of cool.

Budapest looks its most beautiful at dawn, yet it is also spectacularly appealing at night. Even more exceptional is the perfect contrast between the right and left banks. Buda is built upon hills, the feet of two of them - Castle Hill and Gellért Hill - almost stand in the water. Facing it is Pest, as flat as a pancake. This is a vibrant city: it throbs with life morning, noon and night; visitors arriving from other countries get the feeling that something interesting is happening round every corner. Budapest is a remarkable and wholly unpretentious place.

Wonderful Copenhagen is one of the world's great walking cities. A cozy European capital, it's filled with stunning architecture ? classic and modern, historic sites, world-class museums, and some of the best shopping and dining in Europe. No matter what your interests, Copenhagen has a whole lot of sightseeing and entertainment on offer: the graceful statue of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, Tivoli Gardens, a charming all ages "Pleasure Park" in the heart of the city, the Danish crown jewels at Rosenborg Palace, shops on Strřget, eclectic art and antiquities collections at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Botanic Gardens, and other many beautiful parks.

Paris assaults the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelled. Gaze impressive monuments and savor its gourmet pastiche of cheese, chocolate, wine and seafood. Paris is a city of vast perspectives and intimate streets, of formal espaces verts (green open spaces) and of quiet squares. Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with distances between many of its major sights and museums invariably walkable. Unforgettable walks exhibiting the best of Paris: stroll down the Champs-Elysees for the chic grand boulevard experience and Rue Cler for a more intimate snapshot of Parisian living.

Rows of steeples stacked on onion domes pierce the sky, earning Prague the name "The City of a Hundred Spires". Prague has stood the test of time: 1,000 years of art and architecture have collided with power politics and religious conflicts. New shops and restaurants have opened, expanding the city's culinary reach far beyond tradition. The arts and theater are thriving in the "new" Prague. The arts of the new era possess a distinctive Czech flavor. All of this frenetic activity plays well against a stunning backdrop of towering churches and centuries-old bridges and alleyways.

Much of Warsaw's historic center was painstakingly recreated and today's Old Town buildings are closer to the original architecture than they were ever before. It has a wealth of shops and restaurants to potter around in. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafés, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract. In addition, the Former Jewish ghetto is a stark reminder of the unforgiving hand of history. The nightlife scene is equally surprising, with the city's increasingly well-dressed youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now hums after dark.