Situated at the feet of the western Pyrenees near the French border, Spain's Basque Country comprises three provinces: Guipúzcoa and the popular beachfront capital of Donostia-San Sebastian; Vizcaya, where capital Bilbao houses the jaw-dropping Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum; and Alava, whose capital Vitoria-Gasteiz teems with medieval architecture. Running with the bulls at Pamplona and drinking rioja from area wineries add to the region's exotic romanticism. Travel in early summer and fall to dodge the madding crowds.

travellers generally come to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim—some for the art inside, but many for the amazing building itself. The Fine Arts Museum and the Basque Museum may not have been designed by Frank Gehry, but are worth a visit, and you can catch international opera stars at the Palacio Euskalduna.

Uppsala is the fourth largest city in Sweden. Situated on the coast just north of Stockholm, it is home to a major university, Sweden's largest Cathedral, and the Uppsala castle.