Photos of Europe

Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, unlike that of earlier Romanesque architecture.

Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. After the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern.

The cathedral suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution in the 1790s, when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. During the 19th century, an extensive restoration project was completed, returning the cathedral to its previous state.

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD^[1] under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus^[2], with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96).^[3] The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,^[1][4][5] the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.^[6][7]

This video was taken in Grand Place Square in Brussels. It is one of the prettiest town squares in Europe and all of the World.

Spiazzo is a comune (municipality) in the province of Trento in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km west of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,164 and an area of 70.6 km².^[1]

Spiazzo borders the following municipalities: Ponte di Legno, Vermiglio, Giustino, Strembo, Saviore dell'Adamello, Caderzone, Massimeno, Daone, Bocenago, Pelugo and Montagne.

Lucerne (German: Luzern (help·info)) is a city in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and seat of the district with the same name. With a population of 57,890^[1], Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland and a focal point of the region. The city's agglomeration consists of 17 municipalities in three cantons with an overall population of nearly 200,000^[2].

Due to its location on the shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee), within sight of Mount Pilatus and Rigi in the Swiss Alps, Lucerne is traditionally considered first and foremost as a tourist destination. One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century.

Grimsel Pass (German: Grimselpass) (el. 2165 m.) is a Swiss high mountain pass between the valley of the Rhone River in the canton of Valais and the Haslital (upper valley of the Aar river) in the canton of Bern.

It is located near the source of the Rhone at the Rhone Glacier. Also in the area is the Grimsel Test Site, used for research into underground radioactive waste disposal.

The Eiffel Tower (French: Tour Eiffel, /tuʀ ɛfɛl/) is an iron tower built during 1887-1889 on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris.^[1] More than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction in 1889,^[2] including 6,719,200 in 2006,^[3] making it the most visited paid monument in the world.^[4][5] Including the 24 m (79 ft) antenna, the structure is 324 m (1,063 ft) high (since 2000), which is equivalent to about 81 levels in a conventional building.

At the time of completion in 1889, it was the world's tallest tower — a title it retained until 1930 when New York City's Chrysler Building (319 m — 1,047 ft tall) was completed.^[6] The tower is now the fifth-tallest structure in France and the tallest structure in Paris, with the second-tallest being the Tour Montparnasse (210 m, 689 ft). The Tour AXA will be taller still after renovation (225.11 m, 738.36 ft), but it is not actually within Paris, being in the nearby suburb of La Défense.