The western edge of the Asian land-mass, the smallest of the continents, the old continent is many worlds in one. From the arid hillsides of Spain to the icy solitudes of the Far north, or Iceland where ice and fire have existed side-by-side since the dawn of time, Europe offers a unique range of natural settings. The sandy or rocky coasts of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the high peaks of the Alps, the volcanoes of the Auvergne or Italy, great plains such as the Hungarian Puzsta, immense forests such as the Black Forest of Germany- Europe is all of these.

Add to this diversity a mosaic of nations, cultures, languages and religions which have developed down the centuries in the wake of invasions and migrations. Each nation imposes its own personality on this extraordinary range, through its artistic heritage, its traditions, its way of life, offering a constellation of countries which will enchant the enquiring traveller.