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ancy “window shopping” the world’s vast cultural heritage in one continent? Europe is the place.

From the Berlin Wall, Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, to the windmills of Holland and masquerade carnivals in Venice, all can be reached by land.

Romantic Paris can begin with Mona Lisa, who is not the only resident of Paris’ Musee du Louvre. Art lovers would need a whole day to explore it.

At the entrance, you will find the inverted pyramid that captured Dan Brown’s imagination in Da Vinci Code. From the Louvre, walk to the river Seine.

There are floating restaurants, cafes, even free benches where you can enjoy the same view with your own wine, bread and cheese from a local grocer.

To sail along Seine, take a guided tour or hop on the Batobus with stops on both sides of the Seine.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower is amazing both in daylight and moonlight. On the top, there are telescopes to view Paris from above. The Eiffel Tower at night is even more romantic. After dark, the entire tower is lit by 336 light projectors and 20,000 sparkling lights.

Not to be missed is sunset in front of Basilique du Sacré-Cœur on the summit of Montmartre.

The area was the set for Moulin Rouge and Amelie, and was the work place of Dalí, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh Toulouse-Lautrec, and many famous artists.

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is set in the only city in the world built entirely on water. Venice holds one of the most prestigious international film festivals in late August or early September.

During Carnival of Venice — around February and March — you will see masks like those featured in Eyes Wide Shut. The mask was historically worn to hide identities and social class differences.

Nowadays, a jury of international designers annually votes for La Maschera piu bella, the best masked costume of the year.

Gondolas have always been part of Venice’s postcards. A gondola ride is romantic, but not cheap — 80 Euros for a 40-minute ride. If you know where you want to go, better take the vaporetto (water bus) or the traghetto (gondola ferry).

If your time is limited, the must-seen place is Piazza San Marco. From there visit St. Mark’s Basilica, the Museo Correr, and the clock tower.

The archway beneath the clock opens onto the Mercerie, where you can buy traditional souvenirs. Away from Venice’s city centre, the island of Murano is famous for its traditional glass making and Burano for its colorful fishermen’s cottages.

The tulips of Holland will color your spring. Situated between Amsterdam and The Hague, Keukenhof opens from March to May.

It has over 80,000 tulips of 600 varieties. You can also have your photo taken in traditional Dutch clothing.

Food-wise, there are giant pancakes in Leiden. But my favorite is the Dutch way of serving French fries. Snack bars in Dam Square Amsterdam serve chips with many choices of condiments.

Try patatje oorlog (“little chips at war”), chips with mayonnaise and peanut/satay sauce. You will be surprised to find that the combination actually works well!

As you walk around Amsterdam, be careful when walking into a “coffee shop” as this is the popular name for legal places to enjoy cannabis.

Visitors of Berlin this year will have a chance to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall.

On Aug. 13, there will be commemorative ceremony dedicated to the victims of the Wall and the division of the city.

Berlin has a number of high-rise observation decks. TV Tower near Alexanderplatz is the tallest tower in Germany and second in Europe with a rotating café.

Bundestag (the Parliament building) near the Brandenburg gate has a spectacular glass dome, with a great view of Berlin.

Home to the Berlin Philharmonic, the city is a paradise for classical music lovers. For the younger crowd, Berlin has the largest techno scene in the world.

The Berliner nightlife is legendary, for there is no curfew. After partying all night, try currywurst, a fast-food dish of hot sausage (wurst) seasoned with tomato ketchup blended with curry powder. Most imbissbuden (snack stalls) sell this local delicacy.

Cross the English Channel to London, and you will be spoiled for choice in the diverse UK. Start by walking along the river Thames.

You will find the Parliament building and the London Eye are close to each other; Buckingham Palace is only a 10-minute walk.

Further along the Thames, the Tower of London is one of UNESCO’s world heritage buildings, built by William the Conqueror.

Madame Tussauds is another popular place to see, but you need to allow more time as the queue is always long.

For Beatles fans, Liverpool in North West England offers an experience of its own.

Try the Yellow Duckmarine for a unique one-hour amphibious sightseeing tour of Liverpool’s historic waterfront, city and docks.

Travelers around Europe have choices of budget airlines departing from small airports. You can also travel by land.

Eurorail pass offers choices of Global Pass for 22 countries, selected pass for up to five countries, or One Country Pass.

For affordable accommodation, consider joining Hostelling International. The yearly membership gives you access to over 4,000 hostels around the world.

Europe is vast and diverse, and so are your options. Whatever you choose, enjoy the trip!