Scandinavian meadows dozing in soft summer sunshine. Alpine peaks facing up to the winter.

Coastlines that court the affection of the Mediterranean, the Ionian, the Aegean, the Adriatic, the Atlantic and the Baltic. Grand cities that remember the ancient Greeks and Romans in epic landmarks and visible history, but embrace the contemporary in museums, galleries, opera houses and theatres. Culinary invention that distils global influences into vibrant local dining scenes. Nightlife that stretches through until morning. True, there are bigger continents than Europe – but none, perhaps, with its diversity of attractions and landscapes.