Many people do not realise by the religious centre of the Catholic faith the Vatican City is actually a country in its own right, even though it is located right in the heart of the city of Rome, Italy. The Vatican is separated from the rest of Rome by a vast wall, and has a number of amazing historic buildings and monuments including the stunning St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Palace and the Pope’s residence, and also houses some of the world’s most treasured art including Michelangelo’s great masterpiece, the painted interior of the Sistine Chapel.

Visiting the Vatican City
You will not need to produce your passport to enter the Vatican City, but special permission is required to visit those areas not open to the public such as the excavations under St Peter’s (the Necropoli Precostantiniana). Entry to the city will be via Rome, so you will need to satisfy the Italian visa and passport requirements before you can visit the Vatican City, as there are no transport links which allow you to travel directly into the city itself from another country. There can be some big queues during peak seasons such as around Easter and during the summer, so if you want to avoid the crowds it might be better to visit earlier in the morning, or off season. Accommodation for the general public is not available in the Vatican City, so you will need to make arrangements to stay over in a hotel or guesthouse in Rome itself.

The Vatican City has its own currency which is similar to the Italian currency which existed before the Euro was introduced, and consists of Gold Lire, Silver Lire and Bronzital Lire. However you can use Euros in the Vatican City, as these are widely accepted as legal tender.

Europe is an excellent destination for a cultural holiday, as it is a place of diverse people and landscapes, and has a rich and interesting history. Some of the best museums in the world are spread throughout this amazing continent, providing fascinating glimpses into key areas of the both human and natural history. Here are just some of the most interesting and unusual top museums on offer in Europe:
· The British Museum, London – this museum has an unparalleled reputation for its vast collections of archaeological and antique items from all around the world, and offers 94 galleries full of amazing exhibits for visitors to explore. There are a number of the world’s most important historical treasures housed at The British Museum including the Rosetta Stone, and there are also a number of visiting exhibitions each year on loan from other museums around the globe, so there is always something new to see each time you visit.
· Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, London – this unusual museum first opened over 200 years ago in London, and is popularity proved so great that there are now a total of eight Madame Tussauds museum located worldwide. The London museum is still to this day one of the most visited museums in Europe, and the attraction is the finely crafted, life-like models of famous figures of history including royalty, statesmen, pop stars and film stars from ancient times right through to the modern day.
· Louvre, Paris – this stunning museum was originally a 12th Century fortress, and has been added to over the years with many new and updated sections to create over 60,000 sq m of exhibition space. There are over 35,000 works of art on show here, including one of the most iconic paintings in the world ‘The Mona Lisa’ by Leonardo de Vinci, and there are also many important historical artefacts and items to view as well.

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The Canary Islands are well known for their all year round sun, and many people enjoy the excellent climate which is sunny and warm at the height of the season (but not too hot) and bright and pleasantly spring-like during the rest of the year. This makes the Canary Islands a popular place for a winter sun break, and the largest island is Gran Canaria, which offers a number of hotels and attractions and has some lovely scenery including the lush green meadows of the north and the arid sand dunes of the south.

The capital of Gran Canaria is Las Palmas, which is notable for both its excellent tourist facilities and also its rich history, and was founded back in the 15th Century and offers many fascinating cobbled streets and historic grand mansion houses. Aside from the historical attractions most visitors come to Gran Canaria to enjoy the many excellent beaches, and there are miles of stunning golden sands most offering good facilities such as restaurants, shops and toilets/showers.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Gran Canaria, and Holiday World is a large funfair style park with lots of rides, cafes, arcades, restaurants and games which is ideal for families. Other places to visit include Palmitos Park, which offers a number of zoological and botanical attractions, and also Crocodiles Park, home to the largest collection of crocodiles in Europe. There is also a large water theme park called Aqua Sur Water Park, which provides over 6,340 sq ft (5,300 sq m) of water slides, pools and other water attractions which is the perfect place to have some fun on a warm sunny day.

The Canary Islands are a part of Spain, and so the currency is Euros and the principal language Spanish, although this has been a popular destination for UK visitors for many years now and English is widely spoken in the main tourist areas of the larger islands.