What’s Hot in Europe in 2004

New Attractions and Old Sights Polished Up

by Rick Steves

Enjoy a nap atop of Ireland's Cliffs of Moher or go for a sail below.	Visitors can climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa once again.

From crumbling castles to chocolate churches, Europe’s got plenty in store for 2004. After spending four months researching my guidebooks, I came up with these highlights:

Great Britain

In London, a new Tate-to-Tate ferry cruises the Thames, connecting the Tate Modern and Tate Britain art galleries for £4.50, stopping at the London Eye Ferris Wheel en route. (You'll find fewer lines than usual in London, even at its popular Ferris Wheel, where you can generally just buy your ticket and walk on instead of booking ahead.)

The new £5 "congestion charge" that drivers need to pay to drive in London has cut down on traffic. Buses are now cheaper and run more frequently.

The famous half-price ticket booth at Leicester Square, which sells discounted theater tickets for same-day shows, has changed its name to "tkts" to thwart copy-cat businesses using its previous name. Tkts lists what it sells at www.tkts.co.uk.

Bath's long-delayed spa should finally open in early 2004 (www.romanbaths.co.uk).

Liverpool has opened up the boyhood homes of Beatles John and Paul to the public. It's a worthwhile pilgrimage for the faithful (by £10 National Trust Tour minibus only, 20forthlinroad@ntrust.org.uk).

The new Hadrian's Wall Trail, now ready for hikers, runs from coast to coast along the ancient Roman wall that separates England and Scotland (www.hadrians-wall.org).

Ireland

Ireland sells a new €4 pass—ideal for couples—called the Heritage Island Explorer Touring Guide, providing 2-for-1 discounts at many sights in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. Passes are sold at tourist information offices and participating sights (www.heritageisland.com).

Dublin will inaugurate a new light rail and subway system, called LUAS, in 2004. The new Francis Bacon Studio, tucked in the back of Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery, has been reconstructed in its original, messy, state from its London location at the time of the artist's death in 1992 (www.hughlane.ie/fb_studio).

Now you can sail along the base of the towering Cliffs of Moher from Liscannor to Doolin on Ireland’s west coast (daily April-October, weather and tides permitting, www.mohercruises.com).

Netherlands

In Amsterdam, the best art of the Dutch masters will be displayed in the south wing of the Rijksmuseum, even though most of the museum is closing for a 5-year renovation project (www.rijksmuseum.nl).

France

Paris' Orangerie impressionist art museum is due to re-open late in 2004, while Le Petit Palais art museum is closed until 2005 for renovation. Paris' venerable Samaritaine Department Store closed its popular city viewpoint, but don't despair—the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame's towers offer the same stunning views as always. For the latest on Paris, check www.paris-touristoffice.comor call their new tourist information number: 08 36 68 31 12.

Normandy will commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004 with “80 days of emotion and celebration” from June 6 through August, including festivals, ceremonies, concerts, and educational events (www.normandiememoire.com). Book your hotel early.

In the Dordogne region, dotted with prehistoric caves and art, Les Eyzies' small National Museum of Prehistory will move into a bigger, modern building, slated to open in June 2004.

Italy

In Rome, a new sight called Time Elevator Roma serves up nearly 3,000 years of the city’s history in 45 minutes in an air-conditioned theater (www.time-elevator.it).

St. Susanna Church, the home of the American Catholic Church in Rome, can arrange a papal audience or blessing for you (www.santasusanna.org).

A new boat service in Rome makes stops up and down the Tiber River and continues to Ostia Antica, Rome’s ancient port (easier to visit than Pompeii and nearly as impressive).

If you're at the top of Rome's Capitol Hill, you can neatly get to the top of the Victor Emmanuel Monument next door--without going down and up a couple hundred stairs--by slipping through the back door. On Capitol Hill, find the she-wolf statue near the back of the Emmanuel Monument, pass through the iron gate at the top of the steps, and enter the small unmarked door on the right. Enjoy the view, sweat-free.

To climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you can easily book online for a €2 charge on top of the €15 entry (www.opapisa.it).

Venice still offers a confusing array of passes—the best bet for most travelers is the €11 Museum Card, covering the Doges' Palace and Correr Museum. A trip down the Grand Canal now costs a whopping €5...but it's worth it. La Fenice, Venice's opera house, should finally re-open in early 2004 (after a disastrous 1996 fire), with performances beginning later in fall. For the latest on Venice, check www.turismovenezia.it.

Padua's Scrovegni Chapel, featuring the glorious frescoes of pre-Renaissance master Giotto, now includes a Multimedia Center with exhibits on the frescoes, Giotto’s technique, and the extensive restoration process. Only 25 people at a time are allowed into the actual chapel. To reserve your visit, book online at www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it.

In the Dolomites, a new gondola just opened, linking the valley village of Siusi to the alpine Alpe di Siusi, a scenic wonderland for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and skiing.

The facade of Milan’s magnificent cathedral will be covered with scaffolding through 2005. La Scala's Opera House and Museum will re-open in December 2004. Until then, the opera and museum remain in their temporary homes: the show goes on at Theater Arcimboldi (www.teatroallascala.org) and the museum is in Palazzo Busca, across the street from the church that houses Leonardo’s Last Supper.

In the Cinque Terre, the national park containing a string of five villages along the Italian Riviera, the new "Cinque Terre Card Plus Boats" covers your hiking permit and local trains and boats for a 1-day period (€13.60).

From Naples to Paestum, a new Campania ArteCard offers free entry to two sights of your choice (choose Pompeii and Herculaneum, the most expensive sights, as freebies) plus 50 percent off on other sights covered by the card. Covering regional transportation to boot, the card costs €25 and is good for three days (www.campaniartecard.it).

Germany and Austria

Due to a crackdown by the phone company, the cheap international calling cards sold at newsstands are no longer a good deal if used from pay phones; use the cards for calling from hotel room phones instead.

Munich's Deutsches Museum celebrated its 100th anniversary by opening a new annex across town called the Verkehrszentrum (Transportation Center), showing off all aspects of transport, from old big-wheeled bikes to sleek ICE super-trains.

In Vienna, the Kunsthistorisches Museum lost its prime treasure—Cellini’s gold Salt Cellar—to thieves (If you took it…give it back.). The Albertina Museum, with its regal apartments, spectacular art, and world-class temporary exhibits, has reopened after several years of renovation.

In Reutte, Austria, the ruins of four castles that once made up the largest fort in Tirol are gradually being turned into a European Castle Museum, which will simultaneously show off 500 years of military architecture. The museum’s due to be completed in 2007, but the castles are worth a visit now (www.ehrenberg.at).

Spain and Portugal

Barcelona will host Euroforum 2004, a cultural symposium held near its Olympic Port (May 9-Sept 26, 2004, www.barcelona2004.org). Book your hotel room in advance.

Gaudí's unfinished Sagrada Família church, which is slowly being completed, now offers helpful audioguide tours for €3.

Barcelona's new Chocolate Museum tells the story of chocolate from Aztecs to Europeans via the port of Barcelona, where it was first unloaded and processed. Don't miss this opportunity to see a model of the Sagrada Família church finished—and ready to eat.

In a visionary move, Madrid is working on a pedestrian walkway that cuts across the heart of town, from the Prado to the Royal Palace, by way of Plaza Mayor. The section between the Prado and Plaza Angel (near Plaza Santa Ana and its tapas bars) is already finished.

AeroCity, a Madrid airport shuttle bus service, provides 24-hour door-to-door transport for €17 (www.aerocity.com), to the consternation of cabbies who like to overcharge for this ride.

Granada’s Alhambra, the Moorish palace atop a hill, offers a new €4 ticket that covers just the Generalife Gardens and the Alcazaba fort, a good option for lazy travelers who didn't reserve ahead to see the top sight, the Palacios Nazaries, and find it booked up (reserve for Nazaries online at www.alhambratickets.com).

The new Center for the Interpretation of Sacromonte offers insight into Gypsy cave-building, crafts, and food, plus views over Granada and the Alhambra. The center also hosts flamenco and classical guitar performances (www.sacromontegranada.com).

If you’re day-tripping to Tangier, Morocco, from the southern coast of Spain, you have three ports to choose from: pricey Gibraltar, dreary Algeciras, and--newly opened as an international port--the pleasant town of Tarifa. From Tarifa or nearby Algeciras, a simple round-trip ferry ticket to Tangier costs €45, while day tours, which include the ferry ride, cost only €50 (with the hopes you’ll shop till you drop big bucks).

Lisbon’s hotels are cranking up summer rates in anticipation of the Euro 2004 Soccer Cup (June 12-July 4, www.euro2004.com). Games will be held throughout Portugal, with the final at Lisbon’s Luz stadium. Reserve your hotel room early and be prepared to pay extra.

Scandinavia

In Copenhagen, the National Museum inherited an incredible, plush Victorian apartment—a 19th-century time capsule—a tour of which is included with your admission.

Stockholm’s Nobel Museum, recently opened to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Nobel Prize awards, is thoroughly entertaining, with portraits of all 700-plus prizewinners hanging from the ceiling—shuffling around the room like shirts at the dry cleaners.

As Europe polishes up its old sights, it introduces new attractions. Whether you're castle-hopping in the Tirol, cruising along the Cliffs of Moher, hiking Hadrian's Wall, or celebrating D-Day with veterans, you'll discover that there's no end to what Europe has to offer.

RICK STEVES (www.ricksteves.com) is the host of the PBS series Rick Steves' Europe and the author of 30 European travel guidebooks, including Europe Through the Back Door, all published by Avalon Travel Publishing.