Stretching from the Mediterranean to the Arctic and encompassing both the world’s largest and smallest countries, Western Eurasia is a patchwork of different landscapes and cultures. Spend the morning wandering through wildflower meadows in the Alps, relax on a sandy beach in the afternoon and then fly to Paris or Vienna in time for supper – with all the highlights of the region within a three-hour flight radius, it’s easy to plan your very own grand tour. Metropolitan gems such as St Petersburg, Prague and Rome are the diamonds in this area’s jewel-studded crown, but don’t overlook the fresh charms of far-Eastern Europe and the fabulous frozen landscapes of Scandinavia. It might be well explored, but Europe is still full of surprises.