Europe's history is rich and varied, but most of its culture and civilisations originate in Ancient Greece, from philosophy to democracy to theatre to sport. The modern capital, Athens, provides a real sense of the past, thanks to excavated remains of ancient ruins displayed behind glass in the metro, the Evzones - presidential guards in traditional dress - and the Acropolis World Heritage Site with its iconic White Marble Parthenon Temple rising above and dominating the city. Home to one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey, is also steeped in centuries of culture and history. Long contested by East and West, thanks to its position as gateway between the two, the capital, Istanbul, has many architectural masterpieces such as the Aya Sofya Muslim Mosque with its beautiful interior, and the emblematic Seven Hill Mosque skyline. You can also enjoy the colourful bazaar district, take a Turkish bath and taste typical meze starters. Russia is so vast and culturally diverse that it is better explored as separate countries. Its capital, Moscow, is the home to cutting-edge music, theatre and arts, underground nightclubs and great places to eat. The centre of Moscow unites the Russian history of Tsars, religious Patriarchs and communism in the iconic red-brick Kremlin and nearby Red Square. The city of St. Petersburg, in the North-West, has an impressive network of canals, baroque and neoclassical Italian architecture and is very progressive.