Russia is by far the largest country in the world, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area, spanning Eastern Europe and northern Asia. While geographically mostly in Asia, the bulk of Russia's population is concentrated in the European part and, culturally, Russia is unmistakably European. Much of the Asian part, however, has more in common with Kazakhstan, Mongolia or Northeast China than with Eastern Europe. It boasts a rich history and culture.
With four official languages and strong regional identities in over two dozen cantons, Switzerland is one of the most diverse countries in Europe. It is also rightly famous for chocolate and cheese, banks and neutrality as well as the culture of honest debate and consensus that binds it all together
Much more than just another post-Yugoslav state, this small nation has both the Adriatic sea and the Alps, Romance, Slavic and Germanic influences and a well educated population that speaks enough foreign languages to welcome visitors from all around the globe
While you might associate Liechtenstein with shady financial deals and strange politics, this tiny alpine principality by the Rhine is well worth a short stop.
Both the most populous and the most economically powerful country in the region, Germany is an incredibly diverse nation that offers everything from skiing in the Alps to sunbathing on the coasts, old towns dating back to the Roman Empire and ultramodern architecture in cities like Frankfurt.
Forget The Sound of Music (few Austrians have ever actually heard of it), this country has much more to offer than breathtaking Alpine panoramas - the cosmopolitan city of Vienna has a unique charm and Vienna coffee houses were both the start of many a story and the place where they were written. You can of course always ski or hike in the Austrian Alps as well.
Germanic culture meets Slavic culture in this region that straddles east and west, with historic towns, fairy-tale castles, beer, forests, unspoiled farmland, and mountain ranges, including the mighty Alps.
This small duchy once laid claims upon the entire Benelux region around 600 years ago.
The battlefield for World War I, this picturesque country is known for its culinary specialties and hosts many important institutions of the European Union.
A flat country that is constantly being changed by the seas. Inventive minds in Dutch history developed a technique for claiming land back from the ocean.