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Ancient places can be found all over Europe. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on European history. Visiting such ancient places in Europe can be an unforgettable experience.

Science is constantly discovering new archaeological places and uncovering more evidence into what we once thought we knew about our history, therefore offering new pieces to the ever changing puzzle of humanity’s past and altering how we interpret it. This section will present the most interesting archaeological sites all over Europe, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

The Tower of Hercules
25 January, 2016 - 03:59 Natalia Klimczak

Inspired by the Lighthouse of Alexandria – The Roman Tower of Hercules

The only still functioning Roman lighthouse stands in the north-west part of the Iberian Peninsula, in Galicia. It is called the Torre de Hércules - Tower of Hercules. When Julius Caesar arrived to...
Statue from Gobeklitepe at Urfa Museum, Orion Nebula and Gobekli Tepe
16 January, 2016 - 00:51 Ozgur

Göbekli Tepe Shamans and their Cosmic Symbols – Part I

Göbekli Tepe is an ancient and significant site which has been pushing back the beginnings of civilization further than we previously assumed. As each temple, pillar, and engraving at the Neolithic...
The Leaning Tower of Pisa at night.
2 January, 2016 - 03:53 dhwty

Fame from Fault: Reasons Why the Famous Tower of Pisa Leans

The Tower of Pisa, also known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is one of the most iconic buildings in Italy. As its names suggests, this tower is best known for its tilt, and is perhaps the most...
Matera, Basilicata, Italy. The Sasso Barisano looking east.
26 December, 2015 - 03:50 JamesBarr

Echoes from the Past: The Cave Churches of Matera

Matera, is an Italian city located in a southern region known as the Basilicata; between the heel and the tip of the boot of Italy. UNESCO reports that the area has been inhabited since the Neolithic...
: Inside the eerie chambers of the Nekromanteion (Evilemperorzorg/CC BY-SA)
30 November, 2015 - 14:11 ancient-origins

How Ancient Greeks Took Trippy Journeys to the Land of the Dead

By Tara MacIsaac , Epoch Times The Nekromanteion, or the “Oracle of Death,” was an ancient Greek temple in Epirus, Greece, in which supplicants sought to consult shades of the dead. Sensory...
Ruin of a second-century public toilet in Roman Ostia.
20 November, 2015 - 00:50 ancient-origins

Rats, Exploding Toilet Seats and Demons of the Deep: The Hazards of Roman Sewers

I have spent an awful lot of time in Roman sewers – enough to earn me the nickname Queen of Latrines from my friends. The Etruscans laid the first underground sewers in the city of Rome around 500 BC...
Close-up of human skulls that are part of the Chapel of Bones of the Church of San Francisco in Évora, Portugal.
14 November, 2015 - 04:27 Marilo

The Story Behind a Frightening Chapel of Bones in Portugal

There is a Church of San Francisco found in the Portuguese city of Évora, 140 km (87 miles) from Lisbon. Inside this church, next to the cloister of the former Franciscan monastery, in the place...
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle
12 November, 2015 - 00:51 dhwty

The Dramatic History of the Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle in Ukraine: From Castle to Prison

It has been claimed that Kamianets-Podilskyi is the city with the most places of architectural interest in Ukraine after Kyiv and Lviv. This city is located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine,...
San Esteban archaeological site , Presentation of the gold and silver coins by Murcia’s department of culture in 2012.
11 November, 2015 - 03:50 Gisele Santos

Forgotten Moorish Sites in Murcia Hold Treasures Yet to Be Discovered

The city and Taifa (emirate or petty kingdom) of Murcia were founded during the period of Moorish occupation in Spain. When the Moors occupied the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD they were able to hold...
Ben Bulben, Sligo County, Ireland.
7 November, 2015 - 21:46 dhwty

Ben Bulben: An Irish Site that Inspires the Imagination

The name Ben Bulben, also spelt as Benbulbin or Benbulben, is said to be an anglicized version of the Irish Binn-Gulbain, meaning ‘Gulban’s Peak.’ This jaw-shaped rock formation (the word ‘gulban’...
Theseus and the Minotaur in the Labyrinth (1861) by Edward Burne-Jones
24 October, 2015 - 21:48 dhwty

The Legendary Cretan Labyrinth Cave: Inspiration for the Story of King Minos and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur?

In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was a structure built by the famed craftsman Daedalus in order to hold a creature known as the Minotaur. The Minotaur was said to be a creature that was half-man and...
The beautiful and astounding archaeo-astronomical site, Kokino Observatory, or Tatic’s Stone.
4 October, 2015 - 03:48 Vladimir S

The Exceptional Kokino Observatory – Ancient Megalithic Site, Holy Mountain

At the dawn of the 21 st century, at a place called Tatic's Stone , near the village of Kokino, in the Republic of Macedonia, archaeologists discovered an exceptional prehistoric megalithic site...
Ancient graffiti found at the Gutmana Ala cave, Sigulda, Latvia
10 September, 2015 - 15:18 dhwty

The Gutmana Ala: The Legendary Cave of the Good Man and the Rose of Turaida

The Gutmana Ala, or Gutman’s (Good Man’s) cave in English, is today located in the Sigulda region of the Gauja National Park in Latvia. Apart from Sigulda, this national park extends over several...
Long Meg and Her Daughters, Eden Valley, Cumbria.
5 September, 2015 - 15:08 aprilholloway

The Legend of the Stone Circle known as Long Meg and Her Daughters

By April Holloway | The Epoch Times Despite their pervasiveness throughout the world, with thousands scattered across Britain and Europe alone, stone circles never cease to arouse awe and intrigue in...
The damp, dark, and chilling chambers and tunnels of the Edinburgh Vaults.
12 August, 2015 - 14:52 lizleafloor

Body Snatchers and Tortured Spirits: The Dark History of the South Bridge Vaults of Edinburgh

Beneath the ancient fortified city of Edinburgh, Scotland lies the South Bridge Vaults—notorious underground tunnels and chambers which became the dwelling places of the impoverished and the...
The iconic features of Mont Saint-Michel in the evening light.
1 August, 2015 - 20:49 Bryan Hill

Medieval Mont St-Michel: The Sacred Castle in the Sea

Considered one of the wonders of the Western World, Mont St-Michel is a medieval fortress in France, sitting on top a rocky island in the ocean. Floating like a mirage on the horizon, this sacred...
Zedekiah's Cave, Jerusalem, Israel
26 July, 2015 - 21:16 Bryan Hill

Cave of Zedekiah: The Secret Grotto of Jerusalem

For over 300 years, Zedekiah’s Cave was the stuff of legend, another story out of Jerusalem . However, one day in the winter of 1854, American missionary James Turner Barclay was walking his dog with...
The altar in the lower chamber, Mamertine prison Rome, Italy
19 July, 2015 - 01:17 Bryan Hill

The Infamous Mamertine Prison and the Supposed Incarceration of Saint Peter

The Mamertine Prison (a.k.a Carcere Mamertino in Italian) is an ancient prison located in Rome at the foot of Capitoline Hill overlooking the ruins of the Roman forum. When it was built, this was...
The Palace of Diocletian: Roman Retirement Home and Palace Fortress of Croatia
3 July, 2015 - 14:34 Bryan Hill

The Palace of Diocletian: Roman Retirement Home and Palace Fortress of Croatia

Considered to be one of the most imposing Roman ruins, Diocletian’s Palace is the main attraction of the city of Split, Croatia. Spanning more than 30,000 square meters, this extraordinary complex of...
Seven Hills: The Symbol of the Magic of Lisbon
28 June, 2015 - 03:45 ancient-origins

Seven Hills: The Symbol of the Magic of Lisbon

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and a historic city, has many a colorful legends about it. With its “fado” music, its colors and accent, its language expresses the friendliness of its inhabitants...
Chateau de Duingt, Annecy, France
27 June, 2015 - 03:27 ancient-origins

Annecy in the French Alps has ancient origins dating back to 3100 BC

The history of Annecy can be traced back a very long way indeed. Annecy, and the neighboring town of Annecy-le-Vieux, were built on one of the oldest sites of human habitation in the French Alps. In...
Tinkinswood Burial Chamber
17 June, 2015 - 00:48 Steve Andrews

Tinkinswood Burial Chamber: Megalithic Dolmen with Massive Capstone

Just a few miles west of Cardiff, in the direction of Cowbridge in South Wales, is an ancient Neolithic site called Tinkinswood Burial Chamber, which dates back at least 6,000 years. It is well worth...
Pyramids of Güímar - Tenerife
14 June, 2015 - 13:05 Steve Andrews

The Mystery of the Guanches and the Pyramids of Tenerife

Tenerife in the Canary Islands is well-known as a holiday destination, but many tourists visit the island unaware that there are pyramids there and an ongoing mystery. Who built the pyramids, when...
The statue of Zeus at Olympia
30 May, 2015 - 21:45 Bryan Hill

Wonder of the Ancient World: The Grand and Powerful Statue of Zeus

The statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and arguably the most famous statue of its day. Once built as a shrine to honor the Greek god Zeus, this...

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