The Best Trips for Exploring Medieval Europe

The Middle Ages are widely considered to have started with the fall of Rome, which is exactly where our nine-day Italian Rail Trip begins. That means we start in the Classical Age, but we’ll quickly embrace the Middle Ages as we head into Tuscany. Italy really is a hotspot for beautifully preserved medieval towns, and the first of which we’ll explore is Florence, one of the wealthiest cities of the era. It was also a focal point of the Renaissance era, however, so the purest distillation of medieval Europe will be found in our next two destinations, San Gimignano and Siena. Both towns are full of gorgeous old churches, piazzas and palazzos, set atop luscious Tuscan hilltops and surrounded by incredible vineyards. The medieval theme continues in Emilia-Romagna, first in the culinary capital of Bologna, and later in the smaller towns of Parma and Modena. Finally, we’ll end the trip in Italy’s most forward-thinking city, the ever-fashionable Milan.

When we think medieval, it’s the fairytale towns of Central Europe that first spring to mind. The streets are cobbled, the churches have funky spires and old stone bridges cross over some of the continent’s most famous rivers. The finest example of medieval architecture among Europe’s capital cities is probably Prague, our first stop after leaving Berlin on this 10-day trip. The route into Czechia will see countless charming old towns and villages fly past your window, but the it’s the Czech capital that really takes the biscuit. From Charles Bridge to Prague Castle and the Old Town Square, this is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. After exploring Vienna, we’ll take a day trip down the Danube to the picturesque medieval town of Krems, before getting back on track to Bratislava. The Slovakian capital has one of the prettiest old towns in Europe, and you’ll get a locally guided tour of it before we head to our final destination, Budapest. The Hungarian capital has revamped many of its oldest buildings, turning them into trendy ‘ruin bars’, the ideal place to reflect on our medieval adventures over a local craft beer.