U.S. News Ranks Europe's Top Destinations: Paris, Rome, Florence Lead

Key facts

• U.S. News & World Report ranks European destinations based on expert input and traveler votes, scoring culture, food, affordability, safety, and overall appeal.
• Paris and Rome anchor nearly every edition of the ranking due to their strength across multiple categories.
• The Pantheon in Rome, completed under Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century, has been in continuous use for roughly 1,900 years and has the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.
• Florence's Uffizi and Accademia galleries are about a 10-minute walk apart, allowing visitors to see Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus' and Michelangelo's David in one morning.
• Brunelleschi's dome on Florence's Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, completed in 1436, is the largest brick dome ever built.
• Santorini's caldera was formed by a volcanic eruption approximately 3,600 years ago; the island's Assyrtiko wine is grown in low basket-shaped vines.
• Prague's Astronomical Clock has been running since 1410, and the city's historic core largely escaped WWII bombing.
• Edinburgh's Festival Fringe takes over the city each August for roughly three weeks and is the world's largest arts festival by number of performances.