European Vacation

We've been all over the world in our search for the best architecture and design, and we've reported on scores of fantastic cities along the way. From uncovering the surprising modern design in Bordeaux, France, to the fjordside splendor of Oslo, we never miss a chance to poke about Europe's design capitals. Here are five of our favorite visits from over the years. If you've been since we have, by all means let us know in the comment section what we should see when we head back.
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Oslo, Norway
Last time we were in town, Snøhetta's Norwegian National Opera House and Ballet was still the most arresting spot in the city.

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We visit Oslo, Norway, a sleepy capital perched by the sea, that is in the midst of an architectural surge. The old port and the new opera house are just two examples of why Norway’s capital is pointing the way fjordward. Photo by: Jens Passoth.

Athens, Greece
Though Athenians may be pondering a Grexit, don't leave the Euro Zone without a visit to the cradle of the column.

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Bordeaux, France
Wine isn't the only thing this large city in southern France has to recommend it. The Law Courts by architect Richard Rogers deserve an appellation controlee all their own.

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Brussels, Belgium
We've seen loads of Belgian houses in our pages lately. Check out the design scene from which they sprout.

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Paris, FranceDamned if it does and slammed when it won’t, Paris has a hard time with the notion of change. One of the world’s most visited cities—the Valhalla of the tourist circuit—has had a lot of good reasons to stay the way it is. Its classic layout, forged in the brutal urban reconstruction led by Baron Haussmann, has been successful enough to last virtually unmodified for a century and a half—and to inform the aesthetics of at least a dozen other cities around the world. Photo by: Jessica Antola

Paris, France
The City of Lights may be best known for the Gothic splendor or Notre Dame, but furniture designer Erwan Bouroullec gives us the city's modern side.

Aaron Britt
Aaron writes the men's style column "The Pocket Square" for the San Francisco Chronicle and has written for the New York Times, the Times Magazine, Newsweek, National Geographic and others.

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