SUNSET BOULEVARDS
Here are some of Europe’s most memorable places to sit at day’s end and watch the sun go down, writes Rick Steves.
Sunsets decorate my travel memories. They can be a vivid, romantic capper for a beautiful day on the road. These spots are some of my most memorable.
Aeroe Island, Denmark: Four hours from Copenhagen, timepassed Aeroe Island is the perfect place to wind down. At a lazy day’s end, stroll out to Urehoved, a spit of land lined with cosy beach houses. Find a spot in the sand, warm yourself by a beach fire, and appreciate the beauty of this perfectly Danish scene.
Paris: At sunset, my favourite spot is on the steps of the SacréCoeur Basilica atop Montmartre. Watch, as the sky slowly grows dark, and — neighbourhood by neighbourhood — street lamps pop on in the City of Light.
Granada, Spain: My favourite viewpoint in Granada is the hill-topping San Nicolas terrace in the Albayzín, the old Moorish quarter facing the Alhambra fortress. The golden hour before sunset is just right for a picnic dinner. The setting sun makes the Alhambra glow red, evoking the tumult of this city’s violent history.
Greek Islands: Scout for an appealing bar with a view and nurse an ouzo while waiting for the sun to make its curtain call. On Santorini, sit on the lip of the crater high above the glittering Aegean Sea. On Mykonos, join the crowds in the cafés that line the colourful stretch of houses called Little Venice. Just as unforgettable is riding a ferry charging across the Greek sea, with dolphins — who seem to come out for the sunset — playfully loping ahead of the ship’s bow.
Lake District, England: Just outside the cute town of Keswick, Castlerigg is one of the best and oldest stone circles in Britain. Be here before sunset, find a stony seat, and savour this 5,000-yearold place, with 38 stones mysteriously laid out on a plateau between two tall peaks. Assisi, Italy: In the hometown of St. Francis, leave the tourists behind and hike to Rocca Minore, the ruins of a small castle. Sitting on the rampart, with olive groves at your feet leading to a vast and lush Umbrian vista, enjoy sundown with the same views and birdsong that inspired St. Francis. Norway’s Fiords: Unlike many tourists, who blitz the fiords in a day, I prefer to spend at least one night.
One of my favourite home bases is idyllic Solvorn, a sleepy Victorian town with colourfully painted wooden sheds lining its waterfront. At sunset, take your dessert to go and sit at the end of the pier. Listening to the steady call of gulls and the lazy gulping of small boats against little waves, take in this uniquely Norwegian view.
Of course, Europe doesn’t have a monopoly on breathtaking sunset vistas.
In Egypt, for example, one of the great experiences is a romantic felucca ride on the Nile at sunset. For $50, you can hire a private boat with a captain and mate for an hour’s sail on the Nile. The sinking sun turns palms into silhouettes, the temperature drops, and villages awaken — children frolic, long-legged birds strike a pose, and throughout the valley minarets come to life with their calls to prayer as you glide like a silent voyeur through the reeds. My favourite sunset: is from my deck back home in Edmonds, Wash., looking over Puget Sound just north of Seattle. As the sun goes down, a golden path of sparkles leads across the bay to the snowcapped Olympic Mountains. As the sun sets behind its peak of the day, the ferries — lit from within — ply silently across the water and begin to glow like floating lanterns.