Top 10 tourism facts

San Sebastian lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Ocean. In 1863 the city was chosen by the Spanish monarchy to spend the summer following the French example of the near Biarritz. As the "wave baths" at La Concha conflicted with shipbuilding activity, shipyards relocated to Pasaia, a near bay formerly part of San Sebastian.

Hamburg's many streams, rivers and canals are crossed by some 2,500 bridges, more than London, Amsterdam and Venice put together. Hamburg has more bridges inside its city limits than any other city in the world. The longest one (picture above), Köhlbrandbrücke is 3940 metres long.

In deserts. Desert rose is the colloquial name given to rosette formations of crystal clusters of gypsum or baryte which contain abundant sand grains. Desert roses occur when the crystals form in arid sandy conditions, such as the evaporation of a shallow salt basin.

In Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most important tourist attractions of Bavaria, with over 1.3 million visitors annually. The castle name was given by mistake: two newly built castles - Hohenschwangau and Schwanstein effectively swapped names. Hohenschwangau Castle replaced the ruins of Schwanstein Castle, and Neuschwanstein Castle replaced the ruins of the two Hohenschwangau Castles.

France. 83 million foreign tourists visited France in 2012. (USA: 67 million, China and Spain: 57 million, Italy: 46 million).

Buñol. La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, a town located in the East of Spain 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes. Since 1945 it has been held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñol.

Split. The palace was built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the 4th and 3rd centuries, today it is about half of the old town of Split, Croatia. While it is referred to as a "palace" because of its intended use as the retirement residence of Diocletian, the term can be misleading as the structure more resembles a large fortress: about half of it was for Diocletian's personal use, and the rest housed the military garrison.

In Granada. The Alhambra was originally constructed as a small fortress in 889, and later renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by the Nasrid emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar, who built its current palace and walls. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well-known Islamic architecture.

Belgium and France. Processional giants and dragons are a set of folkloric manifestations in Belgium and France, Inherited from medieval rites. The Giant is one of the symbols of the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Present at regional festivals and events, he represents the northern community.

In Zakynthos. The beach is named after the shipwreck of MV Panagiotis, a smuggler's ship. It ran aground in 1980, probably while carrying contraband cigarettes and being chased by the Greek Navy. According to a popular story, locals raided the cargo, and for the following four years no 'official' tobacco products were bought on the island.