Awe is an intense emotional state triggered by living a positive or negative vast and overwhelming experience. Although positive and negative forms of awe have been investigated in studies comparing Western and Asian cultures, little is known about potential intra-European differences concerning the experience of this emotion. To this end, we investigated contrasts of two European cultures in the emotional experience of positive and negative awe using virtual reality (VR). Specifically, we investigated awe in Germanic Europe (The Netherlands) and in Latin Europe (Italy). Findings showed that, after correction for cultural response bias, Italian participants (n = 86) experienced significantly greater levels of awe-related loss of time, and self-loss, while Dutch participants (n = 90) experienced significantly greater connectedness, vastness and need for accommodation, after positive and negative awe induction. Results revealed a significant interaction effect between the valence of the experience (positive vs. negative awe trigger) and country on physiological sensations reported by the participants in VR. The intra-European differences suggested the importance of cross-cultural validation of studies on complex emotional states.