Europium-doped bismuth tungstate (Eu-doped Bi2WO6) was synthesized via hydrothermal method. The composition, structure, and microstructure of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Depending on the doping level, nanoflakes and 3D hierarchical microspheres were formed. The photocatalytic activities of all products obtained were evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine-B under visible light irradiation. A substantially improved photocatalytic performance of Eu-doped Bi2WO6 is achieved. This study demonstrates a simple method that could produce stable photocatalysts with greatly enhanced performance. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.