This thesis focuses on analysis and comparison of volatility on selected European stock markets. At first paper briefly introduces the reader to the specific features of financial econometrics and the importance of asset returns volatility analysis. Further chapters precisely cover the construction of linear and nonlinear conditional heteroscedasticity models as an appropriate tool for describing the volatility in financial data. The empirical part of the thesis analyze four stock exchange indices from various European regions and seek appropriate models to express volatility behavior in period before the financial crisis in 2008 and also during the crisis phase. Based on selected models, the paper tries to compare the volatility in both periods within the specific stock market index and moreover between different regions. The last section examines asymmetric effects in volatility of stock indices using their graphical representation.