With Europe being the most visited continent in the world, it can be overwhelming to find places to visit in Europe that have not been swamped by the masses so here is a list of some underrated European destinations that work as well for a quick weekend getaway as for a longer holiday.
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Where to go in Europe that it’s not crowded
According to the UN World Tourist Organisation, Europe accounts for 50% of the world’s touristic visits and it’s recovering to pre-pandemic levels, and whilst certainly we all have wanted at some point to visit the museums in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Colosseum in Rome, once you tick off those bucket list destinations you can still immerse yourself in stunning places where mass tourism hasn’t arrived just yet.
There are certainly hundreds if not thousands of places that could make it to this list but I’ll keep it to one underrated European destination per country to give you an idea of what you could get in each place.
I’m only including a couple of European capitals that in my opinion remain under the radar and most of the destinations in the list are still relatively low cost for European travelling standards. For some of the destinations below I have written longer travel guides but the goal of this post is just to inspire you to discover some new places to visit in Europe
In no specific order, here are my top 15 Underrated European Destinations:
France: Etretat
One of my favourite places to visit in France is the coastal town of Etretat in Normandy. The beautiful white cliffs and rock formations carved by nature are mesmerising. Located some three hours away from Paris, you can easily grab an early bus to make it a day trip when you visit the French capital but can also be a great place for a weekend getaway, if you stay more than one day I also recommend you to make a stopover at Rouen which is in between Paris and Etretat and also worth a visit.
There’s a trail along the cliffs so you can walk to even more quieter spots. When you go back to town there are plenty of restaurants and places to stay for the night. The old wooden market and the Jardins d’Etretat are also popular sights.
Estonia: Tallinn
The capital of Estonia surprised me for good! I found the old town really romantic and it’s beautiful to wander both during the day and at night.
Once Europe’s greatest fortified city, the remaining 26 defence towers and the city walls make the old town of Tallinn one of the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Europe. This Unesco World Heritage Site still feels pretty authentic and not ultra touristy.
I recommend you to stay at The Knight House hostel if you’re travelling low-cost as it’s quite centric and has a good area to meet fellow travellers but you will find quite a few options for accommodation in town to suit your budget if you’re looking for something else.
If you go for a few days, you can go for a beautiful walk to the Viru Raba wetlands.
Portugal: Sintra
When I was backpacking in Portugal I went from Lisbon to Sintra and immediately felt in love with the place. Not only you can visit a couple of beautiful places like the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle but you can also go for a coastal hike to the westernmost point in continental Europe.
The town of Sintra is quite pretty but the region itself has a great combination of mountains and beaches which makes it a perfect idea for a day trip from Lisbon, although I’d recommend you to stay for a few days! If you do that, stay at the Nice Way Hostel which has a gorgeous garden to relax and it’s walking distance to everything in the little town.
Netherlands: Maastricht
I visited this beautiful town in the southeast of the Netherlands a few years ago and instantly fell in love with it. Its old town is the quintessential image of the old European destinations.
The old town is relatively small and with close proximity to some of the most visited places in Europe such as Amsterdam, Brussels or Cologne, you can make it a day trip from any of those places quite easily.
Among the places you can visit in Maastricht you cannot miss the Book Store Dominicanen which is inside an old church and the medieval architecture of the old town. If you join a gastronomic tour you will also be able to try some of the local delicacies.
This is a place I always recommend everyone to visit in the Netherlands as most people tend to go just to Amsterdam.
Poland: Zakopane
If you want to do some good hiking in Poland then you have to go to Zakopane! This town is definitely popular for Polish people but still a bit under the radar for the masses.
After my 2-month trip to Poland, I can definitely say this is one incredible place to go to when you’re looking for European destinations on your next holiday.
If you’re visiting during the winter you can go skiing and during the summer you will have plenty of hikes so make sure to go for a few days!
I stayed at the Goodbye Lenin Hostel in Zakopane and really enjoyed it. It’s a typical mountain hut with a lovely fireplace that makes it a cosy place to meet other travellers.
Zakopane is easily reachable from Krakow, where you can normally find lots of cheap tickets to flight there from many places in Europe.
Romania: Cluj-Napoca
I was backpacking in Romania for a few months and it’s definitely one of my favourite European destinations. There are castles, hikes, beautiful cities, friendly people, and many surprises to be had.
Romania in general is still a bit under the radar for most travellers so I can recommend the entire country as there are so many places to visit in Romania, but I’m highlighting Cluj-Napoca here because it’s pretty small, really pretty and you can visit unusual places such as the salt mines and go hiking in Turda Gorge.
Being a bit far away from Bucharest, this is not a destination for a day trip from the capital so it needs to be part of a larger itinerary, where you should include as well the towns of Sibiu and Sighisoara.
Croatia: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Kind of halfway between Zagreb and the coast is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia that is well worth a visit.
Plitvice Lakes National Park has a number of beautiful waterfalls and wooden paths to walk through and it’s a lot less crowded than the more famous Krka National Park. Of course, depending on the time of the year it can be quite busy as Croatia does get crowded in the summer months but if you’re planning an autumn or winter time escapade to Croatia then you will almost be on your own.
In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List due to its outstanding and picturesque series of tufa lakes and caves, connected by waterfalls. The waters flowing over the limestone and chalk have, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. These geological processes continue today. The forests in the park are home to bears, wolves and many rare bird species.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is only a couple of hours away from both Zagreb and Split so it’s a great place to visit for a day trip.
Slovenia: Lake Bohinj
I was backpacking in Slovenia just when the world was about to collapse because of covid. Thankfully I still managed to wander around the beautiful capital of Ljubljana which is super pretty but the underrated European destination I’m highlighting here is Lake Bohinj.
This beautiful lake is only an hour away from the capital and it’s somehow shadowed by the nearby Lake Bled. After I visited both, I recommend everyone to go straight to Lake Bohinj as you will find a lot less people there.
You can also go hiking in Lake Bohinj as there plenty of trails. The lake is inside Triglav, Slovenia’s only national park and you will find a few places to stay near Lake Bohinj if you decide to stay for a few days.
Bulgaria: Veliko Tarnovo
Not many countries can compete with Bulgaria when it comes to low cost travel in Europe and whilst I loved my time in the capital, and I really recommend everyone to go to Sofia, my choice for the underrated destination is Veliko Tarnovo, also known as the city of the Tsars.
During the middle ages this was the strongest fortification in Bulgaria and it was the capital of the second Bulgarian kingdom. It’s also one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria with a history of more than 5000 years.
Nowadays it’s pretty cool to walk along the cute houses of the old town, which in some places are built right up to a cliff which doesn’t look so stable.
The fortress at Tsarevets has a church with some really impressive murals which reminded me a bit of the Blue Temple in Thailand. You can also visit waterfalls and caves by joining a tour.
Finland: Helsinki
The Finnish capital is a beauty to wander around and less visited than the other Scandinavian capitals.
One of my favourite places to visit in Helsinki was Suomenlinna, a group of islands 15min away by boat and that have been an Unesco World Heritage Site since 1991 because they’re an example of general fortification principles of the 17th and 18th centuries.
This is a perfect destination for a quick weekend escapade and although Scandinavian countries are really not known as being low cost destinations, it’s still possible to do some great things. For example, I stayed at the Eurohostel which has its own sauna, it’s not huge but you cannot visit Finland without going to one. There are also several public saunas in town if you want to try other places.
To try traditional Finnish food at a good price, go to the Restaurant Konstan Möljä which is a buffet style eatery but everything I tried was delicious and the place is really pretty as well.
Malta: Gozo Island.
This island is one of my favourite places to visit in Europe without a doubt. I hiked all over the island over a few days and fell in love with it.
The dramatic cliff views, beautiful beaches and mild weather even in winter makes it a perfect location and one I consider one of the most underrated European destinations.
I wrote a few posts about hiking in Gozo so make sure to check them out as I wrote all the tips, routes and things to know when travelling in Malta.
Whilst most people will visit Gozo Island just for one day, I encourage you to go at least three days to walk all over the island.
There’s relatively good public transport along the island (not necessarily frequent) and I recommend you to stay in the area of Mgarr which is where the ferry from Malta will drop you.
Greece: Thessaloniki
The second biggest city in Greece may be a bit of an underrated destination as it has to compete which some of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean plus a capital city which is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. That’s why I’m including Thessaloniki in this list!
The city is a delight to wander around. On top of admiring remains of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman times you can enjoy more budget-friendly places to stay and places to eat in Thessaloniki.
Do not miss the chance to try their famous Trigona pastries which Taste Atlas has consistently named as one of the best pastries in the world. I warn you, it’s a caloric bomb but it’s delicious!
Switzerland: Sion
Located almost in the middle of the Valais region, Sion is perfectly positioned to enjoy the great outdoors in all seasons. During the winter you can go skiing across some of the most famous locations in the alps, including in Verbier, Zermatt or Crans-Montana. Having so many top class locations nearby is why I included this town as one of those underrated European destinations as people tend to go directly to those places.
During the summer all those ski resorts become wonderful hiking trails, some of them can be done as multi-day hikes and there are lots of via ferratas in the area as well.
Sion itself has a pretty old town dominated by the Chateau de Tourbillon and the Basilique de Valere which are both worth a visit from their vantage viewpoints. The region is famous for its wines so you can join a wine tasting experience as well.
If you don’t have a car, Sion is easily reachable by train and by bus from the main cities in Switzerland.
Spain: Tarragona
One of my favourite places to visit in Spain is Tarragona, I even lived there a few years ago. Why I like it so much? Because it has an incredible combination of Roman ruins, beautiful beaches, a huge theme park, an active night life and some spectacular places to go rock-climbing and hiking in the region.
Tarragona used to be the capital of the Roman Empire in Spain, so it’s full of ruins all over the old city. If you look for a hotel in the old town, which is mostly a Unesco World Heritage Site area, you can walk to all these well-preserved sights and even to a couple of really nice beaches.
With the mild winters in the Mediterranean, Tarragona is a fantastic year-round alternative for a break from the ultra-crowded Barcelona which is only an hour away by train.
UK: Brighton
To finish of this list of underrated European destinations, I’m including another wonderful city where I’ve lived myself so I may be a bit biased here 😉
Brighton is located just an hour away from London and offers you some wonderful vibes in one of the most liberal cities in the world.
In Brighton you can go to the beach, wander around the Lanes, visit the Royal Pavillion, go for walks around the South Downs and admire the nearby White Cliffs which are walking distance from the city centre although taking a 20-min bus will take you to some less built-up areas which are more beautiful, or even better, go on a boat tour to Seven Sisters and see the cliffs from a different persperctive.
The labyrinthine Lanes and the North Laine are full of mostly independent shops, coffee places, galleries and restaurants so you can have a great escape from busy London even in winter time when there’s no chance to go to the beach; but even during the winter you can experience the beautiful Starling Murmurations at sunset time where thousands of starling birds create mesmerising shapes in the sky with their “dances”. It’s definitely a beautiful spectacle that nature offers for free.
Did this list help you plan your next trip in Europe?
I hope you got some inspiration, as I said at the beginning, there are hundreds if not thousands of underrated European destinations and if you’re thinking on where to go in Europe the list will be quite long. I’ve personally travelled to all these places (and many more) and feel that they all have something special among other popular destinations that makes them be a bit under-the-radar and worth a visit.
Have you got other hidden gems? I’m reading you below! Drop your comments with some secret places to visit in Europe!
Happy adventures!
