More and more people visit a beautiful city in Europe every now and then. Paris, London, Barcelona or Rome, there are enough beautiful cities where you can go or where you may have even been. However, these cities are also overflowing with tourists and maybe you want to try something new. You want to go off the beaten track and visit a nice city in Europe that not everyone has been to yet. Fortunately, there are enough cities in Europe that do not yet have mass tourism. Below I discuss five original city trip destinations in Europe.
Tallinn in Estonia
When you set foot in this beautiful city, you will feel like you are back in the Middle Ages for a while. Tallinn offers enough fun to keep you entertained for a long weekend. Discover the old city center, visit all the beautiful palaces and cathedrals that the city has to offer and sit down at one of the many delicious restaurants to eat. By bus you can easily reach the TV tower, from where you have a beautiful view of the entire city. Do you prefer to see the old city from above but a bit closer? There are also several viewpoints on the edge of the city.
You can also combine your city trip to Tallinn with a few other cities. For example, you can be in Helsinki in a few hours by ferry and you can also be in Riga with a four-hour bus ride. Ideal if you want to go away for a longer period.
Kotor in Montenegro
Have you ever thought about going on holiday to Montenegro? Most people probably haven’t. But that’s very unfair, because it’s fantastic! The nature is impressive, the towns are cute and the coastline is perfect for swimming and lying on the beach.
Kotor is definitely the number 1 destination in Montenegro. This is a small town with a beautiful historic center that is surrounded by high mountains. It is also located on the Bay of Kotor, which looks very much like a fjord. From Kotor, definitely make a trip to the Blue Caves, Perast and to the Lady on the Rocks and be amazed by the nature around you.
Kotor is very close to Dubrovnik in Croatia, which you may know as the setting for Game of Thrones. If you want to go away for a longer period, these two cities in the Balkans are a good combination.
Oslo in Norway
Oslo is a beautiful city to visit in both summer and winter. There are many interesting museums, plenty of parks to relax in and beautiful architecture to admire. Stroll through Vigeland Park, visit the Holmenkollen Ski Jump or walk on the roof of the Opera House.
In the summer, you can take a ferry to the islands in the Oslofjord, where you can go for a nice walk or take a dip in the refreshing water. In the winter, you can visit one of the floating saunas in the Oslofjord and then dive into the ice-cold water to cool off. You can also go skiing or cross-country skiing in Oslo in the winter, or go tobogganing three kilometers downhill on a sled at Korketrekkeren.
In short: there is enough to do in Oslo to keep you entertained during your city trip. Even though it may not be your first choice to visit, Oslo is definitely worth it.
Bilbao in Spain
Barcelona, Valencia or Madrid: these are the cities in Spain that many people visit. Bilbao is often skipped, but is definitely worth a visit. This city in the Basque Country is known because one of the Guggenheim museums is located there. In addition, you will find a relaxed Spanish atmosphere throughout the city, beautiful buildings, squares and bridges, and the tastiest restaurants where you can eat the typical Basque ‘pintxos’ (these are filled baguettes that you can order per piece as a tapa).
While in Bilbao, don’t forget to visit nearby San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, also known as the ‘small version of the Great Wall of China’ and probably very familiar to you if you’ve watched Game of Thrones.
Bologna in Italy
In Italy, Rome, Venice and Milan are often visited, but have you ever considered going to Bologna? This city is home to the oldest university in Italy, and the city is also known for all the porticos. The continuous street with porticos is no less than three kilometers long. If you follow this street, you will end up on top of a hill at the San Luca Basilica. In total, there are no less than 38 kilometers of porticos in Bologna.
Did you know that in Bologna you will find a tower that is even more crooked than the tower of Pisa? You will also find ‘little Venice’ in Bologna: if you look through this window, you will see a canal that reminds you exactly of Venice. In addition, Bologna is the city of, yes, pasta Bolognese. This is just not the pasta Bolognese as we make it in the Netherlands. You will find it on the menu under the name Pasta Al Ragout.