Planning your next Europe getaway and want to venture somewhere off the beaten track on your trip? Be amazed by the beauty of these Top 5 Destinations and the Best of Europe’s Hidden Gems. Read more below on what makes these places unique, what to eat and how to get there.
Europe, where do I begin with all the amazing places to visit? There are so many incredible countries soaked in hundreds of years of history, beautiful big and small cities with a maze of narrow cobbled laneways, majestic cathedrals and so much more.
When I first planned to move to Europe I had all this long list of places I wanted to see and it was all the bucket-list destinations we have all heard of.
But, those times I ventured off that list and went to some other places I had not heard of before, what I found was nothing short of magic!
So, if you have the time, don’t be afraid to venture off the itinerary you had in mind. There are more amazing destinations than just the 5 in the list below, the list could be endless! These are my favourite Top 5 of Europe’s Best Hidden Gems.
Europe’s Best Hidden Gems – Top 5
Ghent, Belgium
You probably have heard of Brussels and of the gorgeous little town of Bruges, but have you heard of Ghent? A stunning city with lots and lots of medieval charm. A popular university town, it has great restaurants, bars and some cool, modern street art too!
Take a stroll or a boat ride on river Lys and marvel at the beautiful façades of the Graslei. Visit St Bavo’s Cathedral to see the stunning masterpiece of the Ghent Alterpiece. And, if you are into some real life historic horror stories, visit the Gravensteen Castle, also called the Castle of the Counts to learn more about it’s dark past.
Getting to Ghent
International & domestic airlines fly into Brussels (BRU) and then it’s just under 1 hour by direct train or by driving to Ghent if you have a car. If you are in France or England, you can also reach Brussels with the Eurostar in less than 2 hours!
How long to stay
2-3 days
What to eat
Waffles, Chocolate, Chips (Frites) & Beer of course! Do I need to say more or are you packing your bags already? Read more about Belgium’s most popular foods & beers HERE in my other post.
Wroclaw, Poland
With a stunning, colourful town square to rival it’s other bigger sister city, Krakow, Wroclaw is still an undiscovered beautiful university city to visit in Poland. Tiny little gnome statues appear in every corner of the city, representing the long history of communism in the past of this country and the protest against it.
It also has one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe! This one definitely makes the list in being one of Europe’s Best Hidden Gems.
You can read more about Wroclaw in my other post HERE.
Getting to Wroclaw
Wroclaw has an international airport located just outside town (Wroclaw Nicolaus Copernicus Airport, WRO). It serves flights from London (2 hours), Warsaw & Frankfurt (1 hour) and from many other countries in Europe. You can also get there by train from Berlin, which has a daily connection and takes around 4 hours. It’s about 3 hours by train from Krakow.
How long to stay
2 -3 days
What to eat
Pierogi filled with potato or cheese (or both), a warming Hunters Stew or Bigos, made with pork and sauerkraut, Cabbage Rolls or Golabki, stuffed with meat in a red sauce.
Gozo, Malta
This little island located right next to it’s big sister Malta, is small but mighty in history and things to see. Venture to the capital Victoria, to see the fortified walls of the Cittadella for a great view over Gozo or cool off on the stunning beaches with red sand of Ramla Bay or San Blas.
It also has temples dating back to before the pyramids, the Ggantija Temples! It comes alive during the summertime for the many ‘feasts’, where each small town celebrates its patron saints and puts on fabulous parades and fireworks. Take a day trip to nearby Comino to see the stunning Blue Lagoon.
Getting to Gozo
There is no airport in Gozo, so you need to fly into Malta’s main airport (Malta International Aiport, MLA). From Malta, you need to get to Ċirkewwa Harbour, where the ferry will take you across to Gozo. The Ferry crossing is about 25 minutes. Although there is public transport available, the services are not frequent so hiring a car would be your best option to get around on the island!
How long to stay
4 – 5 days
What to eat
Ftira or Gozitan Pizza, is the speciality here and you will find it either filled with ricotta & goat cheeses, or topped with potatoes, slices of tomatoes and loads of olives and capers (they grow wild all over the island). You will also find rabbit stew, called Stuffat Tal Fenek, and of course Pastizzi, two very traditional Maltese foods to eat. The traditional Pastizzi fillings are Ricotta or Peas.
Lake Garda, Italy
When people think of a lake in Italy, everyone thinks of Lake Como, but did you know that Lake Garda is the biggest lake in Italy? With a picturesque, green coastline, it’s dotted with pretty little towns and that makes Lake Garda one of Europe’s Best Hidden Gems! The most popular towns are Sirmione, Malcesine, Riva del Garda and Limone.
Sirmione, has a 14th century roman castle that is one of the best preserved in the whole of Italy! For some fabulous views on a clear day, head to Malcesine and ride the cable car to the top of Monte Baldo.
You can also see the remains of a roman villa at Grotte di Catullo dating back to the 1st Century BC. The locals LOVE Lake Garda and it’s a very popular day trip so it does get busy on weekends, public holidays and during summertime.
Getting to Lake Garda
The closest airport is Verona (Valerio Catullo Airport VRN) in the north of Italy which is just outside the city of Verona (famous for Romeo & Juliet and Juliet’s Balcony). From Verona, by car you can reach Lake Garda in about 20 minutes. You can also reach the towns of Peschiera e Desenzano on Lake Garda via train from Verona station. Venice international airport is around 2 hours away by car to Lake Garda.
How long to stay
2 – 3 days
What to eat
The main speciality of the area is seafood dishes! Locals will travel for the day just to have a seafood feast for lunch from Lake Garda. A very typical pasta dish is Bigoli con le Sarde, which is a thick spaghetti with fresh sardines and lots of garlic & parsley (You can find my version of Bucatini with Sardines HERE).
Risotti are also very typical of the north of Italy and the Vialone Nano variety is often used to make a creamy red wine risotto called Risotto All’Amarone, a local wine of the area.
Lucerne, Switzerland
Another stunning medieval town, with distinctive wooden bridges that stand the test of time, being built in the 1400s. The old town is charming with beautiful painted houses and stunning churches with Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Take a trip to Mt Pilatus on a clear day for stunning views over the city, Lake Lucerne and the surrounding Alps. You can usually see snow capped mountains from November to April.
Getting to Lucerne
The closest airports to Lucerne are Zurich (ZHR) or Bern (BRN), from there Lucerne is well connected by rail links and road that will get your there in about 1 hour. Geneva is around 3 hours away by car / train.
How long to stay
2 – 3 days
What to eat
Potatoes and cheese, lots and lots of swiss cheese! Swiss Potato Rösti is a very popular dish and is essentially a very large hash brown. The potatoes are shredded either when raw or par-boiled then fried in butter or oil till crispy. They are just eaten like that or topped with eggs, cheese, mushrooms (usually chanterelles) or bacon and onions.
Swiss Fondue is the other popular dish and comes served in a fondue pot served at the table, where you dip chunks of bread or potatoes in. The cheeses used for a fondue are usually a mix of Gruyere and other Swiss Cheeses like Emmental or Vacherin.
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Hope you enjoyed this article!
If you are planning to travel to Europe and want to read more about it, check out my post on How to Save Money When Travelling Around Europe HERE.
I also wrote a more extensive post on Wroclaw HERE and one on the amazing food in Belgium HERE.
To compare and book flights to Europe, head over to Skyscanner HERE.
Looking for some great hotel deals? Check out Expedia or Booking.com.
