Top 5 under the radar European Cities

Claire — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:38:01 +0000

Sometimes thinking of where to venture to next in Europe, for a weekend away or summer holiday, the same cities crop up; Paris, London, Amsterdam and Rome to name just a few. But far more exciting can be finding hidden gems in the lesser known areas of Europe that are relatively un-touched by mass-tourism and those that still offer a fantastic trip (sometimes even at lower prices). Here is a list of 5 of those cities picked exclusively for you!

Sylt, Germany

Sylt is located on one of the most northern tips ofGermany, on its border withDenmark(perhaps an opportunity to visitDenmarktoo). It has 40km of beautiful sandy beaches and has fantastic surfing opportunities from the north coast side of the island. There are also some amazing mud flats to explore and stroll along. In the summer months they also have Royal Polo matches, the surfing world cup and four fantastic golf clubs to try. This island will make you feel like you are on a romantic movie set, with its brooding coastline and wildflower banks.

Sylt, Germany by Randolf Rautenberg

Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava is only a 1 hour train ride from Vienna, located in the west of the country. There is bustling city nightlife with drinks from around €3 each, visit fantastic Bakchus wine restaurant for a lovely evening meal and complementing wine to have with each course in an amazing cave-like setting.

Parma, Italy

Parma is located in the north of the country right at the top of the ‘boot’ of Italy. It is particularly famous for its prosciutto (Parma ham), cheese and beautiful architecture. This is including citadels, churches, palaces and cathedrals.

And some tips outside of EU:

Gjirokastra, Albania

This incredible Albanian city is located in the south of the country near to its border with Greece. Since 2005 it has been named a UNESCO world heritage site, this is due to its links to the communist era past and the historic points of interest. These include the Bektashi tomb which contains the remains of two Bektashi Babas, religious men from an Islamic order founded in the 13^th century by Persian’s. You can experience so much more on holiday by visiting this amazing Albanian City.

Reykjavik, Iceland by Hannah Smith

Reykjavík, Iceland

Reykjavik is located in the south west of the Northern European country, it is famous for its hot spring saunas and this is an amazing way to relax and rejuvenate in the natural way. A fantastic idea for a once in a lifetime experience is to take a helicopter ride from Reykjavík and view the stunning glaciers, glacial lagoons, burning lava fields and volcanoes! If you would prefer to stay on the ground or sea, try whale watching, with over 20 species of whale and dolphins available to see in Icelandic waters it is a must-see excursion. How to get to Iceland is easy, you can actually cruise to Reykjavík from Southampton giving an excellent opportunity to see more of the North Sea area.

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Neusiedler See – Seewinkel National Park in Austria

Claire — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:15:20 +0000

Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl) is the second largest steppe lake in Central Europe (after Balaton in Hungary). It is located south-east of Wien, close to Bratislava, Slovakia. The National Park Neusiedler See-Seewinkel was established in 1993 (The Fertö-Hanság Nemzeti Park on the Hungarian side was established in 1991) and 8 years later (2001) the national parks in Austria and Fertő-Hanság in Hungary were together accepted as a World Heritage Site. The Neusiedler See and its surrounding areas in Austria also enjoy protection through the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The lake is not deeper than 1.8m and is great opportunity for cyclists and trekkers.

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