Positano? Filled with many different tourists and people. Cinque Terre- still pretty popular. But Porto Venere – no one in sight. Don’t want to see many people while traveling? These small towns should be on your list.
Europe has a few popular places that everyone visits. However, along with those few popular places are hidden gems, right next to the ever-so-famous landmarks. Next time you find yourself planning a trip to Europe, here are the places you should go.
1. Porto Venere, Italy
Cinque Terre is on everyone’s list. However, have you ever heard about Porto Venere? To be honest, probably not, since I had not either until I was in the area. Porto Venere is a local hidden gem, just about a 20 minute bus ride from La Spezia. It features the same style of architecture as the five villages in Cinque Terre. Along with that, it has a medieval castle, as well as the bluest water I have ever seen. It is such a cool village with so much charm and no tourists, making it a perfect place to add to your Italy bucket list.
2. Inverness, Scotland
Inverness is a cute town that is a gateway to the Scottish Highlands. It is not as popular to visit as other places in Scotland (i.e., Portree). However, it is a must. It has the best fish and chips, cutest downtown, a gorgeous river flowing through it as well as beautiful nature. Plus, it is one of the setting/filming locations for the TV show, The Outlander, which I just personally find super cool.
3. Tabor, Czech Republic
Tabor is an adorable Czech town just about an hour away from Prague. When in the Czech Republic, if people ever visit anything other than Prague, it is Cesky Krumlov, a now overhyped tourist attraction. Tabor, however, has just the same elements in an even better style. It has no tourists, an adorable small town vibe, gorgeous historic buildings and more. It truly makes you feel like you have stepped back in time in the best way possible.
4. Amberg, Germany
I am sure we have all heard of Strasbourg, France. The city with the cute little canals and historic Bavarian buildings. Now though many people may believe that Strasbourg is not popular, that is not true. It may not be as popular as Paris, but it is still widely popular. Amberg, however, is not. Amberg is an adorable Bavarian village nestled between gorgeous mountains and has a river flowing through it. It features Bavarian style architecture and an adorable small town feel. Close to Nuremberg and Regensburg, it is a must see.
5. Saalbach, Austria
Saalbach is just one of the many Austrian alp towns. Though these are probably so much better in winter, even in the summer they brought a certain level of charm. The town is lined by gorgeous mountains. It features a cute walkway with various restaurants and shops. What’s best about Saalbach is that it is just one of the alp towns in the area, with ones like Zell am See and Viehhofen close by. Plus, there is the amazing lake of Zell am See just a short ride away, which features warm water and beautiful views for swimming.
P.S. – I had the chance to visit all of these places this summer, and they were all AMAZING! So I 100% recommend visiting.