Hidden Europe: the best secret travel locations in Britain, Spain, Italy and more

Travel


Hidden Europe: the best secret travel locations in Britain, Spain, Italy and more

By Stylist Team

11 years ago

In an age of travel apps, round-the-clock airline booking and real time updates on TripAdvisor, finding a hidden holiday location that you can covet all to yourself is an increasingly tough proposition.

So it's ironic that we can revert to Lonely Planet, that age-old travel bible from pre-internet days, for help.

The destination specialist has just unveiled Europe's top 50 secret spots for a holiday in a new (and free) ebook geared at those who want to escape the madding crowds.

Secret Europe comes out today and pulls together "50 truly unforgettable experiences to inspire your next trip".

Lonely Planet’s expert authors (and lucky travellers) have scoured Europe to find the very best undiscovered and overlooked destinations and experiences that should be on every globe-trotter's go-to list this summer.

Their short list covers everything from little-known villages to hidden beaches, clandestine nightlife and mouthwatering authentic cuisine.

The Kakheti wine region of Georgia makes the list

Wilton’s Music Hall in East London is one of the spots which makes the cut, with Lonely Planet describing it as : "a glorious and truly atmospheric surprise: a Victorian music hall, little-changed from its heyday in the late 19th century."

A pub in Wales, the Kinmel Arms in Conwy, is also singled out for special treatment. It's touted as "top-notch enclave of fine food, real ale and boutique accommodation."

And while most visitors choose to hit up North Cotswolds with its postcard-perfect villages, the book flags up South Cotswolds as a go-to destination.

"This area is a hidden gem, with scenic villages and tranquil landscapes - and rarely a coach-tour in sight," it says.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germany's Upper Danube Valley Nature Reserve, partying in the Serbian city of Belgrade, the remote beaches of Cabo de Gata, Spain, and eating seafood in Portugal's Vila do Bispo are all experiences that make the edit.

Come see the list in full, below. Or find out more about Europe's off-the-radar destinations and local haunts in Lonely Planet's free Secret Europe ebook, available for download now.

Lonely Planet's Top 50 Secret Destinations

(unranked, in no particular order)

Remote beaches of Cabo de Gata, Spain

Tucked away bars in Kraków, Poland

The island of Bozcaada, Turkey

Cromane Peninsula, Ireland

Il Frantoio restaurant and inn, Ostuni, Italy

Village of Dihovo, Macedonia

Town of Subiaco in Lazio, Italy

Berlin’s hidden bars, restaurants and shops, Germany

Burg Satvey Castlem Mechernich, Germany

Lošinj, Croatia

The seaside village of Ithaca, Greece

Secret cafes, Prague, Czech Republic

South Cotswolds, England

Potetkjelleren restaurant, Bergen, Norway

Lavaux, Switzerland

Hot springs, Norðurfjörður, Iceland

Sybillini Mountains, Italy

“The Hidden” eco-friendly boutique hotel, Paris, France

Upper Danube Valley Nature Reserve, Beuron, Germany

Wine in the Kakheti province, Georgia

Zagreb’s Street Art Museum, Zagreb, Croatia

The village of Slad in the South Cotswolds

Milia mountain retreat, Crete

Seafood in Vila do Bispo, Portugal

Picnic spot in Palais Royal, Paris, France

Kvartia (shop and café), Kaliningrad, Russia

Amiens, France

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Scale Gibraltar via a backstairs route, Iberian Peninsula

Partying in Belgrade, Serbia

Haarlem, The Netherlands

Nocelle, Italy

The Serbian city of Belgrade

Music scene in Reykjavík, Iceland

Tartu, Estonia

Rural Andalucía, Spain

Kjerringøy, Norway

The Kinmel Arms, Conwy, Wales

Konoba Catovica Mlini restaurant, Morinj, Montenegro

Seaside village of Ithaca, Greece

Marubi Permanent Photo Exhibition, Shkodra, Albania

Wilton’s Music Hall, London, England

Pripyatsky National Park, Belarus

Italy's Sybillini Mountains

Romagne ’14-’18 (WW1 Museum), Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France

Venice’s hidden passages, Italy

Unspoilt views of Loch Ness from the eastern shore, Cluanie, Scotland

Bharma bar, Barcelona, Spain

Kavanagh’s pub, Dublin, Ireland

The Lakeland, Finland

Traditional sauna in Sigulda, Latvia

VOC Café, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Seldom visited battle sites, Battle, England

Photos: Rex Features

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