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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