Travellers looking to leave the crowds behind this (European) summer should head to Italy’s foodie heartland, seek spectacular wild landscapes in the north of Spain, or go Dutch for arts and culture, according travel authority Lonely Planet.
Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe 2018 is compiled annually by the travel company’s European experts, revealing their pick of the most exciting and underrated destinations to visit across the continent.
This year’ list directly tackles the hot topic of ‘overtourism’, aiming to inspire travellers to discover some of the best lesser-visited regions, alternative city breaks and hidden gems, beyond Europe’s busiest tourist hot-spots.
Holiday in these lesser travelled European hot-spots this summer:
1. Emilia-Romagna, Italy
2. Cantabria, Spain
3. Friesland, the Netherlands
4. Kosovo
5. Provence, France
6. Dundee, Scotland
7. Small Cyclades, Greece
8. Vilnius, Lithuania
9. Vipava Valley, Slovenia
10. Tirana, Albania
“There is growing concern over the increase in tourism to popular European destinations, particularly over the busy summer months, so with this list we wanted to show that there are a wealth of incredible alternatives to discover across Europe. Our expert writers cross the continent and have uncovered some of Europe’s most outstanding, underrated and overlooked places that are well worth planning a trip around,” says Lonely Planet’s spokesperson and Editorial Director, Tom Hall
“Whether you’re looking for a cultural city break, spectacular scenery or a buzzing foodie destination, there is something for every taste. You can find all of these things in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, which flies under the radar compared to some of Italy’s bigger hitting destinations, while the other picks showcase some of the places that in-the-know European travellers are excited about right now.”
