Underrated places in Europe (you've never heard of)

There's a reason for that. Europe packs a lot of very different countries into a small area, so it's easy to travel from one to another. Europe has pioneered low-cost airlines, and the borderless Schengen area makes travel even easier. Europe also has an incredible wealth of history, culture, exceptional food, and mild weather for much of the year. English is widely spoken, and the infrastructure is extremely well developed.

It all adds up to a fantastic holiday, but not if you spend it in crowds with other tourists, lining up for attractions or waiting in a queue for a bathroom. But even in this perennially popular continent, you can find places away from the tourist crowds.

Below are 11 of my favourites, each with a quick note on how to get there, because hidden gems are usually hidden for a reason. While you travel off the beaten path, you can still stay connected with a Europe travel eSIM. ZenSim's Europe plan covers 40 countries, including the UK, starting from A$9 ($6 USD), or A$21 ($14 USD) for 5GB over 30 days.

Dinant, Belgium

Belgium's medieval cities, like Bruges and Ghent, often appear at the top of people's wishlists for European travel. That's because, in many ways, they feel like taking a step back in time. Colourful gabled houses and cobbled market squares seem unchanged for the last 500 years. In fact, often, the only reminder you have of the modern world is the tourist crowds piling off of cruise ships and tour buses to see these places.

Dinant is just as beautiful (see photo above), but far less well-known. Located on the banks of the Meuse River, it has a historic fortified citadel perched on something that's a rarity in this part of the world - a hill. You can reach it by cable car or, if you're feeling fit, by climbing more than 400 steps. Its impressive Gothic church sits in front of a sheer cliff, surrounded by cute historic houses with the river out the front. It's also the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, so any saxophone players will get a kick out of the small exhibition dedicated to him and the instrument that made him famous.

Getting there: trains from Namur take about 30 minutes, and you can get from Brussels in around an hour and a half with a change at Namur.

Perast, Montenegro

My first trip to Montenegro was almost a decade ago. Even then, spectacular Kotor, an ancient stone city perched beneath the mountains overlooking a dazzling bay, was getting plenty of international attention. Over the years since, it's only gotten more famous and more crowded.

But just around the corner on the same bay, Perast offers a much more low-key place to explore. It's a tiny coastal town and former fishing village with elegant Venetian-era stone palaces and stunning mountain scenery, and you can enjoy it all with far smaller crowds than its more famous neighbour. Hop on a small boat out to Our Lady of the Rocks, a church built on an artificial islet, enjoy local seafood delicacies, and soak up the culture of this unique town before it, too, gets discovered by the rest of the world.

Getting there: local buses and taxis run along the bay from Kotor in about 20 to 30 minutes. Tivat Airport is around half an hour away, and Dubrovnik is roughly two hours by road, depending on the border queue.

Alquézar, Spain

Tucked away among the rugged landscapes of Aragon, Alquézar is a fortified town that dates back around 1,200 years. Built around a Moorish castle, the town occupies a commanding position overlooking the Río Vero. The town takes its name from the Arabic al-qasr, meaning fortress, and has been beautifully preserved to maintain its unique medieval architecture.

The real treasure is up the top. Over the centuries, the Moorish fortress was converted into a Christian collegiate church, and the Colegiata de Santa María, with its peaceful cloister and old wall paintings, still crowns the town. This isn't a big place, with only around 300 inhabitants, so it doesn't take long to see everything. However, the surrounding Somontano area is one of Spain's more underrated wine regions, and the countryside is full of hiking trails and other historic villages, so if you're in the area, try to make the time to visit.

Getting there: you'll really want a car. Barbastro is about 20 minutes away, Huesca around 50 minutes, and Zaragoza roughly an hour and a half. Bus services are limited.

Piran, Slovenia

Slovenia is one of my favourite places to track down hidden gems. Sure, everyone knows about Lake Bled, but this tiny country has some of the best outdoor adventures in Europe, and even the capital city, Ljubljana, has a kind of small-town, undiscovered, laid-back vibe.

Piran isn't a place that often shows up on TikTok reels, but that's a good thing. This former Venetian settlement is one of the prettiest towns on the Adriatic, but it often gets overshadowed by its Croatian neighbours. That means you'll see far fewer tourists here, and get a much better sense of local life. Start in the marble-paved Tartini Square, climb the bell tower of St George's Church for views across to Italy and Croatia, then walk the old town walls at sunset. The nearby Sečovlje salt pans are still worked the traditional way.

Getting there: buses from Ljubljana take around two and a half hours. Trieste in Italy is about an hour away, and in summer, seasonal boats link Piran with Venice.

Gjirokastër, Albania

For decades, Albania was shut off from the rest of the world, ruled by a totalitarian dictatorship that made it almost impossible for anyone to enter - or leave. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case since the early 1990s, but Albania has been slow to open up to mass tourism.

Recently, places like Berat and Sarandë have started appearing more on the international tourist circuit. But even visitors to Sarandë often miss nearby Gjirokastër, Albania's City of Stone.

That's a shame, because this UNESCO-listed destination is really unique. From the spectacular hilltop castle to the well-preserved Ottoman tower houses with their stone-slab roofs, Gjirokastër is like a glimpse of a different world. You can explore a Cold War-era tunnel beneath the town and wander the old bazaar. And the lack of tourists here only makes it easier to soak up the atmosphere and appreciate what makes it so special.

Getting there: buses from Sarandë take around an hour and a half, and you can stop at the Blue Eye spring on the way if you're driving. Buses from Tirana take roughly four hours.

Sibiu, Romania

Romania is a reliable source of underrated gems. Sibiu is located in Transylvania, and it often gets overshadowed by popular regional attractions like Bran Castle, better known as Dracula's castle. But this picturesque medieval city deserves a visit, if only to see a glimpse of Transylvania's history without the tourist crowds.

Sibiu dates back to the 12th century, when it was founded by Saxon settlers. By the 14th century, it had become a wealthy trading centre, and it's credited with being home to Romania's first hospital and its oldest museum, the Brukenthal. What's remarkable here is the state of preservation of the Germanic architecture. Look out for the roofs with little eyebrow-shaped windows that seem to watch you as you walk, and cross the cast-iron Bridge of Lies. Take a wander through the uncrowded streets, and you'll be forgiven for thinking that these ancient buildings were only recently finished.

Getting there: Sibiu has an international airport with flights from several European cities. Trains and buses from Brașov take around three hours.

Ohrid, North Macedonia

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in Europe, and the town on its shore is one of the most atmospheric places in the Balkans. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site for both its natural and cultural value, and once you see it, you'll understand why.

Legend says Ohrid once had 365 churches, one for every day of the year. True or not, the old town is packed with them, along with Byzantine frescoes, a Roman-era theatre and Samuel's Fortress on top of the hill. The postcard shot is the little Church of St John at Kaneo, perched on a cliff above the water. In summer, you can swim in the lake's crystal-clear water, take a boat to the springs at St Naum monastery near the Albanian border, and eat freshly grilled fish for very little money.

Getting there: buses from Skopje take around three hours, and Ohrid's small airport has seasonal flights from other European cities. You can also cross from Albania, which pairs nicely with a trip to Gjirokastër.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Sofia gets most of Bulgaria's city-break attention, but Plovdiv is the one that steals hearts. It's often described as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, and you can feel the layers of history everywhere you walk.

The highlight is the Roman theatre, which still hosts concerts in summer, while a section of the old Roman stadium sits right beneath the main pedestrian street. The hilly Old Town is full of colourful 19th-century houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period, many of which are now small museums and galleries. When you've had your fill of history, head to Kapana, the city's creative district, for street art, craft beer and some of the best cafés in the country.

It was a European Capital of Culture in 2019, but it still gets a fraction of the visitors it deserves. Prices are low too, so your budget will go a long way.

Getting there: buses and trains from Sofia take around two to three hours.

Tartu, Estonia

Most travellers to Estonia never leave Tallinn, which is a shame, because Tartu has a completely different personality. This is Estonia's second-largest city and its intellectual heart, home to a university founded in 1632 and a population that feels young, creative and a little bit quirky.

The cobbled Town Hall Square slopes gently down towards the Emajõgi River, with the famous Kissing Students fountain in front of the town hall. Up on Toome Hill, you'll find the ruins of a red-brick cathedral and leafy parks, while the Supilinn (Soup Town) district is full of old wooden houses. Don't miss the Estonian National Museum, a striking building on the site of an old Soviet airfield that tells the country's story in a surprisingly moving way.

Tartu was a European Capital of Culture in 2024, which brought plenty of new energy without the overtourism.

Getting there: trains from Tallinn take around two hours, and buses run frequently too.

Kazimierz Dolny, Poland

Poland is full of surprises, and Kazimierz Dolny might be the prettiest small town you've never heard of. It sits on the banks of the Vistula River in the east of the country, and it has been a favourite with Polish painters and writers for more than a century. International tourists, though, rarely make it here.

The Renaissance market square is the centrepiece, with an old wooden well in the middle and ornate merchants' houses covered in carved stone decoration around the edges. Climb up to the castle ruins and the old watchtower for views over the red rooftops and the river. Then explore the loess gorges, narrow sunken lanes where tree roots form tunnels overhead. And don't leave without trying a koguty, a bread roll baked in the shape of a rooster that's become the town's mascot.

Getting there: buses from Lublin take around an hour, and buses from Warsaw take roughly two and a half to three hours.

Monsaraz, Portugal

Portugal is hardly a secret anymore, but most visitors stick to Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Head inland to the Alentejo region, and you'll find a slower, quieter side of the country, with cork forests, vineyards and whitewashed villages.

Monsaraz is the jewel. This tiny walled village sits on a hilltop overlooking the Alqueva reservoir, one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe. It only has a couple of main streets, lined with whitewashed houses, small craft shops and a castle with views that stretch into Spain. After dark, the area is part of the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve, which makes it one of the best places in Europe for stargazing. Prehistoric standing stones dot the surrounding countryside, and the local wineries are excellent.

Getting there: you'll need a car. It's about 50 minutes from Évora, which is roughly an hour and a half from Lisbon by train.

Europe Without The Crowds

If you've ever lined up to climb the Eiffel Tower or tried to navigate the chaos of St. Mark's Square in Venice, you might find it hard to believe that there are places in Europe that are still unknown to modern tourism. Often, it takes a little bit of extra work to find these towns, but it's almost always worth the effort.

A great way to visit them is to combine them with trips to more well-known locations. You can visit Perast at the same time as Kotor and Dubrovnik, see Piran while travelling through Ljubljana, pair Tartu with Tallinn, or slot Kazimierz Dolny into a trip to Kraków and Warsaw. Many of these places are also on or near major rail lines, so if you're planning a train trip, check out our guide to the best Interrail routes for a first trip to Europe.

When you're off the beaten path, your phone becomes your map, your translator and your bus timetable. A travel eSIM connects to local networks as you cross borders, so check the coverage list for the countries on your route and install it before you fly. Wherever you choose to go, you'll get a good sense of what made European travel so popular in the first place. These hidden gems are just waiting to be discovered, so get out there before everyone else does.