Traveler’s Secret: Underrated Cities in Europe – PART TWO

Don’t you just love the Old Continent? It is full of so many amazing destinations, that you will need your whole life to explore everything properly. That’s why many of the destinations get overlooked by the popular ones, such as London, Paris, Rome, and many others. That’s why we decided to show you more of those overlooked destinations — here are top underrated cities in Europe.

Let’s explore Europe…

Bergamo, Italy

Bergamo is an underrated Italian city, set on a hill-top, about an hour away from Milan, so it’s a great day trip, but don’t hesitate to spend a few days there. This gorgeous city has its Upper City (Citta Alta) and Lower City (Citta Bassa), that are connected by a funicular and walking paths, of course, and both are full of gorgeous sights that you must see.

Wander around wide streets of the Lower City, check out its gorgeous piazzas, the Tower of the Fallen (Torre dei Caduti), Donizetti Opera House, and many other gorgeous buildings that you’ll find on the way. After that, head to the funicular and climb up to the Upper City – a charming medieval town set on the top of the hill. Walk around its narrow, cobbled streets and admire its old buildings, find a nice quaint café for a coffee break and some people watching, possibly at Piazza Vecchia. After that, head to Piazza Duomo and check out one of the most beautiful buildings in the Upper City – Bergamo Cathedral, Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and Cappella Colleoni. This city is so picturesque, you will just love it!

Bergamo, Italy

Salzburg, Austria

Set on the German border, this city with 12 centuries of history definitely deserves the attention of every serious cultural traveler. Salzburg is often considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in central Europe, but it still isn’t the first choice of those who travel to Europe for the first time.

If you are a fan of architecture, you will definitely love Salzburg’s well-preserved baroque-styled old town that is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Check out its amazing castles, gorgeous churches, and Mozart’s birthplace and residence and climb up to the Gaisberg Mountain for an adrenaline boost and amazing views.

Do you want to read more about this gorgeous city? Check out our blog “Visit Salzburg: 7 Best Things to See in Salzburg (2019)”, and find out more.

Salzburg is also on our list of the most beautiful Austrian destinations. Wondering about the rest of the list? Check out our blog post about the 5 most beautiful cities in Austria and find out.

Salzburg, Italy

Ghent, Belgium

Ghent is a lovely small Belgian city, that isn’t overrun by tourists yet, so you’ll love exploring it in peace. It’s more of a laid-back university city with a cool vibe and tons of landmarks to explore. It houses 18 museums, 100 churches and over 400 amazing historical buildings. The city center is closed for traffic so you’ll have to explore it on foot or bike, or you can rent a boat and explore its canals.

One of the must-see landmarks is definitely Old Tower Belfry that dominates the cityscape. Also, there are St. Nicholas Church and St. Bavo’s Cathedral, both set near the Tower and both are such beautiful buildings built in Gothic style.

If you want to visit more Belgian cities, check out our blog post “5 Must-Visit Cities in Belgium”.

Ghent, Belgium

Malmö, Sweden

Malmö is another amazing Swedish coastal city, but it often gets overlooked for Stockholm or Gothenburg. With its trendy restaurants on every corner and a hipster vibe with a real Sweden feel, it’s one of the most interesting places in this Scandinavian country. If you want to explore Sweden, but want to avoid the crowd that you run into in Stockholm, then Malmö is the perfect place for you.

Besides the awesome places you’ll just stumble upon, there are some historical spots in Malmö that you must see. One of such places is definitely Malmö City Hall — a gorgeous historical building, dating back to the 16th century. While you’re there, explore the rest of the square where it’s located — The Stortorget, the main city square, that is lined with a lot of beautiful buildings. Also, you must see Malmöhus Castle and the Kungsparken that surrounds it, as well as the oldest public park in the world, called Folkets Park — you’ll see a large green area with ponds, as well as some entertaining rides and flea market.

If you’d still love to see Stockholm, check out our blog “Top 10 Things to Do in Stockholm: Explore the Venice of the North” and find out why we loved this city so much.

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Set near the borders with France and Switzerland, on the very edge of the Black Forrest, Freiburg im Breisgau is one adorable German city, that looks like it came out straight from a fairy-tale. It’s a medieval university city with many remarkable landmarks, you will love it.

One of the most important landmarks is surely the Freiburg Minster with its impressive spire, dating back to the 13th century. Also, explore the gorgeous square that surrounds the Minster, called Münsterplatz. It’s a cobblestoned pedestrian area, surrounded by colorful, very picturesque buildings. Check out the Rathäuser —New Town Hall and Old Town Hall, set on the picturesque Rathausplatz. There’s so much to see in this city, it’s just amazing — you must see it for yourself.

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain

Set on the Spanish West Coast, Santiago de Compostela has been quite an interesting spot in the past times, since it was the final destination of many pilgrims from around the world. Today, it is not the most popular destination in Spain, but there’s really a lot to see in this beautiful city. It’s mostly known for the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) — it’s the road that many pilgrims have walked and it goes through northern Spain, all the way to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, that is the final resting place of St. James the Great, one of Jesus’ apostles. The Cathedral is one really impressive building, and if you decide to pay a small fee to climb to its top you will be delighted with the view of the city that you will get.

Besides the Cathedral, there are other very interesting historical places to see around this city — just go to the Casco Historico (historic district), explore it, and you will see for yourself.

Aren’t these some quite lovely European destinations? If these are not enough for you, check out the first part of this blog (in case you missed it) “Top 10 Underrated Cities in Europe”, and create one amazing road trip around Europe for yourself.