9 Top Hidden Gems in Europe: Best Vacation Spots for 2024
Off the Beaten Track in Europe
Erice in Sicily is one of the hidden gems in Europe. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
Fjords in Montenegro or the Northern Lights in Finland… check out these off the beaten track travel destinations in Europe. Hidden gems in Europe may seem like an oxymoron – the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, etc. attract hordes of tourists, after all. But the good news is that there are still many hidden travel gems in both eastern and western Europe, from amazing mountain hikes followed by Michelin rated restaurants in southern France to spectacular, very affordable beaches in Albania. Here are our hidden gems in Europe for 2024.
1. Ohrid, North Macedonia/Albania: Affordable, Relaxing Hidden Gem in Europe
Highlights: Beautiful lake, historic churches, swimming & boating, delicious local wine, & lively nightlife.
Go if you like: Unwinding at a lake, Greece, budget travel, gorgeous blue water, Ibiza, Croatia, Balkan culture, European history, or if you’re just tired of touristy places!
Enjoy swimming in crystal blue water, having excellent restaurants and fun nightlife, and exploring fascinating cultural sites but not paying an arm and a leg for it? Lake Ohrid between North Macedonia and Albania fits the bill. There are unique ancient churches and historical sites to explore during the daytime & fun bars at night.
Ohrid is popular among people in the Balkans – there are many local Macedonians, Serbs, Albanians, Croats, etc. who vacation there, but it still has few international tourists, giving it a local, off the beaten travel feeling.
Top things to do in Ohrid, a great off the beaten track travel destination in Europe:
🌃 Nightlife: The town of Ohrid in Macedonia is teeming with life – excellent Balkan food (grilled meats, fresh salads, wonderful baked goods), a vibrant nightlife with bars and clubs of all kinds.
🎷 The Jazz Inn is a top spot for live jazz.
💃 If you want to dance, we recommend the night club Inclusive.
Lake life: The lake itself is a gorgeous blue and lovely for swimming and boating. You can rent a kayak or motorboat.
➡️ The very affordable boat tour below (only $21/person) is a really good one. You get a panoramic view of the city (only possible from the lake), learn about the history, and get local recommendations from Nikola, who’s from Ohrid.
🔥 Hot tip: The best part of Ohrid may be how cheap it is compared to similar European vacations. As of the time of writing, you could get a 1 bedroom apartment with kitchenette for under $200 for a week on Airbnb in July (you read that right).
✈️ Getting there & visa: No visa is necessary for US, UK, or EU citizens.
The best way to get there is to fly to Skopje & then take a 3 hour car or bus journey to Ohrid. You generally don’t need a car in Ohrid, it’s a small town, and you can get taxis to the excursion areas.
Lake Ohrid is sapphire blue & is great for relaxing, partying, swimming, & boating. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Ohrid, North Macedonia:
⛪ Explore ancient churches:
Sveti Jovan of Kaneo (St. John the Theologian) (pictured above - photo by Sasha Lezhnev) and
St. Sofija on the lake are worth visiting in particular.
Sveti Naum monastary is a great day trip.
➡️ There’s a great tour that allows you to do both - see monasteries AND do wine tasting! We recommend it.
🍷 Try Macedonian wine: Some of Europe’s oldest wineries are in North Macedonia, but they remain very affordable comparatively. Try a local Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as local Vranec and Kratosija. If you want to go on your own, check out:
Wine Bar Sv. Kliment has a charming atmosphere.
Wine Bar Bacchus is a new hit with many Macedonian wines.
Visit the Albanian side: On the Albanian side there are more sandy beaches, e.g. in the town of Pogradec, and cheaper but tasty fish meals that Macedonians sometimes hop over to eat themselves.
Cirque du Gavarnie is a spectacular hiking area & one of the hidden gems in Europe. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
2. Gavarnie, France: Hidden Gem in France — Beautiful Hiking & Gourmet Dining
Go if you like: hiking & the outdoors (or watching climbers while sipping champagne), French cuisine, mountains, Cognac or Armagnac, Michelin star restaurants, skiing, family travel.
The Gavarnie area in the central Pyrenees mountains of France is a breath of fresh air. And it literally is — the mountain air is crisp and fresh, and the food is spectacular. While most people flock to the Alps in Switzerland, Germany, or eastern France, the Pyrenees overall are gorgeous and much less touristy. It’s a great off the beaten path travel destination.
The area offers a multitude of hiking and mountain climbing options, phenomenal scenery (think, warmer weather but still some snow on the ground in May), and skiing and snowboarding. This includes excellent family hikes — we took our then-1-year-old kid and did several nature adventures.
Top things to do in Gavarnie & the central Pyrenees:
🥾 Trek the Cirque du Gavarnie (pictured) is spectacular and the most famous trek (the whole thing is 6.2 miles & moderate, but you don’t have to go the full length).
🥾 Do an off the beaten path hike or walk (or go skiing in winter). Our favorites are:
🥾 Exploring the neighboring Cirque de Tromouse hiking area, which is easy to get to, offers an absolutely stunning drive, and has solitude.
🥾 Hiking around the Gavarnie-Gedre ski resort area around the Col de Tentes, where we could even do a little sledding in May. And of course, you can ski in winter!
🥾 Try the Alta Ruta de los Perditos (7.4 miles) for something more challenging.
France being France, there’s an affordable hotel that has a Michelin star restaurant inside (see below). Amazing. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Gavarnie, off the beaten track in Europe:
🥃 Sample Armagnac: This area is just down the road from where Armagnac, Cognac’s more affordable cousin, is made. So you can sample world class drinks right at the source.
🍽 Have a phenomenal local meal: We found the food here to die for.
🥩 One of the best meals of our lives may have been a rack of lamb that was locally sourced and specially certified (French PDO) and grilled inside the seating area of a fine restaurant out of a fireplace just next to our table at the Hotel Brèche de Rolande in Gedre. Mouthwatering.
🛌 🍽Stay at an amazing hotel with a Michelin Star restaurant inside (below), without breaking the bank (the duck breast photo above). Yes, you can actually do this, and yes we did it, and no, it was not expensive. The Hotel La Grange aux Marmottes is a hidden gem in the area, it’s only a 30 minute drive to the hikes, and the food is to die for there. We totally recommend it.
The restaurant has a menu of over 50 Armagnacs. It’s pretty amazing.
🔥 Hot tip: Combine the outdoor activities with a trip to the spectacular cave paintings at Niaux, a visit to the city of Lourdes, which many people make a pilgrimage to (just 30 minutes away), and a stay in the fun, charming university city of Toulouse. Here are some things to do in Lourdes.
🚅 Getting there: Take a train or flight to Toulouse (4 hour train ride from Paris on a fast train), and rent a car from there. You need a car to get to the mountain areas.
Kotor, Montenegro, on spectacular Lake Kotor, is a phenomenal hidden gem. Photo by Radik Sitdikov on Unsplash
3. Montenegro: Croatia without the Crowds, One of Europe’s Hidden Gems
Wonderful coastline & some of Europe’s best national parks.
Go if you like: Norway, fjords, pristine Alpine lakes, Croatia, beautiful beaches, Italy, grilled meats, friendly Balkan culture, family travel.
Montenegro has wild nature and is mostly unknown to the outside world. It has stunning natural diversity, including mystical fjords in the hills, crystal clear beaches on the Adriatic Sea (part of the Mediterranean), mountains just next to the waterfront, and much more. But don’t wait to go — it’s slowly becoming discovered, so go before it stops becoming a hidden travel gem!
Plus, Montenegro is NOT in Europe’s Schengen visa zone, so it’s perfect to visit if you’re doing long-term travel in Europe and need to get out of the Schengen zone for some time.
Top things to do in Montenegro:
⛰ Gorgeous Lake Kotor (pictured above) is surrounded by the mountains and is a major highlight.
The town of Kotor, a walled city from Venetian times, is a must-see, and has a wonderful old city to stroll around and eat in and an old fortress. This speedboat tour is a nice way to get a panoramic view of the city from the water.
Spend time on the stunning lake as well, boating or stand-up paddle boarding, and take the Kotor Serpentine route.
➡️ See the stunning Blue Cave & swim in the gorgeous Blue Lagoon on this cool speedboat tour. This is a great tour that lasts 3 hours, and you get to see spots that are only reachable by boat. The local guides on it are quite good.
Stunning views & great hiking abound in Durmitor National Park, a hidden gem of Europe. Photo by Fedir Petryk on Unsplash
More things to do in Montenegro, one of Europe’s great hidden gems:
🏔 Durmitor National Park (pictured) is simply phenomenal for hiking and exploring nature. If you’re into more active adventures, try zip lining, white water rafting, dirt biking, or ATVing — it’s a lot of fun, and this is a great place for them. Check out the 2 tours below, both of which are great.
🏖 The Adriatic coast is phenomenal as well.
Try the town of Ulcinj, which has a lovely old town with cobblestone streets and isn’t as crowded as other cities.
The famous beach town of Budva is awesome for nightlife, partying, and restaurants if you are looking for that, and has beautiful, if busy, beaches at Kamenovo, Jaz, and Becici.
✈️ Getting there & visa: Good news: no visa is required. There are no direct flights from the U.S. to Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, BUT you can either:
Fly to Dubrovnik, Croatia and drive 2 hours from Dubrovnik to Budva; or
Fly to another major European city and take a discount airline — several offer cheap flights to Budva, including Wizz Air, Ryan Air, Easy Jet, and others. You need a car to explore the country when you get there.
Northern Finland is a hidden gem in Europe to see the Northern Lights. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
4. Northern Finland: Hidden Gem in Northern Europe — The “World’s Happiest Country”
Hidden gem to see the Northern Lights, go dog sledding, experience a Finnish sauna, see a reindeer race.
Go if you like: Iceland, Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), peace and quiet, Norway, saunas, lake retreats, Alaska, Minnesota, family travel, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, vodka.
Have the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on your bucket list but don’t want to be with tons of tourists? Think past Iceland… Finland, consistently ranked as “the world’s happiest country,” is a wonderful hidden gem country to see the Northern Lights and relax and unwind in nature. Northern Finland, part of Lapland or Sápmi that crosses into Sweden and Norway, is an excellent place to see them.
While Rovaniemi (Santa’s “home”) is fairly touristy, the hidden gem in northern Finland is Ivalo on Lake Inari. It’s a great base to explore the area and experience authentic Finnish culture without the crowds.
Helsinki: If you have a couple of extra days, the capital city Helsinki has excellent fresh fish restaurants & a unique art and design scene. See more detail about Helsinki here.
Things to do in northern Finland, off the beaten track in Europe:
🌃 See the Northern Lights. Seeing the Aurora entails going out with a guide to a few viewing spots late at night and waiting until they come.
Be sure to book at least 2-3 nights for your stay, because the Northern Lights aren’t guaranteed every night, so you want to maximize your chances to see them.
➡️ This is a good tour company to see the Aurora with below, where you snowshoe and see the Northern Lights!
❄️ Dog sledding & snowmobiling. Take a trip with a dog sledding team through the pine forests. We’ve done this in several places and northern Finland was the best.
➡️ It’s also quite fun to go on a little snowmobiling adventure across frozen lakes & rivers. We did that, combined with ice fishing, and it was an awesome experience.
The Temppeliaukio Church is a fascinating place to visit in Helsinki. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Finland, a hidden gem of northern Europe:
Sauna time. Sauna is actually a Finnish word, and every hotel or guest house has one (some hotels have them in every room!).
Try a smoke sauna (savusauna), which is an amazing experience and then dip yourself into a pond between sessions. This is real off the beaten travel.
Learn about the Sami people. Visit the Sami cultural museum SIIDA in Inari, a quality museum with interactive exhibits.
🦌 See a reindeer race. Northern Finland’s most interesting sport is “Poro,” where people attach harnesses & skis to reindeer and race them on frozen lakes with human racers on the skis. It’s a hoot to watch, and you can eat & drink local Sami food.
⛷ Go cross-country skiing. This is a recommended area for cross-country skiing, possible from October to May here.
Where to stay: We LOVED staying at the Guesthouse Husky in Ivalo, where they served local reindeer meat and other delicious Finnish meals, from which you could go dog sledding, and there was a lovely sauna.
🔥 Hot Tip: March or April can be good months to visit when you can still see the Aurora and experience winter but without the bone chilling cold or darkness.
✈️ Getting There: Take a short Finnish Air flight to Ivalo from Helsinki. Finnish Air also flies direct to Helsinki from New York, Chicago, LA, London, and Paris.
5. Rhône Valley & Provence, France: Hidden Gem in France. Wineries & Charming Towns
Go if you like: Napa Valley, wine tasting, Bordeaux, Tuscany, relaxing countryside, Roman ruins, castles.
Enjoy wine but don’t want to pay hundreds for tastings and be carted around on tourist trap tastings? The Rhône Valley in southern France is maybe the best place in the world to taste world-class wines while still getting an authentic experience of meeting the winemakers and feel like you’re really exploring wine country on your own. We love it so much that we’ve been twice.
You can even stay in a French château (castle)! Plus the Rhône Valley is in a spectacular location: southern France. Combine wine tasting with a few days exploring the south of France.
🍷 Wine tasting: The valley is divided between Northern Rhône (lighter, more elegant wines of Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, etc) and Southern Rhône (denser wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, etc). Try both—both styles are delicious in their own right.
Our top wineries to visit in the Rhône Valley, a hidden gem in Europe for wine tasting, are:
🍷 Rostaing — featured in Better Call Saul, spectacular Côte Rotie.
🍷 Burgaud — excellent values in Côte Rotie, humble setting but amazing wines, and meet the winemaker.
🍷 Bonnefond — elegant Hermitage and other Northern Rhône wines.
🍷 Janasse — spectacular Châteauneuf-du-Pape, lovely atmosphere.
🔥 Hot Tip: If you don’t want to call all the wineries yourself, the two tours below (one half-day, one full-day) are really good and get you to several excellent wineries for wine tasting.
More things to do in the Rhône Valley:
Visit charming towns in Provence. The Rhône Valley is adjacent to Provence, a very charming countryside with many historic sites and towns:
Arles (pictured - photo by Lucas Miguel), which was painter Vincent Van Gogh’s former home and home to a famous Roman amphitheater.
Orange, home to a spectacular, even bigger Roman ampitheater.
Aix-en-Provence, an underrated, charming town where artist Paul Cézanne is from.
🔥 A really cool thing to do in the area is a Lavender & distillery tour. Lavender is grown in Provence & you get to learn how to grow aromatic plants & visit the distillery.
🍽 Dine in Lyon. The Rhône Valley is also 45 minutes from Lyon, France’s 3rd largest city and a foodie paradise. Many of France’s top restaurants are in Lyon. We recommend:
Les Apothicaires, Michelin rated, memory of a lifetime.
Monsieur P, amazing French food, and
Boleh Lah, excellent Malaysian fusion.
🦞 Check out Marseille, home to bouillabaisse. The valley is also 1.5 hours from vibrant Marseille, France’s second biggest city and the birthplace of bouillabaisse, the famous seafood soup/stew, which you can eat fresh at the Vieux Port (old port).
🔥 If you’re foodies like us, this is a good Marseille walking food tour, where you get to do tastings of the local cuisine.
🏖 Spend couple of days on the French Riviera. Seaside towns like Villefranche-sur-Mer and parks such as the Parc national des Calanques are worth exploring. Sabrina at Croissants & Cafes has some great recs for hidden gem towns to visit in the French Riviera.
🔥 Hot tip: Be sure to call or email ahead to wineries to make a reservation. And ask the winemakers which other wineries they recommend.
✈️ Getting there: Take a train or flight to Lyon or Marseille and rent a car from there to drive to Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1.5 hours from Marseille) or Ampuis (45 minutes from Lyon). You’ll need a car to explore the wine country.
Seeing Stromboli volcano erupting at night is spectacular & is one of Europe’s hidden gems. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
6. Stromboli & Erice, Sicily: Hidden Gems of Italy
See a volcano erupt, relax on black sand beaches, get views of Africa, see the ancient Temple of Venus.
Go if you like: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Guatemala, Spain, Ancient history, hiking, mountain views, black sand beaches.
Sicily overall is a bit of a hidden gem in Italy, but these two places are particularly spectacular. Erice is a charming hilltop medieval castle town with an absolutely jaw dropping view of the sea (on clear days all the way to Tunisia), a fascinating former Temple of Venus built by the Ancient Phoenicians in the 8th century BC (!), and delicious pastries and food.
Erice is on the main island of Sicily, about 1 1/2 hours drive from Palermo. It honestly feels mystical between the spectacular views, the Temple of Venus, and the cool air at the top.
🚗 Drive to the old gates and walk up the cobblestone streets to the castle/temple area. Go on a clear day for the views.
➡️ If you’re staying in Palermo, a great way to see Erice is via the tour below that also takes you wine tasting in Marsala. It’s awesome!
🌋 Stromboli is an island with a very active (but safe) volcano that’s a 1-2 hour ferry ride from the main island of Sicily. It’s part of the Aeolian Islands (like the famous Aeolian Harp).
Erice is a mystical place with magical views, a lovely hidden gem. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
Things to do in Stromboli & Erice, Sicily — off the beaten track in Italy:
🌋 Stromboli is truly phenomenal — you see lava spurting up in multiple places and then lava rocks tumbling down the mountain into the sea. You have to do the trek with a guide, per local regulations, and there are multiple companies to take you up for reasonable rates.
🥾 The highlight is to hike the volcano at sunset (a 2-3 hour trek uphill, then 2 hours down) and watch it erupt every half hour from a neighboring peak.
🏖 The black sand beaches in Stromboli are also special and lovely, particularly Spiaggia Lunga.
🔥 Hot tip: Try to go in a shoulder season — i.e. in spring or fall — to avoid the summer crowds in July & August. Be sure to hit Erice on a clear day for the special views all the way to Africa.
🔥 Hot tip 2: Plan on spending at least one night in Stromboli, because the hike to see the volcano erupting is at sunset — it’s far more spectacular to see at night.
🥾 Keep in mind it’s a relatively strenuous hike (4-5 hours and 2,800 foot elevation gain in less than 3 miles)
✈️ Getting there: For Erice, fly to Palermo, then drive about 90 minutes west to Erice.
For Stromboli, book a ferry in advance from Milazzo, a town 2 hours west of Palermo, and take a 1-2 hour ferry ride from there to Stromboli while leaving your car in a parking garage (no cars are allowed on Stromboli).
Skiing in Kopoanik is a true hidden gem in Europe. Great snow and inexpensive. Photo by Nedzad Crnovrsanin on Unsplash
7. Kopaonik, Serbia: Great Hidden Gem in Europe for Skiing—only $35 a day
Go if you like: Skiing & snowboarding, the Alps, grilled meats, the Rockies, Balkan culture, not paying exorbitant prices for winter sports, family travel.
Kopaonik was some of the best skiing I (Sasha) have done in my life to date. The runs were not crowded, there was gorgeous mountain scenery all around, there were really fun bars in the middle of the mountain (and below it), and we ate at wonderful restaurants, most of which specialize in grilled meats like ćevapčići. It’s located in southern Serbia on the border with Kosovo.
Most importantly perhaps, people in Kopaonik are extremely friendly. Several invited us into their homes to have dinner or drinks, gave us rides to where we wanted to go, etc.
⛷ Part of what makes the skiing special is that it’s affordable. Ski lift tickets at Kopaonik are only $35 for a full-day adult pass. You read that right — in 2024.
🔥 If you’re staying in Belgrade, this full-day tour is a great way to ski Kopaonik and get back to your hotel.
🔥 Hot tip: Stop at one of the mid-mountain restaurant bars and grab a drink of rakija on your way down.
🔥 Hot tip 2: Save money by staying at the bottom of the hill in Kopaonik town (where there are more restaurants and bars anyway) instead of overpaying on the mountain.
✈️ Getting there: Take a flight to Belgrade and then rent a car or take a bus to Kopaonik, about a 3 1/2 hour drive away.
The drive down the Douro Valley through the vineyards is truly memorable. The area is a great European hidden gem of Portugal. Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash
8. Douro Valley, Portugal: Hidden Gem of European Wine Tasting & the Drive of Your Life
Go if you like: Gorgeous scenic drives, Bordeaux, wine tasting, Napa Valley, warm hospitality, good food.
The Douro Valley is a wonderful place if you want a relaxing place to taste wines and enjoy beautiful scenery and very friendly hospitality. The specialty here is Port wine — i.e. dessert wine — but they also have dry red wines that are made in the same style as Bordeaux. And don’t forget to check out the city of Porto (Oporto), which has amazing fresh fish restaurants and fun nightlife.
See our more detailed blog about Porto here.
🍷 Our top picks for best wineries to visit in the Douro Valley are:
🍷 Quinta do Tedo — a tiny hidden gem winery. Wonderful Bordeaux-style red wine blends, small, homey atmosphere, and our favorite winery to taste at — wish we had bought a case.
🍷 Quinta de Nápoles aka Niepoort — some of Portugal’s best port wines and dry red wines.
🍷 Quinta das Carvalhas — wonderful location right on the Douro River, and great port wine.
🍷 Quinta de Santa Eufemia — excellent port wines, personal experience.
➡️ Do a wine tasting tour. If you don’t want to individually call all the wineries, this is a great wine tasting tour below that we recommend that takes you to several of the very good ones. It leaves from Porto & includes lunch.
🔥 Hot tip: If you’re not doing the tour, be sure to call or email ahead to make a reservation at the winery you want to taste at. Not very many of them accept walk-ins.
🔥 Hot tip 2: Stay a night or two in the valley if you can. It will make your experience much better, enabling you to taste more wines, take a walk, and have dinner in the area. We recommend the Vintage House, which is charming, has amazing river views, and a great pool.
✈️ Getting there: The main town in the valley is Pinhão, a 1 hour, 45 minute drive from Porto.
The Lake District in England is almost out of Lord of the Rings. Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash
9. Lake District, England: Lord of the Rings Scenery & Hiking — Hidden Gem in England
Go if you like: Hiking, beautiful mountain scenery, family travel, charming towns, the Adirondacks.
The scenery in the Lake District is divine and has inspired many famous poets, including William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Over 800 miles of green hills, spectacular lakes, and some of the most stunning sunsets you’ll ever see, the Lake District is a national park makes a wonderful nature getaway trip. It’s located in northwest England, about a 5-6 hour drive from London.
Top things to do in the Lake District:
🥾 Hike Scafell Pike — maybe the best hike of the park, with phenomenal scenery. But keep in mind this is a hard hike — nearly 6 miles and 3,000 feet elevation gain.
Explore the town of Keswick — a charming town in the north side of the park with a magnificent location surrounded by fells and the gorgeous lake of Derwentwater. It’s an excellent jumping off point for walks as well.
Buttermere is a magical area in the Lake District. Photo by James Armes on Unsplash
More things to do in the Lake District, England:
🥾 Hike Stockghyll Force — an easier but still beautiful hike that may be better for families. This is shorter — 1.4 miles, 285 feet elevation gain — and offers beautiful waterfall views. It can get muddy on rainy days.
🥾 Walk around Loughrigg Fell — moderate trail (7.4 miles, 1,800 feet elevation gain) with gorgeous views all around. Can also detour to the Rydal caves.
✈️ Getting there: The Lake District National Park is a 5-6 hour drive from London, but you can also take public transport. The main entry point to the park is Bowness-on-Windermere. If using public transport, you can take a train to Windermere, Penrith, or Oxenholme (Kendal), and then a bus, including the 555 bus but that goes throughout the park.
Did we miss any hidden gems in Europe? Send in yours & get featured
Hi! We’re Sasha & Megnote
We’ve traveled to 50 countries on 5 continents & have been full-time travelers for the past 2 years with our now 5-year-old son. He now teaches us how to skateboard…
We got engaged in Bolivia, started a nonprofit in Uganda, & love outdoor adventures (& a good pisco sour).
We’re writing the book Travel More, Spend Less to help people get to full-time travel.
We’re passionate about finding hidden travel gems & off the beaten track destinations, and we want to share our tips with you. Come explore with us!