Note: All travel is subject to frequently changing governmental restrictions—please check federal, state and local advisories before scheduling trips. This article was updated on June 17, 2021.
Paris, Rome and London are all Europe heavyweights—so are Barcelona, Prague and Amsterdam (and numerous others for that matter). But the continent is filled with smaller cities you’ve probably never even heard of and they are definitely worth your time and energy. Now that the continent is slowly opening back up, here are 7 European cities you’d be crazy not to add to a future European itinerary.
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Killarney, Ireland
Killarney is located in southwestern Ireland and is the gateway to many popular tourist attractions. It is home to Killarney National Park, featuring more than 26,000 acres of mountains, forests, lakes, and waterfalls. The Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula can both be reached from Killarney, and offer stunning coastline views, historic destinations, and quaint villages along the way. Killarney itself is a charming town with a fabulous dining and nightlife scene, shopping, and attractions such as Ross Castle and Muckross House. Come for nature, but stay for the people. Killarney welcomes all visitors with open arms and you’ll never want to leave.
-Kirsten Maxwell of Kids Are A Trip
Basel, Switzerland
Basel is a quaint, pastel-colored town in Switzerland with a larger than life art scene. Home to Art Basel, over 30 museums and two major festivals in spring and summer, there’s lots of history, culture and art to keep visitors busy. A quick walk through the Marktplatz, the city’s medieval city center, is like a step back in time with its red sandstone Town Hall, pastel-shuttered homes, and 12th-century Gothic cathedral. Basel is split by the Rhine River and also closely borders France and Germany, so it makes a great base to explore Europe!
-Sher Jordan of Sher She Goes
Alberobello, Italy
Although this small town only has 10,735 inhabitants, it is famous for its unique and absolutely stunning trullo buildings. it is situated in the most eastern region in Italy, known as Puglia. Alberobellop[[[[ has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. The limestone conical structures are examples of dry-stacked construction and date as far back as the 14th century. You won’t find any gnomes in these houses, instead they are filled with tourist shops offering a strange variety of knick knacks from new age crystals to kids toys. But you won’t be disappointed by a few hours spent wandering these streets and photographing the gorgeous white and grey structures.
-Erin Holmes Bender of Explore with Erin
Česky Krumlov, Czech Republic
Český Krumlov is located in the southern part of the Czech Republic, near the Austrian and German borders. This small, central European medieval town has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries—it’s a place that is easy to fall in love with. The town is situated on the banks of the Vltava River and its fortified castle is the focal point… a must when visiting Český Krumlov. While exploring this beautiful part of the country, don’t miss the Fotoatelier Seidel Museum, a unique place where photography sprang up in the 19th century, and where time has stood still. A lovely restaurant near the town square for lunch or dinner is Jakub restaurant. The cuisine is based on dishes inspired by ocean and freshwater seafood, with a dash of Czech influences. The food is not the only attraction at Jakub, so too is the building, which dates back to the 14th century.
-Mike Shubic of Mike’s Road Trip
Castillon-du-Gard, France
The Castillon-du-Gard is a charming medieval village situated in the heart of Provence. Visitors will love strolling the quiet cobblestone streets and mingling with the locals as they take in the views of the surrounding countryside. It is the perfect home base for exploring many of the area’s attractions. Nearby is the famous Pont du Gard aqueduct, a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the Romans in the 1st century. Nîmes, with its 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater and ancient temple, is also within reach. Take time to explore the city’s gardens, take a tour of the Arena, and sample the local food and wine for a quintessential day in Provence.
-Susan Lanier-Graham of Wander with Wonder
Regensburg, Germany
The little town of Regensburg along the Bavarian edge of Germany and full of Old World charms is beautiful. This somewhat unknown destination in Europe should be on every traveler’s bucket list thanks to its rich history as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Split in two by the Danube River, it has a 12th-century Old Stone Bridge that has been here since the Roman Empire. This sixteen arched bridge connects two villages together, Regensburg with Stadtamhof, which are famous for the bratwurst and hand-crafted beer they have produced for centuries. It is also the perfect setting for the Christmas markets that you see spread out along the Danube River. Be sure to put this on your list of places you must see in Europe.
-Cacinda Maloney of Points and Travel
Cascais, Portugal
The town of Cascais sits less than thirty minutes from the capital city of Lisbon, but feels like an entirely different world. Cascais was a small fishing village until the early 1800s when the Portuguese king decided to make it his summer home. There is still evidence of the fishing village today as fishermen still bring the day’s catch to the local market. Take a stroll through the downtown area and admire the bakeries with their pasteis de nata and enjoy the smell of grilled seafood from the local restaurants. Spend the day at one of the town’s beaches, museums, churches, or the 15th-century Cidadela de Cascais fort. Cascais was made for relaxation, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it here.
-Kirsten Maxwell of Kids Are A Trip
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I visited Regensburg, Germany about 4 years ago. It was by far the cleanest and most beautiful town, I’ve ever been.
You forgot Kitzbuhel, Australia, a walled medieval city with old world charm and two ski areas in the heart of the Alps.
Maybe Austria?!
It’s in Austria, not Australia.
You clearly meant Austria, not Australia !
Ummm…that’s Kitzbuhel, AUSTRIA…no roos here!!! lol…It’s Europe…but yes, BEAUTIFUL!!!
Kithbuehel is in Austria, not Australia.
Do you mean Austria by chance? I really hope I get to visit some of the not so known places. Ive been dreaming of going to Europe for over 20 years and I just don’t know how I’m going to get there Lol. Any advice would be most welcome! Ty
Try a European multi city tour. Tour radar offers affordable prices and you can pay over time. Start looking for the best rates on flights early. Multi- city tour groups are a great way to get an appetizer taste of Europe and hit the major tourist attractions
Szentendre, Hungary is an artist’s colony with cobblestone streets on the banks of the Danube about 35 minutes from Budapest. It has the best outdoor cafes. You can easily get there by a train called the ‘Hev’. It’s worth a day trip.
How does Regensburg’s 12th century bridge date from the Roman Empire, which went kaput in Western Europe in the 5th century?
Holy Roman Empire lasted much longer
Maybe the Holy Roman Empire?
I definitely recommend Cork, Ireland (and the excellent nearby village of Kinsale) as being worth an extended visit.
What about the town of Gruyeres in Switzerland?! Absolutely beautiful. Plus you can sample lots of different types of gruyeres cheese and white wine, mmm.
Smaller towns are amazing. I’m not
going to list my favorite ones here . . . well, St.Remy-de-Provence is amazing. I don’t want these places to be overrun with tourists.
What about Queralbs, Catalonia? Beautiful little town with a cog railway up to the Vall de Nuria in the Pyrenees.
My heart pounds when I think of the small town of Arona, at Lago Maggiore, Lombardy, Italy.
Cesky Kromlov is all that you said snd much more! My husband and I stayed overnight on our way from Prague to Austria about 15 years ago. We truly loved it! FYI, if you ask for the drink hot chocolate, you will literally get melted chocolate in a cup! It wasn’t drinkable, but delicious nonetheless!!
Alberobello is one of the stops I will make during my trip. I have known about this town since I was born, but I never got a chance to visit.
Alberobello was a stop on our Southern Italy tour a few years ago. Very nice town.
Bari was a larger city, and also beautiful.
Trebon, Czech Republic, is a small walled city with a castle.
Cesky Krumlov was a special treat!
You forgot Valletta or Mdina both in Malta.
Visited Alberobello several years ago on a trip to Southern Italy. It was the most unique place I had ever been! But we enjoyed the entire area in the ‘heel of the boot’.
Târgu Mureș, Romania 🇷🇴 (where I live) also!
Besançon, in eastern France. Beautiful, old city with a UNESCO site
I agree wholeheartedly about Killarney. Have been there twice on tours and wanted to stay longer. Be sure to take the open-air horse-drawn carriage trip through the Killarney National Forest; it’s a very beautiful ride for about 45 minutes. We saw several deer and other wildlife, and we wished it to go on longer before returning to the center of town. I loved the linen and yarn shops and the small town feeling. If I were to emigrate to Ireland, you would find me in or very near Killarney!
Would like to add another small town, Colmar, France. Colmar is both beautiful and historic. Lovely place to visit any time of year, but especially fun in late November when the “Christmas Market” is in full swing. Very picturesque, friendly people, and great food and drink!
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