Hidden scenic places in Europe?

Question

I am planning a short trip to Europe (2 weeks) and I'm interested in seeing a variety while I'm there.

I've done some researching, and Turkey/Budapest/Tuscany/Greek isles look to be amazingly gorgeous, interesting and fun. We'd also like to go some places where there is some nightlife. (at least for a couple nights of the trip.)

Any suggestions? They don't have to align with the countries/areas I've named, but I'm really interested in not just going to London and Paris... doing some interesting sight-seeing, activities, etc.

Answer 1

I'd recommend going to Normandie (Normandy is the American spelling) which is in western France. It's gorgeous there and the people are lovely. Also, you can go on historical tours of all the D-Day beaches. There's also the Musee de la Paix (the Museum of Peace) in Caen, and the American Cemetery in Normandy. I went there about 3 years ago and it was gorgeous in the late summer/early fall. So if you're going to be in France at all, I'd recommend that.

Also, Vienna, Austria is not to be missed. It is a beautiful, historically relevant and stunning city. There is a TON of stuff to do there -- you can go to the opera, go to lots of little and amazing museums, see some of the best architecture in Europe, and meet some lovely people. Music is what Austria is known for, so go to at least one classical concert. There are also some beautiful palaces and interesting cemeteries there, if you're looking for history. I think there are catacombs as well. Not far from Vienna (about 3 or 4 hours by train) is Salzburg, where the Sound of Music was filmed, which is nestled in the Alps. It's gorgeous there as well, and it's a pretty little town to visit for a couple of days.

Also, Oxford, UK is a beautiful place. There's a bit of night life there, but overall it's just a nice place to visit.

Lastly, in Spain there is a city called Granada. It's also amazing and very beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the coast of California.

Have fun, wherever you choose to visit.

Answer 2

My advice to you would be to travel around Europe completely avoiding large cities - it is not too hard, you can still find good accomodation and you will get a better feel for the places you visit. Visit places like the lake district and the yorkshire dales in England, the Alps in France, the black forest in Germany, the big lake resort in Hungary etc.

Take a tent and a sleeping bag with you and you will almost always be able to find somewhere to pitch up if you cannot find a hotel/guest house/B&B.

Have fun - you will find 2 weeks is not nearly enough time.

In the more Easterly side of Europe the Greek islands are generally lovely, and some of them have a reputation as being "party places".

Sicily and Sardinia were beautiful when I last went, there is a gorge in Sicily where you can wander around in the river and ess around all day - ok, that sounds lame but we had great fun, as were most of the other (mainly italian visitors).

I am told that Croatia is a beautiful place to visit, that is now safe, and I have heard positive things about Bulgaria also.

too many places to mention here realy!