Name YOUR list of 5 underrated (on Helpline-RS) European cities
I was thinking of re-editing a question like this after a first one we run in 2010.
So here it goes. The goal is simple: name up to five cities or towns that you have visited, liked and think are underrated, overlooked or ignored by Rick Steves on his guides and/or on the Helpine's itineraries/ideas
Andre L.
Tilburg, Netherlands 10/22/12
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I'll start with my list
Namur, Belgium - The city has an impressive Citadele built over 3 centuries on a hill overlooking the city and the river. While hilltop fortresses are not unique to Namur (at all), this one is very well preserved and offers many opportunities to tour (on your own, with guides, underground, panoramic mini-shuttles etc).
Modica, Italy - Located on Southwestern Sicily, it is a very overlooked place, though very close to Ragusa, with an interesting culinary and probably the most dramatic looks of "city hanging on mountains". The buildings there make an incredibly mix with the arid light-colored mountains over which the city is placed.
Berlin, Germany - While not totally ignored, I feel Berlin is very underrated on this site. It is the European capital that has museum, galleries and other cultural options at par with Paris and London. It has a dynamic evolving cuisine scene, much more refreshed than anywhere else in Western Europe. It has much more to offer than walks through the former Wall or WW2-related memorabilia/cliches.
Valencia, Spain - A no-nonsense Spanish city with impressive new art centers, beaches, a lot of history and a refreshing break from crowds that take over Barcelona during summer.
Bologna, Italy - Given the general vibe of the Helpline and RS, it is probably the most underlooked Italian city. It has architecture, art (old and new, including a famous modern art museum), an array of contemporary Italian cuisine restaurants that are matched only by Milan's, and by being not dominated by tourists, it escapes some of the issues with other big Italian citizens, notably Firenze, its southern neighbor just 37min away by high-speed train.
I'll admit that I've never looked at a RS France book, but I'll venture by what I see on the Helpline:
Another vote for:
Dijon
Add in Autin, Menton, Tende and the villages and painted churches in the back country behind the eastern Riviera.
Salamanca Spain - Magnificent architecture, steeped in history and one of the most impressive Plazas you will see.
Berlin - Loved the feel of this city, the history, the culture, the people.
Bologna - For all the reasons mentioned beforehand.
Frankfurt
A couple of years ago, Ghent would have topped my list. But now that the Blue Book includes the city, it seems to have caught on as an alternative to Brugge and Brussels. So, Ghent is no longer underrated.
Mr. Steves also recently added Hamburg for the first time. I still don't see too many inquiries about the city on the Helpline. It's actually my favorite city in Germany. Has all (or most of) the energy of Berlin, but it's quite a bit more attractive. The Rathaus alone is bigger than most countries' national houses of parliament.
Quedlinburg and nearby Wernigerode are two of the largest preserved historical cities I have seen in Germany. If your trip includes Berlin or other destinations in the north of Germany, give these towns a thorough consideration before blindly following the herd off to Rothenburg.
Hasselt in NE Belgium. Most of the area within the central ring consists of pedestrian-only zone of shops, cafes and restaurants. It's a very nice little city, if not particularly spectacular. But I include it here because their annual Christmas market, Winterland, is amazing. Definately make the effort to see it if you're in Belgium during the month of December.
Because this one is fresh in my mind (I visited last weekend), Marburg. See the trip report.
Basel: Perhaps being the home base of all those large multinational corporations gives Mr. Steves the jitters, but the old town is delightful, and few cities of comparable size have a better collection of museums. But it is very expensive, even for Switzerland.
Honorable mention, because they're too small to be considered cities: Oberstdorf, Lindau (interesting, a location that seems to be well known on this website but the Blue Book skips), Fritzlar, Wetzlar, Büdigen, Flumserberg, De Haan, Domburg, Spa, Heppenheim, Bad Wimpfen, Schwäbisch Hall, Bad Dürkheim, and Königstein.
My top 5 (in no particular order) would probably look something like this...
Bologna: I hesitate to even include it because I like the fact that RS-ites haven't really discovered it yet but I really think it's the most underrated city in Italy. It's got the best food in the country (they don't call it "Bologna la Grassa" for nothing), the oldest university in Europe which means a great nightlife scene and features plenty of landmarks and interesting tourist sites such as Il Due Torri (The Two Towers) and the Duomo. Gelateria Gianni has a reputation as having the best gelato in all of Italy.
Wurzburg, Germany: I've often said that this is one of the best kept secrets in all of Europe. The Residenz and the Marionburg Fortress alone make it worth seeing although there's alot more to it.
Nurnberg, Germany: The Altstadt is small enough to explore in a day and maintains a lot of its medieval charm (even if most of it was rebuilt after WW2). Doesn't get much pub as a tourist destination but a very interesting place, especially if you like WW2 history.
Salzburg, Austria: Really pleasant city. The tour of the Hohenfortress was very cool and the views from up there are spectacular. Also had a blast at the Augustiner brewery. Never did the Sound of Music tour but I love the movie. I've often wondered why it's not more popular with Euro travelers.
Heidelberg, Germany: It feels strange for me to call Heidelberg "underrated" given the deluge of tourists there but I'll include it because RS inexplicably omits it. It's the perfect city for a day or weekend trip. Sadly, most people miss the highlight which is going up the Philosophenweg across the river. The views there are among my favorite in all of Europe. Easy day trip from Frankfurt.
Thinking of places I've been where I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised.
Verona, Wurtzburg, Killarney, Tarifa, and Schlesswig.
I love Salzburg, but it seems to be highly rated by most of us.
Verona is a good one. So would by Gyor.
What was i thinking. Plovdiv!! and Sighisoara!!!
Lisbon? We loved Nurnberg and liked Wurzburg a lot. So excited that we are going to both Verona and Bologna in December.
You're about to get some craphole towns that people will mention just because they want to tout themselves as "backdoor." See Linz and Plzen. And half of these places that people are mentioning not only have a RS chapter written about it, but probably a video of it too, so not sure why they're being discussed.
Here's some that I thought of:
1. Obviously Heidelberg, Germany. Not my favorite place, but to say it sucks is childish.
2. Graz, Austria was all right. Combine it with Piber Stud Farm and it makes it worth it.
3. Zadar, Croatia. The f'in bomb. Combine it with a drive to Sibenik.
4. Aachen, Germany. Germans love it.
5. The Stuttgart, Germany area. Esslingen, Ludwigsburg, Schloess Lichtenstein, Hohenzollern, Tuebingen.
6. Franconia, Germany. Bamberg, Bayreuth, Coburg, Kulmbach.
Brad, how can you say that "Salzburg is highly rated by most of us" but then claim that Verona is somehow underrated? Cripes, reading this site, you'd almost think that Verona is the greatest city in all of Italy. I would actually put Verona in the "overrated" category.
1. Sintra
2. Dinkelsbuhl
3. Killarney
4. Loumarin
5. Wengen
Two categories make up this list of the "underrated, overlooked, or ignored...." the big cities and smaller ones:
Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig,
Amiens, Gdansk (Danzig), Weimar, Meißen, Potsdam, Marburg an der Lahn, Graz, Schwerin.
Some on my list are covered by RS but I think are under-rated or skipped by most American tourists.
1. Helsinki - This is a great small city with a scenic harbor, very walkable, great museums and restaurants. I had the most fun there walking out-of-the-way neighborhoods - the architecture there is just incredible and as good or better than Brussels or Prague.
2. Stockholm - Less under-appreciated than Helsinki, but still off the beaten path for many. It has the feel of Paris with one of the best old towns in a major city. And great art and food.
3. Durham - Not sure if RS covers it, but a great little cathedral town with perhaps the most dramatic setting of any cathedral. Worth at least a day's visit and perhaps an overnight.
4. Whitby, England - A really scenic seaside town on the North Sea/Channel coast. Great abbey ruin that is often voted the most scenic/romantic in all of the UK. Very popular but off RS's radar.
5. Cordoba - Certainly well known and covered by RS - but most people blow through on their way to Sevilla to only see the Mezquita. It is a fantastic city that is worth at least one night. Some nice small art museums and great Andalusian food. I liked it far more than Grenada.
I also agree with the many German towns/cities not covered by RS though I haven't been to many of them myself. I also agree with Bologna even though I haven't spent much time there.
LOVE Bamberg! Great beer.
I'm going for underrated castles (you'd think the Rhineland and Neuschwanstein were the only castles in all of Europe):
Hohenwerfen (Austria)
Hohenzollern (Germany)
Predjama (Slovenia)
Vianden (Luxembourg)
Stirling (England)
Harlech (Wales)
Ok, that's 6. And yes, a few of them have passing mention in the RS books. But they are hardly ever mentioned in this venue and are worth more acclaim, I think!
Oviedo, Spain: pretty university town with lots of history and cultural activities - and you might spot Woody Allen, who has a home there.
Salamanca, Spain: gorgeous old town and university area, one of my favorite cities in Spain. The Plaza Mayor at night is amazing.
I have yet to go to most of Ralph's picks, but agree that Bad Wimpfen is ignored, as is the entire Neckar River Valley, which is not just lovely but convenient between say, the Black Forest or Munich and the Rhine area.
Here's mine:
Marseilles, France (and surrounds): What I love about Marseilles is what I love about San Francisco - a touristy yet working harbor, great food, a true international feel, and best of all - within 30 minutes in either direction you can experience a totally different-feeling place (my fave day trips from Marseilles being Aix-en-Provence and Cassis). I don't think any of these three destinations get their due on this board, they're all unique and fantastic.
Strasbourg, France - STAY IN COLMAR, they shout. Why? Some of us are city mice and some of us are country mice but Strasbourg's UNESCO-recognized inner city is one of the most charming and beautiful in Western Europe, and while it can be crowded in the middle of day during summer, most times I've visited it's hardly been unpleasant with regard to crowds. It's also a city with amazing food and a lot to do. Like MANY European cities it's not fair to judge it by it's suburbs - park the car, get on public transit, and see the city, and I don't think it will disappoint.
Sarajevo, Bosnia - I applaud RS for pushing Mostar, Bosnia, as a great destination if you're in Dubrovnik. What I don't understand is not suggesting people take an easy 2 hour bus ride to the beautiful, historically rich capital of Sarajevo. It was my favorite city on my most recent trip, a very welcoming and friendly place. And the landscape is just lovely.
Cont.
Nancy, France - Never gets mentioned. I guess it's a little far off from where most people are visiting in France or Germany, but with the TGV, nothing is far away, and it's a stunningly beautiful city. A real must for Belle Epoque/Art Nouveau, nice countryside nearby, very few tourists.
Any old town in Germany that's not Rothenberg odT - self-explanatory. People have already named many, I could name more, you can throw a stone in Germany without hitting a well-preserved altstadt so why does everyone schlep to Rothenburg?
Fortunately, Berlin is moving up in popularity and is slowly getting closer to receiving the hype it deserves imho.
Hamburg and Leipzig are still two of my favourite German cities that are completely underrated here.
In France, the Brittany region stands out for me but not for many people here on the helpline. I'd go back any time to discover all those areas that I haven't seen yet and revisit favourite places - and would happily skip Paris for that.
Sarah,
I actually stayed in Nancy for 3 months doing some research for my thesis. But to be honest I was not that impressed. It's pleasant enough but I never had the urge to return to this city or the region of Lorraine. I would always recommend Alsace over it. And yes, Strasbourg should definitely be on the list.
Tom,
Wernigerode is indeed an extremely nice-looking place, with all half-timbered houses one might want, yet it didn't feel crowded three times I visited there. It is a great places with some interest unpretentious restaurants. I guess the fact it isn't the most convenient "take-a-train-and-stay-just-a-few-hours" destination reduces crowds there somehow.
Moreover, since it was on the former evil East Germany, restoration/renovation works are quite recent and, IMHO, nicely d without some of the flaws done in some smaller cities West of that former border.
The beautiful Worthersee area in southern Austria, particularly the appealing towns of Portschach and Klagenfurt.
This is a great question, but it is also an invitation for others to boast of their worldliness and/or use this as another tiresome opportunity to show how much smarter they are than the typical Rick Steves rabble.
Rather than mentioning even more cities, I would like to point out that there is a lot of Europe out there NOT a part of ANY city. Frankly, if you want to highlight any part of Europe that is under-represented here, THAT part of Europe should be on the top of the list.
I thought this was a great question. I didn't see it as "boasting" at all, but as a way to learn about out of the way places that might be fun to include on a future trip. I really enjoy learning about new places or things to experience.
In Germany:
Quedlinburg/Goslar
Schwerin
Lübeck/Stralsund
"Emperor Spas"
Hamburg
Basically everything which isn't in Bavaria or along the Rhine (Germanys "comfort zone" for Americans) ;-) is not or badly covered in Rick Steves books. He's constantly looking for a second Rothenburg, but doesn't know Quedlinburg, Goslar or all the other preserved medieval towns of the Harz mountains. The region has so many old towns, it's like a second Romantic Road, just without the mass tourism. Goslar, Qedlinburg, Wernigerode, Stolberg, Celle, Einbeck, Duderstadt, Wolfenbüttel... the list is endless.
And Northern Germany seems totally unknown to him.
In terms of RS books, all of Sicily is underrated.
Tropea is a great little town on a cliff overlooking the sea. Bologna, definitely.
I agree with Rik on Verona being overrated.
"The region has so many old towns, it's like a second Romantic Road, just without the mass tourism. Goslar, Qedlinburg, Wernigerode, Stolberg, Celle, Einbeck, Duderstadt, Wolfenbüttel... the list is endless."
Oddly enough, these towns lie along the Straße der Romanik- "Romanesque Road", which ironically, sometimes gets incorrectly translated as "Romantic Road".
Quote from the man himself:
I long ago gave up looking for the elusive "untouristy Rothenburg." I was once obsessed with the idea, but it hasn't even occurred to me for a decade. Now, suddenly, it's back...because today I found it: Erfurt
Seriously, he couldn't have been looking particularly hard if it took him that long, and all he found was Erfurt!
PS- No disrespect intended towards Erfurt, which I have not yet visited, but plan to...
My goal creating this thread was not to "boast" about being "smarter" than RS, at all. I just thought of a thread where people present their underrated places so those who are on the early planning stages of their trips can come for "brainstorming" when deciding where to go. Especially if they are not fully committed to visit only RS's "stamp-of-approval" sites but willing to take some "risks" on their itinerary as well :)
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