The best places in Europe off the beaten track

Where do you want to go in Europe? Natalie Donahue picks some locations that are not usually the norm….

Most of the time, travellers arrive in their big-city destination (Paris, Rome, Madrid, etc) and never leave until it’s time to move on to a different place or go home. They don’t take the time to venture outside of the tourist bubble and make a break for it. In the spirit of getting out of the city and making a day trip (or a bit longer), here is a list of what are, in my humble opinion, the top five European cities that you shouldn’t miss just because they lie a few hours outside of their better-known, more heavily travelled big-city neighbours.

1) Strasbourg, France (near Paris)
This is a city that should not be skipped over. Just a 2½ hour train ride east of Paris on the lightning-fast TGV, it makes for a great day-trip (though I recommend 2 or 3).

Strausbourg - not just a EU headquarters

Strasbourg sits on the border of Germany in the Alsace region, and the German influence is easily recognizable in the architecture, the restaurant menus, and the Christmas Markets that run from November/early December.

There are only 100 days left to get the Xmas shopping in…

The city boasts one of the most grandiose cathedrals in the country, countless parks, canal bout tours, plenty of shops, and great food (the best tarte au pomme – apple pie – I had was in a restaurant on Rue du 22 Novembre). It’s also culturally significant as well – playing host to the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the European Court of Human Rights.

2) Toledo, Spain (near Madrid)
Toledo sits perched on a hill overlooking its surroundings, bordered on three sides by the River Tagus, with the only entrance into the city proper through a formidable stone gate.

Toledo. So good, they named a car after it

The capital of Spain until 1560, today the city is a shadow of its former self, but is in no way less impressive. It has a beautiful cathedral, synagogues, an alcazar, cute shops, sword-making demonstrations, and several museums. But to me (normally a sight-seer) the tourist attraction was the city itself. The narrow and winding streets, the clothes hanging out to dry on the verandas, the familiar and friendly way all of the natives interacted with each other is what made me fall in love with Toledo. It’s a city to wander and take in all it has to offer. Being only 1 hour (by train) south of Madrid, it makes for an amazing day trip.

3) Bologna, Italy (Near Florence, Milan, Rome, or Venice)
Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. Located within 2 ½ hours of the Italian powerhouse cities of Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice, Bologna provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of these cities without going too far out of the way.

Bologna, beautiful, even for Italy’s standards

This medieval city offers many attractions: from the porticoed walkways located throughout the city, to the shopping on Via dell’ Independenza, to the plentiful piazzas that contain their own churches, hidden walkways, and numerous cafes.  Also prominent in Bologna are the two leaning towers (one, the Torre degli Asinelli , is open for visitors to climb to the top), and the Basilica di San Luca which sits on a hill overlooking the city and offers amazing views.

The Basilica di San Luca, amazing inside and out

After exploring, you can start your evening out in one of the many restaurants that the city has, as Bologna is well-known for its gastronomy.  And if one is lucky enough to have the stamina to go out after, you’ll have no shortage of choices as Bologna is a university town and therefore has more than a few options for the late-night crowd.

4) Potsdam, Germany (near Berlin)
Potsdam is absolutely charming. My original intention was to visit the Sanssouci Palace, but ended up wandering around the city for the entire day and never making it inside the Palace. Set about 20 minutes by S-bahn to the southwest of Berlin, Potsdam has nothing in common with its sprawling big-city neighbour.

Potsdam, Germany, an excellent and interesting city

Though small, Potsdam comes with three Palaces: Sanssouci, Charlottenhof, and Cecilienhof. Sanssouci is the grandest and most popular, but WWII buffs will undoubtedly recognize Cecilienhof as the place where the Potsdam Declaration was signed by the “Big Three” in 1945. (If you have time for only one, I’d recommend visiting Cecilienhof – its cottage-in-the-woods setting and historical value makes it an unrivalled ‘must-see’ in my opinion).

This unassuming building played a major part in WWII

In order to get to Cecilienhof, you will pass a park which surrounds the Heiliger See (sea). It’s a beautiful park, and if you can spend some time strolling through, you should. Potsdam’s city centre is filled with cute, tourist-attracting stores that make for good browsing. Other city highlights include: the park at Sanssouci, the Dutch Quarter, a mini Brandenburg Gate, and the city’s architecture.

5) Salzburg, Austria (near Vienna, Munich)
The city where Mozart was born and “The Sound of Music” (TSoM) was filmed, Salzburg does not disappoint. Leaving dreary Vienna behind, and on my way to Munich, I made a last-minute decision to hop off in Salzburg to see what the city had to offer. Even without having anything in common with the city’s claims to fame (I respect and admire Mozart of course, but wouldn’t count myself as a die-hard fan; and I’ve never seen TSoM) I did find plenty of reasons to like this city.

The hills are alive….

The landscape is amazing. Salzburg is split in half by the lazily-flowing, snake-like Salzach River. Surrounded on three sides by lush, green, rolling hills (go ahead and sing it:”the hills are alive with the sound of music…” I’ll wait. Done? Ok…), the city is overlooked by the Hohensalzburg Fortress above the city – with the snow-capped Alps mountain range providing the backdrop in the distance. If you can actually do anything other than just walk around and be in awe of Salzburg’s beauty, there is plenty to keep you busy: Mozart’s home, the Dom (Cathedral), the fortress, and the Monchsberg Park.

The Salzach River, just emphasising the beauty of Austria

Salzburg also has one of my favourite museums in Europe – the Panorama Museum. It contains panoramic paintings of some of your favourite cities as they looked a few centuries ago: such as Paris, London, and, of course, Salzburg. Of course, if you are a Mozart fan or love TSoM (they have tours you can take!), then you have to visit Salzburg. But even for those that don’t connect with either of those points of attraction, there is still plenty here to fall in love with.

So what do you think of this list? What cities did I miss? Do you disagree with any of the cities that you see?  Comments are certainly encouraged…

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