{"id":956,"date":"2016-09-26T20:26:33","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T20:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/?p=956"},"modified":"2023-03-13T16:08:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T16:08:11","slug":"europes-best-hidden-gems-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/europes-best-hidden-gems-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe’s best hidden gems 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are incredible destinations in Europe known worldwide such as Amsterdam and its canals, London for its shopping, its museums and atmosphere or Paris the City of Light. Europe also has thousands of hidden treasures. From Rothenburg in Germany to Preko in Croatia and Faial in The Azores, discover a selection of the finest unknown destinations in Europe.
\n\"bagnoregio-best-hidden-gems-in-europe-european-best-destinations-copyright-shaiith\"
\nCivita di Bagnoregio
\nItaly
\nCivita di Bagnoregio is actually two remote towns. Civita is on a hill accessible only by a long stone walkway that begins at the end of the road from neighboring Bagnoregio. Once, Civita was the larger community and Bagnoregio the satellite.
\nToday, Civita has only about 6 year-round residents, so few that Civita is nicknamed “the Dying City.” Many of the buildings in Civita are being purchased by rich Italians who come here for vacation. However the town suffers constant erosion of its volcanic rock into the valley below.
\nCivita is a charming medieval city, almost utterly untouched by the Renaissance. (The facade of the church was remodeled during the Renaissance, but the city is otherwise entirely medieval.) The city’s most famous native was the 13th Century philosopher and saint Bonaventure. Despite its nickname, during the tourist season, Civita bustles with day trippers.
\nThe long bridge into Civita is steep — and it gets steeper as it rises. This is a challenging climb for anyone not in particularly good shape.
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\nRothenburg
\nGermany
\nImmerse yourself in medieval life. Take a trip to a thousand years of history that seems to pass in a moment! Let Rothenburg ob der Tauber bring the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to life before your eyes.
\nThe unique atmosphere of Rothenburg can be experienced when you stroll through the high-ways and byways of our town, where you will discover evidence of a bygone age on almost every corner: lovingly restored house fronts, fountains, gables, bay windows and street signs all provide reminders of everyday life long ago.
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\nSamos-Kokkari
\nGreece
\nSamos is an island ruled by legend and beauty. It is the island of the father of mathematics, Pythagoras, the astronomer Aristarchus and the philosopher Epicurus. It is the home of Hera and the land that hosted Herodotus and Aesop. An important center of trade in the Aegean and a major naval force in antiquity, it came into contact with important Mediterranean cultures.
\nSamos is a place of overwhelming vegetation. Everything around the virgin landscape is made of colour and light. Each step one takes is a revelation. Whether in the imposing mountains, such as Mt. Kerkis and Mt. Ambelos \u2013 with alpine winter temperatures and endless rain \u2013 or in caves and canyons, the environment of Samos reminds one of the Greek hinterland in miniature.
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\nPreko
\nCroatia
\nPreko is the road and administration center of the island of Ugljan, situated, as the name states, opposite Zadar. Its old center consists of typical Dalmatian architecture and numerous patrician family summer houses. The best way to feel the Mediterranean atmosphere is by walking along the quay or sipping a favorite drink on one of the terraces with a view of the Zadar Channel.
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\nRocamadour
\nFrance
\nThe holy city clings to the steep rocky cliffs at a dizzying height, displaying layer upon layer of houses and chapels. Down from the castle which crowns this audacious construction, it\u2019s a sheer drop of some 150 metres with at the bottom the meandering river Alzou. On the Way of Saint James, the basilica of Saint-Sauveur and the crypt of Saint-Amadour, both featured on UNESCO\u2019s World Heritage List, can be admired by visitors once the 216 marches of the Pilgrim\u2019s Stairs have been climbed. But the jewel of the sanctuary is kept in the Chapel of Miracles, one of eight chapels built against the rocks. It is the Black Madonna, which has been worshipped here for over a thousand years.
\nThe Regional Nature Park of the Causses du Quercy lies around Rocamadour like a beautiful blanket. An exceptional natural environment with limestone rock plateaus and verdant valleys, gorges, sources, rivers re-emerging in emerald green lakes, gnarly oak woods and dolmens, old mills and picturesque little bridges.
\nRocamadour, a village blessed by the gods.
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\nBohinj
\nSlovenia
\nBohinj \u2013 a unique, charming, wonderfully mysterious region in Slovenia, the Alps and Europe. Bohinj is located in the heart of the Julian Alps. The most extensive and highest mountain range in Slovenia is also the most south-eastern part of the Alps.
\nBohinj encompasses the valley of Nomenj, the Upper and Lower Bohinj Valleys, Lake Basin, the Pokljuka and Jelovica plateaus and a high mountain range.
\nThe most recognisable and astonishing natural site is Lake Bohinj, the biggest lake in Slovenia. The twenty-four villages in and above the valley hide the attractive riches of the past, the cheerfulness of the present and the mystery of the future.<\/p>\n

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\nFaial
\nAzores – Portugal
\nFaial Island (the blue island) is part of the Azores central group, located about 66 miles from Terceira, 4.5 miles from Pico and 11 miles from S. Jorge. The surface area of Faial Island is approximately 67 square miles (173 km2). The island has about 15.000 inhabitants and its main municipal seat is located in the city of Horta. Different colours of blue decorate the houses, divide the fields and line the roadsides, giving Faial the name of Blue Island.
\nThe green circle of a volcanic cone at the top of a hill; White houses in towns mirrored on the ocean; The masts of sailing boats sailing from all over the world; The ochre walls of a fortress that has witnessed countless naval battles; The unforgettable sight of sunrise with the island of Pico in the background; The quiet inlets with beaches of soft sand; The hydrangeas standing out against the landscape, framing houses and roads, reason why Faial has been christened the “blue island”.<\/p>\n

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\nPositano
\nItaly
\nPositano is a village and comune on the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast. Positano was a port of the Amalfi Republic in medieval times, and prospered during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the town had fallen on hard times. More than half the population emigrated, mostly to America.
\nPositano was a relatively poor fishing village during the first half of the twentieth century. It began to attract large numbers of tourists in the 1950s, especially after John Steinbeck published his essay about Positano in Harper’s Bazaar in May, 1953: “Positano bites deep”, Steinbeck wrote. “It is a dream place that isn\u2019t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”<\/p>\n

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\nMenton
\nFrance
\nAt the border of two sovereign states, Italy and Monaco, Menton is the most eastern French city of the C\u00f4te d’Azur. It is surrounded by a circle of high mountains that dominate the Mont Agel (1149 m), Mount Ours (1249 m) and Le Berceau (1 200m). Nestled in the heart of a bay bounded to the west by Cape Martin and to the east by the edge of Mortola, the city is open to the Mediterranean and backed by the foothills of the Alps.<\/p>\n

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\nTellaro
\nItaly
\nTellaro is a small fishing village, perched on a cliff on the east coast of the Gulf of La Spezia in Liguria, northern Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Lerici. It has been rated as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
\nTellaro has been the destination for many Italian and foreign artists. Mario Soldati made it his home in the last years of his life.
\nTellaro is one of the seaside villages that annually participate in the Palio del Golfo, an annual boat race held in the gulf of La Spezia.<\/p>\n

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\nCavtat
\nCroatia
\nCavtat is the largest and the only urban centre in Konavle that has been built up deliberately. It is located on the peninsula of Rat, which surrounds the well protected and accessible bay together with the peninsula of Sustjepan. In its harmonious architecture, the centuries-old natural, spiritual and material affiliation to the Dubrovnik Republic can be observed.
\nPlaces like Cavtat offering so much to the visitors are quite rare. Its scenery, the rich cultural and historical heritage along with the range of services offered to tourists meet the demands of the present day tourists, thus making it one of the most attractive destinations on the Adriatic coast.<\/p>\n

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\nSantana
\nMadeira – Portugal
\nSantana (from Portuguese Santa Ana, meaning Saint Anne) is a municipality along the northern coast of the island of Madeira.
\nSantana is known for the traditional homes constructed with sloping triangular rooftops, and protected with straw. These were mainly rural homes, used by local farmers, during the settlement of the island, with white-paintd walls, red doors and windows with blue trim. Most of the surviving buildings are tourist attractions.<\/p>\n

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\nAlberobello
\nItaly
\nThe trulli, the characteristic cone-roofed houses of Alberobello, Apulia, make up one of the 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy.
\nThe name derives from the late Greek word for dome (\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2; in Italian, cupola), and refers to the ancient stone houses with conical roofs, constructed with the abundant limestone from the plateau of Apulia\u2019s Murge zone.
\nThese impressive and unique structures, largely present in the Valley of Itria, can also be found in the Provinces of Brindisi, Bari and Taranto. They are a genius example of architecture that is spontaneous, yet imperishable; to this day they are still used as homes.
\nAlberobello, an inland village of the Province of Bari, is undoubtedly the Capital of the Trulli: its historic center is integrally constituted by these rather particular white, pyramidal structures that make it so famous and identifiable.<\/p>\n

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\nPiran
\nSlovenia
\nOne of the most photogenic cities in the Mediterranean, Piran has preserved its unsurpassed charm. Enter the picturesque Piran, get to know its rich history and culture, and listen to the stories of our people.
\nThe proximity to the sea and the rich history, which is mirrored in the architecture, draw magical scenes.
\nIn Piran, you will feel as though you have stepped right into a picture postcard. You will be charmed by the narrow streets within the old town wall. In the main square, you will be greeted by the statue of the most famous man in Piran, the well-known Giuseppe Tartini, composer and virtuoso violinist who was born in a house just steps from the square. On the pier, you can catch sight of fisherman unravelling a fishing net. A market woman from Piran will have just delivered vegetables, fresh from her garden, to the market. Locals sitting by the sea, chatting and listening to sounds of the sea, greet you with a nod.<\/p>\n

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\nPortofino
\nItaly
\nA small village, Portofino, stretches crescent-shaped along the edge of this calm bay.\u201d Thus wrote Guy de Maupassant when describing Portofino, tiny sea village on the Italian Riviera circumscribed by the green of the Natural Regional Park and Marine Reserve.
\nThis splendid sea resort with its lux, Mediterranean personality, also boasts an ancient marine culture, and of course is another one of those spots beloved by artists, famous personages and writers that have long sung its praises.
\nThe \u201cPiazzetta,\u201d meeting-up point for the international jet-set, is the symbol of Portofino, while the port, with its characteristic, brightly-colored houses, is the icon of this borgo\u2019s maritime traditions, whose inhabitants were called delfini (\u201cdolphins\u201d) by the Greeks and Romans, so apt were they at sea navigation.<\/p>\n

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\nHvar
\nCroatia
\nThe city of Hvar is a unique fusion of luxurious Mediterranean nature, rich cultural and historical heritage, and mundane, tourist present.
\nIt is situated in picturesque nature, facing the southern, side of the world that has given it all Mediterranean attraction and cheerfulness; facing sea, that gave it splendid and repeatable history, Hvar is an inexhaustible treasury of the scenery, atmosphere and adventure.
\nIts name derives from the Greek name for island and town, that stood where today Stari Grad (Hvar became an island\u2019s centre in 13th century) stands – PHAROS.
\nHvar gained glory and power during middle ages being an important port within the Venetian, naval empire. Today, it is centre of island\u2019s tourism and one of the favourite destinations in Dalmatian riviera – a town of smiling and courteous people, who are almost only dedicated to tourism.<\/p>\n

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\nCoimbra
\nPortugal
\nThe City of Coimbra has its own very special mystique, the result of a past full of important events and of the memories of the many thousands of Portuguese who, dispersed around the country or abroad, remember the carefree, easygoing, hopeful years spent here in their youth as students at the University. Prehistoric remains are scant but allow us to establish an early human presence on the site of present-day Coimbra.
\nFrom the Roman period we have the cryptoporticus. This is situated under the former Bishop\u2019s Palace, which now houses the Machado de Castro Museum.
\nAs the country\u2019s first capital for 200 years during the reigns of the earliest monarchs, Coimbra\u2019s profile was raised by the founding of the University which led to the formation of an urban nucleus full of noteworthy buildings. After 1537 there appeared numerous University colleges, and two areas \u2013 next to the Royal Palace in the upper town and in the Rua da Sofia (lower town) \u2013 were set aside for learning.<\/p>\n

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\nBurano
\nItaly
\nAll visitors of Burano remain intrigued by the many colours and the coloured houses that are reflected into the green waters of channels, by the Oblique Bell Tower, by the tranquility and the calmness with which the elderly ladies embroider original Burano lace by their tombolo (or lace pillow), while they are laughing and chatting in squares among them. It seems to be in paradise. Children who dart freely with their bicycles, balconies with multicolored flowers, fishermen who put up fresh fish from their traditional boats.<\/p>\n

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\nDinant
\nBelgium
\nMany visitors are attracted to the region, summer and winter alike, drawn not just by Dinant itself, birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the jovial inventor of the saxophone, but also by a network of close on 2,000km of signposted trails, a great river, the Meuse, offering a wide range of activities, and a past full of historic incident.
\nThis heritage of the past includes more than just romantic ruins, however. The Ch\u00e2teau and Farm of Fala\u00ebn and two other famous sites, Annevoie and Fre\u00ffr, have successfully generated their own value added and are now known primarily for their magnificent gardens.<\/p>\n

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\nMellieha
\nMalta
\nPerched on a series of hills to the north-west of Malta lies the small town of Mellie\u0127a. Its elevated maritime position, being surrounded on three sides by the Blue Mediterranean Sea, gives it magnificent views all around. It is about 150 metres above sea level and it overlooks the beautiful sandy beach of Mellie\u0127a Bay.
\nPopeye Village, also known as Sweethaven Village, is a group of rustic and ramshackle wooden buildings located at Anchor Bay in the north-west corner of the Mediterranean island of Malta, two miles from the village of Mellie\u0127a.
\nIt was built as a film set for the production of the 1980 live-action musical feature film Popeye, produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions starring Robin Williams. Today it is open to the public as an open-air museum and family entertainment complex.<\/p>\n

\"ploumanach-best-hidden-gems-in-europe-european-best-destinations-copyright-bertl123\"
\nPloumanac’h
\nBrittany – France
\nPloumanac’h is a town in the commune of Perros-Guirec, in the Brittany region of the C\u00f4tes-d’Armor department in the west of France. The Pink Granite Coast, so-called because of the colour of its rocks, is one of the most beautiful stretches of Brittany\u2019s coastline. The area is renowned for its unusual rock formations, the best of which can be found on the coastal path between Perros-Guirec and the port of Ploumanac\u2019h.
\nPerros-Guirec itself is one of Brittany\u2019s most popular resorts with families, primarily because of its three sandy beaches where you\u2019ll find kids\u2019 clubs and water sports in high season. In Ploumanac\u2019h, once you\u2019ve taken a walk around the natural harbour and had a look at the tidal mill, relax a while on St Guirec beach and admire the 19th-century Ch\u00e2teau de Costa\u00e9r\u00e8s, star of many postcards and now owned by a German celebrity.<\/p>\n

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\nEguisheim
\nAlsace – France
\nRanked one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France since 2003, the National Grand Prix of flowering since 1989, gold medal contest of the European Entente Florale in 2006 … Eguisheim, cradle of the Alsatian vineyard, wrapped in concentric circles and multicolored around his castle, no longer has his titles of nobility.<\/p>\n

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\nCap Ferret
\nAquitaine – France
\nCap Ferret is a headland, situated at the south end of the commune of L\u00e8ge-Cap-Ferret in the French department of Gironde and region of Aquitaine. The headland takes the form of a spit, which separates the Atlantic Ocean from Arcachon Bay. At the same time, the entrance to Arcachon Bay separates Cap Ferret from the resort town of Arcachon.
\nCap Ferret is famous for its lighthouse and as an up-market resort that has retained its natural feel at the heart of the Landes of Gascony and the Pays de Buch. It is known as a place of leisure for the high French society and remains a trendy destination for summer holidays.
\nCap Ferret is accessible by road from the north, and by passenger ferry from Arcachon. The Tramway du Cap-Ferret, a diesel operated narrow-gauge railway, links the ferry landing at B\u00e9lisaire on the shores of Arcachon Bay with the beaches on the Atlantic coast.<\/p>\n

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\nTenby
\nWales – UK
\nTenby is probably the most iconic seaside town in Wales, rivalling places like Mevagissey and Polperro for quaintness and charm. It was awarded a Silver award for the best UK coastal resort at the British Travel awards.
\nThe classic postcard view of Tenby harbour is from The Norton, a road that runs along the cliff top above North Beach. You can find several good hotels here.
\nThe Victorian seaside development on the west side of town, outside the town walls, was fairly limited so doesn’t detract from the general ambience of the town. The imposing hotels along The Esplanade look over Tenby’s South Beach towards Caldey Island. In the neighbouring streets you can also find plenty of B&Bs, guest houses and self catering apartments.
\nThe centre of Tenby is a maze of narrow little streets. The roads are pedestrianised during the day in summer when the bars and restaurants set up al fresco seating. There are plenty of interesting and quirky shops.<\/p>\n

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\nColmar
\nAlsace – France
\nFor Georges Duhamel (as he wrote in 1931), Colmar was the “most beautiful town in the world”. It has also often been said that it is the most Alsatian town in Alsace! Without going over the top with superlatives, Colmar undoubtedly remains an exceptional town due to the wealth and variety of its historical and architectural heritage.
\nThe capital of central Alsace, situated near Germany and Switzerland between the Vosges and the Rhine, Strasbourg and Mulhouse, the town offers visitors an exciting glimpse of 1000 years of European history.
\nBesides, with its 67,000 inhabitants, Colmar retains a ‘country town’ atmosphere which contributes so much to its charm. Wonderfully preserved from the ravages of time, its homogenous historical centre is classed as a ‘protected area’ and has benefited from careful restoration and ongoing improvements for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n

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\nSveti Stefan
\nMontenegro
\nSveti Stefan is a town in Montenegro. Previously a fishing village, in 1960 it was converted into the old town, with its tower, narrow streets, shops and small churches, remained unchanged.
\nSveti Stefan is an unusual and unique place not only at Montenegro or Budva’s Riviera but in the whole Mediterranean. It stands on the cliff of a rocky island with roofs red like rubies. A sand isthmus looking like a stem connects it with the land. It came into existence in a unique way.<\/p>\n

\"meteora-best-hidden-gems-in-europe-copyright-aleksandar-todorovic-european-best-destinations\"
\nMeteora
\nGreece
\nThe Meteora (Greek: \u039c\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c9\u03c1\u03b1, pronounced [m\u025b\u02c8t\u025bo\u027e\u0250], lit. “middle of the sky”, “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above” \u2014 etymologically related to “Meteorite”) is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. The nearest town is Kalambaka. The Met\u00e9ora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.<\/p>\n

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\nLugano
\nSwitzerland
\nA region: Ticino \u2013 a city: Lugano
\nThe latter, an international city and the crossroads and melting pot of European culture, constitutes one of the most interesting regions to be discovered. The city is open and welcoming and offers thousands of value added possibilities typical of a united and constantly open Switzerland, a sort of gate to Europe.
\nLugano, the largest town in the holiday region of Ticino, is not only Switzerland’s third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business centre, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. With Mediterranean flair, Lugano offers all the advantages of a world-class city, combined with the cachet of a small town.<\/p>\n

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\nThe Cinque Terre
\nItaly
\nThe Cinque Terre represent one of the best preserved natural and semi-natural areas of the Mediterranean. Historical and geomorphologic reasons have forbidden excessive housing development and the creation of major roadways (which instead are present inland in the Val di Vara). Human activity and especially viticulture, have contributed to create a unique landscape in which development of the typical stone walls is so extensive as to equal that of the famous Great Wall of China. All this, combined with the characteristics of a crystal clear sea, of architecturally interesting locations, of a varied and extensive network of paths (one of the most enviable in the whole Mediterranean), makes the Cinque Terre an increasingly sought after location among Italian and foreign tourists.<\/p>\n

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\nZadar
\nCroatia
\nSituated in the heart of the Adriatic, Zadar is the urban center of northern Dalmatia as administrative, economic, cultural and political center of the region with 75,000 inhabitants. The coast is particularly indented, the islands and the untouched nature allures many boaters to this regions. The archipelago counts 24 bigger and about 300 smaller islets and rocks, 3 nature parks – Tela\u0161\u0107ica, Velebit and Vransko jezero and 5 national parks – Paklenica, Plitvice lakes, Kornati Islands, Krka and Sjeverni Velebit classifying Zadar and its surroundings at the very top of the Croatian tourist offer.<\/p>\n

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\nSintra
\nPortugal
\nSintra is a jewel set between the mountains and the sea, waiting to be discovered by all who dare lose themselves in its majestic historical heritage, luxuriant nature, cosmopolitan cultural offer and opulent gastronomy.
\nSintra exudes a romantic aura that left a deep impression on the soul and work of the writers who, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, pioneered the Romantic spirit and celebrated subjectivity and the emotion of the human drama. Sintra is truly the capital of Romanticism. It is a place to experience!<\/p>\n

\"trieste-best-hidden-gems-in-europe-copyright-dieter-hawlan-european-best-destinations\"
\nTrieste
\nItaly
\nTrieste was one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy. In the 19th century, it was the most important port of one of the Great Powers of Europe. As a prosperous seaport in the Mediterranean region, Trieste became the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague). In the fin-de-siecle period, it emerged as an important hub for literature and music. It underwent an economic revival during the 1930s, and Trieste was an important spot in the struggle between the Eastern and Western blocs after the Second World War. Today, the city is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port (Port of Trieste), shipbuilding and financial services.<\/p>\n

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\nPorto Santo
\nMadeira – Portugal
\nPorto Santo is one long beach with a bit of an island attached. Along its nine kilometres of soft white sands, you\u2019ll find just a handful of hotels and restaurants, making Porto Santo one of the last \u2018undiscovered\u2019 resorts in Europe.
\nPart of the Portuguese archipelago that includes the island of Madeira \u2013 in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Africa \u2013 Porto Santo offers a superb chance to get away from it all. Its volcanic sands have long been held to have curative powers for all manner of aches and ills.<\/p>\n

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\nSantorini
\nGreece
\nThe present-day crescent shape of the island is a consequence of the activity of the volcano in prehistoric times feeding the myth of the lost Atlantis. Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion dated back 3,600 years and which created the current geological caldera; a giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides.
\nThe mild activity of the volcano after this major eruption has built up two small islands within the caldera, Palea and Nea Kameni visited by hundreds of people everyday during the tourist season.<\/p>\n

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\nBled
\nSlovenia
\nWith immense natural beauty, Bled, together with its surroundings, ranks among the most beautiful alpine resorts, renowned for its mild, healing climate and thermal lake water. The beauty of the mountains reflected on the lake, the sun, the serenity and the fresh air arouse pleasant feelings in visitors throughout the year, guaranteeing an ideal base or a relaxing break or an active holiday. Bled attracts businessmen, artists, athletes, explorers, sport enthusiasts, the old and the young, from all over the world, enchanting them to return again and again.<\/p>\n

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\nLofoten
\nNorway
\nLofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world’s largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude. Winter temperatures in Lofoten are very mild considering its location north of the Arctic Circle \u2013 Lofoten has the largest positive temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude. This is a result of the Gulf Stream and its extensions: the North Atlantic Current and the Norwegian Current. R\u00f8st and V\u00e6r\u00f8y are the most northerly locations in the world where average temperatures are above freezing all year.<\/p>\n

\"kotor-best-hidden-gems-in-europe-european-best-destinations-copyright-oleg-p\"
\nKotor
\nMontenegro
\nOn the foothill of the mountain Lovcen, in the deepest part of the most beautiful Mediterranean bay and one of the most beautiful in the world, there is the old town of Kotor. A town of rich cultural tradition and one of the best preserved sights in the Mediterranean area.<\/p>\n

\"1454260860\"
\nBonifacio
\nCorsica – France
\nBonifacio is located directly on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from Sardinia by the Strait of Bonifacio. It is a city placed on the best and only major harbor of the southern coast and also is a commune covering a somewhat larger region including the offshore Isles Lavezzi, giving it the distinction of being the southernmost commune in Metropolitan France. The commune is bordered on the northwest by the canton of Figari and has a short border on the northeast with the canton of Porto-Vecchio. (Creative Attributions).<\/p>\n

\"ronda-best-hidden-gems-in-europe-copyright-sean-pavone-european-best-destinations\"
\nRonda
\nSpain
\nThis town in the M\u00e1laga region sits on either side of the Tajo del Ronda, a narrow gorge more than 150 metres deep. Its old town has been declared Property of Cultural Interest. Celts, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs all inhabited these lands, which were reconquered by the Catholic Monarchs. The historic quarter, reminiscent of the Arab age and with a medieval layout is scattered to the south of the Guadalev\u00edn, while more modern Ronda, the part which sprang up after the 16th century, unfolds to the north of the course of this river. Several bridges unite the two halves of one of the most interesting towns on the route of the Whitewashed Villages, in the heart of the the Ronda hills, only a few kilometres from the Costa del Sol.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are incredible destinations in Europe known worldwide such as Amsterdam and its canals, London for its shopping, its museums and atmosphere or Paris the City of Light. Europe also has thousands of hidden treasures. From Rothenburg in Germany to Preko in Croatia and Faial in The Azores, discover a selection of the finest unknown […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=956"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1115,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956\/revisions\/1115"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greattrips.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}