Why put up with crowds of tourists and rocketing prices when you can travel to lesser-known towns radiating with genuine charm? Be it for a quick weekend break or a longer stay, you’ll get much more than you bargained for with our pick of the best European destinations to hit for a city break in 2016.
Bologna, Italy
Bologna’s Fountain of Neptune, Italy
Why visit Pisa for the leaning tower, Venice for its canals and Florence for its arcaded galleries, when you can find all three – minus the blabbering crowds of tourists and steeped up prices – in gritty yet graceful Bologna?
Home to the Europe’s oldest university, and all the creative curiosity and cultural events that go with it, wander the city’s medieval grid under miles of terracotta porticoes shielding you from the elements. Visit the famous Fountain of Neptune, rest in graffitied piazzas in view of romantic palazzos and towering basilicas, and browse the artisan workshops of the Old Jewish ghetto and contemporary art scene of the Saragozza neighbourhood.
Needless to say, chatty hosts in endless trattorias and osterias eagerly await to spoil you with the wholehearted decadence of the Italian aperitivo.
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Glasgow, Scotland
Shopping in Glasgow, Scotland
Both grounded and spirited, a solid working-class heritage meets cheerful modern hedonism among the serious Victorian buildings and restored 18th century warehouses of notoriously friendly Glasgow.
People-watch at the infamous Barras market, gorge on West Coast seafood in Merchant City and spot local luminary Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s tributes to Art Nouveau dotting the landscape as you roam around town.
When the weather inevitably turns gloomy, head for the city’s eclectic museums (nearly all of which are free), go hunting for vintage vinyl, or down a wee whiskey in one of many cherished bars and clubs, alive with music and the contagious charms of Scottish personality.
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Córdoba, Spain
Arches in the Great Mosque of Córdoba, Spain
Strains of Spanish guitar echoing through sleepy covert courtyards. The scent of orange trees and palms lingering over shady patios. The old Jewish and Muslim quarters a jumble of narrow and crooked streets. Once Europe’s biggest and most relevant cultural centre, this now listless and serene ancient city keeps its mystical Moorish allure mostly to itself.
The incontrovertible crowning jewel of the city is the Great Mosque of Córdoba, a testament to its sophisticated and worldly past – and a masterpiece that reveals itself anew with every visit.
For a taste of modern Andalucian life (and its delectable dishes!) hang out in Plaza de las Tendillas or on the bustling Guadalquivir riverfront.
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Bergen, Norway
Bryggen’s quayside houses in Bergen, Norway
The pure Nordic grace of the old town of Bryggen, with its wooden alleyways and rows of gabled buildings leaning amicably on each other, is only surpassed by the sublime landscape of rugged mountains and dizzying valleys that surround it. This is nature at its most theatrical.
Nestled among fjords and hills, Bergen is surprisingly lively in spite of its remoteness. Watch artists paint idyllic seascapes on the waterfront, gobble down a king crab sandwich at the Fisketorget and croon over a piping hot skillingsbolle (cinnamon roll) at a cosy quayside café. High culture can be found at KODE 3, home to the biggest Edvard Munch collection outside of Oslo.
And the cherry on the cake? Due to the currency exchange rates, it has never been cheaper to visit Bergen than today.
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Utrecht, The Netherlands
Cafés on Utrecht’s waterfront
Only 30 minutes away from Amsterdam, packed with students (and matching prices) and quintessentially Dutch, old-world Utrecht is the best-kept secret in the Netherlands – and its young, laid-back and progressive vibe is its major selling point. Things to do in Utrecht? Cruise the sights by boat, cycle through tree-filled parks and snack on croquettes along the Oudegracht before climbing the 465 steps of the looming Dom Tower for panoramic views.
Philosophers, poets and wanderers roam the cobbled lanes while placid canals reveal a surplus of subterranean life; from restaurants to music venues and artsy boutiques, the city’s cellars are heaving with cosmopolitan culture waiting to be discovered.
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Montpellier, France
A stroll through Place de la Comedie in Montpellier, France
Confident and multicultural, refined but easy-going, sunny Montpellier oozes stylish Mediterranean chic without giving up its youthful heart. Stately boulevards lined with elegant private homes and quaint squares with moss-covered fountains are offset by the rickety streets of the old quarter and balmy beaches only a stone’s throw away.
Walk around the car-free historic centre, shop for antiques and have a coffee at Place de la Comedie, or ride the Christian Lacroix-designed trams across the city. Take an artistic stroll at Musée Fabre, visit the architecturally progressive district of Antigona or brave the urban jungle at the Jardin des Plantes.
Naturally, there are ample wine bars in which to gab the warm night away. You’re in the South of France, dah-ling.
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Leipzig, Germany
Leipzig Old Town, Germany
Its past populated by such greats as Bach and Wagner, Goethe and Nietzsche, and labelled The City of Heroes for its pivotal role in the fall of the Berlin Wall, effortlessly cool Leipzig has proven time and again that it has just as much substance as it has style.
Forest and lakes sprawl across the cityscape, dotted by every architectural style from the baroque to the post-modern. The industrious hum of young creative talent is palpable.
Check out the artists’ studios at the bohemian Baumwollspinnerei (the old cotton-spinning mill), hang out with beer in hand at grungy MoritzBastei or dig the Berlin-esque techno and club scene. You’ll soon see what all the fuss is about.
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Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp Centraal Station, Belgium
Not-so-subtle evidence of its rich trading past, pay attention and you’ll find that boats pop up in all shapes and sizes across the international port city of Antwerp. Its medieval heart lays further proof; among labyrinthine streets, the Grote Markt emerges as a cluster of towering glass-faced guildhalls – ornate symbols of mercantile prestige.
Absorb the proud Flemish heritage in the docks district or at the home and gardens of the great master Rubens, marvel at the palatial turn-of-the-century Antwerpen-Centraal train station, and gaze in awe at the brilliant stones that make this city famous for its diamond-cutting trade.
A Belgian expedition would not be complete without a sizeable portion of mussels and chips – and Belgian waffles to finish, of course.
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Bratislava, Slovakia
A walk in Bratislava’s Old Town, Slovakia
Surrounded by vineyards and densely-forested mountains, and sitting on the crossroads between Vienna, Prague and Budapest, the Slovakian capital is at once a slumberous rural town of the past and a European city firmly heading forward. Far less crowded or pricey than its neighbours, Bratislava’s onion-domed churches and Hapsburg hunting lodges emanate humble pastoral charms, whilst its bustling sidewalk cafés and party-heavy night scene betray a distinctly cosmopolitan pulse.
A boat ride along the snaking Danube is a wonderful way to see the city, and the ramparts of the castle afford beautiful views.
Garlic soup and bryndza (a creamy sheep cheese) are staple delicacies, and be sure to join the friendly but reserved locals in a round of Borovicka brandy – they’ll warm up soon enough.
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Basel, Switzerland
Overlooking the Rhine in Basel, Switzerland
Basel may be small but its art scene is almost too big for its breeches. Its unfaltering sense of aesthetics is everywhere, from its world-class museums and elegant architecture to its polished restaurants and pretty boutiques.
Scavenge the Petersplatz flea market for second-hand clothes, used books and bric-a-brac, catch a ride on a current-powered ferry or climb the Romanesque Gothic Münster Cathedral to spot the Rhine bending over to Germany. Visit in February for the grand Basler Fasnacht spring carnival.
Even a Swiss city has a gritty underbelly; head to the working-class Kleinbasel district for urban bars with a little more edge.
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