European destinations that (probably) haven’t visited

IT’S so easy to fall in love with the Swiss Alps and cities such as Prague. But there are better places in Europe that you have to see to believe.

7 hidden European holiday spots

FROM Slovenia’s Julian Alps to Odense in Denmark, there’s so many place in Europe that are magical.

Whether you’re looking for a full-on hiking holiday, a mysterious city to explore or an island to maroon yourself on, here’s a list of some places that you can fall in love with, without the company of hordes of fellow travellers.

A recent thread on Quora discussed some of the incredible destinations in Europe that still remain unknown. The answers hit on a number of fantastic destinations, which we included in this list, along with some others that came from our own research.

KIZHI ISLAND, RUSSIA

Standing 37.5m tall, this church is believed to be the world’s tallest wooden building.

The Russian island of Kizhi, located in the Onega River, boasts the magnificent wooden Church of the Transfiguration, an impressive structure with 30 miniature domes. It has withstood the Earth’s elements for more than 150 years and yet this spectacular church remains the tallest wooden structure in the world. The magnificent building is made entirely of wood, from the frame to the rivets and the stunning exterior, and shows just how resilient this construction material is. Nowadays, the entire island and the nearby area form a national open-air museum with more than 80 historical wooden structures.

ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND

Not a tourist in sight.

If you get this far north in Scotland, you won’t be sharing the sights with many tourists. Orkney is made up of around 70 islands, each with its own distinctive charm, amazing beaches, archaeological treasures, craft shops and restaurants.

KUNGSLEDEN, SWEDEN

Time to stretch the legs.

Kungsleden in northern Sweden is a must for keen walkers. The 450-kilometre-long hiking trail runs through one of Europe’s largest remaining wilderness areas. You may occasionally see reindeer here. And if you want to eat one, in the town of Kiruna, which most hikers pass through, they have fast-food places that serve reindeer kebabs.

JULIAN ALPS, SLOVENIA

How ridiculously pretty.

If you want to see the Alps, consider going to the Julian Alps in Slovenia instead of the Swiss Alps — it’s way cheaper and way less-crowded. Slovenia is the only country in Europe that combines the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Pannonian Plain and the Karst. You can have one eye on the sea, then look in the other direction and be surrounded by high mountains.

PLZEN, CZECH REPUBLIC

Time to have a Pilsner beer in Plzen.

“In the Czech Republic, most people only go to Prague,” write Quora user Jakob Mellir. But Plzen, also called Pilsen, is an equally beautiful city. The town is only about 90 minutes by car or train from Prague, so you could easily take a daytrip from Prague to Plzen, or the other way around. Plzen, the country’s fourth largest city, is the place where Pilsner beer originated, so if you like beer, this is a great destination. Plzen is this year’s European Cultural Capital, so there’s plenty of arty stuff going on in this town.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Sarajevo — take me there.

While you wouldn’t say Sarajevo — the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is unknown — it is a bit off the main tourist map. Sarajevo is a great city with so much to see, for example Ottoman mosques, an old town that feels very Turkish and the site where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot — and the mountain scenery around Sarajevo is beautiful.

ODENSE, DENMARK

The Danes have been hiding this one away.

Odense is the quirky little capital of Funen, the third largest island in Denmark. The fact that Hans-Christen Andersen, author of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and much, much more, was born here makes this storybook town even more quaint.