May/June 2006
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Secret Europe
Text by Linda Burbank Photo by Giovanni Simeone/SIME
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Fog shrouds the Château de Beynac along the banks of the Dordogne River. |
To find the unspoiled gems, follow the Europeans.
 ummer travel in Europe too often means waiting in lines, jockeying for position at Buckingham Palace's Changing of the Guard, or jostling in the queue at the Eiffel Tower.
The trouble with the top spots is that they become—especially in high season—a monoculture of tourists. It's hard to fully appreciate a British pub when surrounded by fellow North American tourists. Worse, hospitality standards can decline in crowded conditions. Still, many Americans continue down the same well-worn paths to the same tourist sites. According to a report by the European Travel Commission and the World Tourism Organization, the greater distance people travel, the more likely they'll cover only the "must-see" sights at their destination; they're often unwilling to venture farther afield.
Perennial favorites such as Italy, England, and France are anticipating a flood of American tourists this summer, especially with the U.S. dollar buying more than it did last year.
Our advice: Sidestep the Europe Americans know for the one Europeans know.
Spanish Coast
Costa Tropical Instead of Costa del Sol
Andalusia's famous Costa del Sol gets about 8.5 million tourists a year. Its resort beaches are jam-packed all summer long. Lesser known but equally beautiful is the so-called Costa Tropical to the east. There are sandy beaches and quiet coves between fishing villages, without the high-rise sprawl of Costa del Sol. Enjoy the sea at Salobreña, a 6,000-year-old whitewashed town perched on rocky hills, featuring a Moorish castle and surrounded by sugarcane plantations. The small town of Castell de Ferro features a two-mile (3-km) promenade along the sea and an Arab fortress. For trips away from the beach, head inland to the untouristed mountains of Alpujarras, a haven for hikers. More information »
UK City Break
Glasgow Instead of London
Glasgow has gone from gritty to glamorous, and is now known as an unpretentious city of art and design. Though popular with travelers from the United Kingdom, the Scottish city receives just 400,000 overseas tourists every year. (In contrast, London expects to host 14.9 million foreign tourists in 2006.) Glasgow's architecture reflects the mix of old and new, boasting the art nouveau style of the School of Art—designed by native Scotsman Charles Rennie Mackintosh—and the sinuous titanium gleam of the Glasgow Science Centre. Admission is free to 13 civic museums across the city, including the Gallery of Modern Art and the Burrell Collection. For a breath of fresh air, head to the Botanic Gardens, one of many parks in the green city—but with a recent ban on smoking in public places, travelers can now breathe easier in Glasgow's famously smoky pubs. More information »
Island Hopping
Stockholm Archipelago Instead of the Greek Isles
Fueled by resort package travel, foreign tourism to the Greek islands has grown over the past decade, with 14 million foreign travelers expected this year. The topography is different, but travelers looking for an island experience of peaceful solitude and stunning scenery should consider trading in moussaka for meatballs under the midnight sun. Stockholm's waterways lead directly to an archipelago of 24,000 islands, islets, and rocks stretched across an area about 50 miles (80 km) wide and 93 miles (150 km) long. Some of these clean and quiet islands are inhabited by the area's 10,000 permanent residents, but many of the smaller, wooded islands will never be developed under Swedish law. Public-access laws give people the right to camp on any island for a night or two, and moor a boat anywhere but on a private dock, as long as they respect the environment and stay away from private property. Island hoppers can buy a five-day archipelago pass for about $44, valid for unlimited trips on historic steamers and modern ferries. The archipelago's major ferry line logged fewer than two million passengers last year; most travelers in the region are Swedish. More information »
Rural France
Dordogne Instead of Provence
Provence is the third most popular tourist region in Europe, especially with U.S.
travelers; in some areas, its population doubles in summer high season. For a rustic experience without the crowds, head to the Dordogne. Its landscapes encompass rolling meadows, limestone plateaus, slow-moving rivers, and mountains for hiking. Prehistory is a big draw. The revamped National Museum of Prehistory, in the tiny town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, opened in 2004 after two decades of delays, and displays Ice Age artifacts. There are prehistoric painted caves; the most famous, at Lascaux, was closed to the public to protect its paintings, but visitors can see a replica, Lascaux II. The area boasts castles along the Dordogne River. Dordogne's hearty cuisine features goose, duck, and truffles, accompanied by full-bodied red wines from Bergerac or sweet white wines from Monbazillac. More information »
Eastern Flair
Ljubljana Instead of Prague
The city is popular with Italians, British, and Germans, thanks in part to low-fare airlines serving the city, but just 187,000 foreigners came here in 2004; fewer than 10,000 of them were American. Compare that to Prague, which logged more than 3.4 million foreign visitors the same year. The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana is a postcard-perfect baroque town, but on a small scale, with just 276,000 inhabitants. Its Old World style has a modern energy, with vibrant cafés lining the streets along the Ljubljanica River. Spanning the river are notable bridges, including the Triple Bridge, the work of famed Slovenian architect Joze Plecnik, who created two arteries for pedestrians and one for cars. Shop daily (except Sundays) at the open-air farmers market, which features handicrafts and locally grown produce. For unbeatable views of the city, hike up wooded paths to Ljubljana Castle, which looms over the cobblestone streets of the historical center. More information »
Italian Countryside
Umbria Instead of Tuscany
Called "the green heart of Italy," Umbria is just south of Tuscany but vastly overshadowed by its more famous neighbor. Tuscany attracts more than 12 percent of all visitors to Italy, but just over one percent of them spend the night in Umbrian towns. Perugia is an urbane city that's home to a world-famous jazz festival in the summer and a chocolate festival in the fall (chocolatier Perugina is based here). The summertime Spoleto Festival showcases performing and visual arts. Scenic stone hilltowns such as Assisi and Gubbio attract followers of St. Francis, while ceramics lovers flock to Deruta, where handmade majolica fills many store windows. And visitors to Lake Trasimeno will see few tourists when they visit the ruined castle on the tiny island of Isola Maggiore, where lacemakers and fishermen sew in front of their houses. More information »
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