Where To Travel In Europe With Fewer Crowds [Summer]
There is no better time of year to travel than summer for many people who want to take a quiet break from their hectic life. Many locations are forgotten as thousands or even millions of tourists flock to just the biggest and best-publicized resorts and beaches.
The least populated cities in Europe in the summer may receive some unexpected visitors due to this. Unknown to many, there are quite a few people attempting to have their summer holiday free from crowds.
Hidden gems that are far from the crowds can be found all over Europe as a substitute for those overcrowded seashore destinations. While some cities are usually more popular with tourists than others, you may find such cities in practically any nation.
However, you don’t have to worry about wishing to avoid the throng. There is nothing wrong with wanting that! So, prepare ahead and pick one of the locations that are sure to have crowds that are lesser and quality time that is more, rather than having endless throngs of tourists ruin your holiday.
Lyon, France
Lyon is a city not too far from Bern. It is one of the biggest cities in France and one of the uncrowded places to visit. It is never easy to travel to this lovely country. It is challenging since there is never enough time to see everything. Vieux Lyon, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, will be our first stop.
You can notice how quaint this neighborhood is by its abundance of cafes, gift stores, and other quaintnesses. Fourvière Basilica towers over the rest of the city, casting a shadow across Vieux Lyon.
This basilica is flanked by a number of other churches, which together form a religious gathering that is extremely important to Lyon's spiritual life.
The Lyon Tablet, among other artifacts at the Gallo-Roman Museum, provides a fuller picture of this region's past. This museum is a really strange sight, with brutalist-styled structures and portions sunk into the hillside. It leads to an enormous historic theater that has been well-kept for the majority of its history.
2. Bergen, Norway
Norway is one of the least congested summer travel destinations. Particularly Bergen, which has a reputation for having unpleasant, oppressive rain.
Despite the unfavorable weather, which discourages many travelers from taking a very hot, summer holiday, the whole city is very vibrant and has breathtaking sites to admire almost in every nook and cranny.
The very recognizable structure in this city in the north is Bryggen, which is a harbor and important commercial center from the heyday of the Hanseatic League.
The wooden stairways, homes, and warehouses in this area have survived multiple fires. Currently, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is responsible for guarding this architectural marvel.
For those looking to understand more about Bergen's illustrious past, the Hanseatic Museum is the ideal place to start. Bergen is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with excellent museums (and many of them), contemporary restaurants, and a famous cuisine to indulge yourself in, contrary to what you might anticipate from a rainy city.
Its seafood is superb and will satisfy even the most intrepid traveler. You may explore the area around Bergen by hiking on some of the well-traveled paths.
3. Bern, Switzerland
It makes sense that this region receives significantly less attention during the summer months given how well-known the Swiss Mountains are for winter vacations.
Switzerland is a lesser popular travel location in Europe because most people don't think of it as a wonderful summer vacation destination. However, most of the justifications for this case are false.
Even while most people regard Switzerland as a place that is more suitable for sledding, skiing, and such winter activities, places like Zurich or even Lucerne have tourists throughout the whole summer anyway.
Bern, however, is not like that, so you have plenty of room! Bern, the nation's capital, has an unbelievable number of museums, cathedrals, and dining establishments.
The Museum of Fine Arts and the Bern History Museum alone are worth a visit. The former includes a magnificent collection of paintings that are more than a thousand in number and thousands of images, while the museum of Bern History contains a portion dedicated to Albert Einstein's work that he did while he was in Bern.
Together with visiting museums, you can get close to three bears that dwell in a nearby park. Since the 12th century, they have had a sizable walled-off territory to themselves, serving as an icon of Bern.
The Bern Cathedral, which has been improved and added to over the years, is the biggest structure of its sort in Switzerland. Visit the majestic Bundeshaus to discover how democracy was practiced throughout history in Switzerland.
4. Naples, Italy
Naples is frequently overlooked, much like Valencia or Galway, because there are so many heavily publicized tourist cities nearby. Yet, the proximity of Rome, Milan, and Venice is not a valid excuse to miss the trip to Naples.
You must see Cappella Sansevero, a chapel with the most beautiful interior you've ever seen. The interior sanctuary is decorated with historic statues and murals that depict unwavering piety.
Magnificent statues and artifacts made of marble from the Roman and Greek eras can be found in Naples' National Archaeological Museum to the north. Also, it is really roomy! The presence of soldiers at the time may have been the cause of that.
Naples will be among the least congested cities in Europe in the summer, so you shouldn't have any trouble getting a tour.
5. Tbilisi, Georgia
Standing atop one of Tbilisi's many hills or ridges always feels a few degrees cooler if you can navigate your way out of the valley. The obvious choice is Mtatsminda, which is the highest hill in the city proper. Even though there isn't much to do there during the day, it's an excellent spot to watch the sunset.
A good spot for a picnic lunch and some (relatively) fresh air is Betlemi Rise atop Narikala Hill. While the National Botanical Gardens offer some shady hiking trails, the Open Air Museum of Ethnography is situated in the hills. It typically feels rather fresh (even if it is all outdoors and needs walking in the sun).
Turtle Lake, Lisi Lake, and the Tbilisi Sea are the city's three main lakes. Indeed, the latter is a reservoir. It contains "beaches," lakefront bars, and a complex for water sports. In Tbilisi, my favorite lake is Lisi Lake, which is located above the Saburtalo neighborhood.
Even though it is small, it boasts a charming mountain backdrop, bike trails, restaurants, a sauna, and a sulfur bathhouse. Sioni Lake and Bazaleti Lake may both be reached further away from Tbilisi by automobile in less than 1.5 hours.
All across Tbilisi, there are underground tunnels, chambers, and basements. They are usually surprisingly chilly in the summer because they are buried deep in the ground where cool water springs stream down and are bricked in. It's not a bad idea to try to go underground while it's sweltering outside.
You might spend a good two hours exploring the cool basement levels of the old palace and caravanserai while taking a tour of the Tbilisi Wine Museum and learning about the 8000-year history of viniculture in Georgia.
6. Valencia, Spain
Valencia gets fewer visitors than Madrid or Barcelona even if it isn't truly one of the least crowded towns in Europe in the summer. There are more options for serenity and excellent photos when there are fewer people around.
Valencia has a reputation for being a really contemporary Spanish city and has an absolutely stunning collection of buildings. The Futuristic City of Arts and Sciences is likely the most well-known example of a truly distinctive architectural design. The complex's development was completed in 2005.
A planetarium, an IMAX theater, and also a botanical garden along with a number of indigenous species are now located there. One could actually spend the entirety of their trip in Valencia without moving a single centimeter because there are so many things to do there.
It is almost extremely implausible to visit a city in Europe without seeing one Gothic cathedral at least once. Valencia is no exception, thus it is not surprising that you will be able to make time to visit Gothic buildings like Valencia Cathedral and El Miguelete.
7. Porto, Portugal
Yet relatively unaffected by tourist hordes is Portugal. Although Portugal is less busy than Spain, it is nonetheless a stunning gem that you should visit at least once in your lifetime.
The riverbank neighborhood of Porto is a vibrant patchwork of vintage structures. As the name implies, Cais de Ribeira served as the focal point of Portuguese wealth in modern times.
The majestic Lus I Bridge may be seen from many of the pubs and restaurants that dot this once-bustling commercial area today. This bridge gave the locals an industrial hand in a manner similar to how the riverbank contributed to Porto's growing economy.
See Casa da Musica before you assume that this place is just about historic bridges and docks. Several music festivals in Portugal take place at this futuristic building.
You will be in awe after visiting the Cathedral of Santa Clara and Soares dos Reis National Museum. Porto is a pretty versatile destination that offers outstanding wine, a wealth of cultural attractions, and an insightful history lesson.
8. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Luxembourg City, one of the world's tiniest nations with one of the richest histories, is frequently forgotten about during the summer. Many migrate south in quest of warm weather and choppy seas, yet there are no tourists in Luxembourg at all.
Starting up in this city is difficult. Every nook and crevice holds some untapped historical potential. The Passerelle Viaduct and Beaufort Castle are two of the more ancient and significant ruins.
Passerelle, which leads to the city center, is today known as the Old Bridge. Visit this magnificent building to take in the views from the top.
Beautiful and worn by time is Beaufort Castle. Despite falling into disrepair, it's still worth a visit.
The magnificent Palais Grand-Ducal was built in the sixteenth century. The Grand Duke, Luxembourg's supreme commander, resides there. The palace itself, which is a fusion of various architectural types, is highly attractive and well worth a visit.
Final Thoughts
The majority of the locations on our list already receive respectable numbers of tourists each year, and those numbers are steadily rising. They'll still be among the least crowded cities this year, though. This suggests that it will be impossible to escape crowds in the future of tourism.
Well, you could always travel to some remote, long-forgotten village, but that is not the point. Without spending a lot of money to travel abroad, you can accomplish that locally.