It goes without saying that when planning a trip in a European country, Tourists usually start with the capital.
After all, it is usually the largest city, most cosmopolitan hub and a kind of cultural heart.
Think of London and his bustling streets, double -deck buses and iconic red telephone boxes, Paris with the Eiffel Tower and Elegant Haussmann Boulevards, or Berlin and the Edgy Urban Art Scene and exciting nightlife.
Occasionally, however, the capital will not be the best representation of, let alone the ideal introduction to a nation.
That’s something we are Journey Picked up years ago, and what inspired us to hunt after less well -known, underrated alternatives, but it finally draws the attention of other large points of sale.
His second cities better?
The popular baggage storage company Radical Storage recently published a list of the top in Europe. “Second” cities. As in, the most densely populated urban areas after A capital.
In that list, the overall tourist experience was better at 10 out of 44 seconds of cities Was “better”, taking into account factors such as accommodation, food, culture and local attractions.
3 in particular stand outAs unless you are an avid travel pad reader and are currently good at home in European hidden gems, some of these names can surprise you:
Novi Sad, Belgrade
Instead of Belgrade
Novi Sad, with a population of around 368,000, with a population of around 368,000, with a population of around 368,000, but can it be that it is simply overlooked all this time?
The home base of an old city winding streetsPacked with traditional eateries, and dominated by a rising neo-gothic cathedral, in a striking yellow, is the Belgrader’s calmer, idyllic sister.
Just like the Serbian capital, it is on the banks of the Danube, covered with an impressive Petrovaradin and inviting bars on the river, and It just exudes the old world squares.
According to radical storage, Novi Sad has no fewer than 102 attractions with an assessment of 4/5 stars. With an average meal price of $ 9.80 per person and hotels that cost around $ 39 per night, it is one of the most affordable city breaks in Europe.
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Instead of Bucharest
Unless you are particularly enthusiastic about communist building blocks and that modernist plague from the 20th century, chances are that you will not find what you are looking for in Bucharest, the vast, overly gray capital of Romania.
Now, if you dream of Pointy Church SpiresNarrow winding lanes and Transylvanian aesthetics, you have to go to Cluj-Napoca instead:
With less urban pollution and more medieval allure than Bucharest, the beautiful cluj is Characterized by his lush gardensCetatuita Park, Landmark Saint Michael Church in particular, a Gothic miracle dates from the Middle Ages and the proximity of nature.
The mystical Hoia-Baciu-Bos, famous for its twisted trees, is a short half hour drive and Cluj itself is an entrance gate to the Verkel Apuseni Mountains, a paradise for walker in Central Romania.
As a cultural hub it contains 155 attractions with 4 stars and higher, and the restaurants are equally well appreciated.
Speaking of food, ordering yourself a Transylvanian lamb stew with onion and some beer Will restart with no more than $ 7.95.
Kutaisi, Georgia
Instead of Tbilisi
Last but not least, Tbilisi has become quite the trendy off-path destination in recent years since the discovery as a digital nomadhub.
Apart from external employees, visitors have led in the short term there for the big wine knowing that Georgia is where wine was invented? Living social scene and old sights, but Few have been said about Kutaisi.
Georgia’s on the second most clear hub and a fast -growing metropolis in the Kakheti wine region, it ensures a large Tbilisi Dupe because of the historical meaning and natural attractions.
On a hill overlooking the city, the medieval Bagrati Cathedral is one of the largest in GeorgiaAnd in the center of the city, the monumental, gold-covered Colchis fountain celebrates the rich past of the country.
Other must-sees are the Soviet era State Opera and the Green Bazaar, a farmer’s market where you can buy freshly baked Georgian rods and wine in your own soil directly from Georgian hands.
You will find one near the city UNESCO-GENTED GELATI monasteryThe AEONS-Old Prometheus Cave, a complex system of underground rivers and naturally illuminated stalactite rooms, and the emerald green Martvili Canyon.
In addition, you spend an average of $ 42.33 per night in hotels, compared to the more expensive $ 63.60 from Tbilisi.
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