A travel epiphany

What you described is personal preference. Fortunately personal preference is widely varied otherwise there would be 100,000 people or no one standing in line to see the Eiffel Tower. I am a big history fans especially related to the Europe of 1000AD and how things evolved so those sites are extremely attractive to me when I travel. I am always trying to imagine how this area or a site looked like in 1200, or 1345, or 800. How people lived, what they drank, what they ate. That is draws us year after year.

I love history.. and since so many of the "popular" sights are historic.. there is no way I would miss most of them.. I however usually visit a place long enough ( rarely do those 2-3 day stops that some travellers do ) I find I have more then enough time to see the big sights.. AND wander down side streets and find my own "hidden gems".

I guess when a person refers to a place as " the usual highlights" it infers that really . .the sights have no meaning to them.. which is fine.. everyone travels for various reasons.

The other thing we usually do is schedule a holiday in our holiday. For instance.. our next trip has three large cities.. Paris, London, Amsterdam .. and sort of big.. Dublin. It also includes 5 days in Mallorca.. in Cala D'or.. which has no particular tourist sights at all.. but lovely beaches and a friendly little town.. remember last time we were there the World Cup was on... and the café owner who pulled out a huge old big tube TV and propped it up on a plastic table so we could all watch the game under the stars.. no modern sound system.. no flat screen.. and a sketchy looking exstension cord strung along the patio fence to the tv.. funnest night ever.

I wonder if the memories of people viewing the Mona Lisa in the Louvre are more of the details of the painting itself, or of the crowds in the room?

I agree with Rob in Cal. Although we have seen many of the "must sees" that populate the travel dreams of others, mainly because we lived in Europe, my fondest memories are of the moments off the beaten path. Zug is, indeed, an alpine paradise, and we were fortunate to have visited friends there on several occasions. We recently enjoyed getting deliberately lost in Burano and asking a very old Italian lady for assistance. She not only gave us directions, she walked with us along a very complicated route back to the vaporetto, which gave us the chance to engage her in conversation. I also enjoyed speaking with a man in the Lake District of Italy about his boat, which was a beautiful, handmade wooden craft. Can't wait for our next trip!

This is exactly why it's so hard to advise those who come here with the "what are the must-sees" question. What is a must-see to me might bore you silly.

Lots of reason to travel (as stated by another poster.) I've enjoyed almost all of the so called "famous" sites I have seen and most intermediate sites and lots of quiet personal moments. If someone says they don't like famous sites I usually ask them if they were in Paris the first time, would they see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre? Their answers are always instructive.

As to the Mona Lisa, interesting question. I loved the crowds and saw that as a "typical" tourist jam. Certainly an experience. As someone who loves Leonardo and catalogs where and where I have seen his paintings I absolutely loved seeing the Mona Lisa. I was a few yards away, took a few pics then gaped at it for several minutes. On the way into the room, I stopped to get up close and personal with other DaV's hanging in the hall. All three, the crowd, the Mona Lisa and the nearby Leonardo's were different experiences and I treasure each of them.

First time I saw Mona I was 13.. have seen her likely more then a dozen times since.. but by accident and from a distance.. or because I am with someone who has not seen her and insists.
I have never.. ever.. been impressed.. There.. I said.. it I think its much ado about nothing.. I have so many other works I enjoy so very much more! Shes boring.. not mysterious etc to me. Little brown painting. Yuck.

BTW...I find the whole Impressionist floor at the Orsay completely skippable ( I know this is shocking to some who recommend " oh go up there first.. its the best part.. ") .. I prefer the decorative arts section with the cool Dr Suess furniture!

So tastes certainly vary!

Was not overly impressed with the triangle of real pubic hair glued to a chair and shown as a avant guarde exhibit at the Pomidou last summer.. geesh.. art is so subjective.. lol

Your final sentence hits the nail on the head. "It's these kind of experiences that call me back, not seeing the usual highlights and sights." All tourists are seeking an experience of some form, however the experiences that we deem valuable differ from person to person. I, for one, love to experience nature, small towns, and "off the beaten path" countries. However, others love the popular destinations, museums, and the big cities. There is no right or wrong way to travel. But to enjoy travel, we have to focus on the experiences we enjoy, not necessarily those things that "everyone else" seems to enjoy.

I agree - "must-sees" vary from person to person. However, there really is something magical about seeing a beautiful, iconic sight in person for the first time. Perhaps because it is so famous it is revered even more for its fame. If that makes sense. Take the Eiffel Tower, for example...a pretty cool structure, but has come to symbolize PARIS for people so seeing it in person causes a reaction of awe.

I like a lot of the big sights (art museums, famous buildings), but am not as big on some others (battlefields, or houses of famous people - not museums, but "Mr. X lived here, here's his furniture"). There are exceptions, but in general I think knowing what you like and feeling free to skip a "must-see" if it's really not of interest is important. My preference is to see the major sights of interest, but just as important to leave a lot of time for walking around, getting immersed in an atmosphere. Some of my best memories are of sitting in parks with a picnic or of getting lost in twisty, cobblestoned alleyways.

I love the big iconic sights. But I also love just soaking up the atmosphere, and that's probably what draws me back the most. A good example is Switzerland. I was thrilled to see the Matterhorn, but I don't care if I ever go back. On the other hand, I could happily go back to Murren over and over.

@rob, your post had me searching for this funny story from earlier in the year
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2948990/The-Grand-Canyon-overblown-sandy-ditch-Christ-Redeemer-just-concrete-pillar-Great-Sphinx-covered-litter-McDonald-s-read-hilarious-TripAdvisor-reviews-world-s-famous-sights.html

I wonder if the memories of people viewing the Mona Lisa in the Louvre are more of the details of the painting itself, or of the crowds in the room?

I read somewhere years ago about the "Mona Lisa effect" in traveling. Meaning, traveling to see something especially famous, like the Mona Lisa, the Eifel Tower, the Trevi fountain, etc., even though you probably already know exactly what it looks like.

It is all personal preferences. To me, the Louvre was forgettable but the Prado I will never forget. The Statue of David blew me away while the British Museum put me to sleep.

If we think lines are long now just imagine what it would be like if absolutely everybody in the world wanted to see the exact same few 'must see' sights. Actually there is no such thing as a 'must see' sight, only 'want to see' sights and they differ for each of us. One person's trash is another person's treasure.

I read somewhere years ago about the "Mona Lisa effect" in traveling. Meaning, traveling to see something especially famous, like the Mona Lisa, the Eifel Tower, the Trevi fountain, etc., even though you probably already know exactly what it looks like

I have read many books on Leonardo and seen many of his paintings in person. I would never have guessed the Mona Lisa was that different and beautiful when you see it in person. My best example of that was the Taj Mahal........ thought it would be the highlight of my trip to India but it was (to me) the most beautiful building I have ever seen and so surpassed my expectations that it surprised even me.

Perugia: Fairly popular tourist destination

Lake Constance: very popular tourist destination

Black Forest: very popular tourist destination

lunch in Budapest for about a dollar: now 3 dollars.

afternoon spent on Lake Balaton: very popular with Austrians and Hungarians, catching on with the rest of the world.

public viewing of a recently deceased high level Italian politician who died during an election campaign: creepy, but okay.

But I do understand what you mean. We sort of agree but time has caught up with you and what was once rare is now on the tourist route. To get back to what you are looking for you need to move further EAST. Hungary (of course), Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Macedonia, Montenegro.

I like your message, rob in cal (this is Grace in AZ) I find I never know just what is going to really affect me the most when I travel, many times it's absorbing the mood of the place, and the way the people who live there act. I do usually like the old parts of the towns, and the opportunity to interact with people who live there. Sometimes it is a painting or a building, though. Sometimes I am so affected by something which I did not think would be that interesting.

Yes Ray, the Taj Mahal also left me in awe, struck by its immense beauty and purity.

Thanks for responses everyone. Nice to see what other people feel about this issue. I think one thing for me is that I'm not necessarily trying to find these really cool non-touristy hidden gems, but rather really nice places that might very well have a lot of visitors, but usually local, or in country visitors. For example, Tegernsee in Germany, and Worthersee In Austria are lovely lakes that most Americans certainly miss, and are hardly on any "Best of Germany" or "Best of Austria" tour, but are wonderful places to visit and spend some time at. I can really relate to what Carroll was saying, the Matterhorn was nice for one visit, but Murren is a place to go back to, that's how I feel about some of these lesser known, but visit worthy places.
And yes, I do enjoy observing political things going on in Europe, that's part of observing local life, in a way, things such as rallies, political posters, speeches etc. I remember being in Italy in 1984 during elections for the European Parliament, and it was fascinating to observe speeches, rallies, things like that, even though I needed my sister to translate.

Like most of you, my husband and I wouldn't dream of missing the more 'famous' attractions but enjoy our time exploring areas many visitors don't venture to just as much. It's a matter of making time to do both so our trips have become longer with fewer short stays.

Just musing here but the thing about 'famous' sights is that, with the exception of the manufactured tourist trap - London Dungeon and similar come to mind - almost none of them were originally intended to be what they've become. Castles, palaces, churches, royal art collections, landmarks, archeological sites… Some of them simply fell out of use with changing times (castles/palaces), others acquired historical value after hundreds or thousands of years, and virtually all of them cost a fortune to maintain thus the need to augment local tax and private trust/charity burdens.

When some were first opened to the public, it was during eras when travel was more arduous and far fewer had the means to do so they weren't as loved to death as they are now. Maybe they lost some of their mystique when they became more easily and financially accessible? Then again, one could argue that they weren't nearly as well maintained, either. Tourism dollars - used appropriately, anyway - are making preservation of priceless learning and teaching opportunities possible for future generations?

I agree, my favorite travel experiences are days where I'm just a local going about my day shopping for dinner, running errands, etc. Pretty mundane but I really enjoy finding out the day to day details of life because I often I'll gain a new perspective on a better way to do something that I can use back home. Of course I will see major sites too but its not the top of my list in most places.

Some examples:

• In Tokyo, I went to Carrefour (because everyone does) to purchase some Nivea products (German brand). There was almost nothing Japanese about the store or products but in a way the whole experience was the most Japanese thing I did the whole trip.
• Once during a trip to Oktoberfest, I stopped by a Baumarkt (like a Home Depot) just to see what they have and ended up buying a Bio-Mülleimer (compost can) because almost everyone has one in Munich (they have separate compost pick up in the city). I brought it home and still use it almost everyday, that's not something I can say about most of my souvenirs.

The list goes on. I've met a few other travelers who do this so I know I'm not completely crazy but I do get odd looks when I have friends over and they ask what I brought back from recent travels and I show them a trash can!

DJ

As Pat said, I like history and art and therefore want to go to the big museums and churches. I'm also curious why people see what they do on trips. The Mona Lisa was an obscure painting until the 19th century when the Romantics "rediscovered" it, and since then it's been a huge draw. As far as the works of Leonardo go, it isn't one of my favorites. I did see it in the Louvre because my sister wanted to, and I was much more interested in the crowds who have been told it's a must-see.

My favorite experiences on trips are when I discover things hidden in plain sight. In London in October, I took a London Walks Jewish Quarter tour and we saw a part of the Roman wall, hidden behind a hotel. We stopped at a modern building with a plaque commemorating a synagogue built on that spot in the late 17th century and destroyed by bombs during World War II. At the end of the walk we passed a fiddle memorial plaque on the sidewalk commemorating Yiddish theater.

On my first trip to Germany my German friend's father took us on an all-day sightseeing tour in the Harz Mountains. We went to a fortress built between the 9th and 15th centuries and were free to wander around. We were the only people there, and the view from the top of the fortress, on top of a mountain, was breathtaking.

The Mona Lisa was an obscure painting until the 19th century when the Romantics "rediscovered" it, and since then it's been a huge draw.---not sure I would agree with that as it contradicts much of the reading I have done on Leonardo. Below is a quick excerpt from Wiki, as my paper books don't translate so easily to online forums. All that being said, I certainly agree that it is not for everyone and everyone has their own preferences.

Before its completion the Mona Lisa had already begun to influence contemporary Florentine painting. Raphael, who had been to Leonardo's workshop several times, promptly used elements of the portrait's compostion and format in several of his works, such as Young Woman with Unicorn (c. 1506[68]), and Portrait of Maddalena Doni (c. 1506). Celebrated later paintings by Raphael, La velata (1515-16) and Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione (c. 1514–15), continued to borrow from Leonardo's painting. Zollner states that "None of Leonardo's works would exert more influence upon the evolution of the genre than the Mona Lisa. It became the definitive example of the Renaissance portrait and perhaps for this reason is seen not jut as the likeness of a real person, but also as the embodiment of an ideal."[69]
Early commentators such as Vasari and André Félibien praised the picture for its realism, but by the Victorian era writers began to regard the Mona Lisa as imbued with a sense of mystery and romance. In 1859 Théophile Gautier wrote that the Mona Lisa was a "sphinx of beauty who smiles so mysteriously" and that "Beneath the form expressed one feels a thought that is vague, infinite, inexpressible. One is moved, troubled ... repressed desires, hopes that drive one to despair, stir painfully." From the Wikipedia article on the Mona Lisa

You go, Ray! I had never seen the Mona Lisa until 2014, my first trip to Paris. I had planned to walk past her because of the crowds, but I saw a sliver of standing room and went to take a look. It is a luminous work of art, it cannot be reproduced. I will never forget her.

I am a Michelangelo stalker, I never get tired of standing in front of his Saint Matthew at the Accademia.