I asked recently about tourist traps, but now I want to turn that around.
Where have you gone in Europe that was astonishingly devoid of tourists and offered you a completely authentic and wonderful experience?
I know you may be reluctant to share, lest the tourists all catch on, but I promise not to tell anyone else!
I'll share mine in the comments.
For me, it was a one-day loop I took in a rental car, starting and ending in Balestrand, Norway. So many places along the way were just magical, and I didn't see a single other tourist (and very few other people at all) from the time I departed Balestrand until I got back that evening.
Highlights were
Many road trips get you out of the tourist scene pretty quickly. I indulge in one private birdwatching day with a local guide. In some countries or regions, you may find other birders there, and in others; none.
I spent a day with a guide departing from Sevilla, Spain. We travelled back roads with rice fields, crossed the Guadalquivir River on a local barge ferry. Max capacity 6 cars. Then we headed into Donaña National Park. It is typically a birder's paradise by the rains had not ckme by November, so we did limited birding. It was November 1 so a holiday. Locals were picnicking and enjoying the time put of the city.
Also, the reason I rent short let apartments is that it only takes a few blocks to move you from the tourist sites to little enclaves of local life. Stroll those backstreets or a further out neighbourhood and your experiences become that of an observer of local life rather than famous art, architecture, or history.
south of Freiburg im Breisgau I came across a stork family nesting on a power pole next to a country train station. I stopped the car very briefly in a parking space of the old station house and a man ran outside to tell me that I was parked in a customer parking space and I wasn't a customer. I pointed up to the storks and he smiled and stopped talking; he waited until I had left after taking photos before going back in. Those storks, at least one with the chicks, were up there every time I drove by during the following week.
I didn't use his space again.
Further west and north in the small town of Deidesheim we stayed the night in rooms rented out by an old folks home - great breakfast - and were across the street from the annual ram auction and fest. You couldn't get more back door.
My local grocery shop, no tourists and a very authentic way to experience life in Europe :)
Joking aside, I have one memory from my latest trip to Scotland. We were staying at a B&B in Inverness just across the street fron Northern Meeting Park and one night the local cricket team was practising there. Being a bit of a cricket fan I went inside and asked if I could watch them for a while and I ended up having a lovely conversation with the man who spent his retirement as a cricket coach. He had a very thick scottish accent though so I probably only understood about half of what he saidâŠ
Velika Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Weâd been on a driving in the countryside, and were pulling back into town, on the way to our rented home. Suddenly, a brass band appeared on the street, in ornate slavic uniforms, flying banners, and performed a tune. There were no other tourists. We hadnât paid any admission fee. It wasnât a festival. Maybe they were practicing. Maybe it was a wedding (probably not), or some fraternal clubâs annual musical gathering. Totally unexpected. No one passed around a hat for tips.
Road trips make this a lot easier. A year ago I was staying in Dunkeld in Perthshire with lots of tourists. I drove all the way out to Rannoch Station and until I got in the Tea Room there was no one! And there was no waiting in the Tea Room. Also, if you visit some place where cruise ships come, go out late in the day when they are gone and enjoy the space. I visited John OâGroats on the same trip. There were people, but just not the numbers that you would see on the Royal Mile or Loch Ness. Even Dunnattor Castle didnât have that many people. Of course, the further you go the fewer the people. When we did a trip to the outer Hebrides there was no one but us on Luskentyre Beach but us. âSoftâ weather can help.
November 14, 2013. Gap of Dunloe, Ireland. Hiked half of it, returned to my rental and drove over.
Saw 3 hikers, 1 trap, 4 cars, 1 bicyclist, and countless sheep. Essentially had the area to myself to enjoy.
Remains my favorite day in all my travels. So peaceful and gorgeous with hues of red, green and gold. Some of my best photography.
One if our favorite driving trips was in Italy in early March, several years ago. We stayed at an agriturismo outside the tiny village of Palazzo del Pero near Arezzo. We were the only guests there, and every morning at breakfast our host would pore over our maps with us and make suggestions for our daily outing. Some days we'd drive; other days we'd catch the train at the nearest station. We certainly weren't the only tourists in the towns and cities we visited, but we didn't encounter any crowds anywhere we went. If was fabulous. And not a single traffic ticket in 2 weeks of driving!
Glottertal located in the state of Baden-WĂŒrttemberg in the Black Forest. Simply beautiful.
Inside the Centre Cultural la BeneficĂšncia in Valencia there are two museums, one on local archaeology and one on ethnology.
They are both marvelous, but the building itself has a fascinating history - encompassing the 16th century Augustinian convent taken over by Franciscans, then forcibly secularized during the Napoleonic reforms, charitable institutionalization in the 19th century, and a reinterpretation/expansion in neo-Gothic in 1873 by the same school of architecture that designed the (then) new cathedral in Marseilles.
Foreign tourists might make it to the chic modern art IVAM museum two blocks away, but there's rarely any non-Latinate voices clunking through this well-conceived and insightful institution.
http://www.labeneficencia.es/va/article/la-memoria-del-lloc
This place is a gem of civilized leisure.
Not the place as much as the season. I've found that traveling in winter, many towns that are chock-a-block with tourists at other times, are populated mainly by locals or at "worst" most of the tourists are from the surrounding area. For instance:
Padua - walk-in tickets to the Scrovegni Chapel.
Herculaneum - I was one of a dozen people at the site during the 5-6 hours I was there. Even in Pompeii, there weren't any crowds.
Villefranche (Riviera)- I passed only a few locals on the RS walk, at most 3-4 other people at the sights. It was the same in Marseille and Menton.
On my very first trip to Venice, I rented an apartment in an old palazzo next to the Frari Church. For 5 days I happily wandered from dawn to dark, avoiding the crowds and napping in the middle of the day. The sweet owners gave me maps (still got lost) and directed me to the nearest local grocery store. The young lady at the register would take my produce and weigh it for me even though there was a huge line behind me. Love shopping in the tiny local stores.
We find that we avoid the huge crowds by visiting Europe in Spring or Fall.
Example, we did a four week drive tour of S. Wales and England, largely away from large cities (largest cities were York and Cardiff). There were other tourists, but we never felt overrun anywhere.
Visiting South America, we have found fewer tourists. Machu Picchu, Peru was loaded with them, but it didn't seem overrun. I think MP must have a limit to how many people they allow in the city.
There is a double edged sword to visiting less popular places. Sometimes those places are a little disappointing, even through not crowded. Out of the way places like the Azores turned out to be wonderful.
Last year SIL and I drove from Naples for an overnight visit to Mongrassano, Province of Cozenza, Calabria. Very small, friendly village, almost a glimpse of Italyâs past. I wish we would have had more time to explore the area and for her to learn more about her familyâs history.
Avoiding âtourist trapsâ doesnât have to mean small towns or road trips. In big cities full of tourists you can get on a bus or subway to a neighborhood with almost no tourists, great food, and some sort of interesting sight. Most tourists stick to the central city and specific major attractions outside that area.
Heck, depending on your definition of âtourist trapâ, just walking 5 minutes from a major sight or square leads to a more local experience. Yes, 5 minutes from the Colosseum will still be touristed but less overwhelmingly so than right across the street. Even in Venice you can walk away from Rialto/San Marco and get a totally different feel.
I agree with Chani and Mira, totally. Don't travel in the summer and turn away from tourist spots when you want. Or have a theme to your travels; ie, gardens, WWI, genealogy.
As far as tourist free spots, I've had many. Some that come to mind: We stayed 10 days in Nancy, France in Aug/Sept, 2007. We noticed one English speaking tourist that entire time...only noticed him because he was being obnoxiously loud. No crowds, no major sights, etc. Or a favorite small city is UmeÄ, Sweden. I was there pre-midsummer when students had gone home, but outdoor museums, etc. were just opening. I didn't see any tourists or crowds, but the residents were out enjoying their city. It was a lovely small city on the river. I had the same experience in Stockholm when I arrived at the start of my vacation. When I was leaving at the end, the first cruise ship had arrived in Stockholm so a different vibe was starting, so season is important. Riding a bicycle around the Netherlands was tourist free...other than our small group.
As Wray says , Nancy , France was a similar experience . A great place if you are an aficionado of Art Nouveau , the city is plastered with it . Gorlitz , Germany was similar , great architecture , and nary a tourist in sight , barely a word of English as well .
In 2006 when my husband and I were doing a 2 week trip in Great Britain for our 40th anniversary celebration we came upon the tiny village of Frampton on Severn. It is not really much of a village as there is just a smattering of houses. We stopped at the store/gas station/post office to ask if there were any B & Bs in the village. We were directed to one where we were told she only did 3 night rentals. With some coaxing she agreed to rent to us. We loved it there so much that we ended up staying 3 nights! It was on one of the canals and we found the canal boats fascinating, as well as watching the man who had the job of turning the bridge when a boat wanted to come through. This was probably the highlight of that trip. We are pretty easy to please.
Was driving to Wengen, Switzerland in September 2017 from Varenna, Italy......our GPS took us off the Gotthard Pass and put us on a route through the mountains.......as we drove off we happened upon a small village that Saturday celebrating the annual âdriving the cows down the mountain for winterâ ....the town was Wassen.....and we got to watch the men in costume walking through the town swinging the enormous cow bells that they were about the display on their barns for the winter. We were served apple cider at the small town fair and lunch and heard singing from the lunch tent......it was INCREDIBLE.......like we got to look in on a special day in this community!
Another special occasion was on our trip to Provence in spring of 2018......I always do extension research and my homework before we travel as not to miss anything(!)......I had found a beautiful old French country estate just a few miles outside of St. Remy de Provence......le Chateau des Alpilles.......took our GPS and found it one afternoon.....like stepping back in time......the current owners have turned it into a hotel but it has maintained its charm as if it were still a private estate. We enjoyed lunch out on their gardens the next day alone....just my husband and me.......on a lovely day in May. They allowed us to rest and read by their beautiful pool on the grounds that afternoon......never saw another person there......lovely quiet Provençal afternoon!
Be hard not to mention our day in Isle de la Sourge antiquing in the pouring rain......and how a shop owner had pity on us, invited us into her store and saw pictures on my iPhone of sewing I did......always take these as pics speak a thousand words.......she invited me into her back closets and loved that I loved her wares.......spent $ there and left with a lovely gift from her and a new friendship......so kind.......as 2 of the shop owners in the Marais in Paris are always so kind to me as well.......show them you love their stores and they will bend over backwards to be kind to you!!!
After the Best of the Adriatic tour we rented a car in Dubrovnik and drove to Montenegro where we rented a flat in Dobrota. Spent a wonderful week exploring the area and venturing inland. One of the highlights was a day on the bay with Tim and Katie aboard the Monty B https://www.montenegro4sail.com/.
In September of 2009, we returned to Europe after an absence of many years while we raised four children. All were out of college, so we could travel again. Our first stop was a B&B in a neighborhood of Salzburg. As we were packing the car to leave on a Sunday, our hostess rushed out to tell us about a autumn home blessing procession at the nearby church where we had attended Mass the evening before. The procession consisted of various religious groups in native costume, priests and altar servers, and a band. We asked the people next to us if we could join the procession as others were doing We walked to several homes and the priest blessed outdoor altars and the crops. All the while, we conversed with a couple, their daughter and grandson. At the end, we arrived back at the church and they invited us to join them for beer, brats and music provided for free. Not another tourist in sight! What a wonderful, memorable welcome back to Europe! We have since returned to Europe 14 times, but I will always treasure the memories of a beautiful autumn day in Salzburg.
I sing in a Choir...well, not right now, sadly...and in December 2017, I was in Copenhagen and heard singing.
I went into the church where it was coming from, and saw a big choir, rehearsing for a concert that night.
A lady came over to ask me to leave, but I told her I was also a singer, so she let me stay, out of sight of the choir director.
Wonderful to hear them practice in Danish, in a very old church with soaring ceilings and carvings everywhere.
Acoustics that every choir can dream of!
I came back that night to hear them , in a free concert.
No tourists, even at the concert, that I could see.
Echo James E on Eastern Europe. We've been to towns in Croatia (Dubrovnik - madhouse, but not in November; Sibenik, Trogir, Zadar - a little touristy, but OK; Zagreb - always fun and plenty of locals), Serbia (Beograd - more Serbs than other nationalities; Novi Sad - few tourists; little towns - no tourists just farmers with pumpkins and corn), Montenegro, Slovenia. Romania is the undiscovered country right now. Bucharest is touristy, with a "free tour". The rest is not. Oradia, Timisoura (wonderful), Brasov, Castulul Pelus. Hungary also - Budapest is touristy. But not at the ballet, which all Hungarians. Pecs - no tourists.
Go to small towns in any country and you have few tourists. In many countries, the tourists will be from other parts of the country. Not the USA and not China.
My husband and I went to New Zealand last May and decided to hire a guide to take us to the west coast for a few days. The guide borrowed a friend's old hiking hut in Karamea where we stayed, hiked (or as they say trekked) part of the Heaphy Track, went to some caverns, stopped at road side "roach coaches" and had the BEST meat pies. We went to a restaurant in Karamea (don't blink cuz you'll miss the town) where we took our hiking boots off at the door, propped our feet by the roaring fire, and had the best white bait fritters!
We got an authentic New Zealand experience without one tourist (aside from us, of course) and met the most wonderful, welcoming people!
I'm so glad we splurged on this spur of the moment guide......she catered to exactly what we wanted.
In the 90s we were with a small group in Costa Rica when we were stopped dead in the street by an equestrian parade. We all got out along the road and watched an hour long procession of beautiful horses and riders all decked out in beautiful studded costumes. The horses pranced and danced and performed various routines. It was awesome and unexpected.
Diane, that sounds great. We had something slightly similar happen to us in Paris when a cycling event kept us from crossing the road for 20 minutes. There were some charming little things involved like an older French woman getting fed up and crossing the street anyway, waving her umbrella and mumbling something. France and Italy are the cultural centers of cycling.
Kandersteg, Switzerland is a nice place that doesn't get a lot of hype but has much to offer. Porto Rafti is a beach town near the Athens airport that is also enjoyable.
Circumnavigate a walk around Venice. Not as easy as one might think, but you can do it in one day. Have a good map. The rim of Venice, aside from Marco Square, which you will need to walk past, is all still authentic. :)
A shout out to Bergheim in Alsace, Iphofen in Bavaria, Staufen in Baden- Wuerttemberg, Hall in Tirol in Austria, all charming little places with few, if any, trinket stores. All have attractive buildings and streets, and are popular with locals at weekends. There are many nice market towns in England which foreign tourists rarely visit.
We travel in spring or autumn because of cooler weather, not to avoid crowds, which I actually don't mind in the right situation. Even in Rothenburg, on a nice day in September, you can hit the back streets and walk the whole wall without running into too many people. Head down the vineyards, and into the woods on the west side, and you might not bump into anyone.
I was hoping to add this to Nigel's Alphabet list but timing always gets in the way. If you ever stay on the Mosel and have a car, head west on a side road and spend some time in the Vulkaneifel region, a pretty mix of pastures and woodlands dotted with volcanic lakes (maars). The roads are excellent. It will never be overrun, hardly a trinket shop in sight (there is a top notch woodcarver in Schalkenmerhen). I got the impression it is an area of retirees, some from Belgium and Holland as well as from different areas of Germany. Pleasant, mostly easy hiking trails are clearly marked.
The quiet and pretty Mullerthal region of Luxembourg is close by to the west. To the east, the lovely village of Monreal and Maria Laach Abbey (another lake hike and the abbey grounds are very quiet midweek). Just to the north, Monschau, the furthest north I've been in Germany as of last autumn, a scenic village popular with locals.
The commentators that mention off-season are right. It's not just location - it's timing. And even in crowded tourist season, if you get up and out by dawn, you can have some hours before it gets crowded. Also, you can save on airline costs booking ahead for off-season travel, accommodations are easier to get, trains are less crowed, or mostly locals.
In early April, we seemed to have Orvieto to ourselves. No tourists. And Orvieto can be a tourist trap. Same for Siena. Quieter and relaxed. We went into tourist shops and were the only ones there. No lines anywhere. The restaurants, hotels, and stores seemed glad to see us - first foreign customers of the year!
The downside is weather. I traveled in spring several times, with no rain, but during the last 3-week trip got rained on 4 times! Had to cancel the Swiss Alps leg due to weather but spent a lovely rain-free time on the Rhine instead. Flexibility and skill at re-routing on the fly are good things.
The other downside is you may bump into local holidays when the locals themselves are crowding. We forgot to check for school spring break and were treated to hoards of Italian kids on field trips at Sistine Chapel, who could not quiet down, even when the guards kept saying "silencio!". Same for some museums in Paris. They were crowed, but with French residents touring their own museum. Study local calendars for holidays.
You might even think about winter in the southern regions. Travel is so much more fun, and faster when you aren't competing for everything.
Avoiding âtourist trapsâ doesnât have to mean small towns or road
trips.
I debated using Mira's entire post, but this part says it all. I think of the Museum of London. In my opinion its waaay underrated. I enjoyed it more than the British Museum, and after the Tower of London it was my favourite site in the city. We practically had the place to ourselves on a weekday afternoon. Keep promoting the other London museums Rick and keep this one a well kept secret.
Don mentioned timing, and it can be more than just off season. I had Carcassonne in France to myself at sunrise and also after 8pm on a Sunday evening last May. Burano before 10am, Santorini after 7pm, the walls in Dubrovnik before 10am, I have a photo of the exterior of the Colosseum in Rome at 8:30 on a weekday morning with nobody in site, we rented bikes in Barcelona and just rode around using the city's amazing bike lanes and never felt stressed by traffic or people.
Of course traveling in off-season can be a good way to avoid crowds.
I would suggest that (1) a tourist trap doesn't stop being a tourist trap in the off-season (or early morning or late evening) when few tourists are there, and (2) a lovely spot doesn't become a tourist trap just because it's popular with tourists. It's not astonishing that Orvieto doesn't have a lot of tourists off-season.
My question, though, wasn't about how to avoid other tourists in places that are on the beaten path. It was about places and experiences that are worthy of visiting but that tourists don't seem to know about or find their way to in large numbers.
Where have you gone in Europe that was astonishingly devoid of
tourists and offered you a completely authentic and wonderful
experience?
Personally, I was trying to answer your question without answering your question. I love cities, I don't mind crowds because it's part of the experience, give me an urban hike over a nature hike anytime. New York, Los Angeles, London, love them and would love to spend an extended time in each and get that authentic and wonderful bustling city experience. For me, watching the locals and the tourists is a lot of fun. Sorry Lane, I don't have a secret-tourist free location that I can share.
Well...
I have a zillion suggestions for tourist-free, authentic places in Europe, or anywhere.
Just look at all the popular destinations, the so-called "must see" places and "tourist traps" and cross them off your list. Then pick a town that isn't covered in any guidebook and go there.
The locals may be a bit surprised to see you. And some interesting conversations may be had, as they inquire about you.
But I don't think that's what you are wanting.
My first trip to Europe was for work, Paris, to train two of our company's customers.
The put me in a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Paris near a shopping mall. And there were zero tourists. And the hotel seemed empty. I was the only one in the dining room, twice.
My first Europe encounter was to walk to the mall and go inside. No one word of English anywhere. All locals. All teaming with sights and sounds and real people doing real things.
Later my hosts took me out on the town. They (not me) took me to Maxims Restaurant. One of the top world restaurants. Unbelievable service. No tourists, again.
Both those experiences were "authentic" and "wonderful" for a Europe newbie.
I guess it depends on what you like, what is new to you, and your experience.
Not so astonishing, but here's my secret to finding very authentic interactions and exceptional opportunities to use and learn the local language and culture.
1) Purchase food and essentials at the grocery store or market - the type and in a neighborhood where the locals shop.
2) Take the cheap public transportation.
3) Attend a local church congregation.
4) Leisurely walk through a local park and rest on a bench near a lake, pond, or river. I'm amazed at how many conversations I have had when locals see me in their environment when they can tell I'm not in a hurry.
Read and research and do not rely on just the popular guidebooks. Sorry, Rick. But some of my best experiences in Europe have been places that are not featured in guidebooks.
1. The open air museum in Detmold, Germany.
2. Ubeda, Spain
3. Loch Muich on the Queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland
4. The John Constable walk in Suffolk, England
There was even a palace in Denmark where we were the only tourists there and we were able to waltz in the ballroom.
Be willing to stay somewhere without air conditioning, a couple stops away from the center. Very few Europeans are used to sleeping with air conditioning. That automatically gets you away from tourist trap hotels.
As for places, last year we traveled to Georgia and Armenia. Other tourists were either locals, Russians, or even Iraqis. It reminded me of traveling in Western Europe in the early 1970s, before the mass tourist influx. Only a few monasteries were overcrowded and one was that way due to a wedding party.
Much of Languedoc region of France is very lightly touristed (other than Carcassonne and the beach areas). It's a beautiful area. Think Dordogne or Burgundy, rolling hills and forests with medieval villages sprinkled around. Unlike Dordogne, villages weren't destroyed and rebuilt during the 100 years war, so they are much older. They aren't as fixed up as in the more popular areas so the feel is completely different. I spent days climbing hills to ruins of the (incorrectly labeled) Cathar castles. I was either alone or with one other group of people at most of them.
This thread has inspired me to re-do my planned presentation for the virtual travel-group meeting this weekend - instead of a highlight I'm going to share two opposite-of-tourist-trap spots: a plaza in Madrid (Plaza de la Paja) and a museum off Via Ostiense in Rome (Centrale Montemartini) - they are great examples of how you can find the flip side of a tourist trap very close to the well-beaten path.
I recall that years back RS would mention the garden behind the Rodin museum in the St. Germain area of Paris as an example of this kind of getaway in the midst of tourist bustle. Once the secret was out, the museum put up a gate and started charging a few euros to go into the back sculpture garden, and they expanded the drinks cart into a patio café.
I hope this doesn't happen to the Plaza de la Paja...
Or a favorite small city is UmeÄ, Sweden. I was there pre-midsummer
when students had gone home, but outdoor museums, etc. were just
opening. I didn't see any tourists or crowds, but the residents were
out enjoying their city. It was a lovely small city on the river.
This is probably the first time I've seen UmeÄ mentioned on this forum! But it certainly has its charm, I hope you didn't miss the art museum which is one of my favourite places in UmeÄ.
On our honeymoon in Italy, the Greek temples at Paestum were a welcome reprieve from Rome, Pisa, and Florence. While certainly a tourist attraction, we arrived in the afternoon on a Sunday so any crowds were dying down. It appeared to be mostly locals out and about enjoying the weekend. We walked the mile from the train station to our charming little hotel across from the ruins. The staff were all family and incredibly nice. We enjoy an afternoon stroll through the ruins with no crowds at all and all the personal space we'd missed. We visited the small museum nearby before walking back along the gift shops and bar on the one main street. We settled in for a nice dinner at a very empty restaurant that did not fill up much after us. We closed the evening by walking back to our hotel and taking in the ruins at night. This was at the end of September with most of the businesses closing in the next two weeks for the season.
If you're near Salerno and have the time, take the local train over to Paestum. Not quite the Parthenon at Athens, but some argue these are even better.
Try walking a couple of blocks outside the "tourist zone". Seriously.
Perhaps your question is meant more to address defining geography, but I want to emphasize the benefits to be gained by exploring "behavioral geography". We rarely stay inside a tourist zone and always strive to eat outside of tourist zones. We take walks in areas where few tourists are found and greatly enjoy the experiences found by walking in locals shoes.
The principality of Asturias, in northern Spain. Sixty percent of the land is public - parks, hiking trails, nature preserves - and the small towns on the coast are picturesque and not geared for tourists. That means unless you are with a local, you better brush up on your Spanish before you go.
Hi Lane,
â Where have you gone in Europe that was astonishingly devoid of tourists and offered you a completely authentic and wonderful experience?â
Hereâs my list of towns. Iâve added at least one non-American tourists location to each trip for the last several years - well worth it! Be studying & ready with some basic language beyond the âhellosâ for the best experiences.
Grosseto, Italy - happened upon a wonderful local Night Festival where various styles of free entertainment by locals were located about every four blocks within the medieval walled section of town.
Torino, Italy - a big city, but a very local feel. We happened to be there during the MITO music festival - another wonderful festival with the locals!
Moena, Italy - tiny village in the gorgeous Dolomites. Very friendly locals, proud heritage.
Frigiliana, Spain - wandered the entire white village in the morning and had a wonderful lunch before seeing tourists arriving.
Arezzo, Italy - attended their Jousting Festival - very local, very fun!
Ravenna, Italy - during the evening/night it becomes exactly what you would want.
Le Mans, France - wonderful medieval section of town to wander and photograph.
Angers, France - amazing fortress that also contains medieval tapestries.
Menton, France - beautiful Italian section of town.
Marbleskies, you described the perfect way to share local life in the places you are visiting. We enjoy renting a room in a home in a nearby neighborhood. This is called different names in each country. Sobe in Croatia, B and B equivalent. The owners are usually very friendly and local area good place to wander and eat in. Our rule in many places is to wander 2 blocks or more from tourist routes and you are in local shopping areas. Of course we see the sites, too.
I only or most of the time travel off the beaten track and remains for me the best way having a rememorable trip. It doesnât make much sense to name the places as it has more to do with the way to travel, in other words make room for an open mind approach and having your own discoveries. If you can live without the hotspots or just a few there is a wealth of little lovely places and experiences outside the beaten track. Nevertheless planning remains needed and for driving around I like to use detailed maps with info about scenic places and routes.
Going to France each year I like to visit a castle/chĂąteau you can find there everywhere and driving to it there is always a surprise around the corner. Last year visited ChĂąteau de Breteuil southwest of Paris. Nice history, only french visitors and the Chevreuse region has plenty lovely places to offer like the stunning Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey.
