What city/country was your biggest positive surprise?

Berlin! I've been traveling to Europe for a number of years but somehow never made it there. It always seemed to be "out of the way". This past Spring, on the spur of the moment, my sister and I spent 10 days there and oh, my gosh....what an eye opener. Fabulous city, amazing people, great food, and so many educational sites and sights. It's a beautiful city full of history and amazing architecture. I loved every minute of our stay and hope to return soon. If you have never been, go!

Nuremberg. I had every reason to hate the place: birth place of Nazism/the US national team was eliminated there during the 06 World Cup. But it won me over with it's amazing beauty, best ever gelato, festive atmosphere during the WC, and it doesn't hurt that I met Drew Carey, Hootie of blow-fish fame, and Danny Blind.

Turkey...people, history, attractions and food. A complete package.

Orkney. We went because we were traveling with an archaeologist and it was her must see. The sites are second to none.

Its not that I had low expectations, more that I had no pre-conceived notion of the place. Absolutely marvellous; best part of our two trips to Scotland.

Palermo. I thought I'd like it but I was a little nervous after hearing stories of how "dangerous" or "ruined" it was. It's not any of that. It's vibrant and full of life. Yes, it's not picture-perfect and polished but that's part of the charm.

I was amazed at how nice the people in Paris are. I had heard so much about them being snooty, refusing to speak English, hating Americans, etc.

Paris! Went expecting to dislike it based on a few stories and misperceptions and fell in love. I've been back four times and like it more on each visit.

Venice! Can't get enough of it, always looking for a way to visit again when traveling in Europe.

Switzerland in general and the Lauterbrunnen Valley in particular. We went in winter the first time, to do "Winter Wandern" over New Year's and fell in love. Have been back 3 times in the late summer and October. Could live there.

What surprised us was the amazing transportation coupled with groomed, safe, and well-signed trails, not to mention the mountain huts/hotels/restaurants (we call them rifugi in Italian) where you can take a break. So civilized among amazing natural beauty.

France. I fell in love with Paris and then the entire country. Have been 4 times and will continue to go back.

Zimbabwe. Thought the animals and falls would be GREAT and they were. But shocked by the people and culture as well. In fact, the whole area: S. Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia had a powerful effect. Learned a ton while I was there and can't wait to go back to Africa.

Argentine Patagonia.

Helsinki. Beautiful, friendly city with amazing art nouveau architecture.

Florence. It was on the way between Venice and Rome, and other than a quick look at "David", I had no expectations. Now I understand why it has historically attracted so many Brits and Americans to live there. Beautiful art, architecture, food and people, without the overwhelming chaos of other large cities.

I too was surprised how much I liked Venice and the nearby islands of Torcello and Burano. The history, architecture, art and the nice people we met will bring us back.

Slovenia. Mind you, this was back in 2004. Google wasn't what it is now. I was woefully uninformed and had very low expectations. And the country had only become an EU member the day before we crossed the border. The only reason we were there was because DH was attending a week long conference and asked me to accompany him. And we both fell in love with the place. Incredibly, breathtakingly beautiful country; wonderful, friendly people. I'd love to get back there some day.

Always pleasantly surprised at the almost total lack of billboards in England and Scotland. Why must the U.S. have such ugly things along our roads and highways? Uggh!

Hmmm, well....several.

Paris - Had been a couple of times in the 70's and did not care for it, at all. I had the stereotypical experiences of what I perceived were snooty people and it seemed the whole place smelled like urine from those darned open pissoirs + doggie doo. I returned in 2014 on an RS tour. The guide told us the first night that if anyone had been to Paris before and didn't like it he would make us love it. I don't know if his just saying that planted the positive notion or what...but I've been back every year and will go twice this year. Love, love, love it!

Brittany and particularly Saint-Malo - Stayed here for 3 nights on a Road Scholar tour and could have stayed much longer. I really liked it! I loved the tide changes, the little islets that are mainland when the tide is out. So much I did not get to. I really enjoyed Brittany - loved the scenery, the people, the cultural heritage.

Lauterbrunnen Valley - I agree with Laurel on this one. Went on that 2014 trip and just found it jaw droppingly gorgeous. Returned on the GAS tour and yes, it was as awesome as I remembered. I am an outdoors gal and live near the Idaho mountains so was not sure mountain scenery would impress me. Wow...it did. I have a huge fear of heights but I made myself do the gondolas because the hiking and the views are so awesome. Loved the perfect scheduling of the trains/gondolas.

Bath - Love the juxtaposition of Roman and Georgian sights!

Cuba.

Never met friendlier people.

Bulgaria!! Who would have thought?

Liverpool. Yes, I love the Beatles and I love football. But, even without those, this city is amazing! Great beer at decent prices, great culture, a beautiful waterfront, excellent architecture, and food of any type. All less than London prices. After 4 trips there, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface.

The first big surprise was Budapest. Since then we've been on a quest for more of the same. That keeps drawing us further and further east.

The most surprisingly amazing country puts me in the same camp with Larry: Bulgaria. I can rattle off a half dozen really amazing cities and towns and the overall atmosphere is amazing too.

For an individual big city; Kiev surprised me much more than i expected. Odessa too. I head back to Kiev for Christmas in January.

For an individual small city; Perast, Montenegro turned into some sort of scene out of a really good movie. Heading back there in a few weeks.

I am half Hungarian on my mother's side so it was inevitable that I would get to Budapest, finally did so in 2014 and arrived via train from Vienna--my first impression of the area near Keleti was a bit less than thrilling, seemed a bit shopworn and tatty around the edges and I was thinking perhaps I'd made a mistake in coming there. By the end of my first afternoon--visited the Museum of Applied Arts and the Great Market, wandered a bit along the Danube and had some toltott kaposzta and a beer for dinner--I had fallen completely under its spell, the gritty charm of this beautiful city just continues to grow on me and I have since returned twice more, with a 4th trip planned for next May.

I love this thread but I love nearly every place I have ever been.

I just returned from London and I was surprised at how much it is a part of my growing up and education, from history and sights to the names of streets and pubs. Hadn't been there in 30+ years.

Gdansk. I did not know that it is such a beautiful city. IMHO more than Krakow. I heard and read so much about Krakow - that it will soon be second Prague. Too high expectations. Nevertheless I still liked it. But Gdansk is number one. I was pleasantly surprised by Warsaw.

I guess I'd go with Paris. I expected to love it, but I loved it more than I expected. I could see living there, wife could not (density + language for her).

I could also go with Munich. Folks seems to be down on it, but had very charming four nights there. Wursting the days, biering the nights, strolling the city and seeing the sights.

I could go with aspects of Prague, but our four nights there were a comedy of errors that left a sour taste in my mouth. But so much of interest in the culture, and the sites. Black light theatre and the Jewish quarter in one day. The sadness of the Pinkas synagogue, the beauty of the Spanish synagogue, and the surreality of the black light. Surprisingly good pastries.

In Asia, Kuala Lumpur. A lot like Bangkok only less touristy, less obvious sex trade and still with that realness that modern Asia has.

Wurzburg, Germany. Threw a dart at a map (well, not literally) to find a place to get over Frankfurt jet lag and found it quite the perfectly sized small city with interesting sights.

TC, Vermont and the DC metro area are no billboard zones. Know what you mean. When I visit my hometown I'm reminded how ugly billboards can be.

Poland! Did not realize how modern and vibrant it would be. The people were so friendly and proud of their country. The food was amazing, much better than I had envisioned. Would definitely go back and certainly hope to some day.

Spain. I was expecting the whole country to look like a Clint Eastwood movie, and boy was I surprised. It doesn't. It had ever changing gorgeous vistas, a wide range of agriculture from fields of sunflowers, to vineyards, to fennel & artichokes, and I enjoyed the friendliness of the people. Had not expected such a Celtic presence in Gallicia either, in fact had no idea the Celts had even been there. The eucalyptus forests there are amazing and walking through them is a treat, listening to the breeze rustle through the leaves. Admired the ancient churches as well as the Roman roads. Had fun looking for stone carving marks in the churches. Can't wait to go back in Sept. 2018 and walk the Camino again.

Bulgaria! Even though I chose to go on the RS tour, I was still a little apprehensive because my mental image of Bulgaria consisted only of weightlifters and Cold War baddies. It really couldn't have been more different than my expectations. The food was good, the places we visited were generally attractive, the people were friendly, and the climate was very nice. I had an absolutely marvelous time there and now love to tell people that they should really consider visiting.

Country since the 21st century trips...Poland, having visited it on three trips, starting with Warsaw and Krakow in 2001, Gdansk and Malbork in '03, and Torun and nearby Chelmno on the Vistula by bus in 2005. Each time miscalculated the travel days since we could not extend the stay because of a locked in schedule, traveled by train entering the country, within the country and departing, and one route by bus, language-wise spoke mostly English, a few times German, totally positive experiences, vibes, and memories, On this last trip I had planned on a play-it-by-ear basis, another night train/day trip from Vienna to Katowice, changing trains there. but in the end lazied out on this venture.

Spain !! I only went because new hubby said he wanted to visit , I had been traveling to Europe for decades before and simply had no interest , I don't know why .

First visit I only allowed us a 6 days there ! And boy did I regret that !

Last year we went for 10 days and next year we will go again ! The people , the food , the amazing beauty of the coastline and Mallorca !

I also avoided London for about 20 years as I thought it was "too much like home " lol ( keep in mind I live in a Canadian city that's billed as little England " well baloney , London is amazing and what I've seen of the rest of England is amazing too .

They were cities that I went to almost "by accident." I only stopped for a couple nights in Vienna because it was between my two high-priority destinations, Budapest and Prague. It was beautiful and interesting enough to draw me back a few years later. I took a Baltic cruise because a group of friends were going and it seemed like a good idea. Stockholm surprised me with its great museums but I was especially impressed with St. Petersburg, which I had been told was beautiful but was so much more than I had expected.

Glasgow. I thought Edinburgh would be the highlight of our Scotland trip last year, but Glasgow won the price

Berlin! I spent 4 days there and only scratched the surface. Went there because I wanted to see Prague and went on the Rick Steves Berlin, Prague & Vienna tour. Berlin was a revelation, I was gobsmacked by all it offered, history, culture, art, food, and lovely, friendly and engaging people. The RS Germany tour is on my list now so I can explore more of this fascinating country.
Naples! I spent 2 full days there on my own, my friends telling me not to, after a tour in Rome. Yes, Naples is dirty, chaotic and every surface covered with graffiti, but I adored my time there. The Archaeological Museum is one of the best in Europe and contains original artifacts from Pompeii. Wonderful art museums and churches and just wandering the narrow streets on a Saturday is entertaining and gives a peek into the close knit community of Neapolitans. And, you haven't lived if you have not ridden in Naples traffic! Either as a driver or passenger.

Countries - Switzerland - loved it, and tho we haven't been back since 2010, I plan to get back someday...I think it may have something to do with the fact that we live in a province surrounded by water with no 'mountains' - I loved the Alps (same reaction when we visited Mt Washington in NH).

Also - Belgium - we just had 3 nights in April - biggest reason is I think we had no expectations whatsoever - high or low, so we were really pleased with the few spots we did manage to see...def on the return to list.

City - Venice for sure. The minute I walked out the doors of the train stn and the Grand Canal was laid out in front of me - I felt like I was in a fairy tale. Maybe because we had just spent so much time in Rome...the lack of cars was the kicker. Been there 4 times since 2008, and planning for Carnivale in 2019...I don't think I could ever tire of it.

Salerno, Italy! We initially chose it due to the convenience to see specific areas/sites, but absolutely fell in love with it. Salerno is an amazingly beautiful, charming Italian city with gorgeous views. It should not be missed.

This is a fun topic! My mom recently said to me, "Your favorite destination is always whichever place you visited last," and she's not wrong...I almost always love the places I go. The two that were the biggest surprises though are Rome and Vienna. Rome because I went as a college student without many preconceived notions; I had always been obsessed with the idea of Paris and London, and just hadn't thought much about Rome, so I didn't have any real expectations for what it would be like or a burning desire to go there. I went with a friend and just instantly fell in love, with the food, the beautiful streets, the ancient history, the art, the gregarious people...all of it. Now it's one of my favorite places to return.

Vienna was similar. It just wasn't particularly high on my list, but an opportunity arose to do a long weekend there last fall, and from my first sip of coffee in the Cafe Braunerhof I felt at home. In hindsight I'm not sure why it WASN'T high on my list, because I am a huge classical music fan (Beethoven in particular), I love Habsburg history, and Vienna cafe culture is pretty much my platonic ideal of how to spend an afternoon. I ended up loving it so much that I went back a mere two weeks later for another weekend.

On a smaller scale, after being a little underwhelmed by Cambridge, I absolutely adored Oxford.

I am a big fan of the Balkans. We have been to Bucharest, Budapest (not the Balkans, but part of the history), Beograd (you call it incorrectly Belgrade), Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Ljubljana, Kotor, and numerous small towns. These places are inexpensive NOW. They are western-facing - they love the west over Russia. There is history. There is low tourism. It's my go-to locations.

Paul, I agree; but I am going to mess with you a bit anyway:

Beograd (you call it incorrectly Belgrade)

We also call Magyarország “incorrectly” Hungary. No, both are acceptable translations.

They are western-facing - they love the west over Russia.

Serbia, also known as Република Србија and Republika Srbija isn’t tremendously “western facing”. The government is more closely allied with Яussia than they the E.U. But its all pretty much in flux so no telling where it will end up.

If you are looking East then I think there are a couple of places you had better hit quickly before they change. That would be the coastal cities and towns of Montenegro and the western Ukraine. But just my guess.

I think more in terms of places being better/worse than the conventional wisdom than my own expectations. I go in with high expectations for every place I visit and have rarely if ever been disappointed. Nuremburg is one that was even better that expected though (visited briefly on a day trip in 2006, and stayed there for two nights in 2014). I am going to add it to my "most underrated" list, which also includes Lisbon, Budapest. and Madrid. Budapest, I expected to be great but found it to be really, really great on two different visits (2011, 2014). Strasbourg is another city that is underrated and even better than expected--even though I expected it to be really good! I also don't understand why people don't rave more about Annecy.

Bosnia (Sarajevo specifically)...beautiful, affordable and at the crossroads of east-west with many cultures living side by side. Sadly very fragmented politically and otherwise. The Balkans in general are a very interesting region. I didn't have low expectations but was surprised nonetheless how much I enjoyed that trip.

PS. I too would not say that Serbia is more "western leaning" (that's different than saying that young people are not fully plugged into global trends, largely coming form the west like music, clothes, etc). Russia has been their traditional ally..same with Bulgaria. And Croatia, especially the uber heavily touristed Dubrovnik and the more popular islands, is most definitely not inexpensive (especially relative to other places in the Balkans). Any place that appears in Conde Nast Traveler or draws celebrities/high roller partiers (e.g, Hvar) is not exactly cheap.

There haven't been many that I'd consider pleasant surprises but there have a been a few that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. Among these would be Nurnberg, Salzburg and Luxembourg City.

Bruges - We had an excursion to Bruges during a river cruise. I had no expectations and was blown away. Fantastic town.

Love this thread. I became single 20 years ago and was afraid that I would never travel again. Well, a sister asked me to go to Mexico with her. I thought really-never been on my list, only heard not nice things etc., but I said what the hey and went. Boy, was I wrong, loved the history, food and people. After that someone asks and I go... so I agree with the statement "I never went to a place I didn't enjoy". I have been all over the world (ex. China, Australia, Europe, Costa Rica, Canada and US) and have loved something about the diversity of the trips. I must admit that Ireland may win out as my ultimate favorite. I don't know whether it is because my family hails from there but I remember getting off the airplane and wanting to kiss the ground and cry 'cause I felt like I was home. That feeling has never left when I am there. Also, really surprised that I enjoyed Slovenia so much last summer.

Believe it or not I'm going to say London. I went into the trip with some expectations and was looking forward to it but I never thought it would be as great as it was. My wife and I enjoyed everything from the people to the food to the historical sites. We are already planning a return trip as part of one of our next European vacations and other than Florence Italy we have never gone to the same place more than once.

Berlin. Loved this city. Right at the top of our favourite places list.

Costa Rica - simply amazing and beautiful

Edinburgh, Scotland - I just felt at home there, despite getting lost as often as I usually do when I travel

Montana - We just returned from a trip which started there and ended in Banff, Canada. I didn't expect Montana (near Glacier National Park) to be as breathtakingly beautiful as it is.

For a place outside of Europe and the US I would say absolutely Quebec City...interesting, fascinating, enjoyable. If you can't go to France itself, the next best thing is go to Quebec...culturally, linguistically,

Western Turkey- When we visited 5 years ago, people in the US said we were crazy to go to a Muslim country. Add to that the US depiction of Turkey where women wear burkas and everyone drives old Soviet-style cars(think Taken 2). However, Istanbul and Selchuk were a revelation. Lots of European tourists, an infrastructure both modern and ancient and apart from Istanbul-some of the nicest people I've met.

Spain-Everyone always talks about the food, weather and culture of Italy. But I found Spain's food to be excellent-coffee, gelato and seafood! Plus all the festivities and the modern transportation system. I really miss getting around by train and bus!

Going to Germany next year and I'm really glad to see people who liked Berlin. Can't wait.

Places I thought I would never go from perceptions that I had gotten thru the years. Naples, Slovenia, Croatia, and Sicily. If u too have been mislead see these wonderful destinations when u can. They are wonderful , interesting, safe and not to be missed.

Places I thought I would never go from perceptions that I had gotten thru the years. Naples, Slovenia, Croatia, and Sicily. If u too have been misled see these wonderful destinations when u can. They are wonderful , interesting, safe and not to be missed.

"I didn't expect Montana (near Glacier National Park) to be as breathtakingly beautiful as it is." Yup.

Another vote for Berlin as a fascinating, interesting, fantastic place. Like Paris I have been going to Berlin since my first visit in 1971.

I went to Berlin on a whim because we had an extra day on a German Rail Pass to use and my husband wanted to go. I had assumed it would be a dark, bleak, cold city. I couldn't have been more wrong. It's my favorite city in Germany by a mile, and I would live there if I could. I reminds me a bit of San Francisco and New York before they got completely gentrified, the same youthful energy and hip atmosphere with a bit of edge.

Paris I didn't care much about because I was never one of those Franophile types who assumes everything is more magical in Paris, but I absolutely loved it and even though I've been there a lot now, it still retains that feeling to me.

Yorkshire looked appealing, but British and expat friends tried to warn us off with stories of chavs and hooligan and Brexiters. We instead found an incredibly lovely, warm and welcoming place, with great food, great prices, and yes, a few chavs who were actually quite friendly and lovely. I can't wait to go back.

I have so enjoyed reading everyone's responses.. many of these places were already on my list but I have to admit that Berlin was not and now it is!

In their defence, northerners have equally inaccurate views on the south but are slightly more likely to have visited it usually as a trip to London.

Yes, my British friends are all from London/Surrey and I also got this advice from American friends who have lived in England for a few years. They described York as mostly unappealing and dangerous especially outside the walls, which also couldn't have been further from the truth (we stayed in a hip little neighborhood a 20 minute walk from the inner city).

To be fair, when we talked to locals in Yorkshire, they had plenty of rude things to say about Londoners so yes, it seems like the enmity goes both ways. It's a little stunning to me that some people travel so little in their own country, particularly when the country is so small and accessible. Some Germans are the same - they'll take giant holidays to Brazil and the USA and Australia but won't have been to Berlin in their entire lives!

For a city in the US, the most (surprisingly) amazing, different, super interesting city is Wash DC, very enlightening. I went there in early December 2016 for a conference with five days added on, found the DC in all aspects interesting, absolutely would return for additional visits but in the summer, did a ton of walking and taking the subway....a great place but pricey.

Burma.

James: I will accept your corrections, and clarify your comment in return.

Serbia is a country. Republica Serbija (Србија) is another way of putting it, which is different from Republica Srbska, which is a region of Bosnia-Herzogovenia. It is the part of B-H which borders Serbia, where ethnic Serbs are in the majority, and which was a key part of the FRY Civil War. In RS, the cyrillic is used, while the rest of B-H uses Latin.

Tallinn, Estonia....On a trip through Scandinavia, we decided that since we were in the neighborhood (Helsinki) that we should jump the 2 hour ferry to Tallinn. Who has ever heard anything of Tallinn??? Well, I'm here to tell you it's the best kept secret!!! Absolutely beautiful, charming, and interesting, formerly of the USSR, history. If you are near by...don't miss it!

I'll be sure to do that ferry ride when I am in Helsinki. Who has ever heard of Tallinn? A hundred years ago the place was known as Reval. King Edward VII went there.

New York ! Went there Dec 07, for first time, only for a friend of a friend's birthday party. Got out of the the subway at 34 and 8th and thought I was in fantasy island....same feeling after arriving in Paris at end of RS tour almost 10 years before.