Where would you go?

Ah, the hidden gem! Once you have disclosed the gem to others, it is no longer hidden.
My experience is that hidden gems are found by serendipity, blind luck if you will. You, the traveler, are walking along and kicking up dust and suddenly, a glint of light catches your eye. There it is! The hidden gem, and you just stumbled on it.
Walking down the street in Cologne when it starts raining and we duck into the first pub we find to get dry. The most amazing place I been in and not in any guide book.
Booking a B&B in the Mosel Valley requiring a half mile walk from the nearest bus stop simply because there was a weekend wine festival in the next town. The owner doesn't speak English, but I learned I could speak "Deutschlisch" and we could communicate. The owner was curious how two Americans stumbled on her 2 guest room establishment, as we were the first in 10 years. Best 3 days of the whole trip, and the cheapest.
So often with hidden gems, money is a factor, but in reverse. The more expensive it is, the more popular it is with the traveling public, and thus not hidden. As our esteemed patron RS says, money builds a wall between the tourist and the local scene he/she wants to experience. People on this site are always asking for recommendations from others as the where to go and where stay. Nothing wrong with that, the trip is expensive in both time and money and we don't want it to suck. But sometimes we have to take that chance and go with a place that someone has not already validated for us. That is the only way to uncover the gem. Throw a dart at a map of Europe and go there. It might be heaven on earth. Or it could actually suck, but then you can always move on.

I'm lucky and get to travel to Europe every year. Right now I would say my favorite places would be Sicily or the Mani Peninsula/Peloponnese of Greece. Why do I love them and why would I go back? They are less touristy, you really need a car to explore and get around making it easy to go to small towns and out of the way places that groups can't get to, more affordable and both of these areas have amazing food, ruins and history. I would recommend both. In Greece a must would be Kardamyli and Monemvasia. Sicily musts would be Taormina and Cefula.

Good question. Since money is not a factor I would find a way to stay the maximum amount of time in Europe. I would fly open jaw so I would not have to back track and not worry about going over visa limits.
I would also go places where I could see the northern lights ( because they will happen when I am there) and get great pictures.

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I would also go to places where there is a lot of ancient (stone age or older) sites and just feel the history of the area I was in; visit stone circles, village remains, peat bogs, stone tool making sites, cave paintings, burial grounds etc.

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I do not really have one particular country in mind. But I find the best hidden gem finds happen when you are wandering around without having to deal with a set schedule or everything planed down to the millisecond.
J

I would settle in a fabulous penthouse apartment in a great city (for me, Rome) and use that as a base to take trips all over Europe until I was sick of it, which would be never. With a "base" you would not have to pre-plan travel as much, and as you heard of new places, you could go explore, but you;d always have a place to come 'home" to.

I have a long list of places I want to go to or go back to in Europe. I hit some of those on the top of the list when I can. If money and time were not factors, I would be able to cover much more of the list. But, to think of a place near the top of my list that I would put off now because it seems more expensive than some other equally appealing choices, I would go to Aurland, Norway. I don't know if it's a gem since I have never been there, but ever since I saw pictures of this place, I have wanted to go. Actually the fjords of Norway in general are a destination that I would go to if time and money were not a factor.

No money problem?: One month France, two weeks in Paris, take a river tour (on one of those small boats)heading South for the Grape Harvest. Spend time in Provence, not Nice, but a smaller less touristy town.(Maybe Agay?)

One Month Italy, Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, all the way to the toe of the boot, Puglia! Another Month in Sicily. Start in Palermo at a grand old Hotel! Explore the sites of Palermo and the famous market! Travel East to relax seaside with the jawdropping views from seaside hotel in Cefalu. Decide I'm too tired to go to town, remain at hotel for two days and just drink in the beautiful turquois Med. Sea. Have massage. Enjoy the fabulous dinners provided by the hotel. Head further East for MORE jaw-dropping views at Taormina. Rent beautiful apartment with incredible sea views. Shop on Via Corso! Have dinner/drinks with friends I made on a previous trip, the Amazing Puglisi brothers. Take a tour of the winery, tour Siracusa.... see ancient Greek ruins. sleep again in Taormina. Explore more of Taormina, Greek Theatre, more Sicilian Food. Gelato

Spain, Barcelona, visit Picasso Museum and see the famous Gaudi Architecture. Fly to Granada, enjoy the Majestic Alhambra at my leisure! Head South for some seaside relaxation. Nerja maybe? Eat paella seaside on the beach at Nerja. Day trip to Porto Banus for the $200 lunch. Don't stay there, it's too stuffy and those large yachts get boring after a while. Go to Seville, enjoy
more authentic paella! See an incredible Flamenjo show, maybe two -- one "old school traditional" and one more modern.

Austria, Vienna, Salzburg, then skiing for Christmas/New Years in Lech. Enjoy the New Years festivities.

I just realized I've done lots of these things. Haven't yet done the Small Boat to the South of France for the Grape Harvest, but it's on my "bucket list" and haven't yet gone to the Toe of the Boot in Italy.

Couldn't stay in the most expensive hotels....... rented lots of inexpensive apartments in four countries, but I've had a GREAT TIME!
Luck Lucky ME!