Underrated gems in Europe

Get the same cliffs and coves, but an hour further south and with a little more breathing room.

• Cilento is a national park, so the coast is largely unbuilt and wild.
• Swim at Palinuro's blue grotto or the arch at Marina di Camerota.
• See the Greek temples at Paestum: better preserved than most.
• Eat buffalo mozzarella where it is made, and figs from Cilento.
• Come in June or September; In August, it is full of Italian families.

You’ll still see Venetian stone waterfronts and swimming off the rocks, but without the cruise ship pricing.

• Kotor's walled old town echoes Dubrovnik, but is far less crowded.
• Perast and Prcanj are quiet towns further into the bay.
• Boat to Our Lady of the Rocks, a quirky, tiny island with a church.
• Hike the Ladder of Kotor for 72 switchbacks (each way!)
• Eat black risotto and buzara mussels at a waterfront konoba.

This grand Moravian city sits two hours east of Prague, with an iconic cathedral spire and a fraction of the crowds.

• Its historic core is Czechia's most important after Prague's.
• Climb the 75m (246 ft) town hall tower for Upper Square views.
• See the astronomical clock, with workers and scientists in place of saints.
• Find six Baroque fountains, kept on as fire reservoirs once piped water arrived.
• Stay over; it's a university city, the day-trippers leave, but the bars don't empty.

See the same charming canals and gabled houses, plus 60,000 students keeping it young and alive.

• Bruges is lovely, but almost entirely given over to visitors.
• Ghent is 30 minutes away and full of people who live there.
• See the Van Eyck altarpiece in Saint Bavo's Cathedral.
• Climb the belfry, then walk the Graslei waterfront at dusk.
• Eat waterzooi stew and drink a Gentse Strop at a brown bar.
• Bruges works as a half-day trip from here, so it is still an option!

Get Alpine water you can swim in, inside a national park, and all without the villa surcharge.

• Bohinj is larger, quieter, and less built up than nearby Bled or Como.
• Lake Bohinj is inside Triglav National Park, with abundant nature.
• Swim, kayak, or ride the Vogel cable car for a bird’s-eye view.
• Eat trout and struklji, rolled dough with walnut filling.
• For a swap in the same region as Como, go to Lake Iseo instead.

Get dramatic Atlantic cliffs, surfing waves, and fish grilled at the harbor instead of high-rise hotels.

• The Algarve in August is usually booked solid and built up.
• Ericeira is a working fishing town 45 minutes from Lisbon.
• It is a protected World Surfing Reserve, one of the few in Europe.
• Take a lesson at Ribeira d'Ilhas, or watch from the cliff.
• Eat percebes (goose barnacles) and fresh fish that came in that day.
• Water is cold year-round, so pack or rent a wetsuit.