Some places are famous for good reason — and crowded for the same reason. The good news: for almost every European hotspot there's a nearby alternative with a similar feel, fewer people and often lower prices. Here are five swaps we actually recommend, each with a side-by-side look at typical costs.
How we picked these alternatives
A "hidden gem" isn't just somewhere less famous. For each pair we asked three questions:
- Does it give you a similar experience? Old towns for old towns, islands for islands, food cities for food cities.
- Is it easy to reach from Germany? A gem that costs you a day of travel each way isn't a bargain.
- Is it less crowded and better value? We compare our editorial cost estimates and a fame index from 0 to 100 — a rough measure of how well-known and busy a place is. The lower, the calmer.
The cost figures in the tables are editorial estimates for a mid-range double room and a day's food and drink for one adult. They help you compare; real prices come from our partners when you price a trip.
Kotor instead of Dubrovnik
Hidden gem
Kotor instead of Dubrovnik
A medieval harbour town at the end of Europe’s southernmost fjord.
| Kotor | Dubrovnik | |
|---|---|---|
| Double room / night | €85 | €160 |
| Food & drink / day | €28 | €40 |
| Fame index | 30/100 | 88/100 |
Dubrovnik's walls are spectacular, and its old town is one of the most visited places in the Adriatic. About two hours down the coast, across the border in Montenegro, Kotor offers a walled medieval town too, set at the end of a fjord-like bay surrounded by steep mountains. The bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the climb up the old fortifications above town gives you one of the best views in southern Europe.
What you give up: Kotor is smaller, and cruise ships call here too. Go up the walls early in the morning and stay overnight — the town is calmest when day visitors have left. What you gain: lower hotel prices, a dramatic setting, and easy day trips to Perast and the Budva coast. The nearest airport is Tivat, just a short drive away.
Ljubljana instead of Venice
Hidden gem
Ljubljana instead of Venice
A car-free riverside capital with Alpine lakes and castles an hour away.
| Ljubljana | Venice | |
|---|---|---|
| Double room / night | €95 | €210 |
| Food & drink / day | €35 | €50 |
| Fame index | 25/100 | 98/100 |
Venice is unique — there's no true replacement. But if what you're after is a romantic, walkable city on the water without the crush, Ljubljana is a lovely surprise. The centre along the Ljubljanica river is car-free, lined with cafés and bridges designed by the architect Jože Plečnik. The Julian Alps and Lake Bled are about an hour away, so you can combine city and mountains in one long weekend.
Venice, meanwhile, has charged day visitors an access fee on peak days since 2024 — a sign of how busy it gets. If you do go, stay overnight and explore early and late.
Naxos instead of Santorini
Hidden gem
Naxos instead of Santorini
Long sandy beaches and mountain villages without the crowds.
| Naxos | Santorini | |
|---|---|---|
| Double room / night | €100 | €260 |
| Food & drink / day | €30 | €50 |
| Fame index | 25/100 | 96/100 |
Santorini's caldera views are world-famous, and so are the sunset crowds in Oia. Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades, has a different charm: long sandy beaches on the west coast, mountain villages inland, excellent local food and the marble Portara gate standing on an islet at the harbour. It's an island for staying a while, not just for photos.
Getting there: fly to Athens and take the ferry from Piraeus, or connect on a short domestic flight. Many travellers combine both islands — a few days of Santorini views, then a calmer week on Naxos.
Bologna instead of Florence
Hidden gem
Bologna instead of Florence
Arcaded streets and Italy’s most serious kitchens.
| Bologna | Florence | |
|---|---|---|
| Double room / night | €105 | €160 |
| Food & drink / day | €38 | €45 |
| Fame index | 35/100 | 92/100 |
Florence is a Renaissance masterpiece, and its queues show it. Bologna is home to the oldest university in the Western world, founded in 1088, and its kilometres of porticoes are a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also Italy's great food city: tortellini, mortadella and the real ragù that the world calls "bolognese".
The best part: Florence is under 40 minutes away by high-speed train. Stay in Bologna, eat in Bologna and visit the Uffizi on a day trip.
Porto instead of Lisbon
Hidden gem
Porto instead of Lisbon
River terraces, port cellars and a calmer pace than Lisbon.
| Porto | Lisbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Double room / night | €105 | €130 |
| Food & drink / day | €32 | €38 |
| Fame index | 55/100 | 85/100 |
Lisbon is wonderful — and increasingly busy. Porto offers the same Portuguese mix of tiled façades, river views and great food at a slower pace. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia are just across the Dom Luís I bridge. The Douro valley vineyards are an easy day trip.
When hidden gems are at their best
- Shoulder season beats peak season. May, June and September usually offer the best mix of weather and space. Each destination page shows our best months.
- Stay overnight. Most crowds in places like Kotor or Venice are day visitors. Early mornings and evenings are when these towns are at their most beautiful.
- Compare the whole trip, not just the flight. A cheaper hotel and lower food prices can easily outweigh a slightly more expensive flight — we explain why in what a city break really costs.
- Use bridge days. Long weekends around Ascension and Whitsun are perfect for these trips — see our bridge days 2027 guide.
More quieter places to discover
Not every gem has a famous twin. These destinations are also well below the crowds of Europe's top ten:
EstoniaTallinn
A perfectly preserved Hanseatic old town with a digital edge.
PortugalMadeira
Levada hikes, volcanic cliffs and eternal spring.
GeorgiaTbilisi
Wine, sulphur baths and the Caucasus a short drive away.
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