BEST IN EUROPE
1. Zagreb, Croatia
Travellers to Croatia
tend to make a beeline for the Adriatic delights of the country’s extensive
coastline, but its flourishing inland capital shouldn’t be overlooked. Zagreb
is at once cosmopolitan and edgy, with its heady mix of Brutalist architecture
and sun-splashed Austro-Hungarian squares brimming with coffee drinkers.
Urban regeneration is
making the city over. Street art, particularly the striking works of local
artist Lonac, adorn Zagreb’s outdoor canvasses and new galleries and creative
spaces, including a recently reopened WWII bomb shelter under the Upper Town,
are opening at an ambitious pace. To top it all off, the city is home to a
blossoming food and craft beer scene, and with the opening of Zagreb’s
long-awaited airport terminal, along with a host of new flight routes, it’s
never been easier or cheaper to reach the Croatian capital.
2. Gotland, Sweden
Gotland is a special yet somewhat unexpected part of Sweden, boasting the most
sunshine and highest density of historical sites in the country and more
restaurants per capita in Unesco-listed Visby than any other Swedish city. This ancient Baltic island
also has breathtaking scenery, with pastoral countryside, mysterious forests,
time-warped fishing villages and tranquil sandy beaches – except in the height
of summer, when Swedes flock here from the mainland and the island takes on an
exuberant air, accentuated this year by the week-long 2017 Biennial Island
Games in June.
Most visitors content
themselves with marginally less exertion when it comes to activities, however:
the island is simply wonderful for exploring by bicycle with virtually
traffic-free roads and unspoiled landscapes.
3. Galicia, Spain
Hundreds of thousands of
people stride across Galicia's rolling green countryside every year, bound for Santiago de Compostela on the world-famous Camino de Santiago.
But few are aware that this northwestern corner of Spain is a unique
scenic-gastronomic-cultural cocktail that is a dream to explore beyond the
Camino.
Almost a country unto
itself, Galicia has its own language and history, its own
(bagpipe-focused) music, a superb heritage of centuries-old stone architecture
and wonderfully welcoming people. Over 1000km of coast snakes around long
inlets, plunging cliffs, pretty fishing villages and hundreds of beaches. It
yields some of the tastiest seafood you'll ever savour, to which characterful
Galician wines provide the perfect accompaniment. And 2017 is a special year to
enjoy Galician wine and food, with Cambados
celebrating the year as European City of Wine.
4. Northern Montenegro
If the cruise ships
queueing by Kotor’s bay are anything to go by, the cat is definitely out of the
bag for Montenegro’s stunning Adriatic coastline. Fortunately, overlooked Northern Montenegro is brimming with off-the-beaten-track
adventures – without the crowds. What’s more, the country’s compact size and
good roads make this remote region more ripe for exploration than you might
have thought.
Adventure hunters can raft
through Europe’s deepest canyon at Tara, or cycle through lunar landscapes
around the Durmitor ring. Foodies are catered for in highland towns where
you can savour Montenegro’s growing slow food scene with mountain cheeses and
hearty beef stews; while history buffs can take a pilgrimage to stunning
monasteries etched into cliff faces at Ostrog or nestled in breathtaking valleys at Morača.
5. Leeds, UK
Manchester’s northern
cousin has spent the past decade pulling its studenty socks up, reimagining Leeds as a pilgrimage city for craft beer lovers, a budding
arts hub and an edgy destination for night owls.
Recent developments have
propelled its Victorian city centre and atmospheric mill district into the 21st
century, luring stylish boutiques, innovative coffee houses and restaurants,
and people seeking an alternative to London. Time your visit with the stellar
two-week-long indie food
festival in May – testament to Leeds’ growing reputation as the food
and drink capital of the north.
This year also marks two
major events: the reopening of the city’s premier art gallery, and the 50th anniversary of Leeds Carnival –
Europe’s longest-running authentic West Indian knees-up, predating Notting
Hill.
6. The Alentejo, Portugal
Looming clifftop castles,
rugged coastlines and a treasure chest of culinary wonders: Portugal’s Alentejo has magnetic allure. This vast region is also home to
Unesco World Heritage sites, prehistoric megaliths and many hidden wonders (a
soaring Roman temple, an eerie chapel made of bones). Yet despite its easy access from
Lisbon, the Alentejo has remained largely off the tourist radar until recently.
All that has changed with
the completion of a multi-day coastal walk (the Rota Vicentina) and a spate of
creative eateries and imaginative guesthouses (including Train Spot, set inside a
beautifully converted railroad station). New investments in tourism haven’t
taken away from the Alentejo’s timeless beauty, its rolling vineyards, medieval
village centres or rich traditional cuisine, which ranks among the best in
Portugal.
7. Northern Germany
Travellers to Germany tend
to be tempted by edgy Berlin or quaint Bavaria, but those keen on exploring a
part of the country rarely experienced by international visitors should head north. The opening of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall may be the big news in 2017, but
beyond its architectural and acoustic glow awaits a windswept land tailor-made
for those seeking an elemental exposure to nature.
This is big-sky country
with a pristine coast hemmed in by shimmering beaches and buttressed by
pint-sized islands. In between lie charismatic cities like Lübeck and Bremen
that flaunt a medieval pedigree and are only a train ride away from such places
as Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Eisenach,
both of which played key roles in the Reformation launched 500 years ago this
year.
8. Moldova
This country of secret wine
cellars and cliff-perched monasteries is truly Europe’s final frontier: little
visited, lost in time and always surprising. In Moldova’s capital city Chişinău,
leafy boulevards interlace with looming concrete. Its unexpectedly
Parisian-style cafe and bar scenes brim with local wine, which continues to
rise to acclaim as Moldova plays host to 2017’s Black Sea Wines and Spirits
Competition as well as the annual ExpoVin.
Sip the best drops in Mileștii Mici’s gothic-attired cellars, housing the world’s
largest wine collection. Explore sacred Orheiul Vechi, encircled by chalk cliffs, or lonely riverside
monasteries like Saharna and Tipova. East of the Dniestr River is the
self-declared (though unrecognised) republic of Transdniestr, a region locked in the Soviet past. Even
experienced travellers to Europe will be amazed and disoriented by Moldova.
9. Pafos, Cyprus
The first capital of Cyprus in Roman
times, Pafos once again finds itself with that title: the European
Capital of Culture for 2017. The award brings with it world attention,
significant cultural investment and the opportunity to showcase Paphiot
culture. And there’s much to admire. The island of Aphrodite has weathered so
many occupations that history has piled monument upon monument on its
sun-kissed shores: catacombs, temples, castles, medieval baths, Roman-era
mosaics, and the Unesco World Heritage sites of Kato Pafos and the Tombs of the Kings all bring to life a fascinating bygone era.
Inspired by this history,
Pafos will transform itself both socially and spatially into an Open Air
Factory of 300 accessible events aimed at building bridges between cultures.
What could be better for a travel destination in 2017?
10. Le Havre, France
One of the best places to
be this summer is the Norman city of Le Havre, which will celebrate its 500th anniversary with a
five-month-long, art- and music-filled fête. The harbour town will host
concerts, outdoor art installations, avant-garde street parades, costumed dance
parties and spectacular fireworks. Highlights include performances by the
mechanized giants of Royal de Luxe and a floating Zen temple complete with
underwater observation deck.
Despite Le Havre’s years,
the city is a showcase of eye-catching modern architecture – including designs
by the likes of Auguste Perret, Othello Zavaroni and Oscar Niemeyer – having
been completely rebuilt after WWII. Le Havre is also a great base for exploring
other parts of Normandy, from the famed D-Day beaches to the picturesque
cliffs of Étretat.
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