Ten great attractions in Europe most Australians don’t visit
Europe has an extremely well-trodden trail of justifiably popular attractions. But beyond the Louvre, Berlin Wall and Venetian canals lie treasures that most Australians don’t get anywhere near. For those heading to the other side of the world and wanting to see something different, these 10 lesser-known stars should be near the top of the list.
1. The Tsarevets Fortress
Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of medieval Bulgaria, is an outrageously pretty city, with historic buildings climbing up hills and sandwiched into the loops of the Yantra River. It is topped, however, by the Tsarevets Fortress, which is the former seat of the kings and a small town in itself. The walls, workshops and churches are brought to life in an evening light and sound show. See museumvt.com
2. The Curonian Spit
Divided between Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the 98-kilometre Curonian Spit separates a languid lagoon from the Baltic Sea. A peaceful place of forests, tiny villages and sweeping sand dunes, the Spit is only half a kilometre wide in places, but it’s still big enough to host seemingly millions of cormorants and grey herons. For visitors, the appeal is in the dreamy timelessness – it is somewhere to amble among nature. See Lithuania.travel
3. The Riga Art Nouveau District
The Latvian capital has a phenomenally high concentration of art nouveau buildings, many of which huddle around Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela. Many of the city’s 800-plus art nouveau joys come courtesy of prolific architect Mikhail Eisenstein, who decorated his buildings with fruit, flowers and faces. The Riga Art Nouveau Heritage Centre goes into the design elements to look out for, and the slight differences in styles. See jugendstils.riga.lv
4. Dunajec River Gorge
The Dunajec River Gorge in the Pieniny Mountains forms part of the border between Poland and Slovakia. And, in this part of the world, they believe that borders are for rafting along. On a sunny day, the gentle 18-kilometre rafting trip through the gorge on a traditional wooden raft is one of the most blissful activities imaginable. See Poland.travel
5. The Zollverein
The largely ignored Ruhr region of Germany is full of engagingly transformed industrial sites, but the Zollverein in Essen is arguably the most impressive. A giant former coal mine and coking plant hosts the Ruhr Museum, which is all about the region’s cultural and geological history. But there’s also the Red Dot Design Museum showcasing triumphs of design inside. Oh, and there’s a swimming pool and ice rink squeezed among the hulking industrial machinery. See Zollverein.de
6. The Tabernas Desert, Spain
Australians tend to see Spain in terms of cities and party islands, but the overlooked south-eastern corner is home to Europe’s only desert. It’s a starkly scenic place to drive through, with American-style Badlands to admire. This landscape helped turn the desert into a hugely popular filming location for the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s and ’70s; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones were also shot here. See andalucia.org
7. Corvin Castle, Romania
Bran Castle in Romania gets a fair bit of attention due to its dubious Dracula connections, but Corvin Castle further west is more impressive. Architecturally, it blurs the lines between Gothic and Renaissance, with the orange witch hat turrets soaring towards the sky from its hilltop location. Head inside, and you’ve got lavish marble-clad halls and tales of Vlad the Impaler’s imprisonment. See castelulcorvinilor.ro
8. Tara National Park
In the mountains of western Serbia, Tara National Park is a rumpled place of forests and bears. It can be tackled as a drive-through, getting photos of the Drina Canyon from the handily placed lookout and visiting the Raca Monastery. But it’s more satisfying to hike or bike, then cool off with a swim in the mountain-framed Lake Perucac. See Serbia.travel
9. Lake Ohrid
On the border between Albania and North Macedonia, Lake Ohrid has long been a budget break destination for the people of the Balkans. Most of the action is on the Macedonian side, with the town of Ohrid sprinkled liberally with cafes serving gloriously cheap beer. On a more wholesome level, there are cute cove beaches around the lake, plus several photogenic Orthodox churches and monasteries with a mountain backdrop. See Macedonia-timeless.com
10. Vintgar Gorge
Slovenia’s Lake Bled has well and truly made it onto European travel itineraries, but nearby Vintgar Gorge is arguably more spectacular. Cutting 1.6 kilometres through the Julian Alps with steep walls up to 100 metres high, the gorge is formed around the Radovna River, which delights with a series of waterfalls and rapids. A wooden boardwalk with viewing galleries has been built through the gorge for better viewing. See vintgar.si
The writer has been a guest of the Latvian and German tourist boards.
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