Wondering where to jet off to next? Enlisting some fantastic travel bloggers to help me, I’ve put together a list of five seriously underrated cities across the globe. So keep reading to discover some fantastic new places…
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
When you tell someone that you are going to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, people would stare at you and say: “Don’t they have a war there?”. Surprise, surprise – the war ended 20 years ago! Now Sarajevo is a charming place for a romantic getaway, still cheap and not overflown by tourists.
The city is a crazy mix of Turkey and Austro-Hungarian Empire. A visitor would find here art-nouveau buildings (a bit shabby, but still beautiful), mosques, perfect coffee and plenty of fresh tasty food like stuffed vegetables, meat pies and halva.
The main place of interest is Latin bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was killed – this was the trigger for the World War I.
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Kota Kinabalu is less known than Kuala Lumpur and Penang, but it’s still amazing! The city is like a small room: you can reach everything very quickly and there are several restaurants to choose from. It’s especially great to visit the huge market on Gaya Street on Sundays!
Borneo as a whole is well-known for the Orang-Utans which you can visit at the Nature Reserve nearby. In addition, there are some small islands close by which you can reach by local boats and there are many more possibilities around the city like trekking.
However, there was one situation, when I really fell in love with the city. We walked up one street in the center and at the end, the only thing separating us from the jungle ahead was a huge street. By the time we passed the last house at the corner, I heard birds, geckos and other animals from the jungle across the street. In this moment it seemed, that all city noises were turned off and the nature noises were switched on. I will never forget this moment!
Bucharest, Romania
A World to Travel
Hip cafes, state of the art buildings turned into libraries where you want to move to, cheap and tasty street eats, an atmosphere of change, fancy restaurants, friendly locals and a party scene that would put any other European capital to shame.
All of this and much more is what you could be experiencing in Bucharest Old Town if you decide to give it a try. Forget what you think you know about Romania and get ready to be mind blown by Bucharest, its capital city.
Skopje, Macedonia
Adventures of a Nice Girl
Skopje, Macedonia’s up and coming capital city, recently underwent huge renovations to huge disdain from the locals. Still maintaining an Eastern vibe with the traditional old bazaar area of the city, Skopje is becoming ever gentrified which means I’m sure we’ll soon be hearing more about it. And rightly so. It’s a lively, very affordable city with with some unique features such as the 66m tall Millennium Cross and accompanying cable car that tower over the city.
Traditional Macedonian restaurants serve memorable meals and there are plenty of places to watch the world go by with a drink in hand while marvelling at the sheer amount of statues that have been erected. The standout feature of Skopje however has to be nearby Lake Matka, a canyon destination filled with largely untouched nature that boasts hiking trails, canoeing and photo opportunities a plenty. The Canyon Matka hotel is the perfect place to stay and with rates at under £30 a night (inc breakfast with a view) it offers incredible value for money.
Castigion Fiorentino, Italy
A World to Travel
Who would have thought a tiny Tuscan town we had never heard about before named Castiglion Fiorentino, could offer so much to do and see?
We can’t stop recommending everyone to spend a few days in Castiglion Fiorentino among Middle Ages Festivals, abandon fortified castles, exclusive flights defying T-storms, vineyard taken hills, exquisite historical buildings turned into chilled and comfortable hotels and villas, delicious Italian cuisine and the warmest people ever.
Where have you visited that you think doesn’t get enough love?
Laura x
1 Comment
Rebecca Day
February 27, 2016 at 2:50 pmAh – this is such great inspiration! I recently walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain and I have to say it was a fantastic way to visit some really underrated cities and small towns throughout Spain. If you ever get a month or so to walk, I would highly recommend!
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