Top 5 Hidden Gems In Europe Revealed In New Report

If you’re flying across the pond this summer, and you’re already taken aback by videos of crowds and price comparisons flooding your TikTok feed, bear with us a minute:

As much as travel bloggers would have you believe, the Old Continent isn’t reduced to Paris, London, Barcelona, and the like. There is an entire world yet to be discovered by the masses, and you don’t even need to go all the way east, to places like Bulgaria or Georgia, to find the ‘unspoiled’ side.

Oftentimes, it’s lying just beneath the surface, or a short drive away from the usual tourism hotspots.

Thanks to this new study by HomeToGo, now we know the top 5 Hidden Gems In Europe based on factors like weather, serenity, surroundings, food and drink, and accommodation costs:

Bremm, Germany

Under the Radar Score: 9.98

Scenic Setting Score: 7.23

Gastronomy Score: 6.45

Accommodation Cost Score: 9.16

We’re starting off with Bremm, a small yet charming village in Western Germany, lining the banks of the scenic Moselle River, and best known for its thriving wine culture. This is the Moselle Valley, after all, where wine has been cultivated for centuries on end.

For instance, it’s home to Calmont Klettersteig, the steepest vineyard in Europe, running along a scenic hiking trail. You’ll be ascending ladders, vertiginous steps, and hauling your way up with supportive ropes for the most epic views of the German countryside.

If you’re not feeling exactly adventurous, you can always swing by a local winery to sample one of Bremm’s award-winning Rieslings—there are several tasting tours around the Moselle Valley that stop in Bremm, starting from as cheap as $41 on GetYourGuide.

As silky as it may be, we’d advise you to go easy on the wine, as you still have to pay the local St. Laurentius Church a visit: dating back to the Middle Ages, with a soaring tower built in around 1180–1200, it is the village’s most prominent landmark, and a Moselle Valley icon.

Puy-l’Évêque, France

Under the Radar Score: 9.85

Scenic Setting Score: 7.17

Gastronomy Score: 7.45

Accommodation Cost Score: 9.26

Tucked away in the Occitanie region of France, hundreds of miles away from Paris, Puy-l’Évêque is a quaint stone-built medieval settlement. Perched on a rock promontory overlooking the Lot River, it’s as Disney-like as European towns come.

Doing a deeper dive, it has a population of only 1,870, and it’s one of those places you won’t find easily in a travel guide, or widely commented on the internet, and that’s precisely why it’s so appealing: the beret-clad Instagrammers haven’t spoiled it!

Picture cobbled streets that have yet to succumb to the weight of overtourism, traditional bistrots that still primarily cater to locals, and visiting French families from neighboring towns, and family-owned wineries selling the region’s robust Malbec.

The Old Town as a whole looks like something straight out of a fairytale, and there’s no better way to experience it than exploring around at random, but if you’re looking for a place to start, try the 13th century Bishop’s Tower, or the riverside quay, with its unique flat-bottomed boats.

Nafplio, Greece

Under the Radar Score: 6.50

Scenic Setting Score: 9.68

Gastronomy Score: 9.82

Accommodation Cost Score: 9.40

Forget the bustling Athens and the equally-busy Aegean Islands: if you’re keen on visiting Greece this summer, the up-and-coming Nafplio is where you should be headed.

A former capital of Greece, before the Athenians snatched that title, Nafplio has a large historic center (Acronauplia) dotted with Byzantine, Ottoman, and even Venetian-inspired edifices.

The heart of the Old Town, Syntagma Square, is bordered by the Old Parliament Building and colorful coffee shops, while the Church of Agyos Spyridon is (in)famous for being the site of the assassination of Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greece’s first Governor, back in 1831.

Acronafplia Fortress, the oldest of the city’s complex system of fortifications, is yet another must-see, due to its views over both the Old Town and the sea, though it doesn’t stop there. There are countless more Nafplio landmarks worth checking out:

The 15th-century Bourtzi Castle, located on an islet at the entrance of the harbor, is probably Nafplio’s most easily recognizable sight, and let’s not forget Palamidi, one of Greece’s most monumental fortresses, with a whopping 999 steps to climb for a sweeping panorama of the Argolic Gulf.

Brisighella, Italy

Under the Radar Score: 10.00

Scenic Setting Score: 6.62

Gastronomy Score: 7.85

Accommodation Cost Score: 9.20

Perched on a hillside in Northern Italy, Brisighella is officially one of the ‘most beautiful villages in Italy’, as awarded by the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, and a well-preserved medieval gem most tourists haven’t heard about.

Only an hour away from Bologna, this is where you’ll find Via degli Asini, or Donkey’s Road, a tunnel-like pathway with arched windows looking out into town, and a myriad of Baroque churches with richly-decorated interiors.

Brisighella’s magnum opus, the Church of the Osservanza, was erected in 1520, and it’s best known for its Madonna with Child and Saints, painted by Marco Palmezzano.

The Rocca (or Brisighella Castle), built in 1228, towers above the stone-paved maze, and it’s distinguished by its study cylindrical tower.

Brisighella is also celebrated for its rich gastronomy, and there’s nowhere better to sample Emilia-Romagna food than Trattoria La Casetta, where you can eat tagliatelle al ragù, strozzapreti, and other seasonal dishes for around $12–18.

Tomar, Portugal

Under the Radar Score: 9.43

Scenic Setting Score: 9.05

Gastronomy Score: 8.77

Accommodation Cost Score: 9.13

Appearing at number one, Tomar is a laid-back town in Portugal characterized by its tile-roofed, whitewashed houses and fascinating history.

For starters, the municipality was born inside the walls of a convent, Convento de Cristo, built under the auspices of the fourth Grand Master of the Knights Templar, all the way back in the 12th century—a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it features an intricately-carved Manueline chapel.

Not far from the complex, the Church of Santa Maria do Olival served as a burial place for the Grand Masters, and modest-looking as it may be on the outside, once you step in, you’ll be met with a wondrous rose window, and of course, the Historic Center is an attraction of its own right.

Revolving around a Main Square, paved with patterned cobblestones, in classic Portuguese fashion, it is comprised of labyrinthine narrow streets, an Old Jewish Quarter, formerly an epicenter of Sephardic Jewish life, and riverside promenades along a scenic Nabão River.

To our fellow foodies out there, don’t leave without sampling fatias de Tomar, a local sweet made with stirred egg yolks. You know, like the classic pastel de nata, except it’s in slice form. Over in Pastelaria Estrelas de Tomar, right on the main pedestrian street, you’ll find them for around €2.