I don’t know if it’s just me, but haven’t all these overhyped, over-Instagrammed, rinse-and-repeat European capitals been flogged to death?
Whether it’s the ‘gorgeous, aesthetic’ Haussmann streets of Paris, the ‘open-air museum’ that is Paris, or the ‘Victorian-elegance’ of London, it’s a movie we’ve seen (quite literally) a million times before.
Everyone loves to joke about how tiny these European countries are, but come on, Europe is a big continent?
They’ve got to be more than just bolded capitals on Google Maps, right?
I say we zoom in a little on the unbolded names and see what they’re giving—here are 5 underrated European cities that aren’t capitals, but are worthy of your attention just as much:
Brasov, Romania
Instead of Bucharest
Bucharest may be Romania’s capital and largest hub, but unless you have a thing for socialist-era Brutalist buildings, old tramways rattling along potholed roads, and I don’t know, beer-filled stripper parties, maybe give it a miss.
Head instead to Brașov, a picture-perfect city in the heart of Transylvania, with far more to offer on the culture front than a panhandler-dominated Bucharest.
The actual Europe you saw in the movies revolves around a stunning medieval square, from which numerous winding, cobbled lanes vein out, leading to secret courtyards, old inns, and tucked-away cafés.
Towering above the old-town maze is Biserica Neagră, or Black Church, a soaring Late Gothic landmark that’s been the spiritual center of Brașov’s ethnically Saxon, Lutheran community since the Middle Ages.
To the Bram Stoker fans out there, Brașov is a stone’s throw away—more like a half-hour drive—from Bran Castle, the myth‑shrouded, alleged ancestral home of Dracula.
Yep, as in the big bad vampire with a penchant for corrupting the souls of young Christian virgins, or at least the far less mystical, just-as-bloodthirsty, real-life, Wallachian monarch version of him.
Leiden, Netherlands
Instead of Amsterdam
Is it just me or is Amsterdam completely overhyped? Some people are fascinated by how many stepped houses in every imaginable muted color humans can come up with, and maybe they enjoy hanging out in a liberal enclave wrapped in a billowing weed haze, but it’s a hard pass for me.
At this point, you might as well just swerve Amsterdam for once, and try your luck in one of the nearby cities instead.
Think less ninety-minute canal queues and stag-do canarge, more absurdly-pretty university buildings, quaint gabled townhouses laced with canals, and far more authentic culture than a tourist-crammed, arguably-seedy Red Light district.
The Netherlands you signed up for is right here:
From the old Burcht, that impressive circular hilltop fortress overlooking Leiden’s winding waterways, down to the many hofjes (hidden courtyards), and antique bookshops around the medieval Pieterswijk district, it’s a true Dutch gem that feels actually lived-in, rather than dressed up for the show.
Bruges, Belgium
Instead of Brussels
Let’s face it, other than hosting EU institutions, and having a pretty main square ringed by guildhalls, Brussels hasn’t got much to justify an overnight. It may well be the Belgian capital, but it barely feels representative of Belgium when it’s become an international bureaucracy bubble.
The country’s true charm hides in its smaller medieval cities, Holland-style waterways slicing through brick beauties topped with those iconic stepped roofs—and that’s basically a by-the-book description of Bruges.
Or how locals like to call it, Venice of the North:
Prettiest spot in the Land of Tintin, it almost looks like it’s been ripped from the pages of a storybook: cobbled lanes, Northern Mannerist façades, winding canals that just beg for romantic flat-bottom boat rides in summer.
Even Audrey Hepburn (born in Belgium, FYI) lounged here on occasion in her youth, and given how absurdly-picturesque the market is, and that 272 ft belfry piercing the sky, it’s no shocker a Hollywood icon would swoon. Chances are you will too.
Bergen, Norway
Instead Of Oslo
There’s no way you’ve been to Norway if Oslo’s all you’ve seen. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy Oslo’s modern-Historicist blend and fjord setting, but the flat landscape pales next to Western Norway’s epic cliffs and vast wilderness.
That’s why whenever people ask me where they should kick off their Norway trip, I say Bergen: Norway’s #2 city, perfectly nailing the sweet spot between vibrant urban life and raw nature.
Unlike Oslo’s razed medieval core, Bergen boasts Bryggen’s UNESCO-protected harbor lined with old merchant buildings built entirely in wood, and painted in earthy tones.
As you walk from the busy city center into the heart of Bryggen, it truly feels like stepping back in time.
Nature-wise, Bergen trumps with Mount Fløyen’s views via Fløibanen funicular (prime sunset perch), plus easy access to fjords, none more epic than Sognefjord.
This one’s Norway’s longest and deepest, and rest assured you’ll feel like a viking as you sail on a dragon-head, longship down its impressive length.
Nafplio, Greece
Instead Of Athens
The easiest way I can describe Athens is it’s Greece at full volume. Insane traffic, throbbing bazaars, graffiti-covered walls, and urban sprawl so dense it smothers the Old World allure of those gorgeous ancient monuments.
Nafplio, lining the azure waters of the Argolic Gulf, is Greece at the right tempo. As a matter of fact, it was even the nation’s capital at one point before old and gritty Athens snatched the crown for itself.
Whereas you’d find a hard time unwinding in the current capital, Nafplio’s all about historic elegance and easy relaxation:
The Old Town’s the star of the show here, home to those tight marble lanes flanked by pastel Neoclassical houses, bougainvillea-draped balconies, and pocket squares for that lingering, post-lunch café freddo.
Standing guard over it all, Paladimi Fortress is a Venetian citadel commanding a sweeping panorama over the town’s terracotta roofs, and just offshore, still warding off assailants that will never come, Bourtzi is an island-castle floating on the Aegean like a fairytale prop.
Athens may have the Parthenon, but Nafplio delivers authentic, slow-paced Greek living you just can’t find in the buzzing streets of Omonia.
