Favorite spots in Europe that were not in the guidebook
Jun 7th, 2013, 04:37 PM
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Favorite spots in Europe that were not in the guidebook
What were your favorite places or experiences that you found on your own or with advice from locals, not from your guidebook? I once found my most memorable spot in Scotland from asking a clerk at a small bakery where she would go for a picnic on her day off.
Jun 8th, 2013, 07:06 AM
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We have found many towns, restaurants, and places to stay that were not in guide books but by serendipity and through friends and relatives who are nationals. Guide books can be far too general. For example, in Fodor's and Frommer's small towns are non-existent. And in Rick Sterve's he might not mention or know, in his case, a nearby town, sight, or restaurant.
We have stayed in a huge old room that was a bakery for a manor in the Dordogne. He have stayed at pousada in Portugal that was 1/4 mile long attached stables where the horses stayed at one end and we at the other. And a pensione in Scopello, Sicily which is now well-regarded. Those are just a few examples.
We have stayed in a huge old room that was a bakery for a manor in the Dordogne. He have stayed at pousada in Portugal that was 1/4 mile long attached stables where the horses stayed at one end and we at the other. And a pensione in Scopello, Sicily which is now well-regarded. Those are just a few examples.
Jun 9th, 2013, 06:42 PM
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Go exploring. Get in a car and drive around. Almost ALL my favorite places in Europe didn't come from a guidebook. If Rick Steve's mentions it, I don't go there. I don't even know how to begin to answer this question - even within a 30-mile radius of my house in the Dordogne, I could tell you about 100+ places that are never mentioned in the guidebooks.
You find them on your own, or by asking local people or reading the local newspapers and such. Helps a LOT if you speak the language.
You find them on your own, or by asking local people or reading the local newspapers and such. Helps a LOT if you speak the language.
Jun 9th, 2013, 06:54 PM
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I agree with St. Cirq. We have had many interesting experiences getting lost.
The main thing is you must think misadventures are fun, funny, and intersting. If you are fearful, need a certain pillow, are a fussy eater, or a complainer without wit, you will not find any satisfaction in any of this.
The main thing is you must think misadventures are fun, funny, and intersting. If you are fearful, need a certain pillow, are a fussy eater, or a complainer without wit, you will not find any satisfaction in any of this.
Jun 9th, 2013, 10:54 PM
#7
We stumbled upon a masseria with restaurant at the end of the runway that NATO used to bomb Libya from, in Puglia, some years ago. We were riding on bicycles and we cycled up to Gioca and saw a notice board offering some 15 hotels all miles away and this one which appeared to be 2 km away, well the runway must have been 3 km long...
Anyway the place was empty and we had to knock until we woke a little old lady came to the door and let us in, we were very hungry but the restaurant did not open for another 6 hours. Rumble, my stomach played Wagner!
When the place opened we ordered a full Italian supper (I've never before or since managed this), we ate from 8 to 11, even the staff could not believe how much we ate. Wonderful.
This place is still not in any book and has only 3 poor pages on the internet.
Anyway the place was empty and we had to knock until we woke a little old lady came to the door and let us in, we were very hungry but the restaurant did not open for another 6 hours. Rumble, my stomach played Wagner!
When the place opened we ordered a full Italian supper (I've never before or since managed this), we ate from 8 to 11, even the staff could not believe how much we ate. Wonderful.
This place is still not in any book and has only 3 poor pages on the internet.
Jun 10th, 2013, 02:56 AM
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In Orvieto and in Aix en Provence, we found great lunch spots by following people dressed like businessmen. Both places had good food, lots of regulars, no tourists or gypsy children, and reasonable prices.
We stopped at a truck stop outside Montagnana in Northern Italy. Thirteen truckers, my wife, and me. Fantastic food, ordered by pointing, inexpensive. Watching the drivers knocking back the wine with lunch explained a lot about Italian drivers.
Exhausted from the Forum in Rome, we stumbled into a vast but shaded tourist restaurant across the street. After a couple of bottles of chilled sparkling water, we had a spectacular lunch -- mushroom salads followed by light seafood pasta (her) and steppe in ink for me.
In other words, there is some technique (following people who look like they might want the kind of food that you do) and a lot of serependipity.
For places, as suggested above, just drive, walk or take the bus (our favorite in Paris) and see where it takes you.
We stopped at a truck stop outside Montagnana in Northern Italy. Thirteen truckers, my wife, and me. Fantastic food, ordered by pointing, inexpensive. Watching the drivers knocking back the wine with lunch explained a lot about Italian drivers.
Exhausted from the Forum in Rome, we stumbled into a vast but shaded tourist restaurant across the street. After a couple of bottles of chilled sparkling water, we had a spectacular lunch -- mushroom salads followed by light seafood pasta (her) and steppe in ink for me.
In other words, there is some technique (following people who look like they might want the kind of food that you do) and a lot of serependipity.
For places, as suggested above, just drive, walk or take the bus (our favorite in Paris) and see where it takes you.
Jun 10th, 2013, 03:05 AM
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My town gets barely a mention in the guidebooks and we have some great restaurants and Biergartens.
> What is the best way to find the out of the way places?<
Step off the beaten path. Don't be afraid to narrow side-streets and alleys.
> What is the best way to find the out of the way places?<
Step off the beaten path. Don't be afraid to narrow side-streets and alleys.
Jun 10th, 2013, 03:46 AM
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You got that right, bilboburgler.
Also, for the Americans out there: when in Germany, NEVER EVER ask a German where you can find good Mexican food. Germany's idea of Mexican food is adding corn to the plate.
"Buy why would you want Mexican food in Germany? You should be eating German food! You so crazy sparkchaser.", you might say. My answer: Fair enough and I would normally agree but live here and after 6-9 months you'll want to satisfy your Mexican craving.
Back on topic: to find the hidden gems of restaurants, I ask a local but not someone working at a hotel, tourist attraction, or souvenir stand because they may have a vested interest in sending you somewhere. Instead, walk into a cell phone shop or department store or the like and ask them for a recommendation. We were in Santa Cruz on Tenerife and wanted some good seafood. The receptionist told us to go to the tourist trap at the end of the street. I went into the Sony shop and asked a salesperson where we could get some good seafood. Not in Sanat Cruz was his reply and he told us to go to the next town up San Andrés. We hailed a cab and told the driver to take us to an Andrés. We ended up at the restaurant tucked at the end of a narrow street and the food was amazing and cheap.
Also, for the Americans out there: when in Germany, NEVER EVER ask a German where you can find good Mexican food. Germany's idea of Mexican food is adding corn to the plate.
"Buy why would you want Mexican food in Germany? You should be eating German food! You so crazy sparkchaser.", you might say. My answer: Fair enough and I would normally agree but live here and after 6-9 months you'll want to satisfy your Mexican craving.
Back on topic: to find the hidden gems of restaurants, I ask a local but not someone working at a hotel, tourist attraction, or souvenir stand because they may have a vested interest in sending you somewhere. Instead, walk into a cell phone shop or department store or the like and ask them for a recommendation. We were in Santa Cruz on Tenerife and wanted some good seafood. The receptionist told us to go to the tourist trap at the end of the street. I went into the Sony shop and asked a salesperson where we could get some good seafood. Not in Sanat Cruz was his reply and he told us to go to the next town up San Andrés. We hailed a cab and told the driver to take us to an Andrés. We ended up at the restaurant tucked at the end of a narrow street and the food was amazing and cheap.
Jun 10th, 2013, 08:23 AM
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Some of my favorites have happened on our way to or near places in guide books, but the memory came not from the main attraction but something unexpected along the way.
1.We visited C.S.Lewis’ church and grave at Holy Trinity near Oxford; this is a fairly typical thing for literature fans, but while we were there, we had a marvelous conversation with a couple who were members. The husband had been a boy at the church when Lewis was still attending. Oxford as a whole is a favorite spot, but it's certainly in guidebooks!
2.In Trier, Germany, there is an Antiquities Card that gives a discount for seeing several sites. One of them is out of town and looks infrequently visited but is worth the drive and search (our GPS had trouble!). It’s called Klause Kastel and is a Hermitage Cell/Cave/Tomb thing perched on the cliffs above the Saar and fascinating. But even better for me was what we stumbled on right next to it. Behind a small white church, St. John the Baptist, is a small, quiet, well-maintained memorial to the WWII soldiers who died in the area 1939-1945. (Their remains were moved here in 1957 from a nearby cemetery.) It was moving, but it was made more so to me because the next day we visited the American Cemetery in Luxembourg. To see the two memorials, which looked pretty different but were each commemorating the same losses, was quite a memory for me. Trier is my favorite place in Germany, but it too is certainly in guidebooks.
3.In Terragona, Spain, we made a special search for a chocolate shop with the best chocolate truffles I’ve ever had; DH had been there before, and when I returned with him a few years later, the shop had moved, so we had fun searching for it in the old part of the city, and we had a nice, if hampered by lack of language on both sides!, conversation with the owner, a fourth generation candy maker. L’abella on Carrer Talavera, 8, near the Placa del Forum. Terragona doesn't seem to get as much guide book space as some places, but it is way cool, but not actually not in a guidebook.
4.Learning about the Stolperstein--Stumbling Stones--on a walking tour in Frankfurt and then finding them in several other towns and cities I visited after that. I might not have noticed, and I certainly wouldn’t have known what they are, if I hadn’t taken that tour, which is itself not mentioned in lots of guide books, but should be! Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours.
1.We visited C.S.Lewis’ church and grave at Holy Trinity near Oxford; this is a fairly typical thing for literature fans, but while we were there, we had a marvelous conversation with a couple who were members. The husband had been a boy at the church when Lewis was still attending. Oxford as a whole is a favorite spot, but it's certainly in guidebooks!
2.In Trier, Germany, there is an Antiquities Card that gives a discount for seeing several sites. One of them is out of town and looks infrequently visited but is worth the drive and search (our GPS had trouble!). It’s called Klause Kastel and is a Hermitage Cell/Cave/Tomb thing perched on the cliffs above the Saar and fascinating. But even better for me was what we stumbled on right next to it. Behind a small white church, St. John the Baptist, is a small, quiet, well-maintained memorial to the WWII soldiers who died in the area 1939-1945. (Their remains were moved here in 1957 from a nearby cemetery.) It was moving, but it was made more so to me because the next day we visited the American Cemetery in Luxembourg. To see the two memorials, which looked pretty different but were each commemorating the same losses, was quite a memory for me. Trier is my favorite place in Germany, but it too is certainly in guidebooks.
3.In Terragona, Spain, we made a special search for a chocolate shop with the best chocolate truffles I’ve ever had; DH had been there before, and when I returned with him a few years later, the shop had moved, so we had fun searching for it in the old part of the city, and we had a nice, if hampered by lack of language on both sides!, conversation with the owner, a fourth generation candy maker. L’abella on Carrer Talavera, 8, near the Placa del Forum. Terragona doesn't seem to get as much guide book space as some places, but it is way cool, but not actually not in a guidebook.
4.Learning about the Stolperstein--Stumbling Stones--on a walking tour in Frankfurt and then finding them in several other towns and cities I visited after that. I might not have noticed, and I certainly wouldn’t have known what they are, if I hadn’t taken that tour, which is itself not mentioned in lots of guide books, but should be! Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours.
Jun 16th, 2013, 06:32 AM
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How do you keep track of the little out of the way places you read about in trip reports that sound good? I just cut and paste into a word document and keep a file on places I have plans to visit, or just bookmark here. How do the rest of you do it?
Jun 16th, 2013, 07:13 AM
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Also, for the Americans out there: when in Germany, NEVER EVER ask a German where you can find good Mexican food.
____
I have another one we can all benefit by-never ask someone without teeth for driving instructions. They have never been out of their village and they do not want to appear ignorant so they lie through whatever tooth they have.
__________________________________________________ __
How do you keep track of the little out of the way places you read about in trip reports that sound good?
____
I put them in a trip file and promptly lose them.
____
I have another one we can all benefit by-never ask someone without teeth for driving instructions. They have never been out of their village and they do not want to appear ignorant so they lie through whatever tooth they have.
__________________________________________________ __
How do you keep track of the little out of the way places you read about in trip reports that sound good?
____
I put them in a trip file and promptly lose them.
Jun 16th, 2013, 07:39 AM
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Getting lost is a great way to discover hidden gems - or at least places you hadn't known about even if they are somewhat famous. That happened to me in the Cotswolds. We took very small roads for what seemed like forever, then came across a couple of lovely villages. Yes, they are somewhat well known, but we didn't know about them.
Another great way is to click on links of accommodation websites. I have lots of interesting places on my list to visit on a future trip to Germany. Most of them are not listed in any English language travel guide.
Another great way is to click on links of accommodation websites. I have lots of interesting places on my list to visit on a future trip to Germany. Most of them are not listed in any English language travel guide.
Jun 16th, 2013, 08:00 AM
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At first, OP's question irritated me. Should I write down 100 places in 10 countries?
Some posters gave adequate answers. The fun is not going to such places recommend by others - the fun is FINDING such places. It requires a special style of travelling.
Some travellers read guide books and trip reports and make bucket lists of "must sees" and "not to miss" and "best places" and create itineraries with as-many-as-possible destinations, often planned in a minute-by-minute style. This way, you do not find off-the-beaten-path places, because you do not WANT to find them and if you stumble upon such a place, you do not enjoy it.
If you really want to to off-the-beaten-path places you must travel differently.
Firstly, you go into regions which are ignored by travel-guides. Why not spend a couple of days in a heavy industrialized region like the Ruhr Valley? (You will be surprised how many attractions of all kind you will find in this region, which had been Cultural Capital of Europe, by the way).
Secondly, you travel in a relaxed way - no fixed itinerary, just travelling and staying whereever you find it worthy. I know an elderly couple with a camper who just drive through the country and follow the brown road signs which are indicating interesting spots. If you do that you will find castles, churches, parks, museums, prehistoric sites and many interesting spots which are ignored by the guidebooks.
Thirdly, talk to people. Whereever you are, you will find locals who will be happy to tell you about interesting spots and good restaurants (at least if you do not ask them for Mexican restaurants - when in Rome...).
Fourthly, be open to experiences. If you get wind of a local festivity, just go there. Go to church fests and summer fests and harbour fests and football games and music events and immerse into the culture. You will make priceless experiences.
Finally, why do guidebooks ignore whole regions?
Take guidebooks about Germany. Most American ignore three quarters of the country although you find enough attractions there. The reason is purely historical. The U.S. forces were stationed in the South, hence American travellers visited the South only, and consequently the guidebooks wrote about the South only. And here in this forum, 90% of the traffic is about the South - a cycle.
The same is true for other countries. All Fodorites are crazy about the Cotswolds in England - but I found North Devon - a rarely mentioned region - even more interesting, with cute villages, a rugged coastline, a moor and surprisingly good food.
I could give more examples on Spain (who had been to Cantabria?), the Netherlands, France, Italy and practically every other European country.
Just become a discoverer.
Some posters gave adequate answers. The fun is not going to such places recommend by others - the fun is FINDING such places. It requires a special style of travelling.
Some travellers read guide books and trip reports and make bucket lists of "must sees" and "not to miss" and "best places" and create itineraries with as-many-as-possible destinations, often planned in a minute-by-minute style. This way, you do not find off-the-beaten-path places, because you do not WANT to find them and if you stumble upon such a place, you do not enjoy it.
If you really want to to off-the-beaten-path places you must travel differently.
Firstly, you go into regions which are ignored by travel-guides. Why not spend a couple of days in a heavy industrialized region like the Ruhr Valley? (You will be surprised how many attractions of all kind you will find in this region, which had been Cultural Capital of Europe, by the way).
Secondly, you travel in a relaxed way - no fixed itinerary, just travelling and staying whereever you find it worthy. I know an elderly couple with a camper who just drive through the country and follow the brown road signs which are indicating interesting spots. If you do that you will find castles, churches, parks, museums, prehistoric sites and many interesting spots which are ignored by the guidebooks.
Thirdly, talk to people. Whereever you are, you will find locals who will be happy to tell you about interesting spots and good restaurants (at least if you do not ask them for Mexican restaurants - when in Rome...).
Fourthly, be open to experiences. If you get wind of a local festivity, just go there. Go to church fests and summer fests and harbour fests and football games and music events and immerse into the culture. You will make priceless experiences.
Finally, why do guidebooks ignore whole regions?
Take guidebooks about Germany. Most American ignore three quarters of the country although you find enough attractions there. The reason is purely historical. The U.S. forces were stationed in the South, hence American travellers visited the South only, and consequently the guidebooks wrote about the South only. And here in this forum, 90% of the traffic is about the South - a cycle.
The same is true for other countries. All Fodorites are crazy about the Cotswolds in England - but I found North Devon - a rarely mentioned region - even more interesting, with cute villages, a rugged coastline, a moor and surprisingly good food.
I could give more examples on Spain (who had been to Cantabria?), the Netherlands, France, Italy and practically every other European country.
Just become a discoverer.
Jun 16th, 2013, 08:11 AM
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Because we have relatives in Galicia, we have been to many places that are not well known to tourists. One of my favorites is the beautiful Isla de Cies. The ferry from Vigo is expensive which means that it is not overcrowded.
