Best out of the way, hidden European City you have visited?
 

I wrote a message about this yesterday, citing my experience in Le Marche region of Italy (anyone been there? thank you to those who responded). Le Marche is a very hidden region of Italy that not many American tourists journey to, and for these reasons I felt like it gave me the chance to really be immersed in the culture. Any other places like this? Not just in Italy--anywhere you've been that is a sort of hidden treasure like this? Looking also at other Italian regions with the hope of returning and finding more places like Le Marche. Also, if you have been to Le Marche, what did you think? <BR> <BR> <BR>geocities.com/j_goyette/t.html

As a former student in the uk, I usually went to Wales for the weekend breakaway, and I found it like home, because the language, the order of words are so similar to mine. I also escaped from any US accent there.

Argeles-sur-Mer and the surrounding area in the Languedoc (France).

Jackie, I make it a point to seek out these places and have several favorites <BR>but the ones that stand out to me are <BR>Marvao, Portugal, Hallstatt, Austria, and Portovenere, Italy. I would love to <BR>design an itinerary some day that only <BR>included isolated historic places such <BR>as these.Oops, almost forgot another one <BR>that is deserving, Cesky Krumlov, CZ

Bassano del Grappa, Italia <BR>Les Andelys, France <BR>Seu d'Urgell, España <BR>

sounds great, all of them--wondering about Bassano del Grappa and Protovenere in Italia--which regions are those places in? Also, any advice on guidebooks I could find for small places like these?

Atrani, near Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast. Also, surprise--liked Belfast and the Antrim coast nearby.

Ronda, Spain is located on a bluff overlooking a fertile valley. The town is separated by a bridge over a deep gorge...very quaint..

Jackie - Portovenere is in Liguria near La Spezia in the northwest part of Italy below the Cinque Terre. Bassano del Grappa is in northeast Italy in the Veneto and Friuli region. Personally, I liked Santa Margherita Ligure but it is not "hidden". Hope this helps.

Much of Lower Bavaria (mainly Franconia) is rarely visited by North Americans, or non-Germans for that matter. The major cities of Bamberg and Wuerzburg have much to recommend them. <BR> <BR>We've found delight in the little city of Iphofen, not far from Wuerzburg and over-touristed Rothenburg. This walled city is straight out of the middle ages, and unspoiled by the hordes visiting Rothenburg. <BR> <BR>For those who enjoy white wine, by the way, Franconia produces some of the best whites in the world. The ones from Iphofen are among the very best indeed. <BR> <BR>Ed

Antakya (the ancient Antioch), Turkey is worth a special trip. Very few Americans go there, and the people are marvelously hospitable. You can visit the grotto where one of the earliest Christian churches began, started by St. Peter before he went on to Rome and martyrdom. The museum in Antakya houses some of the biggest and best-preserved Roman mosaic pavements anywhere.

Ronda (Spain) IS great!...but hardly hidden or undiscovered as most tours through Andalucia make a stop there!

Zakopane, Poland, is not a secret to Poles and is in the Tatras. It is about a 2-hour bus ride from Krakow and is a beautiful little town, with things to do both during the summer and winter.

Jackie, <BR> <BR>Bassano del Grappa is about an hour or so north of Verona, vaguely in the general direction of Trentino - - on the way towards Innsbruck. <BR> <BR>And Ed's comments about Bavaria reminds me to put in two cents worth for Landshut, Germany - - perhaps a little more well known than the other three I mentioned. <BR> <BR>Guidebooks for these and others? Well, our host here puts out some pretty good books, you know - - just remember that towns of lesser renown usually only get a page or two. The appeal is where you find it - - and not every little "unknown" town is a diamond in the rough - - it has to do with walking around in it and finding some special connection that clicks for you.

Oh - - and I forgot to mention - - "lesser known" (by Americans) places in Europe does not necessarily equate to "Podunk" or unconnected to the modern world in their own way. Bassano del Grappa has a nice official web site (you can find it by just searching Bassano del Grappa on Alta Vista) - - www.comune.bassano.vi.it - - in Italian only, though.

Bellaggio, Italy. If I didn't have to work for a living, I would have stayed there. It is magnificent.

A few places that I have been to come to mind - 1) Kazimerz Dolny, Poland (where the silent film The Dybbuk was filmed) - about 80 miles SW of Warsaw is a nice old town, with a well preserved main square, and its not too much on the beaten path; 2) Roundstone, Ireland, in Connemara - while the area is definitely not off the beaten path, all of the tour busses seem to go to nearby Clifden, in my mind not nearly as nice; 3) Kutna Hora, Czech Republic - a good day trip from Prague, a town whose heyday was maybe the 14th century

1. Orvietto, Italy, about an hour train ride from Rome, and worth the effort, just for the peace and quiet, as well as the hand painted pottery, the cathedral and the Orvietto Classico white wine. <BR>2. Trier, Germany at the end of the Mosel River. Roman ruins, great food and beer and off the beaten path. <BR> <BR>3. Graz, Austria...home of Der Arnold, and one of the imperial cities of Austria.

Rex: I totally agree with you about "lesser known" not equaling podunk. i was asking someone before about Verona and if it was overly touristy, and he said that places that are touristy means there is something to visit, but I think that a lot of places that might not gain lots of tourists can still be very very special. Where I stayed in Le Marche region turned out to be my favorite place in all of Italy to visit (including the larger, more "touristy" towns). I also agree though that not every place is a diamond in the rough--but its like that anywhere you are. <BR> <BR>Tom: My parents stayed in Orvieto when they visited me in Italia, and they loved it. I am interested definitely in going there sometime. Do you know if it is in Umbria, or Tuscany? I thought it was in Umbria, but someone said something about it being in Tuscany, so I'm not sure. <BR> <BR>Thanks for the guidebook info too--I agree, normally those places only get a page or two. <BR> <BR>Anyone been to Ascoli Piceno or Urbino in the Marche Region? <BR> <BR> <BR>visit my column on travel: <BR>geocities.com/j_goyette/t.html

We went to Italy in November and went to Burano, an island bout 30 - 45 minutes by boat from Venice. A charming little fishing village, famous for lace making. All the houses are painted in different colors (blue, purple, green, barn red, butterscotch). It seemed like we were in a movie set at Universal studios.