If you thought you had to travel hundreds of kilometres across a number of borders to discover the best of Europe you’d be wrong. Located in the continent’s westernmost corner, Portugal is a a melting pot of history, culture and delicious food. Once a colonial giant controlling half of the New World, it’s one of the oldest countries in Europe, with borders virtually unchanged since 1139.
For reasons that are quite hard to fathom, there are people who write off this Iberian land as a smaller, less interesting version of Spain. They should get with the program. Portugal is one of the cheapest countries to visit in Western Europe and its pint size makes traversing from region to region a breeze.
Head to the capital Lisbon, where days can be spent looking at priceless works of arts in its galleries, while nights in the newly revived club district of Intendente are long. Make a beeline for Sintra, with its enchanting gardens and palaces, during the week to avoid the crowds, before heading to Porto, where the medieval Ribera district on the waterfront is famed for its cobbled alleys. Of course, the neighbouring Douro region is also famous for port production, and visitors can tour the grand cellars on the Douro side of the city at Gaia. Float through the canals and lagoons near the town of Aveiro, or visit the Roman town of Barcelos, where there’s a huge market selling fresh produce and the town’s ceramics (this is where the famous rooster comes from) each Thursday.
With more than 800 kilometres of coastline you can gaze out to sea from sky-high cliffs at Sagres or relax on the peaceful Azores Islands with the clear water tickling your toes. If you want to pick up the pace a bit, go hiking among the granite peaks in the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês.
Food lovers won’t be disappointed. As well as simple, traditional fare, including the grilled seafood and barbecued pork served at tascas (taverns) across the country, there are Michelin-starred chefs (check out José Avillez’s restaurants, including Belcanto in Lisbon) and rising stars, like Manuel Lino at Tabik in Lisbon, causing the country’s gourmet stocks to rise.
The beautiful, rich, clean and peaceful Scandinavian nation of Norway is blessed with more than just pleasing aesthetics. Its people are fit, nature-loving and the ideal company if you undertake a (nude) sauna session and sink some aquavit (a liquor distilled from potato). The cities are tidy and cosmopolitan – it is very easy to stay a while if your budget allows.
Given Norway’s sparse population density the deserted fjords, deserted caves, glaciers and mountains beckon. A raft of outdoor activities are available to ensure you make optimal use of the mountainous surrounds – kayaking, whitewater rafting and paragliding and of course snow sports (after all, Norwegians claim to have invented skiing), hiking, biking. There are some standout journeys to make: a polar bear watching boat journey in the remote Svalbard, watching the landscape roll on by as you’re aboard the train from Oslo to Bergen or a ride on a coastal steamer. For us Southerners frolicking in midnight sun will always be a novelty and catching the surreal Northern Lights during winter can only be described as special.
Oh, we know what you’re thinking. It’s either clogs and windmills, or weed and red lights. All of the above can, of course, be part of a trip to this corner of the world, yet if they are the only reasons you decide to head to the Netherlands, you’re in for a big surprise.
Most travellers touch down in Amsterdam, where there’s the chance to do some damage or get your culture on (or a maybe a little bit from both piles). Cosy cafes and bars are incredibly enticing, as are the street vans selling chips and mayo or chocolate waffles into the wee small hours. The art scene here is incredible, and you should definitely plan on losing a few hours staring at the Rembrandts and Vermeers at the Rijksmuseum, before taking a canal boat cruise beneath bridges and past centuries-old homes.
But this compact country has plenty more to offer. There’s the country’s oldest city, Utrecht, where the skyline isn’t dominated by skyscrapers but the Dom Tower of the Cathedral of Saint Martin, which stands at just 112 metres high.
Then you have the Netherlands’ southwest, which isn’t all tulips, windmills and cheese. Rotterdam has got it all going on at the moment, with a full-throttle program of reconstruction. The contemporary architecture is mind-blowing and the arts and nightlife scenes of Witte de Withkwartier equally as impressive. Then there’s the Hague, the seat of government and home to a huge population of foreigners working for various embassies and United Nations organisations. Finally, there’s Delft, hometown of Johannes Vermeer and the famous blue pottery.
We’re not going to give you too many points for working out its name means ‘black mountain’. But you’ll get brownie points for telling us when Montenegro became an independent nation. (It was 2006, for those playing along.)
That doesn’t mean that this is a country lacking in history. Far from it, in fact. Anyone with even a flicker of interest in the machinations of this part of Europe will be fascinated by a past that has included Roman and Slav rule, hundreds of years of dust-ups with the Ottomans, and invasion during World War II by German and Italian troops.
Close the history books though, and take a look around. Montenegro is yet another reason to believe in the saying ‘good things come in small packages’. It combines all the best parts of some its neighbours, including Croatia, and crams it into package that’s even smaller than East Timor.
By far the jewel in the country’s tiny crown is its coast, even though it’s only about 100 kilometres long. It’s rugged, has picturesque cities and villages clinging to cliffs above turquoise water, and gives visitors the chance to enjoy one of those places they thought only existed in postcards. Sveti Stefan is that small island covered in villas and parks, linked to the mainland by a walking path and favoured by A-listers.
Elsewhere, lakes, mountains and national parks will ensure your camera gets a decent workout.
You could be forgiven for having no other reason for visiting Moldova than wine. Because even though you may never have heard of it before right now, this land-locked Eastern European nation easily has one of the best, or at least most interesting, industries on the continent. About 10 per cent of its vineyards, for instance, are planted with indigenous varieties, such as Fetească Albă, Plavai and the best-known, Rara Neagră. And it’s not just the process; the Guinness Book of World Records recognises the wine collections in Moldova’s underground cellars are the largest in the world. There are plenty of guided tours on offer and some of the smaller wineries also offer overnight stays.
Try to at least pretend you’ve come to experience other parts of Moldova’s culture, because it’s worth doing. Take a squiz at the Orheiul Vechi, a thirteenth-century monastery built into a cave that is still inhabited by monks (obviously not the same ones). While the city itself is not particularly attractive, there are several museums, as well as some brutal Soviet-era architecture, in the capital Chișinău to placate the culturally curious. In the countryside, take to bike or horseback to explore this off-the-beaten track destination, where the landscape is unspoiled and the people who live here are likely to welcome you into their homes. And there’s also wine.
Leprechauns, Guinness, shamrocks… Yes, everyone’s heard the clichés but there are plenty of other reasons to head to Ireland. One of the main ones you’ll discover soon after arrival is the locals’ ability to have a good time. You will too, whether it’s enjoying its many pubs, the live music scene or soaking up the atmosphere at the soccer.
Once you’ve pub crawled through the literary trail in Dublin, following in the footsteps of Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and James Joyce, other cities such as Cork, Derry and Belfast offer cultural treats and political monuments.
The Irish countryside is nothing short of stunning and days can be spent wandering between castle remains, rolling hills, lakeside retreats, monasteries and rugged coastline. Excitement complements country tranquility in events like the annual Galway Races that take place at the end of July each year.
With their charming accents and all, you might decide you’d like to end up with a local sweetheart. If so, the annual matchmaking festival in the spa town of Lisdoonvarna may be able to help you. Sure enough, though, wherever you go in Ireland it’ll be good craic.
Other than liking its music stars Björk and Sigur Rós, until quite recently a lot of people hadn’t heard much about Iceland. But visitors to the country have almost tripled since 2000 and we’re a bit sad that the cat’s out of the bag. With its storybook charm and otherworldly landscapes – glaciers, Europe’s largest waterfall, the oldest known geyser – it’s certainly worthy of exploration.
The capital, Reykjavík, is an incubation centre of creative types and has a thriving music scene. Iceland Airwaves, held annually, is a music festival not to be missed. The bohemian village of Seyðisfjörður, set among mountains and fjords, is laden with hippies and charm. And you’d be crazy to come this far and not sink into the warm waters of Grjótagjá, the same hot spring cave where Jon Snow locked lips with Ygritte. In between you’ll find quaint fishing towns and rural houses covered in turf due to the lack of native trees. Wanting wildlife? Be rewarded in places like Husavik, a world-class locale to spy spouting whales and droves of fluttering puffins. Or test your mettle snorkelling or diving between the continental plates at the Silfra fissure in the Thingvellir National Park.
While most of Iceland’s food is fish, lamb or dairy, the traditional cuisine may make you wince: súrir hrútspungar (preserved ram’s testicles), svið (sheep’s head), hákarl (fermented shark) and hvalspik (whale blubber) are just some of the stomach-churning offerings probably best avoided.
For a quirky take on a European adventure set your sights on Hungary. It’s in the middle of everything – Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia – yet is a complete individual. The scenery, architecture, food and culture all bow to local tradition, providing endless tastes and sounds to enjoy in this exciting part of the continent.
From Roman ruins to Art Nouveau, the architecture here is a scenery in itself. Walk or ride through picturesque villages lined with sights and history to explore. Don’t forget the capital Budapest, where you can experience the wonders of the Basilica and the views of Gellért Hill. In the Castle District, check out the Royal Palace and other historic sites, before sinking your travel-weary bones into one of the city’s many thermal baths. Don’t forget to check out Ecseri piac, the huge flea market on the edge of Budapest.
If you fancy some fun in the sun, the town of Siófok, on the shores of Balaton, Europe’s largest lake, is like a freshwater version of Ibiza, with hordes of beautiful people and parties going strong all night.
Excuse the pun, but you better be hungry! There is more to Budapest than just goulash. Meat, cheese, pastry, they love it all, plus the country produces from great wine, including aszú, a sweet drop from the famous region of Tokaj.
Oh, it’s just an island covered in ice some people will tell you. Do not – we repeat, do not – believe them. Its national park alone, the largest in the world, is the nearly as big as France and Spain combined. It covers 18,000 kilometres of coastline, parts of the ice cap and the world’s northernmost area of land. Inuit cultures have lived here for thousands of years (and they’re the only people who now have regular access to the park) and polar bears, seals and other Arctic animals still do.
Head to the north of the country to experience the land of the midnight sun. Here, it’s possible to go dog sledding and explore giant icebergs calved from one of the world’s fastest flowing glaciers.
Nuuk might be Greenland’s capital but it still has the vibe of a far smaller destination (it’s home to only 17,000 people or so). It’s the kind of place where you can go whale watching, explore street art and try out backcountry skiing during the day, but chill out with the northern lights and taste Nordic flavours at restaurants like Sarfalik in the evening.
But for an adventure that looks hard to beat, experienced scuba divers can swim the frigid depths exploring shipwrecks and icebergs and meeting the strange creatures that call these very cold waters home.
There are the images of whitewashed houses and blue shutters overlooking emerald seas. Then there are the stories of masses of sunburned vacationers on package holidays looking for cheap lagers at night and a full English in the morning. Luckily, the former can be found in abundance and the latter mostly avoided.
While it may be prudent to avoid the peak (aka chokers) summer season from July to August, it is still possible to find idyllic enclaves replete with taverns serving fresh-from-the-ocean seafood and enough ouzo or retsina to leave you stumbling home. After all, there are 3500 islands dotting the Aegean Sea. Try Folegandros or Syros if you want to avoid the vast majority of summer holidaymakers. Out of season, head to Santorini and make sure you take in the iconic view of the sun setting over the caldera at Oia. Yes, everyone does it, but there’s a reason for that.
Don’t let the islands distract all of your attention, though: olive orchards, wineries, rural villages and mountainous terrain shouldn’t be neglected. Nor should the country’s history: head north to Thessaloniki, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, or gawp at the gravity-defying monasteries perched on natural sandstone pillars at Meteora. Then, of course, there’s Athens, with 4000 years of history. No doubt, its museums and sights like the magnificent Acropolis are top notch, but there’s also fun to be had in the city’s lively districts, like Gazi, with its street art, cool cafes, cinemas and music venues.
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