Where to go in Europe if you want to avoid the crowds? Check out 10 exciting European destinations to visit in 2025.

I think we can all agree that overtourism by no means is a new phenomenon. Places like Barcelona, London, Paris, and Venice, to name just a few all have been clogged with visitors arriving from all over the world for a long time already.

But last year we have certainly seen an escalation, and what happened has gone beyond pure tourist numbers. In many of the places that struggle with huge (and often still growing) numbers of visitors, the local population has taken to the streets to protest skyrocketing prices, homes taken from the local rental market to be offered to tourists, overcrowded streets, and many more negative effects of huge tourist numbers.

While it’s more than understandable that you want to explore places like Venice or any of the other hugely popular cities across Europe, this is the time to think twice before booking your trip. In some places, planning your visit during the off-season might still do the trick. Others will be crowded year-round, so for the time being, you might consider take them off your bucket list.

The good news is, there are many exciting destinations waiting to be discovered where the number of visitors remains low. Or at least lower compared to the major tourist hotspots. Whether you call these places lesser-known destinations, overlooked destinations, crowd-free destinations, underrated destinations, under-the-radar destinations, or hidden-gems, these are the destinations you should visit next.

So, if you are looking to explore exiting destinations but want to escape the huge crowds, below I have rounded up ten lesser-visited destinations across Europe for your next trip.

You are looking to explore new places but are dreading the huge visitor numbers in Europe’s tourist hotspots? Then add these exciting yet lesser-known destinations to your travel bucket list this year. While there is no guarantee you won’t encounter other tourists there, with some of the places already getting more popular by the day, chances are high your visit will be much more relaxed. And locals will still be happy to have you.

Graz & Styria, Austria

From the UNESCO World Heritage Site listed old town to unexpected culinary adventures, Austria’s second-largest city is an overlooked gem of beautiful architecture, culture, and excellent local food and wine. Perfectly accessible by foot, the small streets and squares of the historic centre are lined with quirky shops and restaurants, while the funicular will transport you to the top of the town hill Schlossberg where you will be met by the famous clock tower and swiping views.

If you are looking for a longer stay, the stunning Styrian vineyards, one of Europe’s lesser-known wine region that is rapidly rising in popularity, starts just outside of Graz.

Asolo, Italy

Named one of the most beautiful small towns of Italy, Asolo is located around 70 km southwest of Venice in the Province of Treviso. Here you are in plain prosecco territory, with the vineyards of the Asolo Prosecco DOCG appellation spread around the town.

More reasons to visit are the beautiful sweeping views across the foothills of the Dolomites, centuries-old stone walls surrounding the town, gorgeous historic villas and the ruins of La Rocca fortress.

Bilbao and Rioja, Spain

The Guggenheim Museum would be reason enough to visit. Add to that the even broader culture and arts scene, the historic town centre briming with many iconic monuments, small winding streets and the breathtakingly beautiful Plaza Nueva square.

Then top it off with a nearly endless number of small bars offering the incredibly delicious pintxos, the Basque-style tapas.

A short 30 minutes’ drive outside the city takes you into one of the most famous wine regions of Spain, La Rioja. Here, explore the small medieval hilltop villages, renowned wineries and their stunningly beautiful, uniquely designed cellar buildings and tasting rooms. Plus, more pintxos bars and excellent local restaurants.

Pfalz, Germany

Germany is full of awesome rural destinations spotting medieval villages with half-timbered houses, hundreds of fairytale castles, river valleys, forests, meadows, mountains and lakes.

A well-visited region by those in the know, the Pfalz in western Germany is a beautiful mixture of rocky landscape with endless kilometres of hiking/biking routes, historic towns, vineyards, unique boutique hotels, great restaurants, and wineries offering fantastic wine tasting opportunities.

A particularly mild climate makes the area a great destination nearly year-round while the best time to visit is clearly from late March (capturing the local almond bloom) to early October.

Valencia, Spain

Spain’s third largest city is no longer a hidden gem but if you compare visitor numbers with Barcelona, Madrid, and the much smaller Sevilla, there’s a significant difference. The birthplace of paella is a stunning mixture of historic palaces and futuristic design.

When you need some time of exploring the city’s many attractions, you can’t go wrong heading to Las Arenas Beach.

Alentejo, Portugal

Just about one hour south of Lisbon and running all the way down to the Algarve in the south, Alentejo is a vast rural area still largely overlooked by international travellers. Yet, there has been a lot going on in recent years. Local wineries not only have added new tasting rooms to welcome visitors. Many have created amazing luxury accommodation in the midst of their vineyards, in most cases composed of only few rooms but completed with an incredible culinary farm-to-table experience.

In addition to wine travel, there are seemingly endless sweeping plains, large wheat fields, olive groves, cork oak and eucalyptus forests, lots of wildflowers, small medieval hilltop towns, ancient ruins, fortresses, cathedrals, and huge white sandy beaches.

Large parts of the Alentejo are a nature reserve, and the absence of any industry except agriculture makes the area an amazing destination for stargazing thanks to the very low rate of light pollution.

Crete, Greece

The largest Greek island certainly is a popular destination. Yet, compared to the high numbers of visitors cramped onto the smaller Santorini or Mykonos, there are still places here that feel much less crowded. Unless perhaps heading into Knossos which will attract about every visitor to the island, you will still find lesser frequented beautiful beaches, picturesque landscapes, various archaeological sites spread across the island, charming small cities and villages, and lots of opportunities to hike or bike through the rugged White Mountains or explore the island’s vineyards without huge crowds.

UK Wine Country

In recent years, the UK has taken the winemaking scene by storm, particularly thanks to the excellent sparkling wines coming from vineyards in the southern part of England and Wales.

Warmer summers (aka climate change) have not only created the conditions grapes can now be brought to ripening. From the start, local wineries have made wine tourism an integral part of their journey. Right now, Hampshire, Kent, and Sussex are the leading areas when it comes to vineyard experiences. Including wine tasting, excellent dining options (with a growing number of Michelin-star restaurants in the area), and luxury accommodation.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar is likely the country’s best-known attraction thanks to the iconic reconstructed stone bridge, and also the most visited thanks to the proximity to the Croatian border, making it a great day trip destination from Dubrovnik.

Beyond its most famous spot, what you will find in this small country is an amazing landscape spotting crystal-clear rivers and lakes including the stunning Kravice and Peruce waterfalls. The Dinaric Alps are the perfect for hiking or taking to the slopes in winter. Sarajevo, the capital city is the best place to explore the country’s cuisine. The old market quarters is full of lovely cafés and restaurants,

Slovenia

We all have seen stunning images of Lake Bled trending on social media. In fact, the small resort town is usually crowded in summer. However, venture beyond and you will find many more amazingly beautiful lakes distributed across the stunning and largely diverse landscapes of Slovenia. One such example, Lake Bohinj is just a short 30 minutes away from Lake Bled.

In addition to Slovenia’s beautiful lakes, explore the Julian Alps, hiking along the nearly endless trails almost on your own, stroll through charming old towns, or head to the beaches.

Start or end your trip to Slovenia in Ljubljana. Slovenia’s capital city not only looks like straight out of a fairytale. With the number of tourists still on the lower side, the city has kept a feeling of authenticity. The pedestrianized old town is bustling with little cafés, restaurants, and museums. Other must-see attractions in the city are Tivoli Park with its stunning Tivoli Castle and the famous Dragon bridge.