The 20 most underrated European destinations you should visit in 2025

Montenegro’s spectacular coastline is finally getting the attention it deserves, and the streets of Kotor, Budva, and the rest are now packed during the summer. Ulcinj? Not so much, but that won’t always be the case. Located at the southern tip of the country, Ulcinj is the centre of Albanian culture in Montenegro and provides a different vibe to the more celebrated spots up north. Ulcinj’s Old Town is arguably the most dramatically situated in the country, and its beaches provide excitement and serenity in equal measure.

Time Out Tip: For an authentic taste of Ulcinj’s cafe culture, head to the always-busy and always-exciting Kino Cafe.

📍 Discover the best places to visit in Montenegro

This salt-of-the-earth city on Italy’s Pontine coast, just south of Rome, is my favourite under-the-radar place for a proper beach holiday. A stop on the original Appian Way, Italy’s oldest and most important road, Terracina is one of three historic seaside towns in the region, along with Sperlonga and Gaeta (both well worth a day trip). You’ll have your pick of wide, sandy beaches, flanked by mountains – Spiaggia di Levante is particularly special, overlooked by the ancient Roman temple of Jupiter. Seek out bohemian cafés and al-fresco bars in the old town, which sit next-door to well-preserved ruins and Medieval buildings. Down at the port, ferries set sail to Ponza and Ventotene, a cluster of sun-drenched islands home to rocky inlets and secret swimming coves.

Time Out tip: Terracina is known for its seafood, and much-loved family restaurant Vicoletto does it best. For a meal to remember, get the Catalan-style langoustine and pair it with a glass of local white.

The largest city in Transylvania makes a compelling case for being the most fascinating city in Romania, which is no small feat considering the competition. The award-winning Untold Festival gets most of the hype, but there is more to this place than a week of electronic music and unbridled revelry. The city centre is an outdoor museum telling the story of the city and its many peoples (Cluj-Napoca has Romania’s largest Hungarian population) through monuments, memories, and quite magnificent churches. The city’s sizeable student population keeps the bars bouncing; on the other end of the scale, the Botanical Garden is a delight. The nearby Turda Salt Mines is a must-visit. After all, how often do you get to visit one of the most beautiful subterranean spots on the planet?

Time Out tip: The Zoological Museum in Cluj-Napoca is one of the most unusual museum experiences in Europe and an absolute must for anyone with even a passing interest in taxidermy.

Denmark’s second city is a bijou university town in Jutland with cobbled streets, world-class coffee and a positive, hygge outlook on life – it’s known to Danes as ‘the city of smiles’, and was named the World’s Happiest City this year. Find colourful fashion (compared to monochrome focused Copenhagen at least), a stellar art gallery, ARoS, topped by a rainbow you can walk around. Plunge into its designer swimming pools set on the modern harbour of Aarhus Ø, winter and summer alike, chowing down on street food, cocktails and Champagne at the new Banken Food Hall, riding the rollercoasters in its mini theme park Tivoli Friheden, and staying in the lushly redesigned and iconic Hotel Royal.

Time Out tip: Take the train from Aarhus to Billund for the world’s best playdate: a visit to Lego House, where the country’s famously playful bricks are just an hour and a half away.

📍 Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen

Stockholm gets all the lovin’ in Sweden, but don’t sleep on its second city. Gothenburg, a port city off the Göta älv river in the west coast of Sweden, has all the Nordic vibes with a bit less ABBA – and about half the Capital’s population, making it a very walkable, chilled-out city break. It’s got fresh fish markets, craft beer and plenty of spots to embrace Swedish café culture, fika – these are especially concentrated in Haga, Gothenburg’s coolest neighbourhood, but a wander around the port and a bar crawl around Linnéstaden is well worth it too. 

Time Out tip: If you’ve got a long enough weekend on your hands, make sure to take a day trip through its southern archipelago on a ferry – and head for a seafood lunch with a view at the very sweet Batebacken in Styrsö.

If you’re ready to discover Vilnius’s fascinating and often tumultuous history, start on Gediminas Hill, named for the city’s founder, and take in views across the Old Town. Next, head down towards the dazzling Gate of Dawn, a mark of the time Lithuania was Catholicised on its unification with Poland (together, they formed one of Europe’s biggest states). The Station District, meanwhile, bears the influence of the Russian Empire. And all over the city, but especially further south, Soviet buildings make for an eerie reminder of the region’s dark recent past. It also celebrated its 700th anniversary last year. Here’s to 700 more (but with less war, please).

Time Out tip: Don’t sleep on Vilnius’s nightlife scene. From clubs Kablys and Loftas to prison-turned-cultural space Lukiškės 2.0, it’s the best offering this side of Berlin. 

The beautiful and almost completely untouched Peneda-Gerês National Park in northern Portugal is part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves, an organisation aimed at protecting, enhancing and promoting the natural heritage of regions around the world. The park is home to thousands of animal species, including roe deer, wild Garrano ponies, wolves and birds of prey. With crystal-clear waters that invite visitors to take a dip during the warmer months, remote villages inhabited by warm-hearted locals, and some of the region’s best restaurants, where traditional cuisine is prepared using local produce, this beautiful corner of Portugal is the perfect place to explore, whether for a weekend getaway or a longer visit.

Time Out tip: For a stay with a serious view, book the beautiful Cerca dos Passais – the outdoor pool is worth it alone. 

📍 Discover the best places to visit in Portugal

Undeniably charming Plovdiv certainly isn’t underrated by Bulgarians, but it still doesn’t seem to get its flowers in the grand scheme of European adventures. There’s no reason why Bulgaria’s second-largest city shouldn’t be firmly on your radar; the range of historical attractions and curiosities is remarkable, and the city’s food and drink scene is one of the most exciting in this part of the continent. Plovdiv’s old town is the clear main event, an impossibly gorgeous warren of cobblestone streets with stories around every corner, while the impeccably preserved Ancient Roman Theatre of Philippopolis stands proudly above the city. The views are spectacular.

Time Out tip: Combining achingly gorgeous architecture with a joyful willingness to experiment, the House of Distillation offers tasters of liqueurs you won't find anywhere else.

Reykjavik is great n’ all, but how about this? A three-hour drive to Landeyjahöfn and a 45-minute ferry ride (with some pretty remarkable cliff views) later, you’ll be in Vestmannaeyjar, an archipelago with a population of just 4000 – and probably Iceland’s best kept secret. Here you can jump on a speed boat through the island’s caves (and see the famous Elephant Rock up close), rent a mountain bike to explore its volcanoes and learn about the Eldfell eruption at the Eldheimar museum. But it’s also got some of the best food in the country - make sure to book a table at Slippurin, a mindblowingly-good fine dining restaurant with a focus on local ingredients and sustainability. 

Time Out tip: The short ferry route runs between June and September, which also happens to be align with peak puffin season, where they waddle freely at your feet – you can even help locals save babies from getting lost.

📍 Discover the best hotels in Iceland

Banja Luka is the capital of Republika Srpska, the lesser-visited Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The lack of tourist traffic means you can admire the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and Ferhadija Mosque at your leisure. Each strikingly rebuilt post-conflict, they form part of a relaxed sightseeing agenda spanning 2,000 years, factoring in the panoramic Roman fortress Kastel and Habsburg façades. Lively café terraces abound, carnivores will have a field day at the many Balkan restaurants. Affordability underscores all areas of hospitality, and despite the lack of international visitors, English-speaking staff are a common feature.

Time Out tip: Stay at Hotel Talija for its top-floor pool or Hotel Bosna Banja Luka, a landmark dating back to 1885.