Top 10 Hidden Gem Cities to Visit in Europe

Portugal's second city earned the title European Capital of Culture in 2001 and exports the wine that carries its name — Port — from cellars lining the Vila Nova de Gaia riverbank since the 17th century. Its Ribeira waterfront, covered in azulejo tiles and ranked among Europe's most photogenic neighborhoods, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site drawing 3 million visitors annually.

Ghent is Belgium's most underrated city — a medieval trading hub with three UNESCO-listed towers, 6,000 protected historical buildings, and home to the Ghent Altarpiece, considered the most influential painting in Western art history. A student population of 75,000 keeps prices low and culture vibrant, absent from most tourist itineraries.

Carved into a canyon in Italy's Basilicata region, Matera is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with cave dwellings called sassi first occupied 9,000 years ago. It served as the setting for crucifixion scenes in The Passion of the Christ and the Bond film No Time to Die, and was named European Capital of Culture 2019.

Slovenia's capital of just 300,000 has been car-free in its historic centre since 2007, creating one of Europe's most walkable old towns along the Ljubljanica River. Designed largely by architect Joze Plecnik in the early 20th century, it was named European Green Capital in 2016 and boasts a hilltop castle, dragon bridge, and thriving cafe culture.

Founded in 4000 BC, Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe and was European Capital of Culture 2019, bringing street art, galleries, and Roman amphitheatre concerts to an already stunning old town. Its National Revival mansions perch on three hills above a modern city — at Bulgaria's prices, a week costs less than a Paris weekend.

Enclosed within 4.5 kilometres of Venetian-era defensive walls — including a fortress reached by 1,350 steps — Kotor's UNESCO-listed old town sits at the base of Europe's deepest canyon-like bay. Still off most radar despite its Adriatic setting rivalling anything on the Dalmatian coast, it remains one of the Balkans' best-kept secrets.

The world's smallest national capital by area at just 0.8 square kilometres, Valletta was built in 1566 by the Knights of St John and packs more UNESCO-listed baroque architecture per square metre than almost anywhere in Europe. As the 2018 European Capital of Culture, it opened MUZA — Malta's national community art museum — to international acclaim.

Founded by 12th-century Saxon settlers in Transylvania, Sibiu served as European Capital of Culture in 2007 and is often voted Romania's most liveable city for its beautifully restored medieval core and proximity to Fagaras Mountains hiking. Its ASTRA open-air museum is the largest ethnographic park in the world, covering 96 hectares.

Olomouc is the Czech Republic's ecclesiastical capital and home to the Trinity Column — a UNESCO-listed baroque plague column considered the finest in Central Europe, erected in 1754. With six baroque fountains, a 12th-century cathedral, and Palacky University, it rivals Cesky Krumlov for beauty at half the visitor numbers.