The 7 most underrated European destinations for your summer trip

25.06.2024 - 15:39 / thepointsguy.com / Paris Olympics

There's nothing quite like a summer spent hopping around Europe. With millennia of history, some of the best restaurants in the world and top-notch museums, there are plenty of places to explore, whether it's your first visit or your hundredth. Unfortunately, those same wonderful qualities attract masses of tourists, especially during the summer high season.

This summer is expected to be no different, with hordes of travelers forecast to flock to popular destinations across the continent, including for events like the Paris Olympics. But while cities like Venice, Italy, and Amsterdam hope to limit overtourism by taking steps such as implementing tourism taxes, there are many underrated destinations in Europe where you can avoid the crowds while still getting a dose of nature, culture and fun.

Walk along the roofline of the Gothic-style Duomo and enjoy an early evening aperitivo in Milan, a city many travelers skip on a first-time trip to Italy. Or, hike wildflower-lined paths while exploring the Swiss mountains in Engelberg, which sits just about two hours from Zurich. Leave the crowds of Paris behind and travel just a couple of hours north to the small French city of Rouen, which features picturesque medieval architecture, or eat your way through Brussels with enough chocolate shops and funky lambic beer to entice any foodie.

These are the most underrated destinations in Europe and what not to miss while visiting.

Rouen is an ancient city in Normandy that was settled by Vikings as a key port along the Seine. Over the course of several hundred years, the medieval city hosted famous names from Richard the Lionheart to Joan of Arc, who met her untimely demise in Rouen in 1431.

Today, Rouen features plenty for visitors to do, including admiring many cathedrals — like its very own Notre Dame — and savoring delectable dishes at La Couronne, a cozy, low-slung dining room visited by Julia Child herself; the latter has been welcoming guests since 1345 and holds the distinction of being the oldest inn in France. You can also tour the Gros-Horloge astronomical clock tower to see 14th-century machinery and the earliest town bells, go for a stroll along the Seine and visit the masters at Musee des Beaux-Arts de Rouen.

What not to miss: Learn about one of the city's most famous and tragic figures at the Historial Jeanne d'Arc museum, located where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death. Then, walk over to the Eglise Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc, a modern church built next to the spot where she was burned at the stake.

Where to stay: The Hotel de Bourgtheroulde, Autograph Collection is housed in a 15th-century edifice featuring 78 rooms with wood-paneled walls, a grand courtyard steeped in history and a 7,500-square-foot spa