Top 10 Alternative Cities To Visit

Everybody knows somebody who has been in Rome, Paris or London. A lot of us has been there ourselfs. Hopefuly, list of interesting places doesn’t finish on these most famous places.

Valetta

Malta’s oldest fort, Fort St Angelo, and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum – an incredible burial complex cut into rock – are some of the unmissable sights, but the city isn’t without contemporary touches, such as Renzo Piano’s city gate, completed two years ago; and in 2018 Valletta will celebrate the title of City of Culture.

Wroclaw

Polish city with a radical history: this spans from venues such as the Song of the Goat Theatre to post-punk commune Centrum Reanimacji Kultury. For more in this vein, take a look at our alternative guide to the city. This year Wrocław is Europe’s capital of culture, with a programme ranging from specially curated Film Operas to a major summer concert with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.

Marseille

In the oldest area, Quartier du Panier, you’ll find independent cafes and shops – such as classic soap shop La Grande Savonnerie – and contemporary galleries along rue Sainte and rue Grignan. As well as beautiful historical sights, such as the huge neo-Byzantine church Nôtre-Dame de la Garde, you’ll find a younger, edgier Marseille by exploring places like art and social space Friche La Belle de Mai, which has a rooftop bar and open-air cinema throughout the summer.

Dubrovnik

A picturesque city – and the main shooting location for King’s Landing in HBO’s Game Of Thrones – Dubrovnik’s terracotta rooftops tumble down to the blue Adriatic. Among them there’s lots to enjoy, from drinking fresh pilsner in the bars of the old town to a visit to an ancient (still working) apothecary at the Dubrovnik monastery.

Sarajevo

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton peace agreement, which ended four years of war and the devastating siege of Sarajevo. Though its history – including as the flashpoint for the first world war – remains an important part of its present, the Bosnian city, which often draws comparisons with Istanbul, is a beautiful and diverse place to visit, with cobbled streets to explore and excellent cafes serving traditional, slow-brewed coffee and delicious burek (stuffed pastries).

Girona

Pro-cyclists have long used the city as a training base, Dan Craven recently recommended cycle cafe La Fabrica as a place to get tips on where to ride. Things to take in, when you’re not checking out the modernist architecture, include the ancient cathedral and the museum dedicated to the city’s Jewish history.

Bologna

If ever there was a place to binge on Italian food, then it’s here, in a beautiful university town brimming with classic trattorias – from smarter Ristorante Biagi to cheap local haunts such as Trattoria Anna Maria; both places have staff who have been there for decades. Although dining, along with its aperitivo culture and abundance of religious architecture, is the main draw for most visitors, Bologna also has a younger, radical side: the Libreria modo infoshop and social centre XM24.

Brno

Tourism to the Czech Republic often feels concentrated on Prague, so a visit to Brno, the country’s second city, allows you to take full advantage of this – expect a city break free of stag dos! The most important attraction is the baroque Cathedral of St Peter and Paul, while other sights include the spectacular Moravian Karst and caves – a network of more than a thousand underground caves and gorges.

Tallinn

Pulling together Baltic, Russian and Scandi culture, the old town is a Unesco heritage site where you’ll find the magnificent, onion-domed St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The city is also home to a large art museum, the Kunstimuuseum, so there’s plenty more to Tallinn than cheap beer – and whole areas to explore beyond the more obvious, boozy, tourist trail.

Graz

It is home to impressive museums, from the unique Museum of Perception – where you’ll find eye-boggling art pieces – to the striking Kunsthaus Graz, a museum with a space age facade that resembles a giant illuminated alien blob. Another piece of impressive design to check out is the Island in the Mur created by the artist artist Vito Acconci, which has a cafe and performance space.