In this article, we will list the 25 most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024. If you want to skip our discussion about tourism rebound, over-tourism, and the global tourism industry, go to the 10 Most Underrated Cities in Europe to Visit in 2024.
Over-tourism is creating a problem for European locals in many tourist destinations. While Europe is on everyone’s travel bucket list, most people opt for similar destinations. For instance, 80% of visits in France are concentrated in 20% of the country.
This imbalance has made lives difficult for many locals. Landlords in touristy places have started evicting their tenants for short-term rentals, creating a shortage of housing. The Guardian reports that Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB), one of the largest short-term rental companies, has seen triple-digit growth in some European cities since 2014. As a result of this, some popular city destinations in Europe host 20 or more visitors for each local. Venice, Italy gets so many visitors that it has more tourist beds than the residents, as reported by Daily Mail.
The over-tourism dilemma is making traveling to touristy places increasingly costly. Authorities in such places are introducing visitor fees to discourage people from visiting and help with the upkeep. Venice, for example, has introduced an entrance fee for the entire city ranging from €3 to €10. Tourist tax rates in Paris have increased by almost three times recently. Spain has introduced fees to visit Plaza de España to ensure its safety and upkeep. So, it makes more sense now than ever to visit some of the most underrated cities in Europe.
Visiting cities where few people go will also help those who are struggling with the impact of over-tourism. Ecologists in Action reported that nearly 800,000 people or 35% of the population of the Canary Islands are at risk of poverty or social exclusion because of rising housing and living expenses. Residents of the Canary Islands recently called for a hunger strike against over-tourism. Activists are also putting up false warning signs at beaches across Mallorca to deter English-speaking tourists. It is worth noting that the Canary Islands are located in Africa but they are a Spanish-autonomous community and are considered European from a political and socio-cultural point of view.
The tourism industry has seen massive growth in the last few decades. An astounding 1.9 billion people took foreign trips in 2019 compared to only 25 million in 1950. The global travel and tourism industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% for the forecast period of 2021 to 2026. At the end of this forecast period, it is expected to be worth $8.9 trillion. It also has a significant footprint in the world economy, as according to the World Tourism and Travel Council, it contributed to 7.6% of the global GDP.
While European countries serve as a hotspot for tourism, the United States is the country where international travelers spend the most.
American companies, as a result, are at the forefront of the tourism industry. Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) is one of the largest short-term rental companies in the world. In 2022, hosts using the Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) platform in the United States facilitated over 44 million guest arrivals in regions without hotels.
One of the key attractions for tourists across the world is Disney theme parks owned by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). The company is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate with a significant economic footprint in several states across the United States. A recent study by Oxford estimated that the Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was the source of 263,000 direct and indirect jobs in Florida in 2022. It also generated $6.6 billion in tax revenue during the same year. Overall, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) had an economic impact of $40.3 billion in Florida in 2022.
Circling back to tourism in Europe, it is rebounding from the downturn during the pandemic. For the January to September period in 2023, international tourist arrivals in Europe were only 3.2% below 2019 levels. According to the European Travel Commission, the rebound is driven by intra-European travel and the influx of US tourists benefitting from favorable exchange rates. However, the European Travel Commission reports that the recovery remains uneven with 65% of reporting destinations still having pre-pandemic levels of foreign arrivals.
With that backdrop, let’s look at the 25 most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024.
Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash
Methodology
Since ‘underrated’ is a subjective concept, we relied on a consensus method of frequent travelers to curate our list of the 25 most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024. We used a popular thread on Reddit to come up with these 25 cities. The thread asked people to mention the most underrated destinations in Europe. We noted down each city till we got 100 entries.
For each comment that we considered, we also noted the upvotes. If a comment mentioned more than one city, we awarded the number of upvotes to all the cities mentioned. For our list, we considered all the comments that were a direct reply to the thread.
Here is how we calculated our Insider monkey score: number of times the city appears on sampled responses + (total number of upvotes divided by 100). The higher this Insider Monkey Score, the higher the country ranks on our list. As a tiebreaker, we used our list of the countries with the most beautiful nature in Europe and gave preference to the city belonging to the country ranking higher on this list. For example, if city A and city B have the same Insider Monkey Score but the country of city B ranks higher than city A’s country on our most beautiful nature in Europe’s list, we ranked city B higher.
It is important to note that even with a tie-breaking system, some cities were tied, which is why we have 14 ranks in our list. If two destinations have the same rank, they are equally underrated regardless of their position on our list.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional looking for the best stocks to buy you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders
25 – Cluj, Romania
Insider Monkey Score – 1.16
Rank – 14
Cluj is located in northwestern Romania. The city boasts landmarks dating to Saxon and Hungarian rule in the region. In addition, it also has gothic-style structures such as the St. Michael’s Church surrounding the central square of the city.
24 – Bilbao, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.16
Rank – 13
Located in Northern Spain, Bilbao is an industrial port city that has tons to offer for tourists. It is surrounded by green mountains and has a downtown full of skyscrapers. The city is famous for its Guggenheim Museum, which is known for its architecture and contemporary art collection.
23 – San Sebastian, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.16
Rank – 13
While Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world, it has no shortage of underrated cities. Located at the Bay of Biscay, San Sebastian boasts world-class cuisine, theatres, a Museum, and beaches.
22 – Brno, Czech Republic
Insider Monkey Score – 1.18
Rank – 12
Brno ranks happens to be among the most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024. The city features Roman catholic churches, bars, and restaurants, making it perfect for a getaway.
21 – Groningen, Netherlands
Insider Monkey Score – 1.2
Rank – 11
Groningen is one of the most underrated cities to visit in the Netherlands. It is a vibrant University city in the northern part of the country with a lively cultural scene.
20 – Besançon, France
Insider Monkey Score – 1.2
Rank – 10
Besançon is one of the most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024. It is located near the border of France and Switzerland in eastern France. It is the historical capital of watchmaking in France, with attractions like museums.
19 – Cabo de Gata, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.2
Rank – 9
While not a city, Cabo de Gata is one of the most underrated tourist destinations in Europe. It is a cape located in Southern Spain with dramatic hikes along a protected coastline.
18 – Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.2
Rank – 9
Vitoria-Gasteiz boasts attractions like the Gothic Cathedral of Santa María. It is one of the most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024.
17 – Genoa, Italy
Insider Monkey Score – 1.2
Rank – 8
The port city of Genoa is one of the most underrated destinations to visit in Italy. The city features narrow alleyways, a main square with a beautiful fountain, and seaside neighborhoods that Italy is famous for.
16 – Coïmbra, Portugal
Insider Monkey Score – 1.48
Rank – 7
Coïmbra, Portugal, is a riverfront city with a preserved medieval old town. It is famous for its university, which is one of the oldest in Europe.
15 – Evora, Portugal
Insider Monkey Score -1 .48
Rank – 7
Evora, Portugal ranks 7th on our list of the 25 most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024. The city is famous for the ancient Roman Temple Of Evora.
14 – Figueres, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.48
Rank – 6
The birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, Figueres, Spain, ranks on our list of most underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2024. Its Dali Museum is one of the most visited museums in Spain. The city is close to the border of France and boasts some excellent food and beaches.
13 – Girona, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.48
Rank – 6
Girona is located beside the river Onyar. The city was founded by Romans and to this day has remnants of its Roman past. It boasts medieval architecture and the remains of the Força Vella fortress.
12 – Leon, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.48
Rank – 6
Located on the Bernesga River, Leon boasts several churches and cathedrals, including the Gothic Catedral de Léon. The city also features several structures with Spanish Romanesque architecture.
11 – Salamanca, Spain
Insider Monkey Score – 1.48
Rank – 6
Salamanca, Spain, has a history dating back to the Celtic era. The city is known for Universidad de Salamanca, which was founded in the 1100s. It is also famous for its food and architecture.
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Disclosure: none. 25 Most Underrated Cities in Europe to Visit in 2024 is originally published on Insider Monkey.