Europe's Secret Summer Hot Spots
Europe is popular in the summer for a reason: the days are longer, the sun is shining and everyone’s in a vacation mood. Unfortunately, it’s also peak season, when tourists swarm the continent, prices skyrocket and hotels are booked up far in advance. So leave the well-trodden tourist trail behind and discover these 10 secret European summer hot spots instead!
By Caroline Morse | Smarter Travel
Smuggler’s Cove, Zakynthos, Greece
Sail right past all the Greek islands that attract the cruise ships in the summer and find your own slice of private paradise on Zakynthos island’s Smuggler’s Cove. The unspoiled Navagio Beach has white sand and clear waters that are perfect for snorkeling. You won’t take boring, typical beach pictures here — there is a shipwreck right in the middle of the beach, making this island unique. When the boat (which was carrying smuggled cigarettes) wrecked and washed ashore, it gave the cove its name.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Badeschiff, Berlin, Germany
This is our favorite kind of art — art you can swim in! Originally built as an art project to enliven a neglected Berlin neighborhood, the Badeschiff is a floating public swimming pool that is open to anyone and costs just 5 euros. The pool floats atop the Spree River, which lets you feel like you’re swimming in the urban river without actually having to get in the dirty Spree water. Everything in Berlin is open late, and this pool’s no exception. Go for a dip here from 8 a.m. to midnight — there’s even a pool bar and occasional DJs to contribute to the festive mood.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Gozo, Malta
The small European island of Malta is an undiscovered treasure on its own — and its sister island, Gozo, is an even better-kept secret. The name of this Mediterranean island on the Maltese archipelago means “joy,” and you’ll be full of joy once you see how uncrowded it is. Fly into Malta and then take a ferry to Gozo. You’ll be free to explore hidden gems like Calypso’s Cave — rumored to be the very cave Homer refers to in “The Odyssey” — and the Azure Window, a rock arch that is nature’s frame for the Mediterranean.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
More…
By Caroline Morse | Smarter Travel
Smuggler’s Cove, Zakynthos, Greece
Sail right past all the Greek islands that attract the cruise ships in the summer and find your own slice of private paradise on Zakynthos island’s Smuggler’s Cove. The unspoiled Navagio Beach has white sand and clear waters that are perfect for snorkeling. You won’t take boring, typical beach pictures here — there is a shipwreck right in the middle of the beach, making this island unique. When the boat (which was carrying smuggled cigarettes) wrecked and washed ashore, it gave the cove its name.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Badeschiff, Berlin, Germany
This is our favorite kind of art — art you can swim in! Originally built as an art project to enliven a neglected Berlin neighborhood, the Badeschiff is a floating public swimming pool that is open to anyone and costs just 5 euros. The pool floats atop the Spree River, which lets you feel like you’re swimming in the urban river without actually having to get in the dirty Spree water. Everything in Berlin is open late, and this pool’s no exception. Go for a dip here from 8 a.m. to midnight — there’s even a pool bar and occasional DJs to contribute to the festive mood.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Gozo, Malta
The small European island of Malta is an undiscovered treasure on its own — and its sister island, Gozo, is an even better-kept secret. The name of this Mediterranean island on the Maltese archipelago means “joy,” and you’ll be full of joy once you see how uncrowded it is. Fly into Malta and then take a ferry to Gozo. You’ll be free to explore hidden gems like Calypso’s Cave — rumored to be the very cave Homer refers to in “The Odyssey” — and the Azure Window, a rock arch that is nature’s frame for the Mediterranean.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
More…
