Travelling through Europe is so easy: you can do short hops by plane, enjoy the scenery by train, drive across borders in a hire car or even walk. You can reach so many different countries quickly. Having breakfast, lunch and dinner in different countries is a favorite thing to document on social media, and famous places to see are ticked off the list within days.
And yet, there are some countries that are often overlooked. Be it because of their size and seclusion, be it because people simply don’t know it’s there or what’s there.
The tiniest of the all, Vatican City is about 0.7 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, whereas the largest on this list, Albania, is just a touch larger than New Jersey.
They might be small, but each of the countries has historic sites that often date back to pre-historic times, think 3600 BC, and are littered with UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are a couple of Mediterranean Islands, a few land-locked countries, and others with amazing coastlines. Some of them do not have airports, making visiting a little more challenging; some you can tick off in a day, while others have so much to offer that a mere side trip won’t be enough.
All of them make worthwhile destinations and even if you haven’t heard of them or can with any certainty pinpoint them on the map — don’t forget to stop off and visit when you’re in Europe.