With 44 countries officially recognized by the United Nations, Europe is a wonderful mix of languages, cultures and cuisines cramped together into an area that’s slightly larger than Canada.
But next time you go to Europe, you might want to skip the long lines at the Eiffel Tower or the Uffizi Gallery and, instead, spend your precious vacation days in places that haven’t been overtaken by the masses.
Don’t know where to start? We have the most underrated attraction in every European country, and they’re so incredible, they might be worth visiting a specific country or city just to see them.
Greece: Nisyros Island Volcano
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Location: Nisyros
Where to find it: Aegean Sea
Price: ~$50 for the ferry from Kos
Bottom line: There are many, many, many islands in Greece, and you’d have trouble finding one that isn’t worth visiting. However, we think you should really consider Nisyros as your alternative to crowded islands like Mykonos and Santorini.
Here, you won’t just find the quintessential white buildings built on top of each other but also get the chance to basically stay in a volcano. That’s right, this island is actually an active volcano, whose crater you can go visit when you’re not sunbathing or stuffing yourself with Greek food.
Holy See: Vatican Necropolis
Location: Vatican City
Where to find it: Saint Peter’s Basilica
Price: $16.50
Bottom line: As one of the most visited places in the world, it’s hard to think the Vatican could have an attraction most people miss.
To be fair to tourists, the Vatican Necropolis, which is located underneath Saint Peter’s Basilica, only allows 250 visitors per day in groups of 12. You must write far in advance to ask for permission to visit and pray that it is granted.
If you are one of the lucky few who are able to enter, you will be able to visit three levels, which include a first-century Pagan burial, stone mausolea and the alleged bones of Saint Peter.
