Europe's Hidden Gems - 4 "Second Cities" Worth Visiting

Discover Europe's best-kept secrets! Travel advisors Ryan and Julie explore four incredible European "second cities" that offer authentic experiences, fewer crowds, and better value than popular tourist destinations. Learn why these underrated gems should be on your travel bucket list.

Featured Destinations

Split, Croatia 🇭🇷

Why Visit: Ancient Roman history meets Adriatic charm

• Must-See: Diocletian's Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Activities: Island hopping, beach swimming, hiking Marjan Hill
• Best Time: Late May-June or September
• Stay: Old Town for history buffs, Bacvice area for beach lovers

Porto, Portugal 🇵🇹

Why Visit: Port wine capital with stunning riverside architecture

• Must-See: Livraria Lello bookstore (Harry Potter inspiration)
• Activities: Douro River cruise, wine cellar tours, Bolhão Market
• Best Time: April-June, September-October
• Stay: Ribeira District (riverside) or Cedofeita (artsy neighborhood)

Antwerp, Belgium 🇧🇪

Why Visit: Diamond capital meets avant-garde fashion scene

• Must-See: Diamond District, Cathedral of Our Lady, Grote Markt
• Activities: Chocolate workshops, beer tastings, fashion shopping
• Best Time: April-June or early September (plus December for Christmas markets)
• Stay: Historic center or trendy Harbor District

Valencia, Spain 🇪🇸

Why Visit: Birthplace of paella with innovative architecture and beaches

• Must-See: City of Arts and Sciences, Oceanographic aquarium
• Activities: Paella cooking classes, beach relaxation, Central Market
• Best Time: May-June or September-October
• Stay: Old Town for culture, beachfront for sun and sand

Key Travel Tips

• Budget-Friendly: Second cities offer authentic experiences at lower costs
• Less Crowded: Easier connections with locals and culture
• Perfect Pairings: Combine with major cities (Porto-Lisbon, Split-Dubrovnik)
• Shoulder Season: Visit during spring/fall for best weather and fewer tourists

Hosts

• Ryan: Travel Professor specializing in destination expertise
• Julie: Disney-loving Maryland mom and family travel specialist

Tags: #EuropeTravel #SecondCities #TravelTips #Croatia #Portugal #Belgium #Spain #OffTheBeatenPath #TravelPodcast

Transcript

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 0:00

hello and welcome to all things travel. What if I told you there's a better way to see Europe without the crowds inflated prices and possible tourist drops? Today we're continuing our off the Beaten Pass series by sharing four amazing cities that aren't on every Instagram feed yet, but offer just as much culture, charm, and adventure.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 0:24

Listening with travel advisors and destination experts, Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And I'm a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 0:48

Alright, Julie, so a couple weeks ago you had put together a off the beaten path episode of some really cool cities in the United States, so I kind of took your lead and I looked at Europe and these are not off the beaten path. These are. Kind of second cities, when it comes to Europe. These are places people have heard about, but not often your first stop on vacation. And so what I wanna talk about today is why you should rethink that. and I know you had talked about splitting Europe up, but as I got excited about it, I just wanted to talk about a whole bunch. that's the tack that I took today. I'm really excited to get started with this. let's think about Europe, What's a city that's not necessarily the high profile city in Europe that you would want to visit?

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 1:40

Ooh, Palermo.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 1:42

Talk to me about that.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 1:45

I remember researching they had really good food.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 1:47

Do you have, I know you're Italian by Heritage. Do you have a Sicilian, Italian in you? Is that one of the reasons why you wanna visit or you just, uh, potentially. Well, then you gotta, you gotta go there to find out, don't you?

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 2:00

yeah.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 2:00

Well, for me. I'm gonna go back to my recent river cruise, and as I was putting this trip together after I came back from Bratislava, you remember how much I enjoyed Bratislava, Slovakia. So I started to kind of think about how you could do that and then go from there to other cities via the trains. And so for me today, a lot of that is this, right? how can you extend your trip by focusing on some of these second cities? I don't say that in any sort of value statement it's just the reality of what the most popular cities are versus the others. I look at this topic today as a way to kind of extend your trip. So let's get into it.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 2:44

All right.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 2:45

But before we do that, I wanna remind folks if you did not listen to last week's episode, Julie and I gave a lot of tips and recent experiences from both our Royal Caribbean crews on Utopia, the Seas, and our trip to Walt Disney World. So Julie, I wanna talk about why travel to these second cities in Europe? One, they're less crowded, and so since they're less crowded, they tend to have less tourist focused areas, and so they're a little more authentic. They're usually more affordable, and It's easier to connect with locals and with culture because you're not. Fighting all the tourists, They have unique experiences that some of the bigger cities just don't offer anymore. And like I just said a minute ago, it's a great way to balance a trip by adding a second city to your itinerary that won't necessarily double the budget.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 3:38

Yeah.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 3:38

So the first city I wanna talk about, and if you've been on a cruise, you might be familiar with this, but that is Split Croatia. why do I put split Croatia on this list? Well, you've got a mix of ancient history and Adriatic charms, so you've got that seaside feel. You've got the bioclean. Palace, one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world, and it's really got this laid back coastal vibe. People know Dubrovnik from cruising, but unless they go on a smaller yacht cruise or something that's very Croatian or Adriatic Intenses, they're probably not going to split. So that gives it that laid back. Vibe. What can we do here? We can explore that palace, which is an ESCO site without the major crowds that we're gonna get at other places. We can do, day trips to some of the Adriatic Islands. How much fun would that be? Jump aboard a yacht for the day and do some island hopping. You can swim at the beach. There's also hiking on the marjon. Hill and absolutely you're gonna dine on some fresh seafood at a local family restaurant there in the port. Where am I gonna stay? If I go to Split, I might stay in Old Town, which is gonna be charming, walkable, near historic sites. And again, since it's not a touristy location, you're not gonna have to wait for. The ship to board or the buses to leave to have that feeling. It's gonna be all the time. You're gonna have that old town feeling You can stay in the Baus area, which is closer to the beaches and the beach clubs. If you want more of the beach vibe, or you could consider a boutique hotel or seaside villa that has a view of the harbor, would this just not be a nice way to relax?

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 5:29

beautiful.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 5:29

Absolutely. And when would you visit? You would visit late May to June or September for great weather, fewer crowds in warm water. July and August. You are gonna have a higher season with yacht cruises and ship, stopovers, but you're not gonna get that inundation of crowds that you are in other port spots.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 5:50

Yeah,

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 5:51

So Julie, talk about our second location in Portugal.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 5:55

Okay, so the next destination is gonna be Porto Portugal. This is known for being the port wine capital of the world, which is obviously why Ryan put it

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 6:05

Yeah, I mean, I'm done. I'm going there. I just booked my ticket.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 6:09

it has many colorful riverside neighborhoods and tiled buildings, so the architecture is really beautiful. The locals are very friendly and there's a good foodie culture,

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 6:20

it.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 6:20

is also really important to Ryan. some of the things to do here are to visit the

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 6:27

The LaVar Willow, and that is Julie. I looked at this when I was putting this show together. That is a magical bookstore that's said to inspire Harry Potter. It is the coolest thing ever, and it is so special. You have to actually get entry tickets to get into this bookstore because there are stairways all over the place. There are shelves. Like, to take the Harry Potter thing. It looks like olive vander's in places. It is so cool.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 6:56

Wow, that's crazy. Okay, so you can also take a Duro River cruise through the Vineyard Valleys. Tour historic port Wine cellars and Browse the boho market and sample local cheeses and pastries. There's a couple great places to stay here. the RA District, which is along the river. It's really scenic and central Sfia, which is artsy, it's quieter, think more of a boutique style stay, and there's also many charming guest houses and wine themed hotels in the area. The best time to visit will be April through June, and then also September and October for great weather, more the wine harvesting, and obviously you know a little bit. Less crowd, even though there's not gonna be a crowd you wanna avoid August and July because it's gonna be really hot and potentially more crowded.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 7:54

I love the idea of pairing this with Adora River Cruise. I love the idea of pairing this, with Lisbon or the Azos in Portugal, or even Madrid. I think this just sounds like a really cool town to visit.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 8:08

Agreed.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 8:10

So Julie, I've got two more for you, but before we do that, I wanna talk about where in the world is all things travel. we've got another great international spot and that is Lahore, Pakistan.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 8:24

Ooh.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 8:25

So Lahore, Pakistan, as I looked at things to do, somebody had a great sightseeing tour where they did the Lahore fort The bad Shahi Mosque. They did the ancient walled city, which is part of Lahore's, NewCo program. They have gardens and tombs. So there's a lot of really interesting historical things to see when you visit Lahore, and I'd love to do that with our listener. And hey, if you. Do us a favor. I would love to send a little thank you gift all the way to Pakistan, and I promise that I'll do it. I always send it when people reach out. So do me a favor, reach out to Julie or myself on Wonder and beyond travel.com and click contact us and I will be sending an all things travel goodie your.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 9:18

Ooh, awesome.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 9:20

All right, Julie. So this third destination I've actually been to,'cause this was part of my tulip time river cruise, and this is Antwerp Belgium. I was only there a day, but I can tell you this is an absolutely gorgeous, beautiful city Antwerp Belgium. Is the diamond capital of the world. They take their diamond industry, their diamond business very, very seriously. In fact, there's been some famous heists here that evolve like intricate underground vaults and all sorts of good stuff. it's also homed to Belgians fashion scene and avant-garde design. And what's really cool is this is the classic European city of history and trendiness mixed together.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 10:04

Wow.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 10:05

So what can we do here? We could tour the Diamond District, by visiting the Diamond Museum. We can shop in the fashion district, which is the National Trot. We can join a chocolate making workshop or beer tasting tour. actually, this was my excursion when we visited Antwerp. We did a food tour of Antwerp. Where we did beer tasting, chocolate tasting. french fries, and then we did waffles, it was absolutely fabulous. They have a beautiful square in the downtown central part of Antwerp where you can admire the cathedral of our lady and the Groat market square. it's just a really good city. I've looked at it before for travelers. You're talking about Several hours to Amsterdam. You're talking a very quick train ride to Bruge and to France. You can do this city with a lot of other components in Europe. Where are we gonna stay? We're gonna stay in either the historic center, near the cathedral, lots of shopping there, or we're gonna stay in the Harbor District where it's more trendy, modern, and close to lots of museums in Anw.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 11:12

Lots of good stuff

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 11:12

Oh, lots of good stuff to do. When are we gonna go? We're gonna go in spring, which is April to June or early September. We're using those shoulder months to our advantage where there's often milder weather and cultural events. And remember in Europe, December has great Christmas markets, so that may be a reason to visit Antwerp.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 11:34

Mm-hmm.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 11:35

could say, Steven, I've got an idea. Let's go to a Christmas market in Antwerp. you know what it is, it's the diamond capital of the world. What can we do there, Steven? when it comes to shopping for Christmas,

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 11:48

Maybe in a couple years.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 11:50

that's not quite the time of life that you're in.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 11:53

not quite there yet,

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 11:55

a very different, feel is Valencia, Spain, and that's our fourth option today. Tell us all about that, Julie.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 12:03

I know why you picked this place, Ryan, because it is the birthplace of paa.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 12:07

You know, can't help, but the great food comes from great places. that's not the be all end all, most of the time.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 12:15

Ryan's weeding out what places we're gonna talk about. He's like good food. That one's in. It's also known for its innovative architecture and sandy beaches. There's also a lot of vibrant festivals and local traditions. A couple of the great things to do in Valencia to visit the city of Arts and Sciences. Don't miss the Oceanographic.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 12:37

the oceanographic is this amazing aquarium. they have a campus of the city of arts and sciences, kind of like what Chicago does, where all their museums and everything is kind of together, and the aquarium in particular, it just looks fantastic.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 12:55

You can think about relaxing at the beach or biking through some local gardens. Explore the central market, of course, and try authentic pa sip horchata at a historic cafe in Old Town.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 13:09

I am gonna take a PA and making class. If I go to Valencia.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 13:13

I can't wait.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 13:14

Yeah.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 13:14

a couple places to consider staying is an old town where there's a lot of history, cafes and nightlife. If you're looking for something a little more trendy, artsy is a good place to be. Or there's a lot of beachfront hotels. If you want easy access to the sand and NC. The best time to visit is those shoulder season months, so May to June or September and October. If you go a little earlier in March, there's a nice festival going on and there's fireworks and crowds If you wanna be able to celebrate that.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 13:48

Yeah, very cool. Valencia would say is probably, uh. Out of this list, one that more people go to. if you're gonna do Spain and you're gonna do multiple cities, it's a good chance that Lindsay is one of'em. But I think it, it does offer something that Madrid and Barcelona do not when it comes to some lower crowds and some different options. So. Just to reiterate some of these ideas, you could use these second cities to slow down your trip or connect more deeply. You could add one to a classical itinerary. So for instance, pairing Porto with Lisbon, or split with Dubrovnik. I would say too, you know, we talk about them being second cities, but we've heard of all of these, so they're not gonna be that way for long. And as travel trends change and as people look for different places, why not go now? you can be the one that was there first, based on your Instagram feed and talking to all your friends over coffee. work with one of us, a travel advisor. When you're booking a place like this, because we're gonna be able to do a deep dive and find some of the things that are off the beaten path as far as different tours, boutique stays. that's where these second cities really shine.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 15:02

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 15:03

So, Julius, we wrap up. Which of these excite you the most?

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 15:08

Oh, I think Valencia, Spain. you sold me with paella and beaches.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 15:14

you can have paella on the beach. I love that. So for me, I really think Porto just because Portugal's not a place that I've been. Um, and I, I think that would be an exciting place to see and, and really experience in conjunction with some other place that I'm visiting.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 15:33

And wine.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 15:35

And wine.

j_1_07-23-2025_150409: 15:38

The world is full of wonder, and your next great adventure is waiting. At Wonder and Beyond Travel, we work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or just want to dream a little bigger, head over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started.

ryan_2_07-23-2025_150409: 16:01

we look forward to talking to you next week on all things travel.