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Month: December 2019

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10 European Discoveries for 2020

In 2020, Europe will be more crowded than ever. Fortunately, there are still plenty of undiscovered alternatives: A sweet little beach town in Portugal. The quieter sides of London and Tuscany. The thriving tapas scene in an underrated Basque city. Street markets in Ljubljana and Provence. Switzerland’s capital and Bulgaria’s cultural capital. The wilds of northwest Iceland. The Tuscan island where Napoleon rallied for his final stand. And even a pilgrimage to a newly trendy nuclear meltdown site. These are my 10 European discoveries for 2020.

In 2019, my travels took me to London, Paris, and Rome; to Tuscany, Provence, and the Swiss Alps; and to the fjords of Iceland, the Julian Alps of Slovenia, and the white cliffs of England’s South Coast. And yet, reflecting on a  very busy year, I’m struck by how many of my fondest memories were forged not in the big-name destinations, but in out-of-the-way places. Continuing my annual tradition (check out my discoveries for 2018 and 2019), I’ve collected this list of Europe’s lesser-known highlights. You’ll notice a theme: Most of these are close to extremely famous — and extremely overrun — European biggies. It’s striking how, with a little effort, you can discover a little corner of Europe all to yourself.

 

The Westfjords, Iceland

About nine in ten visitors to Iceland hew close to the capital, Reykjavík, making speedy day trips to the Golden Circle, South Coast, and Blue Lagoon. That’s efficient and satisfying, if time is short. But to strike out on your own, head north — way north — to the Westfjords. Up here, just shy of the Arctic Circle, you’ll find boundless fjordland vistas, thundering bridal-veil waterfalls (including one of Iceland’s best, Dynjandi), plucky and kind locals, and one of the world’s top bird cliffs, a magical place called Látrabjarg. If you’ve made brief “layover” forays into Iceland and are ready to invest a few days in getting way off the beaten path…the Westfjords are for you. My trip to the Westfjords in September of 2019 — to write a brand-new chapter for the second edition of our Rick Steves Iceland guidebook (coming soon) — ranks as one of my all-time favorite road trips.

 

Untouristy London

London is a world in itself — endlessly, relentlessly, exhaustingly engaging. For some, it can be too much. When visiting London, hit the big sights, sure. (Ideally equipped with some smart crowd-beating tips.) But make a point to also break out of the tourist rut and become a temporary Londoner. During my two weeks in London in 2019, I cycled through “Little Venice” along the Regent’s Canal, explored hipster street markets (my favorite is Maltby Street Rope Walk Market), hiked across the urban wilderness of Hampstead Heath, explored the Shoreditch street-art-and-foodie neighborhood, checked out the food halls of Brixton, and rode a commuter train to the lovely suburban neighborhood of Dullwich. London is one of Europe’s most satisfying cities to explore. So…explore.

By the way, this approach also works like a charm in other overcrowded cities. For example, in Rome, consider skipping the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum and heading to some exponentially less overrun alternatives. (I love Rome’s Monti neighborhood, across the street from the Ancient Forum.)

 

Bern, Switzerland

Switzerland’s seat of government is also its most appealing urban playground. Livable Bern is tucked quietly between some of Switzerland’s most heavily trafficked destinations — namely, the Berner Oberland and Lake Luzern. And yet, it’s one of the only European capitals where locals complain about how few tourists visit, rather than how many. Updating our Rick Steves Switzerland guidebook in Bern this fall, I enjoyed the city’s pristine arcaded streets, playful fountains, engaging museums, super-scenic bridges, warm sandstone townhouses, low-key students-and-politicians pace of life, and convivial park huddled under its towering church steeple. One Friday evening at sunset, I hiked up to a tranquil rose garden where everyone was just hanging out, peering out over the handsome cityscape, and waiting for the sun to go down. It was — in a most unexpected place — one of my favorite travel memories of 2019. (Our Best of Switzerland Tour ends with a night in this fine little city.)

 

Ljubljana’s “Open Kitchen,” Slovenia

Speaking of underrated capitals, Ljubljana has long been my favorite little city in Europe. And it just keeps getting better. While Ljubljana is inviting anytime, do your best to visit on a Friday (from mid-March through mid-October, weather permitting). That’s when the market square plays host to the wonderful Open Kitchen, one of my favorite food events in Europe. Each of the several dozen stalls is operated by a brick-and-mortar restaurant, from internationally recognized chefs to hole-in-the-wall dives. And the variety is bewildering: During my visit in early October, I saw vegan burgers, huge simmering pans of paella, Argentinian steaks, ribs and pulled pork, Indian dosas, Belgian waffles, poke bowls, Slovenian microbrews, Chinese noodles, hearty sausages and čevapčići, delicate macarons, and an entire roast pig on a spit. People settle into big shared tables or grab a seat on the cathedral steps to graze and socialize. It’s a melting pot of culinary Slovenia — home to one of Europe’s most underappreciated food scenes.

 

Salema, Portugal

Of the many things that Rick and I agree on, this tops the list: Salema — a tiny town on Portugal’s Algarve Coast — may be the best beach town in Europe. It’s just down the coast from big, glitzy resorts (like Lagos, Abufeira, and Portimão). But Salema feels like an idyllic, Old World hideaway. Visiting recently to update the Algarve chapter for our Rick Steves Portugal guidebook, I was utterly charmed by Salema. It doesn’t have enough hotels, and the ones it has are past their prime (or humble-by-design). Sunbathers share the beach with fishing boats, pulled just beyond the reach of the tide. Grizzled fisherfolk grab the shade at a beachfront café near the communal tractor they use to hoist those boats up onto the sand. The cobbled main drag climbs up through a whitewashed world of simple homes. And Salema’s beach — with powdery yellow sand, just the right amount of surf, vivid-yellow cliffs, and beach bars happy to rent you a thatched umbrella and a lounger — is made to order for a day of sunbathing and splashing.

 

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Yes, really. Chernobyl — a two-hour drive north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv — is a compelling, moving, and (if science is to be believed) safe place to visit. I went to Chernobyl in late 2018 (before it was “cool”) and found the experience captivating. With the smash success of HBO’s award-winning Chernobyl miniseries in 2019, the site of humankind’s worst nuclear accident is becoming known as a travel destination. Why visit? Touring Chernobyl offers an unforgettable lesson in radiation, and its capacity for both technological achievement and destruction. It lets you walk through a trapped-in-time, Cold War-era Soviet workers’ town, and witness the power of nature to reclaim abandoned civilization. And, most importantly, it shares the poignant stories of the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives to contain the meltdown, saving Ukraine — and, likely, much of Europe — from a horrifying fate. It’s hard to imagine a more memorable day out, anywhere in Europe, than Chernobyl.

 

Lesser-Known Markets of Provence, France

In the fall of 2019, my wife and I spent a week in Provence, making a point to visit a different market each day. We enjoyed the biggies (like the ones in l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Aix-en-Provence, and Uzès). But our favorites were the lesser-known alternatives. On Tuesday in Vaison-la-Romaine, we browsed the floral soaps and lavender sachets that were piled on rickety tables between Roman ruins. On Friday in Lourmarin, we strolled into town along a plane tree-shaded boulevard, lined on both sides with stacks of colorful, plump produce and mounds of glistening olives. And on Sunday in Coustellet, at a lowbrow market filling the crossroad village’s dusty parking lot, we picked up a droopy bouquet of sunflowers, plus some smoked meats and mountain cheese for a picnic. The fact is, every day of the week,  a variety of markets enliven no-name towns all over Provence. Figure out which one’s nearest to you (listed in our Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera guidebook)… and check it out.

 

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Bulgaria remains one of Europe’s most underrated destinations. And if I had to pick one place to visit in Bulgaria, it’d be Plovdiv. This small city of 340,000 has a modern bustle, with a pedestrian-friendly shopping boulevard slathered in vivid street art. It has a funky hipster zone — nicknamed “The Mousetrap” — where communist-kitsch posters laugh down over diners feasting on upmarket Bulgarian fare. And draped over a hillside above the modern city, the atmospheric old town has a remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheater, colorful traditional homes in the Bulgarian National Revival style, and one of Europe’s very best “hidden gem” art museums, featuring the works of Zlatyu Boyadzhiev —  the “Bulgarian Van Gogh,” who taught himself to paint left-handed after a stroke. If more people knew about Plovdiv, it’d be a tourist mecca. But they don’t…so for now, it’s all yours.

Plovdiv is one of the highlights on our Best of Bulgaria Tour; for a sneak preview, check out this segment from our Bulgaria TV show.

 

Bilbao Tapas Scene, Spain

The Basque Country is one of Spain’s culinary hotspots, and the genteel beach town of San Sebastián hogs much of the attention. But don’t overlook the bigger urban center of Bilbao, just an hour’s drive to the west. On a recent visit to Bilbao, I arrived late on a Friday evening. From my little B&B in the heart of the old town, I stepped out into a commotion of thriving bars and restaurants, each one with a creative array of tapas proudly lined up on the counter. Facing the Atlantic, Bilbao’s tapas bars come with more than their share of mysterious seafood — mounted on a crunchy little disc of baguette or skewered with a toothpick. As a bonus, you can go for an after-dinner stroll along the serene embankment, culminating in a floodlit view of Frank Gehry’s iconic Guggenheim Bilbao. (Our Basque Country Tour ends with two nights in Bilbao.)

If you’re headed out on a tapas crawl, and want to increase your odds of getting ostras (oysters) instead of orejas (pig’s ears), consider these tapas tips.

 

The Isle of Elba, Tuscany, Italy

This island is best known as the place where Napoleon was sent into exile. Turns out, it’s also ideal for a beach break from a busy Tuscan itinerary. Connected to mainland Tuscany by an easy one-hour ferry ride, Elba comes with a textbook “salty Mediterranean harbor,” a couple of evocatively faded Napoleonic palaces, scenic drives to secluded beaches, and an unforgettable gondola ride to the island’s rocky summit in an open-air cage that had me feeling like a parakeet going for the ride of its life. The designers of our brand-new Best of Tuscany Tour deserve the credit for this one: After they included Elba on the tour route, I went there to add it to the newly released 19th edition of our Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany guidebook… and I was hooked. (Check out my full report on Elba.)  In fact, I’ll be returning to Elba in 2020 as a tour member on that new Tuscany tour. And I can’t wait.

 

How about you? What are your favorite European discoveries? Where are you most excited to visit in 2020?

Need more inspiration? My “discoveries” lists for both 2018 and 2019 are still great choices in 2020.

I’ll be posting more about several of these discoveries — including Iceland’s Westfjords, the markets of Provence, and Switzerland’s underrated cities — in the next few weeks. To make sure you don’t miss anything, “like” me on Facebook.

Wherever you’re going in 2020…happy travels!

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10 Movies and TV Shows that Capture the Essence of Europe

Movies and TV play a powerful role in shaping and enhancing our European travels. A Harry Potter franchise can dramatically boost tourism to the UK. Game of Thrones helped put entire chunks of Europe (Dubrovnik, Northern Ireland) on the “must-see” map.  A random little church in Scotland became flooded with tourists after appearing in a Tom Hanks blockbuster. And a recent surge in visitors to Norway is largely credited to a massively successful film — Frozen — that is not even explicitly set in Norway. Movies and TV show us the world…and inspire us to go experience it.

In a previous life, I had a two-year stint writing movie reviews for my hometown Gazette (which locals affectionately called the “Guess-At”). While my love of movies never went away, it was soon eclipsed by my love of travel. And to this day, before I go on any trip, I load up my iPad with movies and TV shows that are related to the places I’m visiting.

So, combining my two loves, here’s a list of the 10 movies and TV shows that most effectively stoke my wanderlust for Europe. A few caveats: This is a highly idiosyncratic list, weighted heavily toward Eastern Europe and 20th-century history (two of my travel passions). I’ve intentionally limited esoteric, foreign-language, art house films; instead, I’ve focused on mainstream entertainment that’s easy to find and easy to digest. And I also want to stress that these are, by no means, the 10 best movies about Europe. Rather, these are the movies that best capture the spirit of Europe, most successfully convey a sense of place…and get me excited for my next trip.

No Man’s Land (2001), Bosnia-Herzegovina

I’ve spent much of my career grappling with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s. And this egregiously underwatched film (which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film) is the best I’ve seen when it comes to providing real insight into the conflict. No Man’s Land doesn’t attempt to explain the geopolitical or historical reasons for ethnic cleansing. Rather, it captures the experience of normal, everyday people on the front lines — swirling inside a whirlpool of agendas bigger than them. It’s about people who never really cared that much about sectarian strife until someone put a gun in their hands and dropped them into a trench. Surprisingly funny, it’s also darkly comic in showing the callous self-interest of international participants with no personal stake in the outcome. According to many of my friends in the former Yugoslavia, this film’s absurdist tone rings painfully true.

 

Before Sunset (2004), Paris

A pair of star-crossed lovers (played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) reunite in the City of Light nine years after spending a night wandering around Vienna together nine years earlier. We catch up on what they’ve been doing since Before Sunrise and watch them fall in love all over again, in real time. While Paris is only a backdrop, the film captures a real sense of place: bohemian cafés, cobbled back lanes, sun-dappled parks, and the sumptuous Seine riverbank. It’s well worth watching Before Sunrise first — just to get to know the younger versions of Jesse and Céline — but this middle chapter of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy is, for me, the most compelling.

 

Saving Private Ryan (1998), Normandy

As a World War II buff and a proud American, I’ve never traveled anyplace that filled me with a more humbled appreciation for my forebears than the D-Day beaches of Normandy. The only thing that can make a visit to the rusted tank barriers, evocative cemeteries, and abandoned gun emplacements on France’s sandy northern coastline more poignant? Heading back to your hotel and watching Saving Private Ryan, which captures both the epic scale of Operation Overlord and its human cost. (If you’re left wanting more, the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers — produced around the same time by many of the same filmmakers — offers a deeper dive into the Allied invasion of Europe.)

 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013), Iceland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HddkucqSzSM

I feel conflicted about this one. While I admire its gee-whiz optimism, and I’m charmed by the lead performances by Ben Stiller (who also directed) and Kristen Wiig, ultimately it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Even so, when I’m planning a trip to Iceland, I find myself getting an itch to rewatch it, if only for the marvelous use it makes of Icelandic filming locations. In one scene, the title character — epically, if nonsensically — skateboards his way down a long, curving mountain road to a fjordside village, before escaping from an erupting volcano. Iceland also stands in for Greenland and for the cut-glass peaks of the Himalayas. And, to its credit, Walter Mitty captures the pure joy of venturing out, for the first time, into a big, exciting, fascinating world.

 

Schindler’s List (1993) and The Pianist (2002), the Holocaust in Poland

 

This one-two cinematic gut punch brings to excruciating life the reality of the Holocaust in Poland. Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece (and Best Picture Oscar winner), Schindler’s List, tells the story of the Jewish people who lived in the Kraków neighborhood of Kazimierz. (It was also filmed there, which revitalized interest in a rich Jewish heritage that had been largely swept under the rug during communism.) And The Pianist features Adrian Brody (in a role that won him the Best Actor Oscar) as Władysław Szpilman, the acclaimed Warsaw concert pianist who became a refugee hiding out in his own city. While both films do a remarkable job of dramatizing a dark chapter in Polish history, the scenes in The Pianist that show a broken Szpilman stumbling through the rubble of Warsaw are particularly poignant in conveying the full impact of war and genocide.

 

Outlander Season 1 (2014), Scottish Highlands

A love letter to the Scottish Highlands, Outlander paints a vivid portrait of rural Scotland at its zenith in the mid-18th century, immediately before the Battle of Culloden sparked the decline of the clan system. Unapologetically racy (in a Fifty Shades of Plaid kind of way), it’s also a compelling love story — thanks to a magnetic lead performance by Catriona Balfe as a WWII-era English nurse magically transported back two centuries. While working on our Rick Steves Scotland guidebook, I found Outlander the perfect way to wind down at the end of each day of driving along moody lochs, bonny glens, and stony villages. (And my Scottish friends gave it high marks for historical accuracy — particularly compared to the many liberties taken by Braveheart.) Later seasons spend more time away from Scotland — leaving much of that Highlands magic behind — but Season 1 is a Scottish treat.

 

Good Bye Lenin! (2003), Cold War East Berlin

This funny, touching, surprisingly lighthearted movie offers glimpses into what it was like to live behind the Iron Curtain — before, during, and after the transition from communism to capitalism. Daniel Brühl plays a young man who looks after his fragile mother, an ardent communist who goes into a coma just before the Berlin Wall falls. When she awakens several months later, Brühl and his sister are determined to hide the potentially devastating truth from her. If you’re headed to Berlin and want a taste of “Ost-algie” (nostalgia for Cold War East Germany), Good Bye Lenin! is a must. (This narrowly beat out 2006’s The Lives of Others — a much darker, but equally insightful, take on life in communist East Germany.)

 

The Crown (2016-Present), Britain’s Tumultuous 20th Century

It’s staggering to think of all the history that Queen Elizabeth II has witnessed during her nearly seven decades on the throne of the United Kingdom. Peter Morgan’s series The Crown, grand in both its narrative ambition and its geographical scope, captures that history powerfully — from world-changing events to intimate family relationships. During the first two seasons, Claire Foy and Matt Smith created the definitive screen versions of the Queen and Prince Phillip (not to mention John Lithgow in a career-capping role as Winston Churchill). Then season three kicked off with a time jump and an entirely new cast, with Olivia Coleman and Tobias Menzies taking over the lead roles. Since seeing The Crown, there’s no other TV show or movie that comes to mind more often as I travel around Britain.

 

The Death of Yugoslavia (1995)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDADy9b2IBM&list=PLJvRFxihL4d03IzmoxyhU1C-kn27lxVvB

Documentaries could be an entire “top 10” list of their own, but I’ve included just this one, because it’s a marvel: a five-part BBC series (hosted by Christiane Amanpour) that traces the descent of Yugoslavia into war in the 1990s. It’s expertly illustrated by copious news footage and actual interviews with every single one of the major players, from Slobodan Milošević to Bill Clinton. Best of all, you can watch it in its entirety on YouTube (start here, with episode one). It’s an astonishing achievement in capturing the “history as it happens” aspect of the most recent war to take place on European soil, and required viewing for anyone going to Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, or any other former-Yugoslav lands.

 

Rick Steves Europe (2000-Present)

While this may seem like blatant product placement, the fact is that when I’m heading to Europe, there’s no better way to get ready than by watching Rick’s travelogues. They help me visualize what I’m traveling so far to see, make informed decisions about how to prioritize my time, and gain historical context for my sightseeing. Yes, I’m completely biased. But after more than 120 episodes, there’s still nobody who teaches travel on TV better than Rick Steves.

 

Honorable Mention

This was a tough list to narrow down! Here are some more favorites that didn’t quite make the cut.

The Third Man (1949), Post-WWII Vienna: Starring Orson Welles, this classic film captures a unique moment in time, when Vienna was in rubble — and, thanks to its position straddling East and West, was a den of spies.

Sherlock (2010-Present), London: Aside from being a rollicking, riveting update of a classic of English literature, the BBC/PBS Sherlock series (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) captures the spirit of contemporary London: grand landmarks, dreary Tube stations, sweeping Thames panoramas, thumbing out text messages in the back of a black cab, and so on.

Inglourious Basterds (2009), WWII Europe: Quentin Tarantino’s films are, understandably, not everyone’s cup of tea. But I’m a fan, and this is my favorite. Not only does it present — spoiler warning! — an intensely satisfying, over-the-top-gruesome death scene for Hitler and the entire Nazi leadership. But the film’s most pivotal, most riveting scene hangs on the subtle cultural difference that Brits (like Americans) count with their index finger as “one,” while Germans (like other Continental Europeans) use their thumb.

Master of None Season 2 (2017), Tuscany: The first two episodes of this Aziz Ansari Netflix series’ second season were filmed in Tuscany. The first — a takeoff of Bicycle Thieves — captures the joy of being an American in a small Italian town. The second episode basks in the sumptuous scenery of my all-time favorite corner of Italy, the Val d’Orcia, near Pienza. In one memorable scene, a little car gets stuck in a narrow lane…a hilarious nightmare-come-true for any American driver who’s tried to navigate Old World villages.

Bridge of Spies (2015), Cold War Berlin: Along with a vintage Tom Hanks performance and Steven Spielberg’s reliably engaging direction, this film offers a glimpse of Berlin just as the Cold War was heating up. In one captivating scene, a masterful continuous shot twists in and out of the Berlin Wall at the very moment that it’s being built.

Notting Hill (1999), London: Both for its intimate portrait of a colorful, gritty, trendy London neighborhood (which, thanks partly to this movie, has become touristy and quite posh) and for its sharp British wit, this one’s a sentimental favorite.

Chernobyl (2019): HBO’s acclaimed miniseries is painstakingly researched, grippingly dramatized, and required viewing if you’re planning to visit the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident. Don’t miss the official companion podcast with the show’s creator, Craig Mazin, which greatly enhances the experience of watching the show.

James Bond Movies: Some of the most beautiful European scenery ever filmed has been set dressing for big 007 set pieces. Recent favorites include the motorcycle chase through Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (in 2012’s Skyfall), the shootout in a sinking Venetian palazzo (in 2006’s Casino Royale), a footrace across the terra cotta rooftops of Siena during the Palio horse race (in 2008’s Quantum of Solace), and the Bond family estate in a moody Scottish Highlands glen (also in Skyfall) — and that’s just the Daniel Craig Bond.

Jason Bourne Movies: The European scenery in Bond films feels just like that: scenery. The Bourne movies, on the other hand, don’t serve up Europe on a prettified platter — they live in its grittiest corners. I love the way they’re largely set in real public spaces of unromantic cities like Berlin, Zürich, and Moscow — hulking train stations, rush hour-clogged boulevards, grubby concrete squares — rather than prettied-up piazzas or alpine vistas. When I travel, I spend a lot of time in gloomy train stations…and I’ve never seen those captured so true-to-life as in the Bourne movies.

Pretty Much Every Movie, Budapest: I am a Budapest aficionado (heck, I literally wrote the book on the place). And I love spotting my favorite city standing in for other European locales in a long string of Hollywood hits. The city’s patina of faded European elegance is enticing to filmmakers: Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), in which Budapest stood in for everywhere from Paris to Rome; Evita (1996), in which Budapest became Buenos Aires; I Spy (2002), an atrocious Eddie Murphy/Owen Wilson action comedy that made glorious use of its Budapest location; and the opening scenes of Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011). I even saw a movie being filmed once in Budapest: Riding on a bus in the streets near the parliament, I glanced out the window to see what looked like a shootout raging on a random side-street. About a year later, I recognized the scene in Melissa McCarthy’s Spy (2015).

This is just scratching the surface. Everyone has their sentimental favorite Europe movies. What are some of yours, and why?

If you like these ideas, there are many more things to watch (and read). Here’s a country-by-country rundown of our favorite books and movies for every place in Europe.