Okay I’m curious. What’s a place you visited that completely exceeded your expectations because you’d barely heard of it before going? I feel like every “hidden gem” article just lists the same 10 places that aren’t really hidden anymore (looking at you, Hallstatt).
I want the real ones. Places where you showed up not knowing what to expect and left thinking “why isn’t everyone talking about this?” Any continent, any budget. Just genuinely surprising.
For those living in North America, I feel like the Canadian Rockies aren’t talked about enough. Especially with how expensive travelling to Switzerland is when converted to USD to CAD to see similar views. Switzerland does have more picturesque “niche” villages, but if you’re looking to just go to the mountains and lakes, but don’t want to spend a lot to see those then check out:
They are still pretty known destinations in Canada, though, so it can get pretty busy during peak summer months. Snow starts earlier and ends later in those areas, so best to plan a trip around beginning May to end of September! On the flip side, I’d love to hear more about underrated places similar to Southern France 