10 Least Travelled European Capitals
Saturday, 05 Apr, 2010
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Downtown Chisinau
Tourists search for destinations untouched by mass tourism where they can experience a really different visit
Destinations are becoming more homogenous and more and more like the source markets they serve. So British tourists can get fish and chips wherever they go, Germans can get bratwurst etc.
Recent reports suggest that Spain has lost appeal because it is no longer considered foreign enough, so flight site Skyscanner has revealed Europe’s ten least travelled capitals by British tourists, for those wishing to experience genuine, untouched foreign culture.
At number one, the least likely place to run into fellow Brits was Chisinau in Moldova. Squished between Romania and Ukraine and built on the river Bîc, this is one of Europe’s most obscure and cheapest capitals.
Minsk in Belarus came in second and is renowned for friendly locals, clean streets and leafy parks. Luxembourg, capital of the tiny landlocked country of the same name came in third, whilst it was Macedonia’s capital Skopje that took fourth place.
Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina was in fifth place. Other cities of the former Yugoslavia also ranked highly in their secret status including Montenegro’s Podgorica (6th), Croatia’s Zagreb (8th) and Serbia’s Belgrade (9th).
Barry Smith, Skyscanner Co-Founder and Business Development Director commented: “Spain has been deemed too British for British people, so why not visit somewhere a little off the beaten path? Although some enjoy the familiarity of fish and chips and Carling lager on tap, many want to feel like they have left the UK behind when they go on holiday. Skyscanner’s list of Europe’s 10 most secret cities are still undiscovered enough to be new and exciting, and you’re unlikely to bump into many Brits there
The survey shows:
1. Chisinau (Moldova)
2. Minsk (Belarus)
3. Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
4. Skopje (Macedonia)
5. Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
6. Podgorica (Montenegro)
7. Kiev (Ukraine)
8. Zagreb (Croatia)
9. Belgrade (Serbia)
10. Tallinn (Estonia)
Ranking is based on least searched for destinations on Skyscanner by UK users over last 90 days.
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