by Last month, cruise giant Royal Caribbean got into trouble by announcing a voyage “departing from Venice (Ravenna),” when surely even the youngest geography student knows that the historic, though charming, city is also just a stone’s throw away. two and a half hours by car. of Italy’s floating masterpiece.
The Advertising Standards Authority warned against further misleading campaigns, but arguably a greater crime was committed than simply reducing distances on a map. Reducing Ravenna to a bracketed place – a means to a more famous end – does a great disservice to a beautiful destination in its own right.
And Ravenna isn’t the only city that’s been sidelined by its bucket-list neighbor. For years, low-cost airlines have been luring unsuspecting travelers to cities miles away from advertised destinations, reducing these less beloved stars to a sad supporting role.
Deserving of greater recognition, it is time for these cities to free themselves from the barriers that have limited them for too long.
Bergamo (instead of Milan)
Italy’s fashion capital may have a monopoly on haute couture hangouts and designer hotels, but it is by no means the best-dressed city in the region. Classic in style, the hilltop city of Bergamo is much more attractive and has been in fashion for hundreds of years.
Remove layers of history by exploring its multiple levels. A funicular rises to the oldest upper district, Citta Alta, where cobblestone streets are surrounded by Venetian walls and basilicas with gilded interiors. Milan may have Leonardo’s Last Supper, but there are equally impressive works to admire on the gallery walls and in its (not so close) neighbour’s church. Check out masterpieces by Botticelli, Bellini and Raphael at the Accademia Carrara art gallery, one of the best collections of Italian Renaissance art.
Surrounded by lakes and mountains, this is a city dedicated to good views. Climb 230 steps to the top of the 52-meter Campanone Tower, where a bell rings at 10 pm every night as a reminder of the city’s former curfew.
Stay: The luxurious Relais San Vigilio al Castello has double rooms from £186 per night, with breakfast (00 39 035 265 0987)
Beauvais (instead of Paris)
Sure, Monet, Degas and Renoir may have found inspiration on the streets of Paris, but 50 miles away and more than 150 years later, painter André Van Beek can be found creating brush strokes among the dahlias, water lilies and hydrangeas from his poetic garden in Saint-Paul, a ten-minute drive from Beauvais. This tranquil space is a good introduction to the capital of the Oise department, filled with as much romance as its elegant and colorful older brother.
While Notre Dame is still rising from the ashes, the Gothic Beauvais Cathedral looms against the skyline, drawing visitors with its brilliant stained glass windows and ornate astronomical clock. Next door, inside the former Bishop’s Palace, the MUDO (Musée de l’Oise) may not be the Louvre, but it still features an impressive array of archaeological artifacts and bombastic works of art.
In the city centre, Place Jeanne Hachette has its fair share of elegant facades, fountains and awning cafes, while the riverside promenades along the pretty Le Thérain canal are a low-key alternative to strolls along the Seine. .
Stay: Just steps from the cathedral, the Hôtel Mercure Beauvais Center Cathédrale has double rooms from £122, with breakfast (00 33 3 44 04 04 11)
Girona (instead of Barcelona)
Far from being official, placing a “Barça” sticker at the entry airport to the Costa Brava was a clever marketing ploy by low-cost airlines that distort the truth, and is not only misleading, but downright rude.
A backdrop for scenes from cult fantasy series game of Thrones, the medieval walls and cobblestone streets of this Catalan city are some of the best preserved in Europe. Pose for photos on the picturesque stone steps of the baroque Sant Domènech staircase, admire the perfectly symmetrical bell tower of the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants and stroll through the exceptional Arab baths (which make our West Country thermal baths look like a paddling pool) . ).
Once you’re done climbing steep alleys and wandering the arcaded streets of the Jewish Quarter, look for the bright iconic facades of the houses along the Onyar River. An Art Nouveau masterpiece with carved wood furniture and etched glass, architect Rafael Masó’s former family home is open for browsing.
Located along the gold-fringed Costa Brava and forest-surrounded Pyrenees, there are also many possibilities to explore the nearby nature.
Stay: Boutique hotel run by the Roca gastronomic family, Casa Cacao has double rooms from £186 per night with breakfast (00 34 972 28 28 28)
Vasteras (instead of Stockholm)
Sweden’s capital isn’t the only city with watery charm: there’s plenty of waterside action 100km away in this lesser-known archipelago on the shores of Lake Mälaren. Beaches and boardwalks are the obvious attractions in summer; and once the water freezes, the area becomes a huge ice skating rink.
As you would expect in a Scandinavian city, there is no shortage of eccentric attractions. Watch fish swim by the window of the underwater Utter Inn, designed by artist Mikael Genberg, search for ghosts at Engsö Castle (a female figure appears at 8 p.m.), or meander through the stones of Sweden’s largest burial mound , Anundshögen. Wild water swimming is also possible at various points along the coast, but if stories of sea monsters give you chills, soak in hot tubs and slide down slides at the eight-story Kokpunkten water park.
Stay: Steam Hotel, a lakeside hotel in a former power station, offers double rooms from £217 with breakfast (00 46 21 475 99 00)
Memmingen (instead of Munich)
It’s a bit of a stretch to confuse this with the beer capital of Bavaria; in fact, a stretch of 115 km. Before you bolt, take some time to familiarize yourself with one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval ancient towns. Pass over 700-year-old stones along the covered Kohlschanze wall and stop at prison towers called Witches, Beggars and Adulterers, giving you a taste of the mischief that once took place there.
Across town, colorful and intricate facades create the backdrop for a misplaced Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Stop at the Fisherman’s Day Fountain, built in honor of an annual celebration in July, when a waterway is drained and local men compete with giant nets to catch the biggest trout.
Beyond the churches, castles, palaces and patrician houses, there are an overwhelming number of cask breweries. Try the Barfüßer Hausbrauerei for a few pints with Maultaschen (a type of meat-filled ravioli) or make a pilgrimage out of town to Ursberg Abbey, where monks have been brewing bottom-fermented beers since 1623.
Stay: Equipped with its own brauhaus, Joesepp’s Hotel has double rooms from £85, room only (00 9 8331 9278104)
