The 10 Most Underrated Cities in Europe for 2026

Europe's great capitals — Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam — are great for a reason, but they're also crowded, expensive and increasingly strained by overtourism. The real joy of European travel in 2026 lies increasingly in the cities just off the main circuit: places with all the history, beauty and culture of the famous capitals, but a fraction of the crowds and the prices. Here are ten of the most underrated cities in Europe right now, drawn from our coverage of the continent.

1. Porto, Portugal

Lisbon gets the attention, but many travellers come away preferring Porto. Portugal's second city tumbles down steep hills to the Douro River, its tiled facades and port wine lodges creating one of the most atmospheric urban landscapes in Europe. It's smaller, cheaper and more characterful than the capital, with a food and wine scene that punches well above its weight.

2. Matera, Italy

One of the most extraordinary cities in Europe and still relatively unknown to international travellers. Matera's Sassi — ancient cave dwellings carved into the rock, continuously inhabited for some 9,000 years — make it one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements on Earth. Once an impoverished slum, it's now a UNESCO site and a genuinely jaw-dropping place to stay, with hotels built into the caves themselves.

3. Bologna, Italy

Italy's food capital is somehow still overlooked by international tourists who flock to Rome, Florence and Venice. Bologna offers the country's finest cuisine (this is the home of ragù, tortellini and mortadella), a stunning medieval centre of porticoed streets and terracotta towers, the oldest university in the world, and a vibrant student energy — all without the tourist crush of its more famous neighbours.

4. Sintra, Portugal

A short train ride from Lisbon, Sintra feels like stepping into a fairytale. This hillside town is studded with extravagant palaces, most famously the candy-coloured Pena Palace perched on a misty peak, and the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira with its initiation wells and hidden tunnels. It's busy but utterly magical.

5. Lyon, France

France's third city is its gastronomic capital, yet it sees a fraction of Paris's visitors. Lyon offers a UNESCO-listed Renaissance old town, the famous traditional bouchon restaurants, hidden covered passageways called traboules, and a food culture so revered that the legendary chef Paul Bocuse made it his home. For food lovers, it's unmissable — and refreshingly uncrowded.

6. Granada, Spain

Home to the Alhambra — arguably the most beautiful building in Europe, a Moorish palace of impossible intricacy — Granada combines Andalusian charm with a still-living tradition of free tapas with every drink. The Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter, tumbles down a hillside facing the Alhambra in a maze of white-walled lanes.

7. Turin, Italy

Often overlooked in favour of Milan, Turin is one of Italy's most elegant cities — a place of grand baroque squares, arcaded streets, the birthplace of Italian chocolate and aperitivo culture, and home to the famous Shroud and the Egyptian Museum (the most important outside Cairo). Sophisticated and refined, it sees surprisingly few foreign tourists.

8. York, England

Beyond London, England has remarkable smaller cities, and York may be the finest. Its perfectly preserved medieval core — encircled by ancient walls, dominated by the magnificent York Minster, and threaded with the impossibly atmospheric Shambles — makes it one of the most charming historic cities in Britain.

9. Valparaíso, Chile

Not strictly Europe, but worth including for its European-influenced character — this Chilean port city of steep hills, vintage funiculars and riotous street art has a bohemian energy that recalls the best of southern European port towns. (For genuine European options, swap in Bath, England, or Nice, France, both covered in our guides.)

10. Bath, England

England's most beautiful small city, built almost entirely from honey-coloured Georgian stone. Bath offers Roman baths fed by natural hot springs, the sweeping crescents of Georgian architecture, Jane Austen connections, and a refined, walkable elegance. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety — and an easy escape from London.

The secret of European travel in 2026: the second city is often better than the first. Lyon over Paris, Porto over Lisbon, Bologna over Florence — the rewards go to those who look past the obvious.

The Takeaway

The famous European capitals will always be worth visiting, but in an age of overtourism, the smartest travellers are increasingly looking one step beyond. These ten cities offer everything that makes Europe magical — history, beauty, food, culture — without the crowds, the queues and the inflated prices. In 2026, the road less travelled isn't just more pleasant; it's often more rewarding too.

Planning Your Visit

The best trips are planned with a balance of structure and flexibility — book your accommodation and any must-do activities in advance, but leave enough unscheduled time to follow the unexpected discoveries that make travel memorable. Research the local customs and dress norms before you arrive, particularly in conservative or religious areas. Learn a few words of the local language; even basic greetings transform how locals respond to you. And consider visiting in the shoulder season whenever possible — the weeks just before and after peak season typically offer the same weather with dramatically fewer crowds and lower prices.

For the latest information on visa requirements, health precautions and travel advisories, check your government's foreign travel guidance before booking. Ensure your travel insurance covers all planned activities and destinations. And remember that the best travel experiences almost never come from following the most popular itinerary — they come from the side street you turned down on a whim, the restaurant a local recommended, the conversation that started because you sat down somewhere unexpected. Go prepared, but go open to surprise.