The best alternative destinations if you’ve already visited every major European city

By Andrew Richdale, AFAR From Business Insider

Visit the continent with fresh eyes this year by booking a trip to these rising-star cities.

If You Like Berlin . . .
Plagwitz Leipzig Germany
Leipzig, Germany. deux expats / Flickr

Visit Leipzig, Germany
A breeding ground for young artists, Leipzig, with its warehouse parties and Soviet towers, could be Berlin right after the wall fell.

What to do: Don’t miss Spinnerei, a 25-acre former mill turned studio compound for 100 artists. Wander through provocative photography exhibits at Halle 14 and shop for elegant coral-like sculptures at Claudia Biehne’s studio and shop.

Stay at: Pentahotel (from $95) has a lavish breakfast and is located within walking distance of the train station.

If You Like Barcelona . . .
Malaga
Malaga, Spain. Grisha Bruev/Shutterstock

Visit Malaga, Spain
Sunny days by the sea, tapas binges, a bounty of trippy architecture—it’s Barcelona without all the hippies and students.

What to do: The port city has been occupied by more than five different civilizations in its 2,800 years. Admire the ruins of Phoenician lighthouses and Roman theaters. Back in this century, sip Spanish beer at the new El Rincón del Cervecero.

Stay at: The Hotel Vincci Selección Posada del Patio (from $125) is built on top of the ruins of old Moorish walls.

If You Like Copenhagen . . .
2 Aarhus
Aarhus, Denmark. Den Gamle

Visit Aarhus, Denmark
Like Copenhagen, this second-largest Danish city is home to eye-grabbing modern design and a thriving New Nordic food scene.

What to do: Aarhus is full of forward-thinking minds. Challenge your palate with the calf’s-blood macaroons at Frederikshøj and admire the spiky Iceberg apartment complex. Get around using the city’s new light-rail, which opens this year.

Stay at: You enter Hotel Oasia (from $100) via cobblestones, but inside it’s rawplank floors and Scandinavian style.

If You Like Zurich . . .
bern switzerland
Bern, Switzerland. Wikimedia Commons

Visit Bern, Switzerland
Bern has the same sophisticated vibe, Old World architecture, and green spaces as Zurich—just with one third of the population.

What to do: It’s all about the good life here. Hike up to Rosengarten, a park with 200 types of roses and sweeping views of the old city. And visit the Zentrum Paul Klee for an exhibit on Klee’s relationship with the Surrealist painters of Paris.

Stay at: The 128 rooms at the Bellevue Palace (from $350) are large and comfortable. Ask for onewith a river view.

If You Like Rome . . .
Parma, Italy
Parma, Italy. Shutterstock

Visit Parma, Italy
UNESCO recently named the birthplace of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese the world’s first Creative City of Gastronomy.

What to do: Enjoy langoustines and shrimp beignets at F.I.S.H. Sample salami at the market near Strada Matteo Renato Imbriani. Drink your fill of the local lambrusco. And top it all off with the creamy fior di latte gelato from Cremeria Emilia.

Stay at: Stay at Hotel Daniel (from $80) for easy access to its restaurant, Cocchi, a shrine to cured meats.

Read the original article on AFAR. Copyright 2016. Follow AFAR on Twitter.

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