20 Unique Places in Europe Suggested by Instagram Followers

One thing I’ve learned from traveling is that you can research the shit out of a place for days, but there’s a good chance you’ll only find the typical, “tourist things to do” in the most popular places. Well, I don’t really like ” typical tourist things to do”, and I don’t think you do either.

So that’s why I’ve reached out on Instagram to see if any of the awesome travelers out there who follow me had any suggestions for my upcoming trip to Europe! Not only did I find some great locations and tips, but some awesome photography too!

Check out these 20 unique places in Europe that my Instagram followers sent me, and be sure to check out their pages, because they have a lot more amazing photos of these places!

I’m also going to start featuring my follower’s photos on Fridays, so be sure to add me on Instagram (@mylifesatravelmovie) and use the tag #mylifesatravelmovie !

1. Lago di Braies in South Tyrol, Italy

2. Lecco, Italian Alps

-Name:  Giada
-Instagram: @xogiada
-Live/From: Live in London, from New York
-Europe Tip: Lecco, Canary Islands, Sardinia

Since I’m Italian I’m going to send you a picture of the place where I live. It’s in the Alps, the city is called Lecco and I took this picture with my GoPro in November (this place is famous in America just because Clooney has a a villa in here).

3. Sardinia, Italy

This picture is from Sardinia (an island of Italy) I spent the whole summer there. It’s great for camping and just discovering the island, it’s really natural, not lot of houses or hotels and so on, it’s protected by UNESCO.

4. Positano, Italy

-Name: Charles
-Instagram: @k1ngcharles
-Live/From: Live in London, from New York
-Europe Tip: Positano, Italy

5. Canary Islands, Spain

(From @xogiada) This picture is from the Canary Islands (Spain), I lived there for 1 year, it’s amazing, great food, great views, great everything.

6. Segovia, Spain

Best place for tapas and drinks is El Tigre off of Gran Via! You get a whole plate of tapas with just one drink order. Favorite day trip out Madrid is Segovia. Roman aqueducts, a princess castle, an insanely gorgeous view, and less crowded than other nearby places. It’s pretty magical.

There’s a ski-lift called Teleforico Madrid that takes you out over Casa de Campo and gives you a gorgeous city view of Madrid that I definitely didn’t know about before I went. Skip clubbing at Kapital or Joy Eslava and instead head a little further down the road to Discoteca Palace. Better music and more room to dance.

7. Pamplona, Spain

-Name: Zach Seibel
-Instagram: @z_seibel
-Live/From: Denver, CO
-Europe Tip: Pamplona, Spain

Pamplona, a small town located a couple hours North of Barcelona is home to the San Fermin Festival, which occurs the first week of July each year.  Although the festival is primarily known as the spot tourists go to Run with the Bulls, the city offers much more than that.

The festival is a week long party with all the tapas and sangria you can drink.  Each night there is a firework show before the running of the bulls starts promptly each morning at 8:00AM.  If you choose not to participate in the run, there are high rise balconies throughout the course that offer spectaculars views of not only the course, but the Pyrenees mountains.  After the race you can enjoy a bull fighting show or head to one of the many basque food restaurants in the city (traditional cold-cured meats).

Pamplona is just one of the small, underrated city’s in Spain.  Between the San Fermin Festival, diverse food choices, culture, welcoming locals, weather, and affordable pricing, Pamplona is a cant miss destination!

8. Belfast, Northern Ireland

-Name: Alyssa Bonavita
-Instagram: @alyssabonavita
-From/Live: Western Massachusetts but currently live in Belfast, Northern Ireland
-Europe Tip: Belfast, Northern Ireland

I know that when many people plan a trip to Ireland, whether it be an extended journey or a pit stop, the general destination is Dublin. Dublin has some great things to offer, mostly in the pub crawl category, and therefore people often look to venture outside of Dublin for some of those epic green landscapes that are so often associated with Ireland. I would say that the most popular attraction outside of Dublin, in terms of landscape, tends to be the Cliffs of Moher (located about 3 and a half hour bus ride from Dublin).

Now, as beautiful and breathtaking as these cliffs are, here is what I would suggest. Instead of traveling southwest of Dublin, travel up north. Just outside of Belfast, about a 3 hour bus ride from Dublin, lays the world heritage site known as the Giants Causeway. The Giants Causeway has all of the beauty of the Cliffs of Moher but with smaller crowds and a few exciting additions. In addition to the beautiful landscape of the green cliffs next to the ocean are the world-famous basalt columns. These basalt columns are so intriguing that it is difficult to comprehend that they are natural creations and not man-made. They also have a fun mythical story attached to them about a giant named Finn McCool that you can read on the signs posted throughout the site – this is also where the name Giants Causeway comes from!

Another excellent addition is located a 15 minute drive down the beautiful coast and is known as Carrick-a-Rede. Carrick-a-Rede is another beautiful coastal view with large green cliffs but with a special surprise at the end of the trail – a rope bridge suspended 100 feet above the ocean that takes you to a tiny island (known as “Rocky Island”) that will give you beautiful views of Scotland across the ocean. The Giants Causeway is an excellent choice, as opposed to the Cliffs of Moher, for anyone that likes to travel a bit off the beaten path, enjoys a bit of thrill, prefers smaller, quiet crowds and is looking for something a bit more unique.

9. Galway, Ireland

10. Grossglockner National Park, Austria

11. Lisbon, Portugal

-Name: Robb Hanks
-Instagram: @theslowdrift
-From/Live: Salt Lake City, Utah
-Europe Tip: Lisbon, Portugal

Take the train from Lisbon down the coast to Estoril and then walk the beach from there to the fishing port, Cascais. You can catch the train at the station west of central Lisbon. It’s the green line at the Cais do Sodre train station. Ride the train to Estoril and get off there and hit the beach or walk along the boardwalk. It’s a beautiful walk along the coast. In Cascais, grab some lunch or a drink and just chill at the many restaurants with views of the ocean.

After spending the afternoon in Cascais, just jump on the train back to Lisbon. Cascais is the last stop on the green line so it’s tough head the wrong way for those people that are directionally challenged.

It’s a simple, easy and beautiful escape from the city. And if you didn’t feel like walking just take the scenic train ride both ways.

12. Cantin Fromagerie Paris, France

-Name: Seidy
-Instagram: @tealtravelers
-From/Live: Pacific Northwest US
-Europe Tip: Paris, France
“Paris a life’s worth of eating experiences”
Food in Paris is to die for!! Make sure to go to Cantin Fromagerie just few blocks away from Champ de Mars. We stopped there 2 times in 3 days (most wonderful cheeses)! Marie Anne (owner) and her people don’t speak English only French so brush a bit your French!
Few blocks away from the Fromagerie you will find bakeries and wine shops, so pick up your cheese, a baguette, a bottle of wine and have a picnic by the Eiffel Tower.

13. Andorra le Vella

This is Andorra Le Vella, in Andorra. I was there recently and got this awesome pic. Andorra is an amazing, picturesque country with spectacular mountains, but gets bypassed by most travellers. However the bus trips from Barcelona and Toulouse are both amazing, winding through the rocky, steep and snowy Pyrenees. I was so glad I spent a few days there, best place ever.

My tip is to make sure you get there, and enjoy the amazing, and a little scary, bus rides!

14. Gjesdal, Rogaland, Norway

15. Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

18. Stolby Nature Reserve, Siberia

 20. Eagles Nest, Germany