Categories: FeaturesTravel

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

-Name: Irene
-Instagram: @irene.collects.moments
-From/Live: Vienna, Austria
-Europe tip: Lago di Braies in South Tyrol, Italy
On Instagram you asked about great spots in Europe and one of my favourites is definitely this one: Lago di Braies in South Tyrol, northern Italy. I went there with a friend last summer and it is absolutely stunning, trust me 🙂 . I have been to over 30 countries the last 4 years and it is one of the best places.

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

-Name: Samantha
-Instagram: @thereshegoesagn
-From/Live: Currently lives in Namwon, Korea
-Europe tip: Madrid, 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

Giant’s Causeway in Belfast, 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).

Cliffs of Moher in Belfast, Ireland

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!

Carrick-a-Rede in Belfast, Ireland

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

-Name: Samantha
-Instagram: @beachyhappiness
-From/Live: Germany
-Europe tip: Galway, Ireland
Galway itself is a beautiful, little and traditional city where you can find a lot of history and culture. But everything outside Galway is worth seeing as well. My all-time favorite would be the SMALL Cliffs of Moher. They are about a 15 minute ride away from the “original” Cliffs of Moher. I loved them. Maybe it’s because they’re not so full of tourists or because you can step right to the edge or because we arrived just in time for a beautiful sunset. Either way, the small Cliffs of Moher are so worth seeing!

10. Grossglockner National Park, Austria

-Name: Connah Chapman
-Instagram: @connah.chapman
-From/Live: Sydney, Australia
-Europe tip: Grossglockner National Park, Austria
I’ve been following your Instagram for a while now and have just seen your post about sending in Euro tips.  I’ve just spent the past 2 years living in London and travelling around Europe.  I am an Australian and have just moved to Manly- a beachside suburb in Sydney.
My suggestion is to definitely hit up a national park in Austria called Grossglockner- and get a car to do the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.  Grossglockner is the highest peak in Austria and is absolutely stunning- it has amazing walks and ridiculous waterfalls 🙂
The photo I’ve attached is just outside the national park looking back up toward Grossglockner (on the left hand side).  We were just driving along and pulled off to the side of the road to have lunch, we found this crazy blue coloured lake (the colour comes from the mineral run off).  The best things you find travelling are when you take a chance and get a little lost!  This is just outside a little village called Heiligenblut am Grossglockner.

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

-Name: Shaun Martin
-Instagram: @chutingshaun
-From/Live: Australia
-Europe tip: 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

-Name: Gaganjeet Singh
-Instagram: @BaggageAndDish
-From/Live: I am an Indian and I live in Dubai
-Europe tip: Gjesdal, Rogaland, Norway
When in Stavanger, do visit Manafossen falls. It is about an hour’s drive from Stavanger. The scenic beauty on the way is just mesmerising. An hour’s hike or so and you witness one of the best waterfall I have come across. The hike is not too difficult neither too long, making it just the perfect one for anyone who wants to witness nature’s beauty.

15. Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

-Name: George
-Instagram: @mr_gi_murray
-From/Live: Wales, United Kingdom
-Europe tip: Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

​This is Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. I thought I’d mention this one seen as your such as big fan of waterfalls 🙂 It’s just under 300m high and you can walk up to the bottom of it, and then walk behind it along a steep path to get an interesting view of the waterfall and the Lauterbrunnen valley.

16. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany

This is one of my most favourite places I’ve been too! It’s Neuschwanstein Castle, aka the fairytale castle in Bavaria, Germany. I visited here as part of the same trip when I went to Switzerland in summer 2013. The general viewing point for tourists to see the castle in all its splendour is on the viewing bridge, which is behind and too the left of where I took this picture.

 To take this picture, I crossed an ice cold river (only ankle deep), then climbed up a few steep cliffs that were quite slippy and eventually made it to the top! But it was definitely worth it becuase I had the best view of the castle and the lake behind it. It was made even better by the fact that I could see all the other tourists down on the bridge trying to get a photo and I was up there on my own with an even better view. I even sat up there for a while and had some lunch. If you were ever to visit, I would say that if you followed the signs for the bridge and then crossed to the other side and carried on walking until you were out of site of most of the tourists; there should be a steep hill to the left of you. Climb up that; try not to let anyone see you and you should get the best private view of the castle!

17. Yenisei River, Siberia

-Name: Roman
-Instagram: @zapovednikstolby
-From/Live: Krasnoyarsk, Siberia
-Europe tip: Yenisei River, and Stolby Nature Reserve

I live in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. We have very beautiful nature. Forest. Yenisei river that never freezes in winter. The mountains. Caves. And a lot of beautiful sights.  As I said, the river does not freeze even in extreme cold. Just on the river hydroelectric power plant there. Therefore, the Krasnoyarsk Sea, which freezes only in January, despite the bitter cold. It’s very beautiful here. It can be long to tell and show. Once again, sorry for the bad english. I hope the correct translation!

18. Stolby Nature Reserve, Siberia

19. Salzburg, Austria

-Name: Tessa Torrente
-From/Live: I’m from Miami but I live in Nashville TN at the moment
-Europe tip: Salzburg, Austria and Eagles Nest, Germany
I want to suggest renting a car in Europe because there are so many sites off the beaten path that make renting a car an attractive option. Not to mention that you are able to do some once in a lifetime experiences like driving on the wrong side of the road in Ireland and driving the autobahn in Germany.

 20. Eagles Nest, Germany

Alyssa Ramos
I’m Alyssa Ramos, a full-time, self-made, solo traveler who’s been to over 85+ Countries, all 7 Continents, 7 World Wonders, 7 Wonders of Nature, plus I recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and dove the Great Barrier Reef! I created this life of full-time traveling completely on my own, and my goal is to give you as much information and inspiration as possible to make travel happen for you too!
Alyssa Ramos

I’m Alyssa Ramos, a full-time, self-made, solo traveler who’s been to over 85+ Countries, all 7 Continents, 7 World Wonders, 7 Wonders of Nature, plus I recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and dove the Great Barrier Reef! I created this life of full-time traveling completely on my own, and my goal is to give you as much information and inspiration as possible to make travel happen for you too!

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