Places you have been to that have exceeded expectations

[Ginfordinner]

On the back of another thread, where have you been to that you didn't expect to enjoy as much, or where you had no expectations?

When we went to Venice everyone said it was smelly and dirty. It wasn't and we loved it.
Our last holiday abroad was in Kos in 2019. Again, we loved it.
A couple of UK city breaks to Lincoln and to Carlisle made us think that both cities were underrated.

Nuremberg. Went for work and loved it so much I went back for a weekend.

It's another place which was destroyed in the war but you can't see the join. A local told me it was because they had to use the materials they reclaimed

Completely agree with Liverpool, Newcastle and Ljubljana.

Aachen is gorgeous, and lived up to my high expectations. I had wanted to go there since learning about Charlemagne at university and seeing the cathedral where he was crowned was amazing.

Siena is beautiful and interesting, loved Lyon, and Padua is wonderful. We went there for our friends' wedding and didn't expect to love it as much as we did.

West coast of Ireland

Another person saying Washington DC I left a piece of my heart there. Loved it all and am desperate to go back.

Las Vegas thought it would be tacky and loud and it is in a fun way. Have been back

Gulf Shores in Alabama some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen and he sea food was amazing

Loads here I agree with.

The West of Ireland is a magical place. I could never get tired of Connemara ❤️.

Was pleasantly surprised by Liverpool, too. Much smaller and more walkable than I imagined, and such a nice, laid back atmosphere compared to my madly frenetic hometown (London).

I love all the other cities I’ve visited in the UK, actually. Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Leeds. All have really impressed me.

Another vote for Mallorca. It's a beautiful island with stunning scenery, incredible local cuisine, interesting social and cultural history and so much to do beyond the Magaluf tourist trap. Palma should be recognised in the same way as other major European cities. Back when DH first suggested (and then because insistent) that we holiday there, I was reluctant but now it's one of my favourite places.

Budapest was another of DH's choices. I had no strong feelings either way but we spent a brilliant week there. It's not a pretty city but it really gets under your skin. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

I was really wowed by Leeds too. Went for a couple of nights with friends, based mainly on an exceptional hotel deal. It's a brilliant city and we had such a fab time - loved the old-fashioned shopping arcades in particular.

I should have also included Amsterdam. I went 20 years ago and was really unimpressed - dog shit everywhere and it all seemed dirty and seedy. Went again at the end of 2019 (my last trip!) and was so impressed - it was like a different place altogether; so clean and had a really nice friendly feel about it. Yes, the red light district is still there and there were some lairy British lads around the cafes but outside of that area, I found it to be a truly beautiful city.