Suggestions for less obvious european city breaks

[starfish4]

We've been to a few European capitals, but fancy going somewhere less obvious this year. Any suggestions please.

We'll be staying four nights so needs to be enough to do. I like river/lakes, but a really nice view might work instead. We like pottering, shopping, architecture, history, walks, eating out, so think easy to please.

I had a quick look at Glasgow and Edinburgh departures. There was a flight to Kaunas but I know nothing about Lithuania at all. I'd be tempted by Budapest, Vienna and Rekuvik from the lists I saw but those are hardly off the beaten track. There's also great budget flights from Scotland to Venice and Istanbul and whilst they're obviously popular and have been mentioned here both are well worth a visit if you haven't done so already.

Girona in Spain is lovely. People fly there and then head out to the resorts. It’s got a lovely cathedral and great places to eat out in. It’s an hour on the train to either Barcelona or Perpignan if you want a change ,and if you hire a car there are some lovely medieval villages nearby .

Valencia
Modena
Naples (for Pompei)
Prague

Lille
Valencia
Palma
Lisbon
Nice
Naples
Not Dubrovnik, it’s just a game of thrones theme park now

Moscow? Tbilisi? Kiev??

Thanks all, am researching madly. I fancy Istanbul but DH doesn’t

Salzburg. We went there in October

Im looking at going to Munich and Salzburg this summer.

Lovely list.

Ljubljana and lake Bled look amazing but you have to fly from Stansted

Really loved my trip to Brussels and bruge last year, planning on repeating a trip into Brussels (for this fab fish market place) but on to Antwerp and Ghent for most of the trip. So easy to get about by train.

Can't see you get 4 days out of Porto. Combine with Braga then easier. Lisbon and caiscais seems like a nicer trip. Off season only.

So want to go to Seville Madrid and Granada (Alhambra)

Based on your likes Id go Italian Lakes.

The Hague. It's a bit pricey , but it's on the level and also on the coast.

Carcasonne in France is lovely! Also Girona in Spain is very nice.

Another vote for San Sebastián. Lovely town, superb beach, great walking, foodie paradise.

Cadiz : ditto, but much hotter in summer.

Don't think it's been mentioned but Seville is beautiful

Pisa - did this with my mum and sister last year. Much cheaper than Florence and you can do a trip to there and Siena :D

Porto and Seville are our current favourites

Leiden/Delft/The Hague in one trip - all extremely underrated but lovely places.

Catania

Girona is lovely but think you'd need a day trip to Barcelona or the Costa Brava to fill up 4 days. Well worth visiting though and agree the food is really good there.

@dementedma I’d avoid Dubrovnik, it’s hideously congested, tourists poor in to this maze like city which actually has no green space or places to sit unless you are paying to consume something. it soon gets oppressive and exhausting.

Cruise ships RUIN Dubrovnik.

Yes and unfortunately the same thing is happening in Cadiz.

Cruise ships RUIN Dubrovnik
Yes also the ones in Kotor bay. From what I gather they do very little for the local economy

• Cruise ships RUIN Dubrovnik Yes also the ones in Kotor bay*

Yes. After experiencing this I now check if a place is a cruise ship destination.

I will recommend Merano in the South Tirol - technically Italy but a very Austrian feel. Very attractive town/city on a river (lovely riverside walk), loads to see in the area (a gorgeous garden, lots of castles, easy train trip to see Otzi the ice man in Bolzano), and a very good value-for-money travel card from the local tourist office allows you to explore the area by bus and train. I really loved it.

Lisbon and Seville are both lovely.

Also Cadiz is nice

We went to Ibiza for a weekend break last year and that was lovely.

I'd like to go to Beirut this year.

Verona
Valencia
Bucharest
Annecy
Strasbourg
Naples
Valletta