You can’t blame a traveller for being distracted by the unreal alpine adventure heaven (and frequent Bollywood backdrop) that is the nearby Berner Oberland. But Bern itself is perhaps the most underrated capital city on the continent. If you’re expecting stodginess from the Swiss seat of government, Bern quickly dashes such notions with its graceful blend of the old and genteel with the modern and edgy. The gorgeous fountain-filled 15th-century UNESCO World Heritage site Old Town (where you can visit Albert Einstein’s former house) is paired with the futuristic Renzo Piano designed Paul Klee Center. Artsy boutiques, intellectual bars and cutting-edge locavore cuisine is the name of the game here. Nearby, cheese lovers can follow the Emmental Cheese Route by bike (complete with mobile app that guides you from cheese to cheese). The annual Buskers Street Music Festival (www.buskersbern.ch) is ideal for budget-conscious music lovers: it fills the streets of Old Town with music and performances for free (or whatever you can toss in the hat).Get a taste of Bern’s locavore leanings at the popular Lötschberg AOC (www.loetschberg-aoc.ch), with an all-Swiss wine and beer list, local cheese specialities and seasonal produce.
Just 10 years ago, Marseille was a byword for urban decay and crime around France. Times have changed. But even after a major makeover and investment in revitalizing the port, transport and arts institutions – as well as being named the European Capital of Culture in 2013 – most travellers have yet to catch on to what is one of Europe’s greatest comeback cities. Marseille’s colourful Vieux Port has been in use for over 26 centuries and is still a busy hub of activity today, while Le Panier quarter’s labyrinthine, souk-like streets are lined with artisans’ shops marking the neighbourhood’s long history as a local marketplace. The 19th century Romano-Byzantine Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde sits atop the city’s highest point and houses beautifully restored mosaics and murals recounting the city’s seafaring history. In June 2013, the brand-new Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée opened to the public, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts reopened at the Palais de Longchamp. Seafood lovers should high-tail it to Marseille for the food alone – as a local will tell you, you’ve never had bouillabaisse until you’ve had it in Marseille.For a true bouillabaisse experience, head to Le Rhul for a classic approach or L’Epuisette for a swank Michelin-starred experience; reserve in advance for both.
Calling Croatia a hotspot is somewhat old news in travel circles – its popularity is firmly established among European travellers and steeply on the rise among Americans as well. But many travellers are only seeing one sunny slice of the country, lured to the nearly 2000km-long coastline meanwhile missing the diverse charms of the inland cities, national parks and countryside. Zagreb, soon to be the EU’s newest capital city, is a hip city with walkable streets and a café scene so ingrained that some refer to the city as one large outdoor café. Surpassing even the notable beauty of the coast, Plitvice Lakes National Park is a nature-lover’s paradise with ribbons of bright turquoise lakes and waterfalls set against a backdrop of karst cliffs and mossy travertine. Back on the coast, historic Dubrovnik will delight visitors even if they don’t know that they’re standing in King’s Landing from the popular Game of Thrones television show.To experience Zagreb like a local, don’t miss Saturday morning špica, the coffee-drinking and people watching ritual that is the peak of the weekly social calendar.
Scenic, historic and on the rise: Northern Ireland is ripe for exploration in 2013. Derry/Londonderry is the only surviving walled city in Ireland, and a walk around the walls is a must for any visitor. The UK City of Culture for 2013, Derry/Londonderry is undergoing a renaissance, with a year full of cultural events and a new 235m pedestrian Peace Bridge over the River Foyle designed to resemble a handshake between the traditionally Protestant and Catholic sides of the city. In Belfast, Titanic Belfast (www.titanicbelfast.com), a brand-new museum devoted to Belfast’s maritime heritage, is styled as a massive silver boat-prow and located where the Titanic herself was built. Northern Ireland’s charms extend well beyond the cities (which, coincidentally, fans of Game of Thrones will know from the lush scenery used throughout the show). The Giant’s Causeway with its picturesque rambling hexagonal columns of basalt spilling into the sea, is connected by an unforgettable 16 km coastal walk along the Causeway Coast to the swaying Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (20 m long, only 1 m wide, bouncing 30 m above rocks and water) with cliffs, islands, beaches, ruins and seabirds along the way.In October, Derry/Londonderry dusts off the skeletons and puts on the spooky makeup for the annual Halloween Carnival, Ireland’s biggest street party.
Despite what a certain banjo-playing frog might tell you, Copenhagen makes being green look easy. Scandinavia’s coolest capital city is also one of the world’s leaders in green building, sustainable food and bike sharing. New York is abuzz about bicycles with their new bike-share system, but that’s old news in Copenhagen where nearly 50% of the residents commute by bike (the city's free public bike-share system ended recently but a replacement system is on the way). New Nordic cuisine, with Copenhagen’s Noma leading the way, has become the ‘it’ cuisine of 2013, with its hallmarks of local, seasonal and traditional foods prepared in simple but innovative ways. With the 2000 bridge and tunnel connection to Malmö, Sweden has revitalized the neighboring city and created a vibrant bi-national, multicultural metropolis. Summer is jam-packed with festivals, but the Danes show their serious love for jazz at the city’s largest music event, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (jazz.dk), bopping through the city for 10 days every July.The strikingly modern Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in nearby Humelbæk is worth the side trip even if you’re not a passionate fan of modern art. Inside find Picasso, Giacometti and an entire wing for kids; outside find Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and artfully framed views across the water to Sweden.
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Top 10 European travel destinations
Size isn’t everything: Europe is just one quarter the size of Asia, one third the size of Africa, but its pull for travellers is unmatched around the world. If you’re exploring Europe this year – or just dreaming about it – some destinations are bound to come to mind: East London with its shiny post-Olympics makeover, or Amsterdam with its newly reopened Rijksmuseum (not to mention a freshly crowned King). But if you’re the type of traveller that looks for the next step – the destinations that are just starting to get the buzz right now, the overlooked places that are poised to be the next traveller find, and the old favorites that have timely and fresh reasons to visit this year – we’re here to help. Our editors, wide-roaming authors and local experts pitched in and crafted this list: Lonely Planet’s Top 10 European Destinations for 2013, the ten places we think travellers should be heading in Europe right now.