Tourists are constantly flocking to big cities and famous tourist destinations, causing these places to gradually become overloaded and lose their inherent wild beauty. Especially with large countries like in Europe, this situation is becoming more and more common. If you are a tourist who wants to enjoy the tourist scenery in Europe and also want to avoid the crowded crowds out there, the following destinations are for you.
Barcelona: Sant Pau Recinte Modernista
Although he has been dead for nearly a century, Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi continues to have a huge impact on Barcelona, its appearance, artistic legacy and tourist appeal. Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Catalan genius graced the city with a series of avant-garde buildings.
Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau in Barcelona was designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner in the style known as Catalan Modernism
Seven of his most famous architectural works in Barcelona have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include some of Barcelona's most visited attractions: the quirky Park Guell, the art venue Casa Mila, and the stunning La Sagrada Familia.
Sant Pau Recinte Modernista was built in the early 1900s and designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner in the beautiful but brutalist architectural style he helped pioneer and Gaudi built upon in Catalan modernism.
Adorned with intricate mosaics, stunning stained glass, intricate stonework and a vibrant color palette, it now functions as an open-air museum and art gallery, and is incredibly photogenic.
Rome: Circus Maximus
Few tourist attractions are as instantly recognizable as Rome’s 1,900-year-old Colosseum. After all these years, the massive oval structure still towers over the ancient heart of the Italian capital. It once drew frenzied crowds of up to 50,000 people who came to watch bloody gladiatorial contests and public executions.
Rome's Circus Maximus was one of the largest sports stadiums ever built.
However, in ancient times, the Colosseum was not even Rome's largest venue. Designed to hold 250,000 spectators, the Circus Maximus was one of the largest sports stadiums ever built.
Although little of the original structure remains, its sunken shape and surrounding banks remain, easily conjuring up mental images of chariot races and other sporting events that once took place here.
Paris: Saint-Merri Church
Notre Dame Cathedral is currently only partially accessible to visitors, due to ongoing restoration efforts following a devastating 2019 fire that caused extensive damage to the famous church.
Yet when you visit Paris, it is not difficult to see thousands of tourists posing for photos in the cathedral's square. The outdoor space is the only part of Notre Dame that is currently accessible, and is expected to fully reopen in 2024.
A great alternative to Notre Dame is the Saint-Merri church, just 700 metres north. Built almost 500 years ago, the Saint-Merri church is a classic Gothic style.
The church features an intricate window system, ribbed vaults, and some of the city's most impressive stained glass windows.
Saint-Merri shares many of Notre Dame's interior design features, including intricate window lines, arches, and some of the city's most impressive stained glass windows. Saint-Merri's most famous feature, however, is its 14th-century bell, which is the oldest in Paris and still rings out over the city every day.
London: Holland Park
A large area in central London, Hyde Park is not only one of the city's most beautiful green spaces, but also attracts tourists because of its royal connections. It is the site of Kensington Palace - the former home of the late Princess Diana. Thousands of tourists are seen outside here.
London's Holland Park is a quieter alternative to Hyde Park
Compared to Hyde Park, which is decorated with wide, open lawns, Holland Park has more vegetation. This means there are many intimate nooks where visitors can picnic or take a nap while feeling truly secluded.
However, the most impressive thing about Holland Park is its two main gardens. Its traditional English garden is filled with colorful carnations and tulips, while its classic Japanese garden is more subtle but no less attractive, thanks to its ponds, waterfalls, bridges and carefully placed pebble beds.
Amsterdam: Amsterdam Museum
Amsterdam’s most visited attraction, the Rijksmuseum, is famous for its vast collection of artworks by Dutch masters like Van Gogh and Rembrandt, so the only way to get in is to pre-book your ticket online for a specific date and time.
The Amsterdam Museum is a modern facility containing 100,000 artifacts and works of art.
If you want to casually head straight for a museum, head to the Amsterdam Museum, which has fewer crowds. It features Dutch royal artefacts, including vibrant artworks that were once painted on royal carriages.
