Lonely Planet reveals its top 10 European destinations
23 May, 2019
Lonely Planet, the world’s leading travel guide brand, has announced its top places to visit in Europe this summer.
Topping the list are the bear-stalked mountains of High Tatras in Slovakia picked for its alpine vistas and natural beauty. Coming in at number two is the Spanish capital of Madrid while the number three slot goes to Iceland's new Arctic Coast Way.
There are also historical cities, remote beaches also covers capital cities and gastronomic delights to be found in Lonely Planet's top 10 list. What's more, all of the 10 best destinations in Europe this summer can be visited visa-free by Emiratis, opening up a whole new bucket of travel inspiration to fuel this year's summer travel plans.
1. High Tatras, Slovakia
Glassy mountain lakes, brown bears and alpine peaks, Slovakia’s High Tatras are ranked number one for summer visits this year. Something of a national treasure, the mountainous region transforms every summer from a wintersports playground to a craggy natural beauty spot. Home to Mount Krivan, a revered spot for many Slovakians, travellers should also check out Tatra National park, a Unesco-listed region where chamois, brown eagles and brown bears roam.
Flights with Emirates to Bratislava from Dubai take just over six hours and economy fares start from Dh2,360 return in July. It's about a three-hour drive from Bratislava to the Tatras.
2. Madrid, Spain
The Spanish capital is ranked number two thanks to its bustling nightlife – Lonely Planet calls Calle de Ponzano ‘one of the continent’s coolest night-time streets’. But Madrid has a lot to offer in the daytime too. A city of colour, life and tradition, it's perfect to two-wheel around. The Gran Via oozes with over 100 years of history, El Retiro Park offers gorgeous green spaces and there’s a fully persevered Egyptian temple at Templo de Debod. And that’s not even mentioning the city’s tapas reputation or that the Museo del Prado – arguably Spain’s most important art museum – is celebrating its bicentenary this year.
Flight time is less than eight hours and fares with Etihad and AirEuropa from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,805 in July.
3. The Arctic Coast Way, Iceland
Having starred in HBO’s Game of Thrones and as the backdrop to Justin Bieber’s uber popular I’ll Show You music video, Iceland has been battling over tourism issues of late. The newly founded Arctic Coast Way hopes to fix the problem by sending tourists north to the unexplored natural wonders for which Iceland is known. Think roaring waterfalls, jagged glaciers and endless wilderness, far from the hordes of tourists bathing in the Blue Lagoon or stomping around at Fjadrargljufur canyon.
Fly from Dubai with KLM via Amsterdam or Lufthansa via France with summer fares starting at Dh2,993.
4. Hercegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Shadowing Croatia’s Dalmatia Coast, the sunshine-soaked, mountain-filled Herzegovina makes up a quarter of the country. The unofficial capital of Mostar is where most tourists venture to see the 16th century Stari Most bridge while Christian tourists can be found visiting Medjugorje. According to Lonely Planet, now is the time to explore the newly formed Austro-Hungarian railway-line-turned-cycling-trail that threads through the countryside. The medieval streets of Po?itelj, the Vjetrenica karst wind tunnels and the traditional village of Lukomir along the route are sure to inspire.
Go with Flydubai to Sarajevo with July fares from Dh1,909. From there, it’s a two-hour drive south to Hercegovina.