Bratislava, Warsaw and Budapest ranked among most underrated cities in Europe

Bratislava, Slovakia – According to the Cultural Places website, Bratislava, Warsaw and Budapest count among the top 10 most underrated cities in Europe.

Although “everyone is always saying how they’re dying to visit Paris or London or any other world-famous European city”, Europe has other “cities with a unique charm and interesting places worth visiting”, write the authors of the ranking.

And among them, all the Central European capitals except for Prague which, considering the mass influx of tourists in the Czech capital, could hardly be qualified as an “underrated destination”.

First stop: Bratislava, the city that is most often forgotten or skipped by tourists travelling through Central Europe, “even though it is located only about an hour away from Vienna”. According to Cultural Places, “it is a beautiful city brimming with old town charm, cobbled streets and fairy-tale buildings”. It also has many interesting places to go out, relax with friends or have a drink in the evening – for that, feel free to check out our home-made list of the best cafes and bars to visit when you’re in Bratislava.

Warsaw also made the list of the most underrated cities in Europe: the Polish capital is indeed often overlooked to the benefit of Krakow, a much more popular destination for tourists and foreign visitors. Set at the heart of Europe, Warsaw “has all the food, art, culture and nightlife you are willing to experience when you visit a new city, but with fewer tourists”, as well as much lower costs than in other popular destinations in the region. Which also explains why Poland, and Warsaw in particular, is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for expats.

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Although we agree that both Bratislava and Warsaw are underrated, not sure whether Budapest should be added to the list. The Hungarian capital is indeed a breathtaking and can’t-miss destination in Central Europe.

But is it really underrated? Whether it be the long lines of buses full of Chinese tourists, multiple drunken stag-parties or innumerable backpackers, it seems slightly far-fetched to rank Budapest as one of the most underrated cities in Europe… in our humble opinion.

Here’s the complete list of the 10 most underrated cities in Europe, according to Cultural Places:

1. Belgrade, Serbia
2. Bratislava, Slovakia
3. Budapest, Hungary
4. Lille, France
5. Porto, Portugal
6. Basel, Switzerland
7. Gothenburg, Sweden
8. Warsaw, Poland
9. Granada, Spain
10. Valletta, Malta
11. Bonus: Genoa, Italy

Do you agree with the ranking? Which other European cities do you think deserves more credit? Tell us in the comments!