Every summer, there are new destinations that it seems like everyone flocks to. Last year, Marseille was the place to be seen and this year, Time Out travel writers reckon that the likes of Naples, Antwerp and Tbilsi will be at the top of a lot of people’s list. Then, of course, there are the places like Edinburgh, Paris and London that never go out of fashion. But what if you want to travel somewhere that is a little more off the beaten track?
The ‘European Hidden Gem Index’ by HomeToGo has ranked 50 European towns, cities and villages that tend to fly under the radar, so you know which ones are worth a visit. The study ranked places based on the normal things people look for in a holiday spot like how scenic it is, how warm it is, how affordable it is and how good the food is. And after the scores were all totted up, there was one British town that was named one of Europe’s top ten ‘best kept secrets’.
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Beaumaris on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales (recently named Britain’s best island) came in at number 10 on the ranking. The small town earned particular kudos for it’s scenic setting, for which it earned a score of 9.48 out of 10. The index described it as a place ‘for the explorer who’s enchanted by rugged shorelines, medieval castles, and boat trips to wild islands’.
It’s home to Beaumaris Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for being the ‘greatest castle never built’. The fortress began construction in 1295 and was supposed to be Edward I’s masterpiece – but it was never finished and never reached the magnificent scale that had been planned due to lack of money and trouble brewing in Scotland. Nevertheless, it’s still a sight to behold.
As for the rest of the town, there’s the pretty Victorian pier that looks out towards Snowdonia and the Menai Strait, the quaint Beaumaris Beach, the popular Penmon Point Beach and access to Puffin Island, which is home to thousands of puffins and other sea birds.
The index also gave Beaumaris high scores for its gastronomy scene (7.26 out of ten) and the affordability of its accommodation, based on the median nightly price per person for a holiday home (8.65 out of ten). Discover the full list of Europe’s hidden gems, according to HomeToGo, here. And see here for Time Out’s list of the best up and coming European destinations.
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