If you’re tired of Europe’s metropolitan crowds, concrete and constant noise, it might be time to look at the continent’s rural corners. Yes, the energy hits different in the big cities, but so do slow mornings in the country, walking to the nearest cafe, wandering through a village’s farmer’s market, or hiking through epic landscapes. Even at night, neon lights and marquees are replaced by the most extraordinary skies.
According to the latest data from Airbnb, travellers are trading the concrete for cobblestone, and big-ticket sights for small-pleasure places where life unfolds gently (and people actually greet you hello).
Instead of heading to Barcelona, why not venture to Rojales, instead? This little village in Alicante offers a different take on the Costa Blanca. Days are punctuated by strolls along the Segura River, pastry stops at Panadería Tono la Inés, and warm conversations with locals that make you wish you’d brushed up on your Spanish. And if you do get a craving for an adrenaline rush, visit Aqua Park Ciudad Quesada, Rojales’s summer water park, open from June to September.
Headed to France instead? In Gérardmer, nature is the backdrop and the main event. Set deep in the Vosges Mountains, this lakeside town finds hikers tracing forest paths, swimmers slicing through the chilly water of Lac de Gérardmer, and tables filling with plates of hearty mountain fare – especially come winter, after a round on the slopes. Long lunches, here, easily turn into early, and you can sense that you’ve slipped into a slower pace. Scroll on for the full roundup of trending destinations, according to Airbnb.
These are the top trending rural European destinations, according to Airbnb
France
Montreuil
Gérardmer
Spain
Rojales
Ronda
Germany
Braunlage
Ortenaukreis
Italy
Bressanone
Arco
This spring, Airbnb has partnered with Duolingo to give language learners 10 percent off an Airbnb stay for completing Duolingo lessons. For more information, visit Airbnb’s website.
ICYMI: One of Europe’s most beautiful hiking trails will re-open this month.
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