Europe is not exactly famous for its warmth and receptiveness towards tourists, especially following the travel surge of the post-pandemic years.
Whether it’s in vibrant Paris or charming, canal-traversed Amsterdam, locals feel torn about the excessive number of arrivals: though it certainly helps boost the economy, mass tourism is often associated with crowding and an increase in prices.
Heading into 2025, Europe’s tourism malaise is reaching boiling point: in parts of Spain now, there are widespread anti-tourism protests, while a number of Italian cities are imposing daily visitor caps, and that’s only the beginning.
That being said, not all European cities are cracking down hard on tourism.
In fact, these 3 lesser-known gems wouldn’t actually mind more foreigners visiting, starting with a beautiful fortified port in Northern France:
Saint-Malo, France
Located on the coast of Brittany, France’s northwesternmost region, Saint-Malo is a popular seaside resort for the French that’s only recently starting to gain international notoriety.
It is famous for its Old Town, reconstructed after being all but flattened in World War II, and rich medieval history: its Romanesque-Gothic cathedral has beautiful rose windows that rival Notre Dame’s beauty, and you just never know where those winding alleys in the walled center will lead.
Maybe it’s a picturesque place bordered by French bistros or the best crêperie you’ll ever visit (Bergamote, we’re looking at you).
Saint-Malo’s also has a long, sandy beach (Plage du Sillon) lining its defensive walls, which becomes a popular bathing site during the mildly-hot Normandy summers, and its busy port is guarded by a series of forts nestling on tidal islets just offshore.
This year, Saint-Malo has been humbled by an 18% drop in tourism levels, and unlike other French destinations, it’s definitely no longer chasing tourists away:
If you’re visiting in 2025, you can expect to be welcomed with open arms.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki is an ancient port city packed with Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, and even Ottoman-era ruins.
It’s often bypassed by first-time visitors to Greece, who will typically touch down in Athens for a one-night layover ahead of heading straight for the Cycladic Islands, but it should definitely not be underestimated, particularly when the attitude towards visitors is much more positive.
Overall, Thessaloniki hosted 2.4 million guests in 2023, as per Statista data, far fewer than Athens’ 7 million, or Santorini’s 3.4 million, where things got real ugly this year as crowding got out of control.
In Thessaloniki, you can get all the moussaka and pastitsio you want without having to break the bank on a dinner out, and the hilly Panayia district, with bougainvillea-adorned streets and colorful house fronts, is still as picture-perfect as they get––minus the Instagram hordes.
Other than admiring the 4th-century Rotunda, a ruined Roman church, and exploring the Thessaloniki Acropolis, Thessaloniki is one of the hottest European destinations for 2025 (figuratively and literally), mainly due to its big new opening:
A new metro system combining rapid transit that not only makes getting around the metropolis much easier, but allows tourists to dive deeper into the city’s rich past:
In the Agias Sofias station, for instance, there is a whole archeological site to be visited for free.
Valladolid, Spain
Forget Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and the like: if you’re heading to tourism-saturated Spain in 2025, you might as well try your luck somewhere more offbeat, where, at the very least, you won’t be hunted down by tourist-phobic Spaniards with water pistols.
Think we’re exaggerating? Maybe you just haven’t caught wind of what went down in Barcelona last summer…
Either way, back to Valladolid: if you’re flying all the way to Europe for the plethora of medieval treasures, stately Royal Palaces, and fresh, pesticide-free food, the small, laid-back Valladolid, yet to fall victim to overtourism, is the place to go.
San Pablo Church comfortably sits among the most beautiful in Southern Europe; built in the 1400s with soaring vaulted ceilings, pond-dotted Campo Grande Park is a natural oasis amid the ocher-colored sprawl, and if you think Madrid’s Plaza Mayor is Spain’s stateliest, wait until you see Valladolid’s:
Flanked by arcaded buildings and playing host to a majestic Town Hall, it is at the heart of the Old Town and every local’s go-to spot for aperitifs and socializing.
If you’re a History buff like us, then don’t miss Cervantes’ House, where the much-celebrated Don Quixote author lived. In case you weren’t aware, Christopher Columbus himself spent his final years here, with much of his life documented at the Christopher Columbus Museum.
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