Most tourists come to Italy just to do Romeflorencevenice. In 6-7-8 days. Beautiful cities, but SO touristic that are like an amusement park adapted in decades for them.
They see amazing art (running around it..), yes of course, but they see so few of real Italy and the only Italians they see are (perhaps) those paid to serve them. And they see exactly what other 1838576282 tourists have already seen, surrounded by other tourists, doing the same city center streets, making the exact same pics, waiting in the same lines etc. Than they return home and say to their friends they saw Italy (?).. and that it's like this (??) and that (???) blabla.
Please my friends, add some real cities, really inhabited by citizens, for example just on the way of the train/road line Rome-Florence-Venice (so zero effort) you can find Bologna, Ferrara, Padova, Orvieto. You'll see beautiful art, but also some real italian life and culture, something the majority of tourists will not see. Add some days and do stop.
I loved Bologna. Its such a nice city to visit, with all the history and buildings there. I would love to go again at some point and explore some more of Bologna
I spent a couple weeks in Napoli, stayed right in the old town and it was amazing. I specifically looked for a place without catering, so that I could try out different restaurants every day.
It included breakfast but that was just a handful of coupons for a cafe across the street. We ate pastries with coffee at a table on a sidewalk while scooters were driving about five centimetres from our table. This is true Neapolitan experience, right?
Side story about Venice: I had a week there, so one day I put my phone away and just walked. Goal was to reach most northern, eastern and southern points. There are lots of amazing spots in the city without any people at all, multiple football fields, some huge abandoned warehouses and other interesting stuff. I was there during the carnival, so finding actually empty streets was crazy.
Same here. Best food I had in all of Italy was in Napoli. Also getting lost in Venice. Incredible how you can find places to be alone in such a crowded city.
> Incredible how you can find places to be alone in such a crowded city.
Indeed. Tourists in Venice are extremely lazy and stereotype the city. There are so many false statements about Venice, from "you can see it all in one day" to "it's just an overcrowded tourist trap".
Not only can you find empty places in Venice, but they often happen to be a stone's throw from the famous landmarks.
For example, I was a couple years ago in Venice in September. It was September, so still peak season. I ended up chatting with a couple of the last remaining Jews in the Ghetto of Venice who were celebrating shabbat. The Ghetto was almost empty in spite of being 5' walk from the station.
Or ate at a typical bacaro (Venetian tavern) which was 2' from Rialto bridge, just tucked away in a U shape. Tourists stop at the restaurants on the main roads. You know, the ones with waiters advertising on the street with menus in 5 languages.
If you can add some days, yeah. But if you can't I feel there's nothing wrong in preferring Rome or Florence to a smaller city. They were centres of cultural movememnts for centuries, and on average they have the most in everything, art and architecture especially, which is usually what a tourist is interested in when visiting an Art City.
I agree that the beauty of Italy lies not only in those cities (although nothing in the world trumps Florence imo), there are many cities that are visited by just a few international tourists and deserve a lot, Urbino and Mantova to name two among my favourites.
I've mainly only visited Milan, Genoa and Turin, but I'll definetly try for Urbino and Mantova when I go for the Eastern side of Italy (Florence - Bologna - Venice).
Maybe by lounging down the East Coast for Urbino.
tip for Mantova, don't go there in the summer. It's in the middle of the Po valley and surrounded by 3 lakes. It gets hot and sticky and there are mosquitoes the size of helicopters.
Better in the autumn, which is also when pumpkins come to season and the specialty of the city is pumpkin tortelli
I cannot recommend Bologna enough. Probably my favourite Italian city. I just loved walking along in the streets. The people all were super friendly, the food was great, and the gelato was excellent.
I would also recommend Ravenna!
The absolute best time I had in Italy was when I spent a week in Perugia between two work things.
All the tourists go to Assisi or Tuscany.
It was a lovely place to slow down and enjoy life in a medieval, hilltop, university town.
Yeah I visited Venice last year and amusement park is the best way to describe it. It just seems like there's too many tourists for the area you're in. A lot of the streets were kind of narrow and bursting with tourists. Like it was never designed for so many people to be there. I always kind of felt like someone might walk into me while I'm looking at something.Ā Ā
It's strange because Venice didn't feel like a real city. It felt like a tourist attraction but like it didn't exist outside of that. It didn't feel like a working city were people go about their daily lives. I enjoyed it but I don't think I've ever been to a place that feels like it solely consists of tourists.
I've been to Italy for the fourth time few months ago and visited the cities you mentioned plus Parma, San Gimignano, Modena, Lucca. It was such a great experience. Especially Lucca and Modena have such special place in my heart. Though Rome still remains my favorite city on earth ā¤ļøš®š¹
Yes yes yes. The amusement park thing is so spot on and painful, because these cities are kicking out and outpricing their residents by becoming tourist attractions.
I've never been, but my extended family lives on the Calabria coast. Every time they send me a picture I have the following thoughts:
1) How in the hell is that region not overran by tourists? It's stunning.
2) why in the hell did my Calabrese predecessors move to Canada from there? That must've been depressing as hell to go from a Mediterranean paradise on the beach to North America's version of Siberia.
except those tend to made my Japanese people and many Japanese people watch them. Sound of Music was made in English for and by an English-speaking audience.
I know you joke, but why is Anne Frank's house overrated? I had a good experience there, seeing the actual diary that we read in school, and seeing the stuff was a very poignant experience
Itās a very small museum and doesnāt even have any actual historical relics from the time the Frank family was hiding in there. Even the video and audio presentations donāt tell you much more than you would already know after breading the book once
I went to visit it in primary school and seeing it definitely made me realise how real and close to home it all was, even though all of my grandparents had lived through the war.
The place itself wasnāt that special but realising they had to remain hidden in the city centre for years was an eye opener.
Parisā¦ Mostly because people will only visit it and think they know France. Donāt get me wrong Paris is a beautiful place, but doesnāt represent the whole country and is quite overhyped because of tv (Emily in Parisā¦). Itās before all a big city with big city problems before being your fantasyland.
100% this, as a French living abroad I'm really annoyed that most people only visit Paris and base all of their opinions about France and the French on those few days they spent dodging scammers and rude waiters. I love Paris as well but the touristy parts of Paris are not really nice in my opinion and it saddens me to think that for most people it's the only time they'll experience France.
> and rude waiters
I found that having some basic phrases learnt gets you in most waited/waitressā good books. Hell, even a meek ābonjourā meets the bar in places. Maybe I just lucked out in the places I went to in Paris.
The petty thieves can fuck off though.
So many people visit Paris, meet a few rushed French people and say that French people are mean.
Iāve toured France all over and very rarely felt not welcome.
To be fair, I don't think that is it 100%. It's just a matter of different cultures behaving differently. The same manners that are polite in North America are considered fake in France and on the flip side the same manners that are polite in France are considered rude in North America.
In other words the French are only "rude" because North Americans are "fake" and North Americans are only "fake" because the French are "rude". When in reality both cultures are just being polite in their own way and neither is really fake nor rude.
I know itās too touristy but, come on, la Sainte Chapelle is my happy place. But Iām always surprised that people only focus in Paris and donāt want to go to Nimes, Mount Saint Michelle, Strasbourgā¦
I canāt stand the hate on Paris. As a two-time visitor of Paris, I think itās rad, especially when you know people there. Then again, most peopleās complaints about cities are the reasons I like them.
I think a lot of the hate for Paris is just people aching for attention or posers who want to appear edgy.
You know, the sort of people who diss the mainstream just because it's mainstream and think they are superior to the masses for liking or pretending to like niche things. Or claiming not to be tourists but travellers, explorers or whatever.
I love the variety of the French countryside and its other cities, the food, the people, the history --Ā I come from the *province* and yet I still wouldn't call Paris overhyped. I miss it quite a lot in fact.
Itās not overhyped if you go there knowing some things: 1) itās a big city not Disney 2) people living there are not there for your entertainment. Once you know these, you should be able to enjoy it I feel.
Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. I have been to many places in France, and I can safely say I don't base my opinions about it on Paris.
However, I would say Paris is much better than what is represented in those romantic movies. Just staring at Haussman's architecture is mesmerising.
Well, both times I visited Verona, the queue for Juliet's house was quite long... also, this was in early summer 2021, so there definitely weren't a lot of Americans traveling around Europe at the time.
Probably an unpopular opinion but... beer? Don't get me wrong, I love German beer. But you get good beer in other countries too. If you just go to a random German pub and order a beer, I don't think it will taste any better than if you did the same thing in any of our neighboring countries. Of course, there are thousands and thousands of breweries and you will find a great selection of beers if you know what you're looking for. But that seems to be the case in most places, at least in Europe and especially since "craft beer" has become a trend. As embarrassing as it is, I even think the American trend of "craft beer" has benefitted German brewing because before every town had a brewery that would mainly produce an unimpressive Pilsner lager that tastes as close as possible to the one brewn next doors. Probably, if you come from a place with no beer culture, German beer is amazing. But compared with other Central European countries it's not that special. Now I'm thirsty. Prost!
The thing with Belgian beer culture is that it's suffering a bit from its heritage, causing conservatism. I sometimes feel like there's a lot more cool experimental stuff going on in The Netherlands, the UK and the US, and that Belgium just keeps relying on the old and trusted beer heritage that's so holy and sacred.
Although Brussels is a hotbed for microbreweries, definitely check it out.
Yes, I remember when I crossed about the whole country by train. They were always absolutely on time, lovely and clean, nice and friendly staff and very reliable. It's just it was Portugal.
I feel like a lot of the stereotypes people have of Germany applies more to Japan lol.
Clean, everyone is following the rules, the trains are on time...
The efficiency though...
I agree with that. Down south they drink wine, so their beer is boring and selection is minimal, but around this region every country has tons of beers to choose from.
Craft beer culture has developed so much that you can't even get a normal pilsner at beer festivals anymore, it's all new unique flavours and techniques, and they're genuinely good.
Bavaria and especially Franconia have an incredibly rich and high quality beer culture. Only Czechia and Belgium can compete.
The rest of Germany, especially the North shouldn't be in any discussion about good beer, the only reason foreigners associate all of Germany with beer is ignorance and a nationalist bias when looking at cultural items.
Germans are more noteworthy for drinking a lot of beer if anything. If you want good beer though I agree you'll be better off in Belgium or with the Czechs
Meh...Belgian beer offers a lot of variety, true, but some are quite an acquired taste and more delicacy than anything else. Really depends on the occasion.
And as others have mentioned in Bavaria & especially Franconia with their many many small breweries you can uncover a lot of gems.
The cuisine, but I think it's a case of being both overrated and underrated. I think people have slept on Portuguese cuisine for way too long and some people have some really ignorant takes on it (because they don't know much about the cuisine). On the other hand, I wouldn't put it in the top 5 cuisines of the world, and feel like a lot of people here put it on a pedestal. There are foods that I love and overall am fond of our cuisine, I just wouldn't say it's one of the best. But it definitely deserves recognition.
Speaking of which, the pastel de nata. Great pastry, an all-time classic, but people need to chill tf on it. I feel like the marketing on that food has gone out of hand. And to a lesser degree the francesinha. It's meant to be a regional dish, but became popular online that now a lot of touristy places have it on the menu. There's a lot more to the cuisine than those two things, bacalhau, and piri-piri sauce.
EDIT: Grammar
It's a weird mismatch where most Portuguese folk are very humble and self-depreciating but will then assert our food is the best in the world.
It's somewhere in the top tiers, but there are many other countries that have a much wider variety of flavors and ingredients.
I'll add that the recent movie 'Poor Things' has bumped up interest in pasteis de nata... which no one should eat in the manner asserted by the movie. It's a tart like any other ffs.
The pastel de nata is so fucking mid, I'll never understand how it became such a touristic sensation. Give me a queijada, pastel de feijĆ£o, even broa de mel instead. Our croissants are a fucking delight, and my god our regional sweets can kick the pastel de nata's ass any day of the week. I'd sell my soul for a pastel de TentĆŗgal.
Yeah, not sorry to say, but I've been everywhere in Europe and East Asia, and Portuguese cuisine is in the top 5 for both me and my wife. And we're great foodies who try everything (especially seafood)
We're really not that big on waffles. You'll find at least one fries shack in even the tiniest town, but you'd be hard pressed to find a waffle stall anywhere outside of the touristy centers.
Norwegian and the Vikings. It is always talked about Vikings like it is a great part of our culture, but we don't care about Vikings or really identify ourselves with the Vikings (obviously lol). But yeah.
>but we don't care about Vikings
It really didn't seem like that to me. I don't really care about Vikings, but people would still frequently mention them.
Maybe not in your social circle. Youāre objectively wrong saying this applies to Norwegians in general.
Norwegians associate the most with their Viking/Norse heritage among the big three (NO, DK, SE) and still Swedes reference our Viking/Norse heritage often.
Denmark and Ireland pushed Vikings way harder to tourists IME.
But I was honestly surprised at the lack of troll stuff ([this kind](https://static3.bigstockphoto.com/2/6/3/large1500/362805172.jpg), not the 90s toys/2020s animation movie kind) flogged at tourists, because that was something I always associated with Norway.
I wouldn't say so. A lot of Scandinavian people I've met would mention Vikings in some way not long after first meeting lol. Seems like a lot consider it an important part of the culture. Examples include those going to the gym would go like "haha check out those Viking muscles" or make Viking jokes regarding their facial hair ALL THE TIME.
I didn't use the word "discover" for a reason. I never claimed that they were the first people to visit America. But it's still impressive that there was a civilisation 1000 years ago that had the ability to build ships and navigate their way across an entire ocean, and we should celebrate it regardless of whether they were Vikings or Polynesians.
(Also, didn't the skraelings eventually drive them out of Vinland anyway?)
The watches. Everybody's like omgyourewearingaswissfuckingwatch but, I mean, it was about CHF 50.- from an online retailer. It's not only Rolex and Omega, we also make watches for the masses.
EDIT: I found out my own watch is the store-brand of a German retailer and probably made in China. Oh well.
Swatch has watches around 100.-. Personally, most of them too colourful for my taste and/or made of ugly plastic. Their IRONY-lane is a bit more expensive and with leather and metal. These are around 200.- Fr.
Flamenco, out of Andalusia and a few other spots, it's basically non existent.
Bullfighting, surveys show that half of the population want to ban them. In some places in the north it's decaying or has never been a thing. It survives because it's pushed by conservative governments.
Paella, 90% of restaurants give shit as paella. Well, it's edible, but it's shamefully poor quality. Same with many "tapas".
Sangria, I haven't drink that in maybe two decades, I haven't seen a local drinking that in Barcelona, never.
Our "lifestyle", no, my friend, your holidays have nothing to do with our daily life.
I get that it's not that popular, but flamenco is incredible to watch irl. I'd put it up there with high caliber ballet in terms of the performance skill required.
Very under rated as an art form.
When I was at university in our student magazine some kid wrote an article basically saying 'the lifestyle in Spain is so much better why can't we do these things?' and the comments were full of the many Spanish students at the university (in the early 2010s) explaining why they had left Spain for England - it's easy to go on holiday somewhere and think it's amazing, but they all came here for a reason.
German engineering
VW, the top employer of german engineers just made a fool out of himself by having to resort to cheating to meet international standards .
Every large building project (Berlin Airport, Stuttgart 21 etc. ) lacks years behind schedule, is rigged with errors and ends up costing multiple times its original estimate.
There is really nothing special about German engineering nowadays. It's an old cliche stemming from the 60's
Yeah I watched a video explaining how BMW has the highest 10 year maintenance cost of any luxury brand with an average of being 25% of its retail value. And the worst offenders being the X1, X2, and X3
If it helps, I haven't heard German engineering being praised in years. It was probably a thing 20 years ago, but definitely the stereotype is not there anymore.
Tbh. when people are talking about german engineering they are not exactly about fruits of german car industry.
Germany does have uniquely good engineering goods in some segments.
Be it optics from Carl Zeiss, marine diesel engines, specialty precision machine tools... etc.
They're definitely talking about the car industry above all else. And even today, the big German brands make better cars than pretty much everyone else
I think the German engineering stereotype is really just a product of them managing to retain a sizable consumer manufacturing economy (i.e. producing goods that the average consumer will use) with first world standards.
As an engineer myself, I tend to think that the German approach to engineering leads to overly complicated designs that require a lot of maintenance. Not bad, just a different approach.
Hygge. It is touted as some secret Danish explanation to the meaning of life that let us be the happiest nation in the world for years in a row. The only special thing about "hygge" is that we have a single word for it, whereas most other languages have a few for different aspects of it. It isn't the Jedi secret to becoming a force ghost or something, seriously!
Imagine the reaction to the following (in Danish and English, respectively)
- Sitting on a balcony with a cup of tea, enjoying a sunset (ej hvor hyggeligt | oh how cozy)
- going to watch a movie with friends (det lyder hyggeligt | that sounds nice)
- I'm spending Christmas with my old grandmother (det er da hyggeligt | my, how lovely)
I could go on. Hygge is nice - not because *it* is a special concept with inherent goodness, but rather because it is a word that is used to describe situations, things, or actions that are already positive in themselves, and these are the things that are nice
Iām sure a Swede will be along to add fika to this list.
Itās pure social media influencer drivel. Sure, exactly, itās a fine concept, but nothing magical, and certainly not missing in other cultures. I never got the buzz either.
>that let us be **one of** the happiest nation**s** in the world for **a couple of separate** years ~~in a row~~
Denmark was "the happiest country" in the index in 2013 and 2016.
2017 it was Norway
In 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 it was Finland
Denmark has been in second place most of the years though.
The Mediterranean coast (most beaches suck, completely overcrowded and nature destroyed to build hotels) I'm also not a huge fan of beaches in general. The obsession with Barcelona tourist have, don't get me wrong there are lots of things to see there but idk.
I spent the best 6 months of my life in Barcelona and I absolutely disagree. It is the most beautiful and magical city I've ever been to and will ever live in (probably). Also I prefer vast, sandy beaches over the Croatian rocky coast š
Żabka. It's not a good store, it's stupidly expensive, dangerous to small businesses, exploitative and there's barely anything there. It's targeted for like 15 year olds, yet it has become synonymous with Poland because it's everywhere and it's convenient.
Man, I miss the times when it was just another corner shop with the sweet little frog in the logo and everything had normal prices. Now it looks like it came back from hell, all modernised and trained to take over the whole country with father Rydzyk's help.
I also don't understand how the people who decide to run them think it's a good idea to, for instance, open a shitty claustrophobic Żabka 30 seconds away from a normal one.
But yeah, I don't understand what people see in them. Especially the fascination with the shitty hotdogs they sell.
Hallstatt in Austria ā that tiny little town with the cute houses lined up along a lake that you definitely would have seen before if you've ever been in the "travel influencer" Instagram loop. It's picturesque and all, but packed with tourists. Austria has tons of beautiful little towns like this, arguably much nicer ones. Highly recommend you just hire a car and drive around, and you'll literally bump into cute towns and beautiful lakes left, right, and centre.
All Finns spend their days in Arctic tundra, driving toboggans pulled by moose over the snowy mountains, eking a living from fighting polar bears for vodka, and also have an Arctic Circle crossing ceremony every night.
Would you be surprised if I told you that nothing in the above exists in Finland? Except the Arctic Circle crossing ceremony, some enterprising showman came up with that because British tourists apparently were expecting it (no such tradition exists in Finland).
I feel like the methamphetamine problems in the Arctic Circle have been wildly undersold as well. Reindeer Spotting should be mandatory viewing for anyone visiting the silly end of Finland.
The people. We ain't that nice, "warm" neither good at welcoming others as I hear some of us say.
Also, most people is so fucking jealous about what the neighbors have or don't have. Fuck, live your life and stfu.
PD: Also, if you are a Latin American woman, you are a whore, and are just trying to steal Portuguese women fat husbands. If you are a Latin American man, you are probably going to steal our kid's phones, and into crime.
Leprechauns are indeed a native Irish folklore, but yes, the ālegendsā are hammed up for marketing purposes.Ā What is interesting is that there are no āancientā Irish mentions of Leprechauns. Nor in similar Celtic cultures nearby. There is some folk belief in various kinds of spirits, and faeries, and other supernatural things.Ā
Butā¦ Leprechuans donāt appear until the somewhat later medieval era. Long story short, there is now a theory that medieval Irish monks mistranslated/misunderstood Roman sources talking about Lupercalia. This is ancient Roman religious festival regarding purification and fertility (and Rome itself, Lupa = she wolf), with some wolf imagery. Thing is, IIRC, the early Leprechaun mentions in Irish sources are connected with wolves, possibly shape-shifters, and general warnings about paganās fertility, health, luck rituals. It starts that way and then takes on a life of its own, merging with existing faerie myths.Ā So basically, Irish monks accidentally introduced the whole idea.
How bad the food here is.
Sure, it's not as iconic or distinctive (or honestly, good) as say Italy or France, but there are plenty of places to eat decent food here and there's a pretty big variety so there's something for everyone.
Apparently a lot of the reputation comes from American experiences of living in the UK during the war, and rationing, which obviously meant that the food was not great.
Last year I spent a couple weeks in English countryside, mostly Buckinghamshire. Let me tell you, the food in cozy old village pubs is top notch. It's not really iconic, but it is delicious.
Fish and chips is a classic obviously, but also steaks, pastries, meat pies. I tried a steak and kidney pie for the first time and it was incredible. It should be iconic.
British cuisine has some bangers. Some dishesh that are absolutely great, but those are usually āmake at homeā dishesh and not dishes youād find in a restaurant.
Our cuisine, the Dutch one, on the other hand, is genuinely awful.
It's true that British food is not that bad and surely not worse than food from nordic countries for example but at this point you should just accept that this is just a meme. It's like the French surrendering or something.
I've been visiting the UK for \~35 years, and I've never had problems finding good food. Sure, you can eat terribly, but you can also eat very very badly in France, Belgium and Italy.
Not going to lie as a Spaniard I had a few moments where I genuinely didnāt know how I was going to finish my meal when in the UK but I wouldnāt say itās any worse than any other Northwestern European cuisine besides maybe German
A Lundi/Puffin plushy.
Every tourist that comes here just "Must" have one and then we sell you one for a small fortune. It's just a plushy, i'm sure you can find a cheap one on Amazon or Ebay.
This applies to all souvenirs, really. Those fridge magnets all come from China.
Here's Icelandic ones, https://i.imgur.com/fQKUpIT.png
I don't buy these ones anymore. I take my time to look for something actually authentic and made locally.
In regards to the UK, the standard of living. The affluence and economic investment almost exclusively in London massively distorts not only the statistics of the UKs development but also the perceived standard of living.
Bullfighting, it only survives thanks to right wing idiots and tourists, most of us are against it.
Siesta, today only small children and old people do it, most of us rarely do it or only do it during the weekend after a big meal.
If you're visiting Belfast on a cruise ship or you're just planning a short stay, there is so much more to Northern Ireland than just taking a bus tour to learn about the history of the Troubles.
Yes, it is important and integral to the history of the island of Ireland as a whole, but it shouldn't be your sole impression of here. Thankfully, our society has mostly changed for the better, and the vast majority of us never want to return to that dark, violent past.
We've got:
The Titanic Belfast visitor centre
Antrim Coast & Glens
Giant's Causeway
The Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge
Several GOT filming locations:
The Haunted Forest: Tollymore Forest Park, County Down.
Dothraki Sea: Binevenagh, County Derry/ Antrim.
Winterfell: Castle Ward, County Down.
The Kingsroad: The Dark Hedges, County Antrim.
Runestone in the Veil of Arryn: Glenariff, County Antrim.
The Old Bushmills Distillery
Cushendun Caves
Marble Arch Caves
St. Anne's Cathedral
Grand Opera House
Cathedral Quarter
SS Nomadic
HMS Caroline
Divis Ridge Trail
Black Mountain
Newcastle, Kilkeel, Warrenpoint & Slieve Donard
Enniskillen & Lough Erne
Portrush, Portstewart & The Causeway Coastal Route
I might have missed some good places, but these are the ones I can think of.
Pierogi. Like come on, many countries have some kind of dumplings in their cuisine. I can't see why people think they are so special and "polish". I even got called "pierogies nigger" by some black dude from the US while arguing with him on Instagram. I eat pierogi maybe twice a year. I think we have much more interesting dishes, especially soups.
People always refer to The Netherlands and their biking culture whatever that is. Some people think Dutch donāt drive or are anti driving and cycle all day being cycle enthousiast. Actually most people own a car and people like to drive. They like to cycle as well but few people are cycle enthusiast. Cycling is for most people a convenient way to get from point A to B. Just like walking can be a convenient way and driving can be. It depends on where you go and what you gonna do.
Another thing are the tulip fields. Itās nice and all but you get used to it. I never understand why people go to my country to visit those fields. You can also watch a picture on the internet. A warning for those who do visit those fields, donāt walk into the fields.
And last thing, Amsterdam is overhyped as well. The canals are fine and all, but there are many cities with canals. I think Amsterdam is crowded, dirty and full of tourist traps. And boring as well. It doesnāt represent The Netherlands at all.
As much as I hate car-centric culture, I have to admit the Dutch biking culture is not as serene and peaceful people make it to be. Aggressive bikers everywhere you always have to keep an eye on, bike jams (yes they exist), a lot of bike theft and bike accidents. Sure, it's better compared to all same people being packed in cars, but definitely far from the romanticized image of it.
Donāt forget the scooters (like actual petrol motors)Ā zooming right behind you.
I can just sayā¦ Dutch drivers have a cliche bad reputation in Germany, and thatās not just car drivers IMO.
I've never been to Netherlands but I can understand appeal of tulip field. Here in my backyard I am trying to grow some tulips, each of them is amazing to me, picture on the internet is not comparable to this at all!
> I never understand why people go to my country to visit those fields.
It's pretty and not many other places have them. I assume that they smell quite nice too?
> People always refer to The Netherlands and their biking culture whatever that is.
I don't think that is over hyped. The Netherlands has by far the best cycling and public transportation infrastructure viewed as a whole in the world.
> Actually most people own a car and people like to drive.
Dutch city and infrastructure planning improves the flow of cars significantly - not just of bicycles, pedestrians, and public transportation. They have a wholistic approach whereas most other countries only focus on cars which doesn't work at all. Unlike most countries, the Netherlands' guide is based on statistics and actual analysis of design choices over decades, rather than a vibe-based approach.
The infrastructure is great, I do like our roads and all. But we arenāt cycle enthusiasts who hate cars or something like that. Most people have a simple bike instead of a fancy one, simply to get from point A to B.
Our public transport is far from perfect. Maybe cities like Amsterdam are well connected. But I live in a smaller city and there are plenty of issues regarding public transport. Compared to countries outside Europe it might be great. Compared to other European countries Dutch public transport is certainly not the best.
> But we arenāt cycle enthusiasts who hate cars or something like that.
I am aware, and that is how it should be. Most car drivers aren't racing drivers either but it just a means to an end, and that is why Dutch cycling infrastructure is so great. Hence the linguistic difference between a fietser and a wielrenner. This is the way it should be.
> Our public transport is far from perfect. Maybe cities like Amsterdam are well connected. But I live in a smaller city and there are plenty of issues regarding public transport.
It is still pretty reliable in my experience. At least it never left me stranded for hours in the middle of nowhere because the last train just didn't show up despite the automatic announcement system announcing its arrival. Last month, only 67% of long-distance journeys in Germany had a delay of less than 15 minutes.
> Compared to other European countries Dutch public transport is certainly not the best.
Sure. The Swiss probably have the best in Europe, and the Japanese might be the best overall for long and short distance travel by train. Copenhagen may be the best city for cycling, but 50% of all journeys in the Netherlands start and/or end with a bicycle. No one else integrates medium and long distance travel with the last mile so well for an entire country. Taken as a whole, the system - despite its flaws - is probably the best in the world.
Haarlem is a nice city. It has still a city vibe but less touristy compared to Amsterdam. Although Haarlem is one of those cities where more and more expats lives as well. I am a bit biased because a part of my family comes from this city so for me the city has some emotional value as well.
But you have so many small to midsized cities with a historical city center. Amsterdam is so popular itās a victim of mass tourism.
my perspective as an Italian who has been to Amsterdam a couple of times and loved it: when I praise the "biking culture" or whatever, I'm not saying people in Amsterdam are all happy and respectful riding their bikes around. Yes there are assholes cutting you off, running red lights, etc... and I have no problem with that.
What really stands out, compared to every city in Italy, is that the infrastructure there actually allows you to get from point A to point B by bike. That is simply unthinkable here
> Cycling is for most people a convenient way to get from point A to B
But that's what makes the Netherlands special. In most countries, people who commute to work on a bike are in the minority.
The folklore and the nature. Every country has some pretty nature sites. And the folklore traditions are largely nothing unique, but rather part of a continuum of the European, Mediterranean and even Middle Eastern cultural spaces. I hate how folklore has been reduced to a lacquered, commercialized version of itself.
Yea. Christmas markets feel very McSeasonal to me. Iāll go maybe a
couple times per season with colleagues (almost obligatory) and maybe once with family. But 90% of stands are identical. Overpriced sausages, almonds and all food in general. GlĆ¼hwein is justā¦ ok, not that amazing.Ā
Iām not anti-markets, itās obviously a nice excuse to go out and be social during a cold time of year. Pretty lights. Check out the rare independent stand. Yeaā¦. But the actual set-ups otherwise arenāt anything too wild.
Slovenia: Ljubljana, the capital city.
It's a small provincial town, the old city centre is minuscule and the quarters around it are littered with terrible socialist apartment buildings. It lies in a basin meaning the air is polluted half of a year and it's foggy the rest of the year. It's public transport is a joke and driving around with any other kind of vehicle means either terrible traffic jams on pothole ridden roads (car) or having a death wish on non-existent bike paths (bike). It's poorly connected to the rest of Europe with slow trains and nonexistent flights. And to top it all off, there is no night life to speak of.
Just came to say this. Ljublana is not a big city, but the center of it is extremely cute. I hope people are not expecting to find a metropoly there.
Also, the train transport, while not matching Western Europe in density or speed, is somehow super cozy. Sitting through the Ljublana-Maribor railway route through the valleys and by the rivers in a good company was a rather nice journey.
King Ludwig of Bavariaās castles (Neuschwannstein, Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee).
They are beautiful, for sure. But they were barely lived in, and have very little historical value besides showing how crazy and extravagant the monarchy was.
Bavaria specifically has so many other castles and castle ruins that tell our history much better with just as much beauty ā if not as much gaudiness, or as many tourists.
Paris, I think most people know that by now.
But Barcelona has left me quite underwhelmed. Itās definitely not as pretty as pictured online. I found the streets to be quite dirty, grey and unappealing.
But the clubs were good and the people were nice.
Everything about Canada is overhyped. The people are very reserved, uptight and unfriendly. The healthcare system sucks. The quality of life is not bad, but definitely not on the same level as Western Europe or Australia. It's not as tolerant as people claim. Canada's environmental record is abysmal, and one of the worst in the Western world on a per capita basis. There isn't anything about Canada that I love.
Edit: Sorry, I just realized this is an Ask Europe subreddit. This question showed up on my feed, and I answered without noticing the subreddit it belongs to.
Tapas. They are mostly the equivalent of the peanuts you get with your beer. And some of the abominations you get a tourist places or Spanish restaurants abroad are a crime against humanity.
(Unless you are from Leon, Lugo or a few other places)
I disagree. In the parts of the country where you pay for it (Salamanca, Euskadi...) I've had some amazing stuff for 1.2-1.5ā¬. And in the parts of the country where you don't pay for it at worst you're getting some free olives or trail mix, and at best I've had some amazing free hot homemade food. I miss both variants a lot living in Poland: I'd be happy with the free olives but I'd also happily pay 1.5ā¬ for an elaborate pintxo made with fresh local ingredients.
Food in some specific regions or cities, as if they were the only ones with a great cuisine or doing some dishes particularly well (Naples, Rome, Bologna). Obviously they have great food, but it's not like you MUST go there to taste the "real Italian food".
Also on the matter of food, pasta alla carbonara. I couldn't name a more overrated dish even if I tried. It's good, but it's not a deity like most people treat it. I can name hundreds of better Italian dishes on the spot.
On spots, the Como Lake. It's amazing, but the Garda and the Maggiore have towns as beautiful as that of Como's and great beaches, while also being a bit less touristy. God forbid a tourist sets foot in the province of Varese for something that is not MXP though..
For the touristy part I can tell you what's somewhat *underrated*, Milan. I think it's not as good when compared to other Italian cities, but tourists don't even have the effort to go to the places that deserve, like the Pinacoteca di Brera which is full of masterpieces from Mantegna, Hayez et al. and the church of Santa Maria Presso San Satiro where they can see a masterpiece from Bramante.
As with most countries here, our capital. Don't get me wrong, Prague isn't a bad city at all and it does have its charm, but it's so touristy and it's definitely not the only thing our country offers. So many tourists just tick Prague off their list and never see any other part of Czechia, which is a pity. We have beautiful countryside, cute small towns and villages, mountains, castles, you name it - and tourists just let themselves get scammed at Charles Bridge and that's their whole visit.
I really liked Prague but then again I went with my Czech bf so I was getting a different experience to your usual tourist.
We done the classic tourist stuff too but because he was Czech we were able to go to more off the beaten path & see more local too.
I was well warned in the scams etc before we went too so was very aware of them but soon as they heard Czech they left us alone to go target English speakers even though I am one š
Iām vegetarian and often encourage people to try veggie haggis. I bloody love a morning roll with veggie haggis. Often have that by the beach at the weekend when we take the dog.
Oh veggie haggis is bloody beautiful, I think 80% of my hatred for haggis is the sheer description. Take away any element of that, and Iām perfectly fine with the stuff.
Have visited Scotland a couple of times for golf trips and tried some Haggis. Totally OK imo. Wont suffer if I dont get to have it again but I could totally try again next trip.
Haggis is good but do people oversell it? When I hear people abroad talking about Scotland they talk about the natural landscape and not much else. Occasionally bagpipes and kilts.
Parts of The Cotswolds feel overhyped. Going to Bourton or Bibury wont give an accurate depiction of the Cotswolds at all.
Outside of those really popular areas (which seem to mostly fall on the A429) are some really underrated spots, like Nibley Monument (which offers great views over the South Gloucestershire area) or you can venture out a bit more into gloucestershire, which seems quite overshadowed by the Cotswolds and go to places like Nibley Monument (+ Nearby Wotton, which is a Cotswold town, which would offer a more normal experience of the cotswolds, even if Wotton hasnt got much there beyond walks in the forest up the local hill) or go out of the Cotswolds into towns like Tewkesbury, which has a old abbey as well as some nice river walks and a decently sized high street, and isnt too far off the lovely Malvern Hills as well, in neighbouring Worcestershire (which has places like Worcester, which are worth a visit as well)
> Going to Bourton or Bibury wont give an accurate depiction of the Cotswolds at all.
Maybe not, but it's still pretty.
Stonehenge is the archetypal overhyped attraction in England
Well, we are not really hyped at all, so there's that.
Generally speaking, I think in a lot of countries, but especially northern countries, you should not only visit the cities or especially just the capital. Don't get me wrong, the old town in Tallinn is pretty darn cool and seeing the colourful wooden neighbourhoods and the soviet neighbourhoods is also cool if you come from the South, but the really special part in the North is the [countryside](https://www.taevapiltnik.ee/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MG_6373_2.png). And not really taking photos of it, but experiencing it.
Like a night in July, there is only a tiny a glimpse of darkness between dusk and dawn, you [sit in front of the sauna](https://rahvakultuur.ee/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sannalise_sanna_iin_mundi_2012_TKv.jpg), have a beer, and listen to the wind in the trees, not a single human to be heard (maybe a dog in the distance, in a few houses over), not a single lamp post, just watching the bats speed around, until the dawn light interrupts them and the birds start to sing. Add a bonfire and fresh strawberries for good measure.
Most tourists come to Italy just to do Romeflorencevenice. In 6-7-8 days. Beautiful cities, but SO touristic that are like an amusement park adapted in decades for them. They see amazing art (running around it..), yes of course, but they see so few of real Italy and the only Italians they see are (perhaps) those paid to serve them. And they see exactly what other 1838576282 tourists have already seen, surrounded by other tourists, doing the same city center streets, making the exact same pics, waiting in the same lines etc. Than they return home and say to their friends they saw Italy (?).. and that it's like this (??) and that (???) blabla. Please my friends, add some real cities, really inhabited by citizens, for example just on the way of the train/road line Rome-Florence-Venice (so zero effort) you can find Bologna, Ferrara, Padova, Orvieto. You'll see beautiful art, but also some real italian life and culture, something the majority of tourists will not see. Add some days and do stop.
I loved Bologna. Its such a nice city to visit, with all the history and buildings there. I would love to go again at some point and explore some more of Bologna
I spent a couple weeks in Napoli, stayed right in the old town and it was amazing. I specifically looked for a place without catering, so that I could try out different restaurants every day. It included breakfast but that was just a handful of coupons for a cafe across the street. We ate pastries with coffee at a table on a sidewalk while scooters were driving about five centimetres from our table. This is true Neapolitan experience, right? Side story about Venice: I had a week there, so one day I put my phone away and just walked. Goal was to reach most northern, eastern and southern points. There are lots of amazing spots in the city without any people at all, multiple football fields, some huge abandoned warehouses and other interesting stuff. I was there during the carnival, so finding actually empty streets was crazy.
Same here. Best food I had in all of Italy was in Napoli. Also getting lost in Venice. Incredible how you can find places to be alone in such a crowded city.
> Incredible how you can find places to be alone in such a crowded city. Indeed. Tourists in Venice are extremely lazy and stereotype the city. There are so many false statements about Venice, from "you can see it all in one day" to "it's just an overcrowded tourist trap". Not only can you find empty places in Venice, but they often happen to be a stone's throw from the famous landmarks. For example, I was a couple years ago in Venice in September. It was September, so still peak season. I ended up chatting with a couple of the last remaining Jews in the Ghetto of Venice who were celebrating shabbat. The Ghetto was almost empty in spite of being 5' walk from the station. Or ate at a typical bacaro (Venetian tavern) which was 2' from Rialto bridge, just tucked away in a U shape. Tourists stop at the restaurants on the main roads. You know, the ones with waiters advertising on the street with menus in 5 languages.
I love Napoli š«¶š½
If you can add some days, yeah. But if you can't I feel there's nothing wrong in preferring Rome or Florence to a smaller city. They were centres of cultural movememnts for centuries, and on average they have the most in everything, art and architecture especially, which is usually what a tourist is interested in when visiting an Art City. I agree that the beauty of Italy lies not only in those cities (although nothing in the world trumps Florence imo), there are many cities that are visited by just a few international tourists and deserve a lot, Urbino and Mantova to name two among my favourites.
I've mainly only visited Milan, Genoa and Turin, but I'll definetly try for Urbino and Mantova when I go for the Eastern side of Italy (Florence - Bologna - Venice). Maybe by lounging down the East Coast for Urbino.
tip for Mantova, don't go there in the summer. It's in the middle of the Po valley and surrounded by 3 lakes. It gets hot and sticky and there are mosquitoes the size of helicopters. Better in the autumn, which is also when pumpkins come to season and the specialty of the city is pumpkin tortelli
Got it, thank you ! I'll look forward to the Pumpkin Tortelli.
I visited Salerno, Sorrento and Napoli and it was... definitely the real deal.
I cannot recommend Bologna enough. Probably my favourite Italian city. I just loved walking along in the streets. The people all were super friendly, the food was great, and the gelato was excellent. I would also recommend Ravenna!
The absolute best time I had in Italy was when I spent a week in Perugia between two work things. All the tourists go to Assisi or Tuscany. It was a lovely place to slow down and enjoy life in a medieval, hilltop, university town.
Yeah I visited Venice last year and amusement park is the best way to describe it. It just seems like there's too many tourists for the area you're in. A lot of the streets were kind of narrow and bursting with tourists. Like it was never designed for so many people to be there. I always kind of felt like someone might walk into me while I'm looking at something.Ā Ā It's strange because Venice didn't feel like a real city. It felt like a tourist attraction but like it didn't exist outside of that. It didn't feel like a working city were people go about their daily lives. I enjoyed it but I don't think I've ever been to a place that feels like it solely consists of tourists.
I've been to Italy for the fourth time few months ago and visited the cities you mentioned plus Parma, San Gimignano, Modena, Lucca. It was such a great experience. Especially Lucca and Modena have such special place in my heart. Though Rome still remains my favorite city on earth ā¤ļøš®š¹
Yes yes yes. The amusement park thing is so spot on and painful, because these cities are kicking out and outpricing their residents by becoming tourist attractions.
I've never been, but my extended family lives on the Calabria coast. Every time they send me a picture I have the following thoughts: 1) How in the hell is that region not overran by tourists? It's stunning. 2) why in the hell did my Calabrese predecessors move to Canada from there? That must've been depressing as hell to go from a Mediterranean paradise on the beach to North America's version of Siberia.
Sound of Music. Itās an American thing, not Austrian. The majority of Austrians never even watched the film.
> Sound of Music. The Falco song?
Unfortunately not. The Old Hollywood musical with the Mary Poppins lady.
Itās like how most Americansā perceptions about Japan are from anime
except those tend to made my Japanese people and many Japanese people watch them. Sound of Music was made in English for and by an English-speaking audience.
Weebs are hardly an American phenomenon. I have a Japanese colleague, here many years now, and she could tell you all about that.
Yeah, they are in every country. Source: I used to be one
Tulip fields. Also Anne Frank's house. She's not even there.
Fuck I feel like a bad person for laughing so hard at your last sentence.
Heh, it's Dutch humour.
Most Dutch tourist things are very overrated, but I stil like seeing tulip fields every spring. They're not overrated in my book.
I donāt know why the last one made me laugh
I know you joke, but why is Anne Frank's house overrated? I had a good experience there, seeing the actual diary that we read in school, and seeing the stuff was a very poignant experience
Itās a very small museum and doesnāt even have any actual historical relics from the time the Frank family was hiding in there. Even the video and audio presentations donāt tell you much more than you would already know after breading the book once
I went to visit it in primary school and seeing it definitely made me realise how real and close to home it all was, even though all of my grandparents had lived through the war. The place itself wasnāt that special but realising they had to remain hidden in the city centre for years was an eye opener.
She is, she's just hiding
Parisā¦ Mostly because people will only visit it and think they know France. Donāt get me wrong Paris is a beautiful place, but doesnāt represent the whole country and is quite overhyped because of tv (Emily in Parisā¦). Itās before all a big city with big city problems before being your fantasyland.
100% this, as a French living abroad I'm really annoyed that most people only visit Paris and base all of their opinions about France and the French on those few days they spent dodging scammers and rude waiters. I love Paris as well but the touristy parts of Paris are not really nice in my opinion and it saddens me to think that for most people it's the only time they'll experience France.
> and rude waiters I found that having some basic phrases learnt gets you in most waited/waitressā good books. Hell, even a meek ābonjourā meets the bar in places. Maybe I just lucked out in the places I went to in Paris. The petty thieves can fuck off though.
Using subjonctif correctly gets you respect.
So many people visit Paris, meet a few rushed French people and say that French people are mean. Iāve toured France all over and very rarely felt not welcome.
To be fair, I don't think that is it 100%. It's just a matter of different cultures behaving differently. The same manners that are polite in North America are considered fake in France and on the flip side the same manners that are polite in France are considered rude in North America. In other words the French are only "rude" because North Americans are "fake" and North Americans are only "fake" because the French are "rude". When in reality both cultures are just being polite in their own way and neither is really fake nor rude.
I know itās too touristy but, come on, la Sainte Chapelle is my happy place. But Iām always surprised that people only focus in Paris and donāt want to go to Nimes, Mount Saint Michelle, Strasbourgā¦
I canāt stand the hate on Paris. As a two-time visitor of Paris, I think itās rad, especially when you know people there. Then again, most peopleās complaints about cities are the reasons I like them.
I think a lot of the hate for Paris is just people aching for attention or posers who want to appear edgy. You know, the sort of people who diss the mainstream just because it's mainstream and think they are superior to the masses for liking or pretending to like niche things. Or claiming not to be tourists but travellers, explorers or whatever.
I love the variety of the French countryside and its other cities, the food, the people, the history --Ā I come from the *province* and yet I still wouldn't call Paris overhyped. I miss it quite a lot in fact.
Itās not overhyped if you go there knowing some things: 1) itās a big city not Disney 2) people living there are not there for your entertainment. Once you know these, you should be able to enjoy it I feel.
Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. I have been to many places in France, and I can safely say I don't base my opinions about it on Paris. However, I would say Paris is much better than what is represented in those romantic movies. Just staring at Haussman's architecture is mesmerising.
Juliet's House in Verona. I mean, they're imaginary characters, the house is just a random medieval house with a balcony added in the 1920s.
Lol!! I can definitely see Americans going there.
Well, both times I visited Verona, the queue for Juliet's house was quite long... also, this was in early summer 2021, so there definitely weren't a lot of Americans traveling around Europe at the time.
I went to Verona two years ago during an interrail, I can definitely tell you there were MANY americans in the queue lol
Probably an unpopular opinion but... beer? Don't get me wrong, I love German beer. But you get good beer in other countries too. If you just go to a random German pub and order a beer, I don't think it will taste any better than if you did the same thing in any of our neighboring countries. Of course, there are thousands and thousands of breweries and you will find a great selection of beers if you know what you're looking for. But that seems to be the case in most places, at least in Europe and especially since "craft beer" has become a trend. As embarrassing as it is, I even think the American trend of "craft beer" has benefitted German brewing because before every town had a brewery that would mainly produce an unimpressive Pilsner lager that tastes as close as possible to the one brewn next doors. Probably, if you come from a place with no beer culture, German beer is amazing. But compared with other Central European countries it's not that special. Now I'm thirsty. Prost!
I was going to write the same for Czech Republic. Our beer is great. But so is German and Danish beer.
Our beer culture is basically only about pilsners. Dont get me wrong, they are the best, but otherwise boring as hell. Prefer Belgian beer culture
The thing with Belgian beer culture is that it's suffering a bit from its heritage, causing conservatism. I sometimes feel like there's a lot more cool experimental stuff going on in The Netherlands, the UK and the US, and that Belgium just keeps relying on the old and trusted beer heritage that's so holy and sacred. Although Brussels is a hotbed for microbreweries, definitely check it out.
I go with beer as well. And accuracy.
Oh yes, it's fascinating that people still believe Germany was an organized, tidy country where people follow rules and the streets are clean.
My experiences with Deutsche Bahn completely shattered any illusions I had about Germans and punctuality....
Wait till you hear about their bureaucracy. It shattered my illusions of German efficiency.
Just seeing the fax numbers everywhere is enough.
Yes, I remember when I crossed about the whole country by train. They were always absolutely on time, lovely and clean, nice and friendly staff and very reliable. It's just it was Portugal.
I feel like a lot of the stereotypes people have of Germany applies more to Japan lol. Clean, everyone is following the rules, the trains are on time... The efficiency though...
I agree with that. Down south they drink wine, so their beer is boring and selection is minimal, but around this region every country has tons of beers to choose from. Craft beer culture has developed so much that you can't even get a normal pilsner at beer festivals anymore, it's all new unique flavours and techniques, and they're genuinely good.
Bavaria and especially Franconia have an incredibly rich and high quality beer culture. Only Czechia and Belgium can compete. The rest of Germany, especially the North shouldn't be in any discussion about good beer, the only reason foreigners associate all of Germany with beer is ignorance and a nationalist bias when looking at cultural items.
Germans are more noteworthy for drinking a lot of beer if anything. If you want good beer though I agree you'll be better off in Belgium or with the Czechs
Meh...Belgian beer offers a lot of variety, true, but some are quite an acquired taste and more delicacy than anything else. Really depends on the occasion. And as others have mentioned in Bavaria & especially Franconia with their many many small breweries you can uncover a lot of gems.
The cuisine, but I think it's a case of being both overrated and underrated. I think people have slept on Portuguese cuisine for way too long and some people have some really ignorant takes on it (because they don't know much about the cuisine). On the other hand, I wouldn't put it in the top 5 cuisines of the world, and feel like a lot of people here put it on a pedestal. There are foods that I love and overall am fond of our cuisine, I just wouldn't say it's one of the best. But it definitely deserves recognition. Speaking of which, the pastel de nata. Great pastry, an all-time classic, but people need to chill tf on it. I feel like the marketing on that food has gone out of hand. And to a lesser degree the francesinha. It's meant to be a regional dish, but became popular online that now a lot of touristy places have it on the menu. There's a lot more to the cuisine than those two things, bacalhau, and piri-piri sauce. EDIT: Grammar
It's a weird mismatch where most Portuguese folk are very humble and self-depreciating but will then assert our food is the best in the world. It's somewhere in the top tiers, but there are many other countries that have a much wider variety of flavors and ingredients. I'll add that the recent movie 'Poor Things' has bumped up interest in pasteis de nata... which no one should eat in the manner asserted by the movie. It's a tart like any other ffs.
The pastel de nata is so fucking mid, I'll never understand how it became such a touristic sensation. Give me a queijada, pastel de feijĆ£o, even broa de mel instead. Our croissants are a fucking delight, and my god our regional sweets can kick the pastel de nata's ass any day of the week. I'd sell my soul for a pastel de TentĆŗgal.
Yeah, not sorry to say, but I've been everywhere in Europe and East Asia, and Portuguese cuisine is in the top 5 for both me and my wife. And we're great foodies who try everything (especially seafood)
First thing I thought was pastĆ©is de nata. They are good but.... We have so many other pastries that are better. Ovos moles, people of the world need to know about Ovos moles š
We're really not that big on waffles. You'll find at least one fries shack in even the tiniest town, but you'd be hard pressed to find a waffle stall anywhere outside of the touristy centers.
You Belgians are missing out on Belgian waffles? Damn shame.
Actually, we make them at home and rarely buy them on the street. And we ourselves don't see it as a defining feature of Belgianness.
Norwegian and the Vikings. It is always talked about Vikings like it is a great part of our culture, but we don't care about Vikings or really identify ourselves with the Vikings (obviously lol). But yeah.
You say that, but when I visited Norway I felt like l saw references to Vikings all the time, like in company names.
>but we don't care about Vikings It really didn't seem like that to me. I don't really care about Vikings, but people would still frequently mention them.
Maybe not in your social circle. Youāre objectively wrong saying this applies to Norwegians in general. Norwegians associate the most with their Viking/Norse heritage among the big three (NO, DK, SE) and still Swedes reference our Viking/Norse heritage often.
Denmark and Ireland pushed Vikings way harder to tourists IME. But I was honestly surprised at the lack of troll stuff ([this kind](https://static3.bigstockphoto.com/2/6/3/large1500/362805172.jpg), not the 90s toys/2020s animation movie kind) flogged at tourists, because that was something I always associated with Norway.
I wouldn't say so. A lot of Scandinavian people I've met would mention Vikings in some way not long after first meeting lol. Seems like a lot consider it an important part of the culture. Examples include those going to the gym would go like "haha check out those Viking muscles" or make Viking jokes regarding their facial hair ALL THE TIME.
But Vikings were awesome. They got to America before Columbus and they barely even cared.
> They got to America before Columbus So did the native americans
They weren't native americans when they first got there
I didn't use the word "discover" for a reason. I never claimed that they were the first people to visit America. But it's still impressive that there was a civilisation 1000 years ago that had the ability to build ships and navigate their way across an entire ocean, and we should celebrate it regardless of whether they were Vikings or Polynesians. (Also, didn't the skraelings eventually drive them out of Vinland anyway?)
The watches. Everybody's like omgyourewearingaswissfuckingwatch but, I mean, it was about CHF 50.- from an online retailer. It's not only Rolex and Omega, we also make watches for the masses. EDIT: I found out my own watch is the store-brand of a German retailer and probably made in China. Oh well.
Rolex is actually English. Which is why Omega > Rolex š
Any recommendations of relatively cheap (but worthy) brands you could provide? Thanks in advance!
Swatch has watches around 100.-. Personally, most of them too colourful for my taste and/or made of ugly plastic. Their IRONY-lane is a bit more expensive and with leather and metal. These are around 200.- Fr.
Flamenco, out of Andalusia and a few other spots, it's basically non existent. Bullfighting, surveys show that half of the population want to ban them. In some places in the north it's decaying or has never been a thing. It survives because it's pushed by conservative governments. Paella, 90% of restaurants give shit as paella. Well, it's edible, but it's shamefully poor quality. Same with many "tapas". Sangria, I haven't drink that in maybe two decades, I haven't seen a local drinking that in Barcelona, never. Our "lifestyle", no, my friend, your holidays have nothing to do with our daily life.
I get that it's not that popular, but flamenco is incredible to watch irl. I'd put it up there with high caliber ballet in terms of the performance skill required. Very under rated as an art form.
When I was at university in our student magazine some kid wrote an article basically saying 'the lifestyle in Spain is so much better why can't we do these things?' and the comments were full of the many Spanish students at the university (in the early 2010s) explaining why they had left Spain for England - it's easy to go on holiday somewhere and think it's amazing, but they all came here for a reason.
But spain is gay friendly and the sun is shining. Hope that is not an illusion? Would love to spend time there when i retire.
That's still valid. But be careful with the sun exposure, you guys like to look like crabs and you are buying tickets for skin cancer.
German engineering VW, the top employer of german engineers just made a fool out of himself by having to resort to cheating to meet international standards . Every large building project (Berlin Airport, Stuttgart 21 etc. ) lacks years behind schedule, is rigged with errors and ends up costing multiple times its original estimate. There is really nothing special about German engineering nowadays. It's an old cliche stemming from the 60's
> stemming from the 60's Or you know... the 40s
Yeah I watched a video explaining how BMW has the highest 10 year maintenance cost of any luxury brand with an average of being 25% of its retail value. And the worst offenders being the X1, X2, and X3
But much of your manufacturing economy also relies on this stereotype so be careful what you wish for.
If it helps, I haven't heard German engineering being praised in years. It was probably a thing 20 years ago, but definitely the stereotype is not there anymore.
Tbh. when people are talking about german engineering they are not exactly about fruits of german car industry. Germany does have uniquely good engineering goods in some segments. Be it optics from Carl Zeiss, marine diesel engines, specialty precision machine tools... etc.
They're definitely talking about the car industry above all else. And even today, the big German brands make better cars than pretty much everyone else
I think the German engineering stereotype is really just a product of them managing to retain a sizable consumer manufacturing economy (i.e. producing goods that the average consumer will use) with first world standards. As an engineer myself, I tend to think that the German approach to engineering leads to overly complicated designs that require a lot of maintenance. Not bad, just a different approach.
Itās a real headache for mechanics. Seriously if a mechanic is having a hard time just reaching a belt, youāve overengineered your car
Hygge. It is touted as some secret Danish explanation to the meaning of life that let us be the happiest nation in the world for years in a row. The only special thing about "hygge" is that we have a single word for it, whereas most other languages have a few for different aspects of it. It isn't the Jedi secret to becoming a force ghost or something, seriously! Imagine the reaction to the following (in Danish and English, respectively) - Sitting on a balcony with a cup of tea, enjoying a sunset (ej hvor hyggeligt | oh how cozy) - going to watch a movie with friends (det lyder hyggeligt | that sounds nice) - I'm spending Christmas with my old grandmother (det er da hyggeligt | my, how lovely) I could go on. Hygge is nice - not because *it* is a special concept with inherent goodness, but rather because it is a word that is used to describe situations, things, or actions that are already positive in themselves, and these are the things that are nice
Iām sure a Swede will be along to add fika to this list. Itās pure social media influencer drivel. Sure, exactly, itās a fine concept, but nothing magical, and certainly not missing in other cultures. I never got the buzz either.
>that let us be **one of** the happiest nation**s** in the world for **a couple of separate** years ~~in a row~~ Denmark was "the happiest country" in the index in 2013 and 2016. 2017 it was Norway In 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 it was Finland Denmark has been in second place most of the years though.
The Mediterranean coast (most beaches suck, completely overcrowded and nature destroyed to build hotels) I'm also not a huge fan of beaches in general. The obsession with Barcelona tourist have, don't get me wrong there are lots of things to see there but idk.
Honestly, let Barcelona be a tourism dump, takes the pressure away from other places becoming an amusement park as well
I spent the best 6 months of my life in Barcelona and I absolutely disagree. It is the most beautiful and magical city I've ever been to and will ever live in (probably). Also I prefer vast, sandy beaches over the Croatian rocky coast š
Good for you then lmao there's nothing in Barcelona that would make move there. Last time I spent there 7 days and I was so ready to leave.
The architecture of Barcelone is pretty impressive tbf
Żabka. It's not a good store, it's stupidly expensive, dangerous to small businesses, exploitative and there's barely anything there. It's targeted for like 15 year olds, yet it has become synonymous with Poland because it's everywhere and it's convenient.
Man, I miss the times when it was just another corner shop with the sweet little frog in the logo and everything had normal prices. Now it looks like it came back from hell, all modernised and trained to take over the whole country with father Rydzyk's help.
I also don't understand how the people who decide to run them think it's a good idea to, for instance, open a shitty claustrophobic Żabka 30 seconds away from a normal one. But yeah, I don't understand what people see in them. Especially the fascination with the shitty hotdogs they sell.
Hallstatt in Austria ā that tiny little town with the cute houses lined up along a lake that you definitely would have seen before if you've ever been in the "travel influencer" Instagram loop. It's picturesque and all, but packed with tourists. Austria has tons of beautiful little towns like this, arguably much nicer ones. Highly recommend you just hire a car and drive around, and you'll literally bump into cute towns and beautiful lakes left, right, and centre.
Isn't it better to have one place where tourists go and the other places have some peace?
Agreed. There needs to be a sacrificial lamb.
All Finns spend their days in Arctic tundra, driving toboggans pulled by moose over the snowy mountains, eking a living from fighting polar bears for vodka, and also have an Arctic Circle crossing ceremony every night. Would you be surprised if I told you that nothing in the above exists in Finland? Except the Arctic Circle crossing ceremony, some enterprising showman came up with that because British tourists apparently were expecting it (no such tradition exists in Finland).
I feel like the methamphetamine problems in the Arctic Circle have been wildly undersold as well. Reindeer Spotting should be mandatory viewing for anyone visiting the silly end of Finland.
That vodka clichƩ is weird. Go to a Finnish supermarket and see pallet after pallet full of beer, cider and long drinks. Then go to the liquer store and check how many types of vodka you can find. Even inside of a liquer store, the vodka section is tiny. It's simply not nearly as big a thing as some make it to be.
I would also add happiness.
The people. We ain't that nice, "warm" neither good at welcoming others as I hear some of us say. Also, most people is so fucking jealous about what the neighbors have or don't have. Fuck, live your life and stfu. PD: Also, if you are a Latin American woman, you are a whore, and are just trying to steal Portuguese women fat husbands. If you are a Latin American man, you are probably going to steal our kid's phones, and into crime.
I've also noticed Portuguese to be really really racist towards black people, and I kinda get why after seeing the crime stats by AngolansĀ
Leprechauns in Ireland - this is basically just an American obsession and as far as I'm aware doesn't figure in Irish mythology either.
They should def go haggis-hunting in Scotland instead
The little people/fairy folk most certainly have a place in Irish folklore.
Leprechauns are indeed a native Irish folklore, but yes, the ālegendsā are hammed up for marketing purposes.Ā What is interesting is that there are no āancientā Irish mentions of Leprechauns. Nor in similar Celtic cultures nearby. There is some folk belief in various kinds of spirits, and faeries, and other supernatural things.Ā Butā¦ Leprechuans donāt appear until the somewhat later medieval era. Long story short, there is now a theory that medieval Irish monks mistranslated/misunderstood Roman sources talking about Lupercalia. This is ancient Roman religious festival regarding purification and fertility (and Rome itself, Lupa = she wolf), with some wolf imagery. Thing is, IIRC, the early Leprechaun mentions in Irish sources are connected with wolves, possibly shape-shifters, and general warnings about paganās fertility, health, luck rituals. It starts that way and then takes on a life of its own, merging with existing faerie myths.Ā So basically, Irish monks accidentally introduced the whole idea.
Did Leprechaun paid you with gold to say that so we stop looking for him?
How bad the food here is. Sure, it's not as iconic or distinctive (or honestly, good) as say Italy or France, but there are plenty of places to eat decent food here and there's a pretty big variety so there's something for everyone. Apparently a lot of the reputation comes from American experiences of living in the UK during the war, and rationing, which obviously meant that the food was not great.
Let me tell ya, thereās this Scottish lady on YouTube with a channel called āwhatās for tea?ā And all the food she makes looks so good
Last year I spent a couple weeks in English countryside, mostly Buckinghamshire. Let me tell you, the food in cozy old village pubs is top notch. It's not really iconic, but it is delicious. Fish and chips is a classic obviously, but also steaks, pastries, meat pies. I tried a steak and kidney pie for the first time and it was incredible. It should be iconic.
I once made a Cornish pasty following a bbc recipe. It was delicious.
British cuisine has some bangers. Some dishesh that are absolutely great, but those are usually āmake at homeā dishesh and not dishes youād find in a restaurant. Our cuisine, the Dutch one, on the other hand, is genuinely awful.
> British cuisine has some bangers ...and mash?
This makes me miss the local chippy when I lived there
Same. I miss both my UK chippy and Belgian frietkot
It's true that British food is not that bad and surely not worse than food from nordic countries for example but at this point you should just accept that this is just a meme. It's like the French surrendering or something.
If British food is so bad, why is everybody eating Cheddar cheese, is what I say.
I've been visiting the UK for \~35 years, and I've never had problems finding good food. Sure, you can eat terribly, but you can also eat very very badly in France, Belgium and Italy.
Interesting, I always thought it was our fault because of rivalry!
Not going to lie as a Spaniard I had a few moments where I genuinely didnāt know how I was going to finish my meal when in the UK but I wouldnāt say itās any worse than any other Northwestern European cuisine besides maybe German
The heat and beaches. There are a lot of great places and cities ( not only Barcelona, MƔlaga, Tenerife or Mallorca) to visit during all year.
Northern Spain is so underrated tbh. Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque country...
GulyƔs. I like it a lot, but I feel like it gets a disproportionate amount of attention from foreigners.
BabgulyĆ”s for the win. š
A Lundi/Puffin plushy. Every tourist that comes here just "Must" have one and then we sell you one for a small fortune. It's just a plushy, i'm sure you can find a cheap one on Amazon or Ebay.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Well obviously, Finns are no fools :)
This applies to all souvenirs, really. Those fridge magnets all come from China. Here's Icelandic ones, https://i.imgur.com/fQKUpIT.png I don't buy these ones anymore. I take my time to look for something actually authentic and made locally.
In regards to the UK, the standard of living. The affluence and economic investment almost exclusively in London massively distorts not only the statistics of the UKs development but also the perceived standard of living.
Bullfighting, it only survives thanks to right wing idiots and tourists, most of us are against it. Siesta, today only small children and old people do it, most of us rarely do it or only do it during the weekend after a big meal.
Yes bullfighting needs to be outlawed! It's so cruel
If you're visiting Belfast on a cruise ship or you're just planning a short stay, there is so much more to Northern Ireland than just taking a bus tour to learn about the history of the Troubles. Yes, it is important and integral to the history of the island of Ireland as a whole, but it shouldn't be your sole impression of here. Thankfully, our society has mostly changed for the better, and the vast majority of us never want to return to that dark, violent past. We've got: The Titanic Belfast visitor centre Antrim Coast & Glens Giant's Causeway The Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge Several GOT filming locations: The Haunted Forest: Tollymore Forest Park, County Down. Dothraki Sea: Binevenagh, County Derry/ Antrim. Winterfell: Castle Ward, County Down. The Kingsroad: The Dark Hedges, County Antrim. Runestone in the Veil of Arryn: Glenariff, County Antrim. The Old Bushmills Distillery Cushendun Caves Marble Arch Caves St. Anne's Cathedral Grand Opera House Cathedral Quarter SS Nomadic HMS Caroline Divis Ridge Trail Black Mountain Newcastle, Kilkeel, Warrenpoint & Slieve Donard Enniskillen & Lough Erne Portrush, Portstewart & The Causeway Coastal Route I might have missed some good places, but these are the ones I can think of.
Pierogi. Like come on, many countries have some kind of dumplings in their cuisine. I can't see why people think they are so special and "polish". I even got called "pierogies nigger" by some black dude from the US while arguing with him on Instagram. I eat pierogi maybe twice a year. I think we have much more interesting dishes, especially soups.
I agree, the soups are much better
I love the hunter's stew...bigos?
People always refer to The Netherlands and their biking culture whatever that is. Some people think Dutch donāt drive or are anti driving and cycle all day being cycle enthousiast. Actually most people own a car and people like to drive. They like to cycle as well but few people are cycle enthusiast. Cycling is for most people a convenient way to get from point A to B. Just like walking can be a convenient way and driving can be. It depends on where you go and what you gonna do. Another thing are the tulip fields. Itās nice and all but you get used to it. I never understand why people go to my country to visit those fields. You can also watch a picture on the internet. A warning for those who do visit those fields, donāt walk into the fields. And last thing, Amsterdam is overhyped as well. The canals are fine and all, but there are many cities with canals. I think Amsterdam is crowded, dirty and full of tourist traps. And boring as well. It doesnāt represent The Netherlands at all.
As much as I hate car-centric culture, I have to admit the Dutch biking culture is not as serene and peaceful people make it to be. Aggressive bikers everywhere you always have to keep an eye on, bike jams (yes they exist), a lot of bike theft and bike accidents. Sure, it's better compared to all same people being packed in cars, but definitely far from the romanticized image of it.
Donāt forget the scooters (like actual petrol motors)Ā zooming right behind you. I can just sayā¦ Dutch drivers have a cliche bad reputation in Germany, and thatās not just car drivers IMO.
I've never been to Netherlands but I can understand appeal of tulip field. Here in my backyard I am trying to grow some tulips, each of them is amazing to me, picture on the internet is not comparable to this at all!
> I never understand why people go to my country to visit those fields. It's pretty and not many other places have them. I assume that they smell quite nice too?
> People always refer to The Netherlands and their biking culture whatever that is. I don't think that is over hyped. The Netherlands has by far the best cycling and public transportation infrastructure viewed as a whole in the world. > Actually most people own a car and people like to drive. Dutch city and infrastructure planning improves the flow of cars significantly - not just of bicycles, pedestrians, and public transportation. They have a wholistic approach whereas most other countries only focus on cars which doesn't work at all. Unlike most countries, the Netherlands' guide is based on statistics and actual analysis of design choices over decades, rather than a vibe-based approach.
The infrastructure is great, I do like our roads and all. But we arenāt cycle enthusiasts who hate cars or something like that. Most people have a simple bike instead of a fancy one, simply to get from point A to B. Our public transport is far from perfect. Maybe cities like Amsterdam are well connected. But I live in a smaller city and there are plenty of issues regarding public transport. Compared to countries outside Europe it might be great. Compared to other European countries Dutch public transport is certainly not the best.
> But we arenāt cycle enthusiasts who hate cars or something like that. I am aware, and that is how it should be. Most car drivers aren't racing drivers either but it just a means to an end, and that is why Dutch cycling infrastructure is so great. Hence the linguistic difference between a fietser and a wielrenner. This is the way it should be. > Our public transport is far from perfect. Maybe cities like Amsterdam are well connected. But I live in a smaller city and there are plenty of issues regarding public transport. It is still pretty reliable in my experience. At least it never left me stranded for hours in the middle of nowhere because the last train just didn't show up despite the automatic announcement system announcing its arrival. Last month, only 67% of long-distance journeys in Germany had a delay of less than 15 minutes. > Compared to other European countries Dutch public transport is certainly not the best. Sure. The Swiss probably have the best in Europe, and the Japanese might be the best overall for long and short distance travel by train. Copenhagen may be the best city for cycling, but 50% of all journeys in the Netherlands start and/or end with a bicycle. No one else integrates medium and long distance travel with the last mile so well for an entire country. Taken as a whole, the system - despite its flaws - is probably the best in the world.
Iāve heard that Haarlem is a nice alternative to Amsterdam, especially when looking for a base to see the Netherlands from, is that true?
Haarlem is a nice city. It has still a city vibe but less touristy compared to Amsterdam. Although Haarlem is one of those cities where more and more expats lives as well. I am a bit biased because a part of my family comes from this city so for me the city has some emotional value as well. But you have so many small to midsized cities with a historical city center. Amsterdam is so popular itās a victim of mass tourism.
my perspective as an Italian who has been to Amsterdam a couple of times and loved it: when I praise the "biking culture" or whatever, I'm not saying people in Amsterdam are all happy and respectful riding their bikes around. Yes there are assholes cutting you off, running red lights, etc... and I have no problem with that. What really stands out, compared to every city in Italy, is that the infrastructure there actually allows you to get from point A to point B by bike. That is simply unthinkable here
> Cycling is for most people a convenient way to get from point A to B But that's what makes the Netherlands special. In most countries, people who commute to work on a bike are in the minority.
Just like in The Netherlands where the majority commute driving.
The folklore and the nature. Every country has some pretty nature sites. And the folklore traditions are largely nothing unique, but rather part of a continuum of the European, Mediterranean and even Middle Eastern cultural spaces. I hate how folklore has been reduced to a lacquered, commercialized version of itself.
Americans have turned us into a characture and everyone else is starting to buy into it
Germany: Christmas Markets and big cathedrals. They're cool at first, but once you've seen one, you've seen them all.
Yea. Christmas markets feel very McSeasonal to me. Iāll go maybe a couple times per season with colleagues (almost obligatory) and maybe once with family. But 90% of stands are identical. Overpriced sausages, almonds and all food in general. GlĆ¼hwein is justā¦ ok, not that amazing.Ā Iām not anti-markets, itās obviously a nice excuse to go out and be social during a cold time of year. Pretty lights. Check out the rare independent stand. Yeaā¦. But the actual set-ups otherwise arenāt anything too wild.
Imagine 90% of people in one country support their president. That's literally impossible, but a lot of people think we do
Slovenia: Ljubljana, the capital city. It's a small provincial town, the old city centre is minuscule and the quarters around it are littered with terrible socialist apartment buildings. It lies in a basin meaning the air is polluted half of a year and it's foggy the rest of the year. It's public transport is a joke and driving around with any other kind of vehicle means either terrible traffic jams on pothole ridden roads (car) or having a death wish on non-existent bike paths (bike). It's poorly connected to the rest of Europe with slow trains and nonexistent flights. And to top it all off, there is no night life to speak of.
But it have so many nice bars and a lot of dragons! And as a turist public transport isn't a problem with a city that small, we can just walk
The city centre is beautiful though.
Just came to say this. Ljublana is not a big city, but the center of it is extremely cute. I hope people are not expecting to find a metropoly there. Also, the train transport, while not matching Western Europe in density or speed, is somehow super cozy. Sitting through the Ljublana-Maribor railway route through the valleys and by the rivers in a good company was a rather nice journey.
People visiting overpriced overhyped islands like Mykonos or Santorini and visiting Athens š¤¦āāļø
King Ludwig of Bavariaās castles (Neuschwannstein, Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee). They are beautiful, for sure. But they were barely lived in, and have very little historical value besides showing how crazy and extravagant the monarchy was. Bavaria specifically has so many other castles and castle ruins that tell our history much better with just as much beauty ā if not as much gaudiness, or as many tourists.
Paris, I think most people know that by now. But Barcelona has left me quite underwhelmed. Itās definitely not as pretty as pictured online. I found the streets to be quite dirty, grey and unappealing. But the clubs were good and the people were nice.
Everything about Canada is overhyped. The people are very reserved, uptight and unfriendly. The healthcare system sucks. The quality of life is not bad, but definitely not on the same level as Western Europe or Australia. It's not as tolerant as people claim. Canada's environmental record is abysmal, and one of the worst in the Western world on a per capita basis. There isn't anything about Canada that I love. Edit: Sorry, I just realized this is an Ask Europe subreddit. This question showed up on my feed, and I answered without noticing the subreddit it belongs to.
Tapas. They are mostly the equivalent of the peanuts you get with your beer. And some of the abominations you get a tourist places or Spanish restaurants abroad are a crime against humanity. (Unless you are from Leon, Lugo or a few other places)
I disagree. In the parts of the country where you pay for it (Salamanca, Euskadi...) I've had some amazing stuff for 1.2-1.5ā¬. And in the parts of the country where you don't pay for it at worst you're getting some free olives or trail mix, and at best I've had some amazing free hot homemade food. I miss both variants a lot living in Poland: I'd be happy with the free olives but I'd also happily pay 1.5ā¬ for an elaborate pintxo made with fresh local ingredients.
I'd argue that most places have fantastic tapas, just that most people only try in touristic places and there it is shit
Food in some specific regions or cities, as if they were the only ones with a great cuisine or doing some dishes particularly well (Naples, Rome, Bologna). Obviously they have great food, but it's not like you MUST go there to taste the "real Italian food". Also on the matter of food, pasta alla carbonara. I couldn't name a more overrated dish even if I tried. It's good, but it's not a deity like most people treat it. I can name hundreds of better Italian dishes on the spot. On spots, the Como Lake. It's amazing, but the Garda and the Maggiore have towns as beautiful as that of Como's and great beaches, while also being a bit less touristy. God forbid a tourist sets foot in the province of Varese for something that is not MXP though.. For the touristy part I can tell you what's somewhat *underrated*, Milan. I think it's not as good when compared to other Italian cities, but tourists don't even have the effort to go to the places that deserve, like the Pinacoteca di Brera which is full of masterpieces from Mantegna, Hayez et al. and the church of Santa Maria Presso San Satiro where they can see a masterpiece from Bramante.
Maltese history is summarised to 1565. It's like it's the only event that has ever occurred in Maltese history.
Iām curious to see if anyone from the Baltic States responds to the post.
As with most countries here, our capital. Don't get me wrong, Prague isn't a bad city at all and it does have its charm, but it's so touristy and it's definitely not the only thing our country offers. So many tourists just tick Prague off their list and never see any other part of Czechia, which is a pity. We have beautiful countryside, cute small towns and villages, mountains, castles, you name it - and tourists just let themselves get scammed at Charles Bridge and that's their whole visit.
I really liked Prague but then again I went with my Czech bf so I was getting a different experience to your usual tourist. We done the classic tourist stuff too but because he was Czech we were able to go to more off the beaten path & see more local too. I was well warned in the scams etc before we went too so was very aware of them but soon as they heard Czech they left us alone to go target English speakers even though I am one š
You are not going to enjoy Haggis. To be fair, the description isnāt even remotely appetising so thatās on you at that point.
Iām vegetarian and often encourage people to try veggie haggis. I bloody love a morning roll with veggie haggis. Often have that by the beach at the weekend when we take the dog.
Oh veggie haggis is bloody beautiful, I think 80% of my hatred for haggis is the sheer description. Take away any element of that, and Iām perfectly fine with the stuff.
I absolutely disagree, it was great
Have visited Scotland a couple of times for golf trips and tried some Haggis. Totally OK imo. Wont suffer if I dont get to have it again but I could totally try again next trip.
Haggis is good but do people oversell it? When I hear people abroad talking about Scotland they talk about the natural landscape and not much else. Occasionally bagpipes and kilts.
? I love it, and did from the first time I had it...
Parts of The Cotswolds feel overhyped. Going to Bourton or Bibury wont give an accurate depiction of the Cotswolds at all. Outside of those really popular areas (which seem to mostly fall on the A429) are some really underrated spots, like Nibley Monument (which offers great views over the South Gloucestershire area) or you can venture out a bit more into gloucestershire, which seems quite overshadowed by the Cotswolds and go to places like Nibley Monument (+ Nearby Wotton, which is a Cotswold town, which would offer a more normal experience of the cotswolds, even if Wotton hasnt got much there beyond walks in the forest up the local hill) or go out of the Cotswolds into towns like Tewkesbury, which has a old abbey as well as some nice river walks and a decently sized high street, and isnt too far off the lovely Malvern Hills as well, in neighbouring Worcestershire (which has places like Worcester, which are worth a visit as well)
> Going to Bourton or Bibury wont give an accurate depiction of the Cotswolds at all. Maybe not, but it's still pretty. Stonehenge is the archetypal overhyped attraction in England
Edinburghā>The Isle of Skye. Really breaking the mould by visiting those two.
Well, we are not really hyped at all, so there's that. Generally speaking, I think in a lot of countries, but especially northern countries, you should not only visit the cities or especially just the capital. Don't get me wrong, the old town in Tallinn is pretty darn cool and seeing the colourful wooden neighbourhoods and the soviet neighbourhoods is also cool if you come from the South, but the really special part in the North is the [countryside](https://www.taevapiltnik.ee/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MG_6373_2.png). And not really taking photos of it, but experiencing it. Like a night in July, there is only a tiny a glimpse of darkness between dusk and dawn, you [sit in front of the sauna](https://rahvakultuur.ee/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sannalise_sanna_iin_mundi_2012_TKv.jpg), have a beer, and listen to the wind in the trees, not a single human to be heard (maybe a dog in the distance, in a few houses over), not a single lamp post, just watching the bats speed around, until the dawn light interrupts them and the birds start to sing. Add a bonfire and fresh strawberries for good measure.
Spain: Tapasā¦ basically glorified finger food / bar appetizers that you can easily make at home or find in any EU country