Beyond the Hotspots: Europe’s Hidden Alternatives for 2026 & Beyond - Romania, Czech Republic, Croatia & Portugal

​From the lavender-scented calm of Hvar and the wild majesty of Transylvania’s Carpathian peaks to the slow, wine-soaked rhythms of Portugal’s Douro Valley and Prague’s baroque beauty our DMC partners share the places where Europe feels personal again.

What’s in this Article

• Explore the desire to wander differently, as we leave the claustrophobia of Europe's iconic hotspots and highlight the alternatives where culture and beauty come with breathing space.

• Visit Hvar, Croatia with Roundabout Experiences to explore a similar experience of Santorini's sophisticated Mediterranean vibes minus the chaos, where lavender fields meet limestone villages, ancestral cooking classes unfold in UNESCO plains and private dinners are served beneath ancient olive trees at golden hour.

• Head to Transylvania's Carpathian Alps with Rolandia Bespoke, where Alpine beauty comes with a wilder, more authentic edge than Switzerland, and experiences range from beekeeping amongst wildflower meadows and baking bread in 13th-century church courtyards.

• Take time in the Douro Valley with Portugal by TravelTailors to soak up the similar beauty of Lake Como's soulful, oenophile alternative, where the luxury runs deep through private river cruises, vineyard feasts beneath the vines and fado performances on starlit terraces.

• Discover Prague with Dream Tours, where baroque splendour meets creative renaissance to rival Paris in terms of magic and beauty, but in a way that’s altogether more intimate and accessible. Here, it’s delivered with behind-the-scenes access, private viewings in the world's most beautiful library and backstage keys to places most never get to see.

• Learn how our specialist DMC partners can deliver experiences that step beyond the crowds and into a Europe that feels authentic, immersive and deeply personal.

Do your clients have the desire to wander differently?

Santorini’s cliffside sunsets, the snow-bright majesty of the Alps, Como’s mirrored lakes, Paris’ romance and magic - the postcards are perfect, but the crowds have caught up.

If your clients are finding Europe’s icons to be a little claustrophobic, our DMCs have a new map for you; one that trades the bustle of Santorini, Zermatt, Como and Paris for culture and beauty with breathing space.

These are European travel’s new love affairs, both satisfyingly familiar and thrillingly fresh. And few know them better than our expert DMC partners, who are inviting us to look closer at Europe’s sunlit south and storied heartlands.

Why? Because here your guests will find quiet yet spectacular alternatives to the continent’s most crowded classics - with romance, wilderness and sophistication all still very much part of the story.

1 - Instead of Santorini... Choose Hvar, Croatia

FOR: SOPHISTICATED Mediterranean ALLURE - MINUS THE CROWDS

While Santorini’s whitewashed drama and famous sunsets have become shorthand for Mediterranean romance, they’ve also brought the inevitable crowds, cruise ships and selfie sticks.

Hvar, by contrast, offers the same sunlit beauty and island elegance, but with room to exhale.

Here, the rhythm is slower, the light softer and the luxury quieter; think lavender fields that ripple above low stone walls, boats that drift between otherwise unreachable coves and limestone villages that hum with a distinctly Croatian authenticity.

It’s the Adriatic at its most refined yet unspoiled; where honeymooners, food lovers and free spirits all find a home - and where the brilliant Roundabout Experiences, our Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro specialists, craft innovative, intimate moments designed to delight.

Two experiences to fall for...

The Poje cooking class in the UNESCO-protected Stari Grad Plain

Bringing food, family and tradition together, this evening spent in the ancient Stari Grad Plain is about as atmospheric as it gets.

On their ancestral land, the Poje family welcome guests to share their culinary traditions; handpicking ingredients from the garden, learning time-honoured techniques and cooking over open flame as dusk settles.

Between sips of wine and bursts of laughter, stories unfold of heritage, harvests and the simple joy of sharing food prepared with love - a taste of Croatian hospitality at its most authentic.

Private sunset dinner in an olive grove

At golden hour, when the light turns honey-warm, romance-seeking guests are whisked to a secret dining spot hidden in Hvar’s hills, where a table is set for them alone beneath the spread of ancient olive trees.

This evening is one of beautiful intimacy - a private table in nature, curated by a chef who understands that the best dining experiences are about connection, not ceremony. As the final light fades, couples can raise a glass to a moment they can treasure forever.

Where to stay…

• ​Palace Elisabeth -This former Habsburg palace overlooking Hvar’s harbour pairs Belle Epoque glamour with Adriatic elegance, its marble terraces and contemporary interiors bringing historic splendour into the modern day.

• ​Maslina Resort - Set in olive groves and vineyards on Hvar’s sun-drenched north coast, this stunning retreat blends sleek, sustainable design with pine-scented air and endless sea views - all infinity pools, organic dining and mindful eco-luxury.

2 - Been to the Swiss Alps? Visit Romania's Transylvanian Alps

Photo Credit: Matca Hotel

FOR: Alpine beauty with wilder edges and authentic value without compromise

The Swiss Alps might have the fame, but the Carpathian Mountains (also known as the Transylvania Alps) have the mystery, the magic and the soul.

In this vast and beautiful landscape, the scenery is just as stirring as anything you’ll find in Switzerland; the meadows strewn with flowers, the lakes glacially crystal, the forests stretching to the horizon and the peaks dusted with snow - just without the lift lines, busy trails or luxury markup.

And these slopes remain wonderfully wild. Here, shepherds still tend their flocks by hand and brown bears and grey wolves roam through beech forests older than memory.

And here, Rolandia Bespoke, Romania’s leading DMC for cultural and experiential travel, create exceptional itineraries that trade ski queues for serenity and pricey polish for the beauty of nature.

Top experiences to plan...

The Secret Life of Bees

Amongst Transylvania’s wildflower meadows and rolling hills, this immersive workshop steps quietly into one of Romania’s oldest and most harmonious traditions; beekeeping. Guided by local experts who’ve tended their hives for generations, guests learn how these extraordinary insects communicate, create order and sustain the land - a gentle, meditative encounter with nature that imparts a renewed sense of balance. And after? Surrounded by the scent of wildflowers, a honey tasting paired with tea and homemade cakes is a delicious ending, with each golden spoonful carrying the floral notes of the countryside.

Breaking Bread within the Walls of Apold Fortified Church

In the stone courtyard of a 13th-century church in the village of Apold, guests join local women as they bake their daily bread, a ritual unchanged for centuries. An ancient sequence of ingredients and a sourdough starter, lovingly preserved across generations, is hand-kneaded while laughter and stories are shared - before a slow-bake sees the scent of wood smoke fill the courtyard. When the loaves emerge, golden and warm, they’re gently beaten, broken and shared with the bakers who made them; a simple, authentic act that beautifully bridges past and present and captures the generosity and grace of Romanian village life.

Photo Credit: Matca Hotel

Where to stay...

• ​Matca Relais & Chateaux - A luxurious sanctuary between mountains and meadows, Matca brings modern refinement to traditional Transylvanian calm, its whitewashed walls and timber beams pairing with suites scented with wild hay, a spa rooted in herbal rituals and endless Carpathian views.

• ​Corinthia Buchares - tIn the heart of the capital, this 19th-century landmark has been transformed into a modern masterpiece, with marble staircases, glittering chandeliers and Belle Epoque grace setting the tone for a stay that’s both cultured and comforting.

3 - Looking for Lake Como? Try the Duoro Valley in Portugal

FOR: those who who prefer their luxury served with stillness, soul and a great glass of wine

If Lake Como is the postcard? Then the Douro is the love letter.

Offering an indulgent luxe that feels deeper and more grounded than Como’s celebrity chic, the beauty here comes from the region’s timeless romance; vineyards hand-tended for centuries, the sultry shimmer of the river at dusk and the quiet pride of families who’ve worked these rolling hills for generations.

Here the pace is deliciously slow and the experiences, thanks to Portugal by TravelTailors’ peerless connections, are creative, exclusive and utterly unique - think long lunches beneath vine trellises, private river cruises through gold-terraced valleys and invite-only moments that take guests where others can’t follow.

For travellers craving authenticity without sacrificing elegance, the Douro is a revelation. And with Portugal by TravelTailors, your guests will discover a Como alternative that’s rooted, romantic and entirely their own.

What to experience...

Private River Cruise and Vineyard Visit

This cinematic experience sees guests board a private boat for a slow voyage along the river’s most scenic stretch, before disembarking at a family-run quinta for a private estate tour followed by a long, unhurried lunch served beneath the vines, each course paired with the estate’s finest vintages.

Here, the unique add-ons are endless. For an extra layer, guests can experience a cookery workshop with a local chef, where they learn to prepare a regional menu on a wood-fired range before tucking in, glass in hand and the river glittering below.

Or for those drawn back to the water? The options flow as freely as the wine, from overnight voyages and jet-ski escapades to dinners cooked by Michelin-starred chefs, and even painting with port as the vineyards slip by.

Fado among the vines

When the sun sinks over the valley and the terraces turn copper, guests can return to dine in the vineyards by candlelight as the haunting strains of fado fill the air.

These intimate evenings are a wonderful blend of gastronomy and heritage, with food served by a private chef, paired wines from the surrounding hillsides and live music performed by a local artist - an unforgettable celebration of Portuguese soul that brings passion, poetry and place together under the stars.

Photo Credit: Quinta do Vallado and Six Senses Duoro Valley

Where to stay...

• ​Six Senses Douro Valley - A 19th-century manor reimagined for modern luxury that sits high above the river, offering spa serenity, world-class dining and uninterrupted views across the terraced hillsides. Suites and villas balance cocooning calm with contemporary design, while the wine library is exceptional.

• ​Quinta do Vallado - For something smaller in scale but rich in character, this is boutique immersion in one of the valley’s oldest and most storied estates, with just a handful of sleek, design-led rooms set amongst working vineyards.

3 - An Alternative to Paris? Discover Prague, Czech Republic

For: Travellers who adore Parisian elegance but crave something more personal and accessible

Paris’ grand boulevards and iconic monuments will always dazzle, but guests can find that same European enchantment in Prague, only quieter and infinitely more real.

This is a city whose old-world beauty hasn't been diluted by mass tourism; a place of stunning architecture that stops you mid-step, romantic rivers that catch the light just so and centuries of history woven into every cobblestone.

Safe, personal and wonderfully walkable, it’s also a city experiencing a quiet renaissance, with boutique hotels opening in restored palaces, celebrated chefs reimagining Czech cuisine with contemporary flair and the city's art and design scenes thriving in ways that feel genuinely cutting-edge.

And with Dream Tours DMC, our Central Europe experts, your guests are handed the keys to places and experiences most don’t even know exist…

What to experience...

Behind the Scenes at the Astronomical Clock & Old Town Hall

This is exclusive access at its finest, taking guests behind the velvet rope and into Prague's most iconic landmark with a guide who holds the only key.

Dating back to 1410, the Astronomical Clock is a marvel of mediaeval engineering, and here your visitors can discover its intricate inner mechanism up close, watching the complex gears turn while learning the captivating legends of the Clock Master. They'll see the twelve apostles from a perspective few ever witness, before embarking on an unhurried private tour through the Old Town Hall's historical interiors, from Vaclav Brozik's grandiose paintings to the mysterious mediaeval underground.

And the finale? Magnificent tower-top views across Prague's spires and red rooftops, accessed through areas normally on the other side of the ropes.

Private Tour of the Clementinum's Baroque Library

Closed to the public but opened exclusively for your guests, the Clementinum is widely regarded as the most beautiful baroque library in the world, so this is a behind-the-scenes experience as breathtaking as it is rare.

In this 16th Century seat of a Jesuit university, the vaults hold manuscripts that are 1000 years old, as well as a mesmerising collection of Johann Klein clocks and no less than 12 UNESCO-listed globes - and here, an expert from the National Library guides your guests through the history and treasures, sharing the stories these walls have held for centuries.

And for something truly special? Those moved to make a donation towards manuscript restoration or digitisation can become the only ones in the world to view an original brought from the vault, held in white-gloved hands beneath the splendour above.

Where to stay...

• ​Mandarin Oriental Prague - Set in a former Dominican monastery in the heart of Malá Strana, this intimate luxury hideaway blends Gothic grandeur with contemporary Asian-inspired elegance, its spa tucked into Renaissance vaults and its terrace overlooking monastery garden.

• ​Fairmont Prague - A modern classic on the banks of the Vltava, this stylish retreat pairs river views and rooftop dining with Art Deco-inspired interiors, bringing sleek international luxury to Prague's historic core.

Know your clients would love one or more of our unique European alternatives?

To learn more about how our DMC partners can deliver an experience that steps beyond the crowds and into the authentic, immersive and deeply personal, get in touch today.