Travel to Europe's 'HIDDEN GEMS' this 2014

Expedia, a one-stop online travel site for the perfect holiday, recently compiled a list of less traveled European destinations. The list features different places in Europe not as popular as other destinations but gives the experience and beauty of the place just the same. Some of the must visit places that made it to the top list are Dijon in France, Lecce in Italy, and Delphi in Greece. 

Best know for its mustard, Dijon is one of the most beautiful cities in France. What sets the look and feel of this city from the others is the well preserved architecture of its historical buildings and byways that are not heavily damaged by bombing in World War II. 

(Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Arnaud 25)Dijon, France

Lecce is a beautiful baroque town with more than 95,200 inhabitants in Southern Italy. Lecce is a city full of surprises from its glorious architectural confection of palaces to the churches intricately sculpted from the soft local sandstone. Most of its churches church are decorated with asparagus column tops, decorative dodos and cavorting gremlins.

(Credit: Flickr / Francesco Crippa)Lecce, Italy

"I think it is the most beautiful city in Italy," said swooning 18th-century traveller Thomas Ashe. But the less-impressed Marchese Grimaldi said the facade of Santa Croce made him think a lunatic was having a nightmare.

The town is also packed with upmarket boutiques, antique shops, restaurants and bars.

Delphi is a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.  Delphi is an archeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that us one of the most important places in Europe. It has a famous monument caled  the Temple of Apollo. 

(Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Antonio De Lorenzo and Marina Ventayol)Tholos temple in Delphi, Greece

In myths dating back to the classical period of Ancient Greece (510-323 BC), the site of Delphi was believed to be determined by Zeus when he sought to find the centre of his "Grandmother Earth" (Ge, Gaea, or Gaia). He sent two eagles flying from the eastern and western extremities, and the path of the eagles crossed over Delphi where the omphalos, or navel of Gaia was found.

Other less explored destinations are Rovinj in Croatia, Sintra in Portugal, Cappadocia in Turkey, Brighton in England, Seville in Spain, Lisse in Netherlands and Sylt in Germany.

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