DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE

Planning an international trip, but don’t want to go to the run-of-the-mill travel destinations? Good idea! There are a host of emerging, up-and-coming places that are poised to become “the next traveler find”. In a list compiled by a leading travel magazine, Croatia has emerged the top destination in Europe for 2017. While Croatia has become extremely popular as a travel destination in recent years, most visitors are headed to the country’s coastline in search of beaches and island getaways. But Zagreb is also worthy of a stopover, editors say, with its Austrohungarian coffee squares, cafes, street art, Neo-gothic architecture and an urban regeneration that has created a cosmopolitan and edgy capital. A new airport terminal is also expected to make air travel cheaper and easier to the city. Croatia may be one of Europe’s hottest destinations right now, but many people head straight to the coast, missing out on visiting a city that has a dynamic cultural offering — a thriving food and drink scene. After Zagreb, the spotlight is on Gotland, Sweden’s largest island and home to the medieval walled town of Visby, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other notable destinations include Moldova, for its cliff-perched monasteries and wine cellars; Le Havre, France, for celebrating its 500th anniversary this year; and Pafos, Cyprus, this year’s European Capital of Culture. Here are the top 10 destinations in Europe for 2017: 1. Zagreb, Croatia 2. Gotland, Sweden 3. Galicia, Spain 4. Northern Montenegro 5. Leeds, UK 6. Alentejo, Portugal 7. Northern Germany 8. Moldova 9. Pafos, Cyprus 10. Le Havre, France So get going!

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