Overlooked cities well worth a visit Big ticket neighbour: Venice, Italy Big ticket neighbour: Queenstown, New Zealand Big ticket neighbour: Cancun, Mexico Big ticket neighbour: Paris
These cities are overshadowed by their more famous neighbours. David Whitley reckons they should be on your list.
Sometimes you don’t have to venture too far from one of the world’s great tourist magnets to find something less lauded, but equally compelling in a rather different way. Take these 10 unjustly under-the-radar destinations.
Fort Lauderdale Big ticket neighbour: Miami, Florida
If Florida has an equivalent of Australia’s Gold Coast, Fort Lauderdale is it. Popular with families and rowdy students at the end of the school year, Lauderdale also has miles of sandy beaches, and a massive network of waterways. The latter are lined with lavishly expensive houses, and cruises go past, spilling all the salacious gossip about the multimillionaire homeowners. It’s a place that can make you very jealous very quickly if you don’t just throw yourself into the blingflinging. See sunny.org.
Padua Big ticket neighbour: Venice, Italy
Equally gritty and pretty, Padua has three extraordinary sights worth making the trip for. The first is the world’s oldest botanic garden. The second is the Palazzo del Bo – the main university building, which houses the world’s first anatomical theatre, entirely made of wood, and is staggeringly atmospheric. Then trumping the lot is the Capella degli Scrovegni, which is covered almost entirely by Giotto frescos – making it a single giant masterpiece. See discoverpadova.com.
Vicenza
Architectural uniformity makes Vicenza compellingly striking, and it’s largely down to one man – Andrea Palladio. His takes on ancient Roman architectural forms created countryside villas and intown palaces that were marvellously harmonious with their surroundings. His two greatest set pieces – the double loggia-boasting Basilica Palladiana, and templeesque Teatro Olimpico – stand above the rest. Meanwhile, La Rotonda is arguably the most perfect encapsulation of his ideas – and the identical design across all four faces has been copied around the world. See vicenzae.org.
Wanaka
Much more laidback than adrenaline junkie-packed Queenstown, Wanaka has several fabulous walking trails on its doorstep, its own highly picturesque lake, and a vineyard on the outskirts. Kids and big kids should love the mazes and trickery of Stuart Landsborough’s Puzzling World, and the Mount Aspiring National Park is just on the doorstep. See lakewanaka.co.nz.
Playa Del Carmen
While Cancun is all gigantic allinclusive resorts and cavernous nightclubs, Playa Del Carmen plays it considerably cooler, with a vibe that’s far closer to the French Riviera or Ibiza’s non-glowsticks side. The world-class beaches are there, too, while there are also a prodigious number of language schools, full of sprightly young things learning Spanish by day and learning about the potent powers of tequila at night. See playadelcarmen.com.
Pretoria Big ticket neighbour: Johannesburg
All jacarandas and graceful
government buildings, Pretoria does a fine job of preserving its heritage. Several gorgeous buildings congregate around Church Square, while a strong museum includes Paul Kruger’s House – devoted to the Boer leader, the Museum of Natural History, and the Correctional Services Museum. The latter is at the Pretoria Central Prison, where political prisoners were once held and executed. It doesn’t flinch from the gory truth. See tshwanetourism.com.
Rotterdam Big ticket neighbour: Amsterdam
Defiantly modern Rotterdam is an experimental hub of modern architecture, with big, daring projects unveiled on a regular basis. Piet Blom’s tilting, cube-shaped houses built around an overpass are a classic, while the bold, colourful market hall is a recent addition. Throughout the city, though, shiny, unusually-shaped glass towers compete for attention in a country that’s otherwise defiantly low-lying. See en.rotterdam.info.
Compiegne
Compiegne is horse-breeding country, and also home to one of France’s most marvellous palaces. The sprawling Chateau de Compiegne was built for Louis XV, and acts as a less gaudy Versailles. There’s also plenty of history in Compiegne. A railway clearing on the outskirts of town was where World War I ended, as Germany surrendered inside a train carriage. During World War II, Hitler insisted on bringing the same carriage back to the same spot for France’s surrender. See compiegnetourisme.fr.
Potsdam Big ticket neighbour: Berlin
A world away from Berlin’s urban cool, Potsdam harks back to the era of Prussian might, with grand parks and palaces. The Sanssouci Palace, Orangery Palace, and New Palace compete for grandeur, the Roman-style baths give an insight into how the Prussian higher orders kicked back and enjoyed themselves, while the giant Babelsburg film studio is a high temple of European movie-making. See potsdam-tourism.com.
Girona Big ticket neighbour: Barcelona
A hugely photo-friendly city built higgledy-piggledy on the banks of the Onyar river, Girona has done a wonderful job of preserving its old buildings and quarters. Cathedrals, fortifications, and Benedictine monasteries are among the individual attractions, but it’s really one of those places best tackled with aimless mooching, picking up the extensive Christian, Jewish, and Muslim history on the way. See girona.cat/ turisme/eng/.