What are some places that positively surprised you? Since the world opened up again I've done some extensive travelling. Some places that made a very good impression on me are:
- Visby: The main city on the Swedish island Gotland. Serene, clean, no MENA, very cozy.
- Vienna: Spent most of the time in the central parts. Imperial. Clean. Great food. Beautiful parks and architecture. Festivals. Markets. Great museums. People were nicer than I had expected.
- Antwerp: Cool city. Kind people. Interesting art. Nice and calm.
- Vilnius: Very cozy city. Old town is small but the city offers enough for a good long weekend. Beautiful parks. Good restaurants. Kind people.
- Split / Hvar / Brac: Very nice port city in Croatia. The islands of Hvar and Brac are very nice. Great fish. People are kind. Felt very chill. Beautiful scenery. Felt alot better than Dubrovnik.
I have a few more places i'll add in the thread later.
What are some places that positively surprised you?
Berlin
Expected a German Paris. Found a vibrant and fun city, albeit run-down in places
Madrid. Expected some sort of a poorer Barcelona, got a very fun city with beautiful arts, history and especially great food. People were extremely nice as well.
- Santa cruz de Tenerife. Capital on the northern part of the island. Blissful little gem. The beach: Playa de las Teresitas is a short distance from the city and is considered to be the most beautiful beach on the island, which I would agree to. Its very safe up north and you hardly see any tourists which you would on the southern parts, where they all charter. Great food, and very good service. A magical park in the middle of the city called: parque garcia sanabria. My wife was also very happy with this place.
i love you anon, I went there for a foreigner school and everythiing you said is right 🙂
Bratislava
Retards on this board said it was boring and not worth visiting, but I found it to be very cozy, clean, a cute old town, good food, really nice people, the nearby castle of Devin is really cool, the blue church is really neat, overall it was totally worth a day trip from Vienna.
i did the same as you and found utterly boring
I was really hungover and it was the perfect chill place to walk around in that state, and to just stop and rest at any cate I felt like. It was the middle of a Wednesday but the streets were still packed with locals, there was some French festival going on and everyone had the French flag painted on their cheeks and their was live music, it was really fun. I love how all of the embassies are so close to eachother too.
same. best casino I've ever been to was there, they gave me a room for free after gambling for awhile, can smoke in the casino still, play cards, hot women dealers.. City was very boring though but czech people told me that it would be
i've never been but i've heard there's a really good party hostel there
wild elephants was the name
I'm seconding this, but also with the hedge that I think it's worth a 1 or 2 day side trip from Vienna at most, and should basically just be considered like a Haarlem to Vienna's Amsterdam
(I'm aware that this way of looking at it will piss off people who live there: this is just a traveller's perspective)
The castle is great though - I dont know if its changed but when I went the fort and grounds were free admission and open 24/7 - so basically just a public park. Its hard to find a castle experience that let's you just chill out and stroll around for free in Western Europe I found, and so I appreciated it. It also had a nice view of the Danube, being built up on an embankment above the river.
The old town was very cozy as well - albeit Europe has no shortage of old towns, but Bratislava's gave me the unique feeling that I had stepped into Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night.
As for my own reverse Paris-syndrome: definitely Poland and specifically Krakow. I went in with my head full of "Poles can't do math memes" and ended up extending a 1 day stop through off Krakow into 2 weeks. Poland is a country I would commit an entire trip to in the future.
>The castle is great though - I dont know if its changed but when I went the fort and grounds were free admission and open 24/7 - so basically just a public park. Its hard to find a castle experience that let's you just chill out and stroll around for free in Western Europe I found, and so I appreciated it.
There are way more than you think. Right now I can name at least 4, in Western and Northern Europe. The only difference is that you need to drive, and go to places with near impossible access without a car.
That being said, having done most of Europe (including Eastern), Bratislava is not worth it unless you really do have an extra day to kill in Vienna, and it can complete German-Austrian history if you’re a history buff.
I still remain on my position: Bratislava is not worth it if you have done a lot of Europe (including Eastern). If you haven’t done any Eastern or Central Europe, ut can be your first immersion in a former commie country. But even compared with Prague or Budapest, it’s underwhelming.
It was worth it to go to Devin and see this 1500 year old loaf of bread
>Vienna, Antwerp, Vilnius, Split
They don't have a bad reputation in the first place.
One can still be positively surprised seeing as how most countries on earth are shitholes in 2022.
Vienna is known for unfriendly people. The others are generally unknown.
For me it’s Tbilisi, comfy and sulfur baths was a great couples activity.
The sulfur baths were great. Even got a HE from the person giving me a scub down.
Actually…Brussels. Fun bars, great beer, fantastic architecture, nice people too, I preferred it to Brugge.
I loved Brussels too anon, i went during the 2018 world cup and it was a blast. Most delicious beer I've ever had too
I as well had a great time in brussels. Seems really dependant if you can find some cool spots to hang out in/at or not. Some parts of the city did seem pretty bland/desolate but not the area I was in.
Chicago is a really nice city, despite there being crackheads outside our motel, the downtown is gorgeous
Yeah..still not visiting
It's worth a stop if you're doing a cross country road trip
I was gonna add Chicago as well. The downtown is really cool, beautiful buildings, river flowing into a lake. Looks like an ocean-front city though its inland. Great food. Encountered almost zero ghetto behavior in the good parts of town despite expecting it to basically be nig central. Also doesn't seem globohomo like NYC does, e.g. restaurants don't give a shit about accommodating vegans and the like. It was actually very refreshing.
Baltimore and Detroit too, wonderful cities, even safe at night. Don't listen to fearmongers and poltards
>Baltimore
>safe at night
Look it is a really cool city but there is a risk of being a victim of crime everywhere at night, including Fed Hill, Fells Point, and the inner harbor. I wouldn't walk around alone.
I've had good times in Baltimore, but don't kid yourself; it's a dump
bro we waitin fo ya ayyyyoooo
>bro we waitin fo ya
yew*
Bilbao. I thought it would be some kind of run down shithole but it was really clean, functional, and with great food.
Berlin - Expected a boring german city with turks, ended up having a threesome with 1 twink and a sjw chick out of berghain club, crazy place in terms of clubbing and lifestyle, everyone dresses up in all kinds of costumes, irl cosplay world
Manila - was expecting only filth and tin houses, was impressed by the tall skyscrapers and hotels, had a luxury hotel room for 200$ a night overlooking sea, 2 large rooms, bed, big tv, spa pool buffet etc. The clean areas beat some asian cities
Paris actually
unironically this
i read so much things about Paris, "it's dirty", "it's not safe" " Parisians are rude" ...
I've been in Paris 2 weeks ago and it's was nice actually
Yes; it is a big European city not a theme park. People will be rude and smoke.
Reverse was Glasgow. Reputation for being full of poverty and violence. Had a blast and was not even threatened once. Meant to have gentrified massively in recent years
Venezuela didn’t feel unsafe and was more beautiful than the Caribbean
>Salzburg
No wonder Hitler built his retreat right next to this place.
Moscow
people were helpful, it wasn't nearly as dirty as I imagined, and it was easy to move around.
People told me I would get my butt grabbed and stuff in Panama but they were idiots as it turns out, regardless, I needed to cross it off my bucket list. The Panamanian people exuded warmth and hospitality and the men were perfect gentlemen. Five gals and hardly anything bad happened, if anything some of the local guys had to watch out for us >:) Hard to see the inequality though, likely a sign of the failings of the capitalist model and the corrupt ruling elite. I recommend Panama to all my girlfriends and digital nomad friends as well. The canal is also a UNESCO heritage site as are many other breathtaking sites, the whole place oozes with historic significance.
I'm male but also felt that way about the place.
>failings of the capitalism model
Yeah, surely things would be better under a different system. There certainly wouldn’t be worse inequality and even more corrupt elite like there has been in every attempt to replace capitalism literally ever.
Wow it's like I'm really listening to Dasha. Nice stolen personality
Slovenia
I didn't really know anything about it before I went
Bled and Bohinj are stunning - i know bled is a bit of a travel meme but it really is great
Ljubljana is very comfy, although it is very small and not much goes on there
Jutland, Denmark - comfy and interesting
Dakhla, Western Sahara - comfy and serene, beautiful women
Omaha, Nebraska - world-class art museum, food and beautiful surroundings
Thx anon
Surprisingly, Paris, but that was in 2014 - I went on a Europe tour and had low expectations of this city after having been impressed by Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I had no idea the Eiffel Tower shimmered at night and the Louvre wasn't disappointing at all. This was long before I heard about the Paris syndrome and the crises that followed...
did you go to the hall of mirrors?
China
Not grey and miserable like I expected, very nice, friendly people.
Seward, Alaska.
I was a bit let down by Anchorage so I expected Seward to be not much better.
It ended up being this beautiful seaside town that was super comfy.
Every town that is not Anchorage or Wasilla is comfy in Alaska.
Matsue
I just wanted to take a ferry and been to Fukuoka enough, next place was Mastue. A bit farther trip, but very beautiful and a lot to see and do. I didn't get to everything. Look around the general area, the port city Sakaiminato is based around a cartoon, and Tottori has some sand dunes. I think it is an underrated destination in Japan.
Almaty, I am going soon and it honesty looks pretty cool, a beautiful country in general, yet I think few people ever think about going to Kazakhstan.
Did you go to my boy Lafcadio's museum? Matsue has long been on my list, if only to pay homage to the original weaboo.
Copenhague was a really nice visit. I expected nothing and loved it, I genuinely think it would be a very good city to live in, not too big while not looking like a northern village.
Grand Canyon, Sedona
Kas, Turkey because it’s highly rated and I’d wanted to go for a long time. It lived up to my expectations, even though (or maybe because?) I was there during the off season. One of the comfiest places on earth.
Venice. I expected an expensive tourist trap but I discovered a beautiful city with nice history, some relax neighborhood/islands and cool bars. It probably did help that I went there off season to meet a friend and his italian gf
Same here, went in 2020 so it was pleasently empty
I had a bit of Paris syndrome there, still enjoyed myself.
I also loved Venice despite low expectations. Even in the tourist-flooded zones you’re never far from a local alley, the history is fascinating and all over the place, and the physical setting is uniquely beautiful. Would go again without hesitation.
this. truly lovely town, even with the throngs of tourists it is simply gorgeous and absolutely enchanting.
Zadar... Honestly, all of Dalmatia in general was welcoming and unexpected. I took a 30EUR flight on a whim.
You must be dutch
Jerusalem
lots of tourist attractions to see if you're autismo about religion like I was
only issue is all the gay checkpoints but that's to keep stone chuckers out
Prague.
Some gays will disagree, and they wont be wrong. The main Wenceslas drag is tourist central, smells like hot rat trash, and is covered with Soviet style block bullshit.
But the old buildings truly are beautiful. The font and the art are amazing. The old gothic churches inspire awe, and nearly every single statue alcove had an amazing statue in it. Czechs are decently nice, everywhere accepts a Visa, and the beer is just as good as Germany's but cheaper.
I got sick my first day because I closed their tiki bar and got blackout drunk, but i thought it was a beautiful place. Plus, pork knuckle and goulash are delicious and the women are nice to look at.
I'm going to Paris next week. What's wrong with it?
begins with n and ends with s and there's many of them
this and rats + garbage
even the frenchs are unbearable in Paris
Croatia is one of the most overvisited tourist countries in the world with 20 mil tourists on 4 mil people
How it can surprise you is weird
>Florence
had basically never heard of it before i went with my parents
one of the best and most beautiful cities ive ever gone too
>spain
gf used to always go there in car trips with her parents kept talking it up but i wasnt having mainly due to ingraned rivalry and hatred towards them
turns out the country is beautiful and fantastic and we alwys eat very well and very much for very cheap and the culture going out and enjoying the city and their appreciation for their history and patrimony is something to look up to
so yeah turns out the country is great and i just dont like the spanish themselves though they do some things very right
>milan
kept hearing how shit it is and that 1 day there was more than enough because there was nothing there and thats its beyond expensive
the city was beautiful and magnanimous and wouldve stayed there for 3 days if i had had the chance (couldve gone to lake como too for example)
also not overly expensive well with normal range whay we found
been to other places that i liked more than i wouldve though too but these are the ones where i either had not expectation or somewhat poor ones though i always go expecting the best
Ottawa is really good for two/three days. Gatineau park is top tier and so are the museums, architecture is good for north american standards, prevalent french canadian culture around but without the pressure to be a primary french speaker, lots of young people and imo good nightlife for canada
Missoula Montana. I thought it would be just some Podunk mountain town, but it was actually amazing. They had free outdoor music festivals going all week, great breweries and restaurants, a whitewater rafting park in the middle of downtown, and an awesome farmer's market. Everything was really upscale and fancy. There were vegan food trucks. I really didn't expect that type of thing in Montana.
>vegan
you are disgusting
It is really deeply flawed long-term. The university is in dire trouble, the fires and smoke are getting way more intense and it has been covering a lot of civic issues with the booming property values. The latter is a dynamic that has decidedly cooled and is now beginning to reverse around Montana now that people are confronting the reality of seventh month winters and summers that can be cut in half by fire season.
And the kind of college town atmosphere you're talking about lives and dies with the university, a university that is hemorrhaging enrollment. As Missoula starts becomes less economically centered around its dying university it will stop having this kind of cultural flair.
Glad you enjoyed it, though. Move there at your own peril.
I was fairly surprised by Brno, Czech Republic. I expected a shit like prague where everything is tourist friendly and people are not natural. I was completely wrong and I am happy it is so. People barely speak English but can speak German. The level of unfriendlyness is the same of Vienna and this makes me feel home.
Saudi Arabia Jeddah city and Riyadh.
Beautiful country
Ironically, Paris. Lived up to the hype and more. Will visit again some day.
visit greece
Heard a lot of wild stories about Milan and how it was a shithole. Quite the opposite, the city was an interesting combination of old and modern and the amount of mass tourism was just about right.
>What are some places that positively surprised you
Hue, Vietnam.
Richmond, Virginia.
Cannakale, Turkey.
Shrewsbury, England.
Belfast, Northern Ireland.
What was good about Belfast?
Albi, France, ridiculously beautiful medieval city at the river Tarn, not too many tourists and if then they are upper class French, people actually live and work in the old town, nice market, great café's, postcard picture France.
Stralsund, Germany. no bomb damages, no GDR commie blocks, just a pristine Hanse town at the Baltic, nice food, nice beer, east Germany prices.
Leipzig, Germany. what Berlin used to be in the late 90s and early 2000s. Shabby chic grand old Saxonian town, complete with GDR vibes, fucktons of history, cheap prices, ultra comfy saxonian coffee houses and vibrant night life.