Far from the fairy-tale castles of Bavaria and the Schlager-amped beer gardens of Munich sits a small German island called Sylt.
Dangling off the border of Germany and Denmark in the North Sea, it is known as Germany’s Hamptons, long a summer sanctuary for Berlin’s beau monde and the summer stomping grounds of Teutonic millionaires.
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But thanks to its difficult accessibility and lack of historic UNESCO sites, Sylt remains off the radar for most foreign tourists—and that’s precisely how many want it to stay.
As travelers continue to swarm Europe every summer—crowding the Michelin-starred restaurants of Paris and Copenhagen, stuffing into Tuscan villas for gnocchi-making classes and partying on the beaches of Saint-Tropez, Capri and Ibiza—many locals have found secret hideaways that allow them to avoid the crowds at all costs.
Unlike Americans (and, increasingly, Asians and South Americans), many Europeans don’t view sightseeing, culture and history as essential components of a summer holiday, since they often have those experiences year-round in their hometowns and cities. “Europeans are usually more concerned with quality hotel accommodations, good food and one-of-a-kind shopping,” says Chrismar Kuhn, a Basel-based luxury travel agent and fan of Sylt.
This year Olympics-fleeing Brits are renting out their homes in record numbers, heading for greener, less-crowded pastures in the bucolic cider country of Somerset and to hidden villages like Cheltenham and Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds. As hordes of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy fans descend on Stockholm, Swedes escape to the western “crime-fiction coast,” where they hole up in remote towns like Fiskebäckskil, the former summer destination of Ingrid Bergman.
And those in the Mediterranean have been dodging tourists for centuries. Many chic Romans travel to the breezy hush-hush island of Panarea, the smallest and poshest of the Aeolian Islands, off the coast of Sicily; the French—who try harder than anyone to avoid tourists—hike in the Drôme, sail in Vannes or go “glamping” in Loire-Atlantique.
Follow their lead and pay a visit to one of these ten lesser-known European destinations this summer.
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Bornholm, Denmark
The phenomenon of “new Nordic” cuisine has created a new Nordic invasion, and getting a table at one of Copenhagen’s buzzy, Michelin-starred restaurants has become more challenging than navigating the city on a bike during rush hour. Fortunately, sensible Danes know when enough is enough.
Come high season they flee the city limits for islands like Bornholm and Samsø, where they can get back to life’s simple pleasures. Windswept Bornholm is known for its round churches, smoked herring and pottery. The tiny fishing village of Gudhjem is home to Stammershalle Badehotel (from $250; Sdr. Strandvej 128; 45/5648-4210;stammershalle-badehotel.dk),whose welcoming potbellied stove is all the luxury you’ll need.
Cavtat, Croatia
Though Dubrovnik remains a posh Adriatic go-to, its share of cruise-ship passengers and fortress wall–walking British, German and American tourists increases every year. Many locals sneak 30 minutes south to leafy, cultured Cavtat (pronounced “Tsav-tat”), which has long been a secret weekend getaway for the affluent.
The swank Hotel Croatia Cavtat overlooks the entire harbor. Its distinct 1970s James Bond–esque exteriors might be off-putting to tourists, but the luxuriously refurbished five-star hotel has swaddled many a VIP within its walls.
Cheltenham, Cotswolds, England
Brits looking to escape the Olympics are renting out their homes in record numbers and temporarily heading for greener, less-crowded pastures in the bucolic countryside. Places reachable in less than fours hours—such as Somerset, known for rolling hills and cider, and charming villages in the Cotswolds like Stow-on-the-Wold—are especially popular.
The upscale spa town of Cheltenham is the home of British steeplechase horse racing and the Montpellier Chapter (from $200; Bayshill Rd.; 44-1242/527-788;themontpellierchapterhotel.com), a posh inn filled with modern art and Eames furniture.
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