TURISM Rural tourism – hidden gems of Europe

London, Paris and Rome are on everyone’s bucket list – however, did you ever wonder what hides between those colourful patches of land while you’re flying over them to your urban dreamland?

Cultural tourism refers to the tourist’s engagement with a country or region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle, history, art, architecture, religion and other elements which helped shape people’s way of life in those geographical areas. It includes tourism in urban areas, especially large and historical cities with numerous cultural facilities, however, it also includes tourism in rural areas.

Rural or ethno-tourism focuses on actively participating in a rural lifestyle, on the works of man rather than nature and on the exploration of indigenous populations and their respective culture and traditions, often connected to ecotourism.

And while visiting one of those postcard cities and taking numerous selfies with world-famous attractions is an amazing and worthwhile experience, while you’re at it, why not stop by one of these hidden gems and discover a whole other side of the country or region you’re visiting?

We bring you our top ten European rural destinations for an amazing and memorable holiday!

1. Maramures, Romania

Maramures is a geographical, historical and ethno-cultural region in northern Romania where you can see an abundance of wooden churches, including the highest and the oldest one, 8 of which belong to the UNESCO patrimony. This centre of culture and civilisation is the place where traditions, popular garb and art are kept like nowhere else in Romania, a region which has preserved the history and customs connected to work, life and celebration. While there, you can stay in one of the traditional wooden houses, surrounded by handmade rugs and old, domestic objects.

More details here