Bored of the same old destinations in Europe? Want something a bit different but don’t want to leave the familiarity and appeal of our closest continent? Not fond of being served egg and chips when you’ve flown all that way to experience something a little different?

One way to do it is to check out some cheap airlines, look at their destinations – and then avoid them. Or take the cheap flights to the known destinations but be prepared to travel a little further, perhaps by bus, train or hire car, to those places a little further afield for a true taste of what that country has to offer.

We’re going to explore some of the more obscure cities of Europe over the next few weeks. See if any of them take your fancy, and then look for the best ways to get there from your home. They’ll be worth the journey!
First stop, Spain.

Córdoba, in Andalucia, to be exact. At one point, this was the the largest city in Spain under the Romans, and was the capital of the most important country in Europe when Islam ruled Spain. Elements of that part of its history can still be found – including the Mezquita, which was once a huge mosque that was subsequently turned into a cathedral. It is a truly spectacular structure, highly decorated and intricate in its design. Its construction was completed in 796AD.

You can get to Córdoba by flying into Seville and then taking the bus north.
The Mezquita is in the centre, and it is surrounded by Jewish and Moorish quarters. Away from the Mezquita, there are many famed and acclaimed patios. Or take a trip a little further out of town to the Moorish Medina Azahara ruins. This was once a palace complex completed in 961AD. Its construction was a hugely expensive and time-consuming effort but eventually it contained the palace, a zoo, baths, houses and weapons factories(!).

Check out the Museo Arquelógico, which is housed in a minor Renaissance mansion and contains a Roman patio. Nearby is the Plaza del Potro, a beautiful square mentioned in Don Quixote.

This is an area of Spain where you can actually sit down in a restaurant and eat Spanish food, or pop into a bar for some really good-quality tapas.

This is Spain at its best and is not to be missed.

Liechtenstein is a tiny principality and as such it is often expected that it will be wealthy and opulent like similar states such as Monaco.  However, Liechtenstein is actually rather more understated than this and is a pleasant surprise to many who choose to visit each year. 

It looks like a picture postcard, and there are plenty of things to do for all the family who want to do something outdoorsy, from nature trails, horse riding, hiking trails and rock climbing.  These are the best ways to see the mountains, castles, forts and quaint wooden villages that dot the region.

During winter months, there are plenty of winter sports to enjoy, with brilliant ski runs or sledding in Malbun, and when you’re done with that why not visit any of the country’s museums to get a sense of the history of the country.   

The obvious places to visit include the capital, Vaduz (which has plenty of museums to keep you occupied, and is a good starting point for several walks into the mountains), and Malbun, but look wider than that and you’ll find some gems that will make your holiday really special.  There’s the Biedermann House in Shellenberg in the north, which is reputed to be the oldest house in the principality and is now a museum designed to show what it was like to live in Liechtenstein in past centuries.  In the same town are the fortress ruins which are still recognisable enough to give a good idea of what the fort looked like in its heyday when the Knights of Shellenberg ruled that country.

Or visit the historic towns of Bendern, Mauren and Eschen, before progressing further south to Shaan or Dux, both of which are good centres for a variety of winter and summer sports and good starting points for many trails and mountain hikes.

Liechtenstein offers some glorious views offered by the mountainous terrain and Rhine valley, but these are best seen away from the main towns.  Perhaps if you start in Vaduz, you should take a long walk to Wildshloss (which is a castle on the mountain between Vaduz and Shaan, about two hours’ walk from the former).  You’ll get to see a good part of the landscape, some spectacular scenery and really get to appreciate this principality’s natural beauty.

Picture it: Sicily.  Where better to go for your holidays this spring or summer?  A land of natural beauty from mountains and volcanoes to national parks, archaeological sites, gorgeous local produce and food, bustling cities and quaint villages… what more could you want?

Unlike much of the rest of Italy, Sicily has kept its somewhat untamed, wild nature, and has preserved traditions for hundreds of years.  You only have to set foot on the lunar-like landscape surrounding Mount Etna, some 2,000ft above sea-level, and look around at all the wild countryside around you to appreciate just how ancient the land beneath your feet is. 

Sicily has something for everyone.  If you want to relax by the sea, there are plenty of beaches for you to sit on with a good book in the Mediterranean climate (pack your sun cream).  You could even take an excursion on a local ferry to one of the nearby Aeolian Islands for even more sandy beaches (though beware that these can be crowded in August).

 If you want something a little more stimulating, there are excursions offered through most hotels (or tour operators if you are not travelling independently) to see archaeological sites and museums (and the mountains and volcanoes of course) or out to some of the many rocky archipelagos nearby.  Take a trip to Agrigento (the ‘Valley of the Temples’) to visit Greek temples or take a look round nearby olive groves or almond orchards.  Or take a jeep (either hire one or take a guided excursion) to near the top of Mount Etna, where you’ll need your winter woollies since it’s rather cool up there (it’s covered in snow during the winter months at the top because at 3,350m it is Sicily’s highest mountain). 

If nightlife is your scene, the cities in Sicily offer great bars, clubs and restaurants to keep you entertained until the early hours – the best places to go for this would probably be Catania or Taormina.  The latter is the most popular resort for many tourists and is well resourced as a result with everything that you could want for your holiday.  Catania also offers a fabulous beach.

There’s plenty to do in Sicily, so why not consider it for your next holiday?

One of the more bizarre excursions I’ve ever been on was a guided tour of the grand city of Salzburg.  It was a fantastic city to visit, and I spent several days there and in the surrounding area, but the tour was pretty strange, mainly because the Austrian tour guide’s command of English wasn’t brilliant.  She kept referring excitedly to places where ‘the shootings of the children’ had taken place.  It transpired that she was talking about ‘shooting’ as in ‘filming’ and the children referred to were those in the Sound of Music, Salzburg’s second most famous export.

Salzburg’s most famous export is, of course, Mozart, and you might be interested to know that at the time of Mozart’s birth Salzburg was actually an independent state and so technically Mozart is not Austrian, he is Salzburgan.  That must be worth a few points in a pub quiz.

So, as well as seeing the places where the children were shot (sorry, filmed), and the house where Mozart lived (which is now a museum and worth a short visit), what else does Salzburg have to offer?

Here is a list of my favourites. 

1. Mirabell Garden & Castle

If the weather’s nice (and beware, Salzburg is prone to showers, and the narrow streets are usually packed and not umbrella-friendly), take a walk through the Mirabell Garden.  The garden and castle were designed by the Prince Archbishop of Saltzburg for his mistress.  His wife wasn’t pleased, but at least the people of, and visitors to, Salzburg can have somewhere nice for a picnic.  The castle isn’t open to the public as it’s used by the Mayor, but the gardens (in 1960s geometrical patterns) are pleasant.

 2. Mozartplatz and Statue (Mozart Square)

A statue of Mozart dominates this square.  The square is usually a hive of activity from people performing songs or traditional theatre for the tourists.  The square is very close to the Cathedral (see below).

3.  Salzburg Cathedral

The Dom zu Salzburg  is a cathedral constructed in the 17^th Century.  It’s baroque and spectacular for it.  It was damaged in the Second World War when a bomb hit the central dome, but it was fully restored by the late 1950s.

4.  Salt Mines

This is one of those tourist attractions that doesn’t get nearly as much hype as it deserves.  It’s a wonderful little surprise of a gem waiting for those who venture a little way out of the main city to a town called Hallein.

 A tour of the mine begins with a short film about the history of salt mining (stay with me…) but then everyone has to get dressed into some overalls.  Then you all sit astride a miniature train that chugs through a very tiny tunnel, barely big enough to squeeze through without banging your head (I don’t imagine the Health and Safety Executive would allow that here, somehow).   Then you get to sail on a low barge on an eerie underground lake through the caverns of the salt mine before finally shooting down a giant slide that’s more like a bannister.  You sit astride the ‘bannister’ with two or three others behind you, all clinging to each other for dear life, and whizz down into a lower cavern.  You then have to watch a slide show, but you’re so hyped after the fun of the journey that it barely registers (good job, as it’s in German and whilst I know enough conversational German to get me through an Austrian holiday, I am unfamiliar with the terms used in mining contexts).  This tour is covered by the Salzburg Card (see below). 

There are plenty of other places to visit and things to see on a trip to Salzburg.  Like the Altstadt (the most beautiful square in Salzburg), the gothic cemetery (surprisingly beautiful)  and plenty of market stalls to wander around.  Buy a Salzburg card on arrival and it can work out cheaper than paying for individual tourist attractions as it pays for entry to several museums and attractions and also lets you use the local public transport system on an unlimited basis.  Go any time of year – but take an umbrella as it’s sure to rain.

Austria is a great country to visit: go in the Summer or Autumn and enjoy breath-taking scenery as you ramble through woods or across vertiginous hills, or go in Winter or early Spring and enjoy some really wonderful skiing opportunities.

Austria is becoming more popular as a ski resort than in recent years, though once of course it was regarded as the place to ski before we Brits became more enamoured with France back in the ‘seventies. Now, though, Austria is reaping the benefits of the tough economic climate we’re living in, because it certainly provides better value for money than do the resorts in the French Alps. Yet although everything’s much cheaper (from food to lift passes) it doesn’t skimp on quality or service, and you’ll find a very warm welcome awaits you at the resorts.

Here are some of the best slopes and resorts for everyone.
1. Alpbach: this is brilliant for beginners. It has two schools to teach the basics, and the slopes are challenging enough to keep intermediate skiers happy too, whilst the nursery slope is good for building confidence.
2. Saalbach: an hour-and-a-half from Salzburg with a highly sophisticated lift system, this resort is perfect for intermediate skiers who can enjoy the circuit routes and 200km of piste.
3. St Anton: this is perfect if you want a bit of a challenge and are an accomplished skier.
4. Sölden is perhaps the most reliable for snow cover, and is great for intermediate skiers.
5. Obergurgl: if you’re thinking of taking a family ski trip, this is the resort for you. It offers reliable snow cover for most of the season right down to the village. It takes about an hour to get there from Innsbruck, and it’s a very family-friendly, quiet village.

Wherever you travel, if you’re new to skiing then beware that if you invest in your own skis you will usually have to pay the airline to take them with you (though some companies offer free allowances for skis at this time of year). Check that you have travel insurance and that it covers ski-related accidents as many standard policies have clauses excluding liability for anything involving dangerous sports. Enjoy the piste and après-ski!