The 10 Least Visited European Capitals

There are many different rankings on the internet. From the most beautiful cities to the largest ones, passing through the most famous and visited ones. And, while all of them are very interesting, travelers and those who love exploring non-mainstream tourist destinations are actually curious about which are the least visited cities in the world.

That’s why, in this post, we offer you the 10 least visited European capitals, i.e. the cities that attract the least number of tourists per year.

If you are a “counter-trend” type, we suggest you keep on reading as you may find your next holiday destination!

10. Chisinau, Moldova

Visitors per year: about 1.89 million

In 10th place, we find the city of Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.

Why it’s not visited:
It’s because Moldova in general, as a country, doesn’t have an effective tourism system yet, therefore, it can’t implement a promotion. These are the reasons why the country isn’t greatly attracted to European mass tourism.

Why it’s worth a visit:
The capital boasts several attractions, the most important among which are the Sacred Door built in 1841, the Orthodox Cathedral of 1836, and the Government Palace.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €102 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Moldova from €95.98
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: City-Airport Transfer

9. Zagreb, Croatia

Visitors per year: about 1 million

In 9th place, we have Zagreb the capital of Croatia.

Why it’s not visited:
Compared to other parts of the country, the capital is much less visited. First of all, it’s because of the lack of publicity towards mass tourism, which is more oriented towards the coastal area of ​​the country. Another reason is the climate, with quite rainy mid-seasons and harsh winters with heavy snowfalls.

Why it’s worth a visit:
The city is divided into Upper and Lower parts, both full of attractions. In the upper part, the oldest one, we can find the Cathedral of the Assumption of Gothic origin inside which there are frescoes dating back to 1200; the Lotrscak Tower which served as a defense of the southern part of the city and from which a cannon shot is fired at noon to recall the battle against the Ottomans; and the Church of San Marco with a very original tiled roof on which the medieval coats of arms of Croatia are found. In the lower part, we can find the Mimara Museum inside which the works by Raphael, Michelangelo, Rembrandt Velasquez, Goia, are Manet and exhibited.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €203 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Velika Gorica from €149.06
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: Tour to Rastoke and Plitvice Lakes Park, Zagreb Private Tour

8. Belgrade, Serbia

Visitors per year: about 100 thousand

In 8th place, we find the city of Belgrade in Serbia.

Why it’s not visited:
Belgrade is not a tourist destination due to the conflict that took place in the 90s and which involved the Balkan countries like Serbia. An ongoing reconstruction process has started since then.

Why it’s worth a visit:
There aren’t many things to go and see. However, there are some places definitely worth a visit, such as The Belgrade Fortress, a fortress on which the city stands and from which it is possible to admire the Danube river. Then, there is the Avala Tower, a communications tower inside which there are two elevators and a restaurant located at 119 meters in height.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €144 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Belgrade from €136.82
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: City-airport transfer, Panoramic tour by minibus

7. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visitors per year: about 98 thousand

In 7th place, we find Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Why it’s not visited:
Bosnia’s tourism is mostly concentrated in the Medjugorje area. Like Belgrade, Sarajevo also mourns the consequences of the war conflict that affected the Balkan area during the 90s.

Why it’s worth a visit:
There are some interesting monuments and attractions such as the City Hall library, the old town, the Tunnel Museum, Careva dzamija (eng. the Emperor’s Mosque) and Vijecnica the Town Hall. Also, an important musical event is held in the first week of November – the Sarajevo International Jazz Festival.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €150 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Sarajevo from €164.92
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: Bus tour of the places of war

6. Skopje, North Macedonia

Visitors per year: about 97 thousand

In 6th place, we find Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia.

Why it’s not visited:
The reasons why Skopje is snubbed by mass tourism are similar to those of Sarajevo and Belgrade.

Why it’s worth a visit:
The city offers some attractions such as the Orthodox Church of St. Demetrius Megalomartyr, one of the most beautiful; the Stone Bridge over the Vardar River built between 1451 and 1469; and Macedonia Square, a recently built square where an equestrian statue of Alexander the Great is located.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €131 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to North Macedonia from €40.98
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: Tour Skopje and surroundings

5. Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Visitors per year: about 60 thousand

In fifth place, we find Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. This capital has a population of only about 5,000 inhabitants.

Why it’s not visited:
It’s definitely not a popular destination for mass tourism. Many people aren’t even aware of its existence, let alone plan to visit it. If it wasn’t one of the richest countries in the world in terms of gross domestic product and a tax haven, even those who know about this city would also ignore it.

Why it’s worth a visit:
The few main attractions are the medieval castle, the current residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein; the Cathedral of St. Florin, a Gothic-style building of only 100 years; and the Kunstmusem, an interesting museum of modern art.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €296 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Zurich (109 km from Vaduz) from €73.05

4. Minsk, Belarus

Visitors per year: about 46 thousand

In fourth place, we find the city of Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Why it’s not visited:
The countries of the former Soviet Union tend not to be very popular and Belarus is one of the least visited of all. It is no coincidence that its capital is awarded the “wooden medal”.

Why it’s worth a visit:
The places to visit include the Cathedral of San Giuseppe, the Red Church, the church of San Pietro and Paolo, and the church of Santa Maria Maddalena. Other things worth visiting are the Obelisk of Victory in Piazza della Vittoria and the National Library Building.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €114 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Belarus from €193,71
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: 3-hour city tour, city-airport transfer

3. Luxembourg

Visitors per year: about 41 thousand

In third place, we find the city/state of Luxembourg.

Why it’s not visited:
It’s one of the smallest countries in Europe, hence, not really full of attractions.

Why it’s worth a visit:
It’s famous for some truly deserving castles such as Vianden Castle, Beaufort Castle, and Boursheid Castle.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €249 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Luxembourg City from €139.53
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: City-airport transfer

2. Podgorica, Montenegro

Visitors per year: about 30 thousand

In second place is the city of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro.

Why it’s not visited:
It’s widely believed that the city, like the rest of the country, has very little to offer in tourism. The harsh climate certainly doesn’t favor the influx of visitors and there are no important tourist centers in the vicinity.

Why it’s worth a visit:
The places of interest are the old town and the Cathedral of the Resurrection. Podgorica is also called the city of bridges. The oldest is the stone bridge called “Most na Sastavcima” which is located on the Ribnica River and was presumably built in Roman times.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €102 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Montenegro from €177.38

1. Tallinn, Estonia

Visitors per year: about 22 thousand

In the first place, we find the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This is certainly a surprise, considering that it’s a city with strong commercial expansion. Definitely, it is the capital with the greatest potential among all those present in the ranking; it would not surprise us at all to see the number of tourists grow more and more in the coming years.

Why it’s not visited:
The thing that makes this city less touristy than others is definitely the really harsh climate, which pushes the population to live a rather homely life. Unlike the other northern European countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Norway, Estonia doesn’t organize important events, parties, or concerts during the winter period, apart from the winter markets.

Why it’s worth a visit:
Tallinn offers some attractions such as the Old Town and the Medieval Castle. But the real reason why Val la Pona goes to this beautiful capital is the traditional markets organized in the period before Christmas.

Plan Your Trip: Useful Info

Accommodation: From €106 for a double room
Low-cost flights: Cheap flights to Tallinn from €186.15
Recommended cards, tickets, and tours: Pub crawl in the Old Town, private tour to Lahemaa National Park