Did you know that we gather all the hidden gems we find on our Treasure Map? Since we started, we’ve added well over 100 surprising locations in more than 20 countries! We’ve recently added five new secret places in four countries for you to add to your list of places to visit.
Hidden gem 1: Roc Marchand, Nâves, France
12KM and over 800M of altitude gain is what it takes to hike to the top of Roc Marchand from the tiny sleeping mountain town of Nâves. As busy as the nearby valley can get in winter, with some of the world’s most famous ski resorts nearby, this side of the valley is especially quiet during summer. And the landscapes deserve to be discovered by more people, just look at how beautiful the area is!
Hidden gem 2: Tank Defense Line, Lammersdorf, Germany
The Western border of Germany is littered with leftovers from World War II, amongst which a ton of tank defense lines. These strange configurations of pointy stones are designed to fend off enemy tanks, but have since the 1940s been taken back over by nature. Or in the case of this one near Lammersdorf, by a cow pasture 😉 There’s reportedly an even more impressive structure somewhere in the forest nearby, but we were a bit weary to cross a random farmer’s patch of land and stuck to the more visible part of this tank defense line.
Easy to find: park near the church in Lammersdorf (you can’t miss it) and follow the signs marked ’12’ for the walking route that leads past the tank defense line. When we were there, there were even some flyers with the walking route. You don’t have to walk the entire 11KM loop, you’ll stumble upon the tank defense line rather quickly.
Hidden gem 3: Hadrian’s Arch Apartment, Jerash, Jordan
We visited Jerash in April of 2022 and found this apartment building through Booking.com, without realizing that we were some of the very first guests staying there. The kind elderly man and woman were the most helpful, showed us around the newly renovated apartment rooms and poured us some coffee. The experience was much better than what you may expect from a €30 per night apartment, so if you’re looking to visit the Archaeological site of Jerash and want to stay nearby – with an amazing view over the site – we can only recommend staying here!
As we forgot to take any pictures of the apartment, here you can find the apartment on Booking.com!
Hidden gem 4: Monte Bargiglio Viewpoint, Borgo a Mozzano, Italy
As busy as the area in the Lucca-Florence-Siena triangle can get during summer, head just North of there into the Apuan Alps and you’re bound to find some absolutely serene hidden gems.
We loved spending time in this quieter mountain area and found an impressive 360 degree viewpoint at the top of Mount Bargiglio, without any other tourists! It’s a bit out of the way of most other sights, but a short drive up the hill from the SS12 valley road to the tiny town of Cune.
Park in the little mountain town of Cune – plenty of space – and take the 45 minute or so walk up the mountain to the ruins at the top of Monte Bargiglio. We used Maps.ME to find the way, you can choose between the longer and shorter route. The road continues in asphalt past Cune, but there’s nowhere to leave your car nearer to the top.
Hidden gem 5: Basalt Organs of Montrodeix, Auvergne, France
Volcanoes are mostly something we would associate with exotic destinations such as Guatemala or Japan. But near the centre of France lies a park called ‘Park of the Volcanoes of the Auvergne’. Ever heard of it? It’s not as glamorous as the Champagne or Provence region but all the more worth a visit. We found these strange rock formations known as the ‘Basalt Organs’, hidden away in a forest.
The rock formations are a short 10-minute walk up the hill if you park on the Rue de l’Étang just off the D942 road, behind the power plant.
Go over to our treasure map to find these and over 100 other hidden gems that we’ve personally selected for you to discover!
Kirsten & Thomas
Go Beyond The Usual 