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Five Cities Begging for Your Attention: Beirut, Lebanon

Call us champions of the underdog, but we’ve got an overall affinity for places that are often overlooked in the travel world. Some have had rough pasts or are a tad slow on the tourist track, but they just want a little love. Here’s the lowdown on five cities eager for the chance to win you over.

City 5 of 5: Beirut, Lebanon.

Why Go to Beirut: Let’s address the pink elephant in the room—there are those who associate the “B” in Beirut for “bomb” of the bursting-in-air variety. And there’s no point in denying the undercurrent of uncertainty along with the the Hezbollah presence in this Middle East city. Still, the country continues to actively court intrepid travelers (though not so much those who’ve previously visited Israel). That said, in order to appreciate Lebanon’s capital, adopt a we malo attitude (that's Arabic for "so what?"). Apparently that’s how locals keep on keeping on.

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Five Cities Begging for Your Attention: Treviso, Italy

Call us champions of the underdog, but we’ve got an overall affinity for places that are often overlooked in the travel world. Some have had rough pasts or are a tad slow on the tourist track, but they just want a little love. Here’s the lowdown on five cities eager for the chance to win you over.

City 4 of 5: Treviso, Italy.

Why Go to Treviso: Venice is crowded and crazypants expensive and this small medieval city, 30 minutes north, is a mini version of its touristy cousin. You’ll find canals, stroll-worthy bridges along the River Sile, and beautiful 14th-century frescoes at your fingertips, Truth be told, it’s just an easier time than fighting Venezia’s hustle and hassle, making it all the more attraction.

This is also the Benetton’s birthplace so there’s shopping to be done, and the Latin Quarter, next to the local university, is the hotspot du jour. Ryanair can get you there cheaply from many points in Europe.

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Five Cities Begging for Your Attention: Vienna, Austria

Call us champions of the underdog, but we’ve got an overall affinity for places that are often overlooked in the travel world. Some have had rough pasts or are a tad slow on the tourist track, but they just want a little love. Here’s the lowdown on five cities eager for the chance to win you over.

City 3 of 5: Vienna, Austria.

Why Go to Vienna: There’s lots to do in Austria’s musically-inclined capital even if Mozart, Strauss, and Mahler aren’t your thing. The Old World vibe of the Habsburg dynasty has dominated the imperial baroque city for quite some time, which equaled a snooze-fest for the non-culture vulture. But there’s been an injection of new-school cool of late.

The bar and nightclub scene along the Danube River and Seventh District is popping, vineyards are flourishing, and various markets from flea to food are attracting a younger, more curious visitor. Besides, any country that can find humor in the likes of “Bruno” or Arnold Schwarzenegger is worth getting to know better.

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Five Cities Begging for Your Attention: Glasgow, Scotland

Call us champions of the underdog, but we’ve got an overall affinity for places that are often overlooked in the travel world. Some have had rough pasts or are a tad slow on the tourist track, but they just want a little love. Here’s the lowdown on five cities eager for the chance to win you over.

City 2 of 5: Glasgow, Scotland.

Why to go to Glasgow: It's got a gritty rep, sure, but Scotland’s biggest city is working hard to shed it. Glasgow's transforming former slums into it-spots and kick-ass dining has been introduced from the Gordon Ramsays and Jamie Olivers of the world. There’s also a banging music scene and top-notch shopping—vintage to high-fashion—on Sauchiehall Street that’s more affordable than sometimes-stuffy Edinburgh. Sure, you can’t tell what Glaswegians are saying half the time due to that thick accent. But who cares? Nod, say “Aye” and it’s all good.

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Five Cities Begging for Your Attention: Kiev, Ukraine

Call us champions of the underdog, but we’ve got an overall affinity for places that are often overlooked in the travel world. Some have had rough pasts or are a tad slow on the tourist track, but they just want a little love. Here’s the lowdown on five cities eager for the chance to win you over.

City 1 of 5: Kiev, Ukraine.

Why Go to Kiev: While most people head to Moscow for slice of Soviet cake, Kiev (pronounced Keev locally), is the little Eastern European engine that could. And while there’s an air of pride stemming from their 1991 independence from Russia, most people still speak Russian and the art of smiling is a challenge at best. But, despite the Ukraine’s complexity—expect to be crazy confused and turned around if you don’t read Cyrillic—it’s still a fun city filled with museums, verdant gardens and more. There’s even a budding entertainment scene that intrepid travelers will dig, and the drinking and dumplings are plentiful and awesome.

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