Europe's Hidden Riches

Why Sofia should replace Santorini on your travel agenda.

- Georgina Lavers

As flights worldwide have been restricted to only the most nece ssary, nomads have had to put their roaming on hold for now. But a raft of destinations set to connect Abu Dhabi with Eastern Europe should – at the very least – be noted down for future exploration.

In the beginning of May, Wizz Air – the Hungarian low-cost airline – announced it would begin flights to five different destinations, all in Europe. Bucharest and Budapest have been earmarked as the first two destinations available to fly to from Abu Dhabi, with flights expected to launch in June*.

But as well as taking in the public baths or Byzantine architecture of the popular capitals, three other cities deserve further consideration.

From southern Poland’s Katowice, known as the “city of music”, to the assortment of architectural styles on display in Sofia, or Cluj-Napoca, one of Romania’s most-visited cities, these affordable, interesting cities should be on your radar.

SOFIA, BULGARIA

Flight operates from: September 15

Sofia is a city of threes. It is nestled between three mountains: Lyulin, Vitosha and the Balkans; sits between three seas: the Aegean, Black and Adriatic; and is home to grand temples of three major religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.