( Departures.com ) -- As travelers continue to swarm Europe every summer -- crowding the Michelin-starred restaurants of Paris and Copenhagen , stuffing into Tuscan villas for gnocchi-making classes and partying on the beaches of Saint-Tropez , Capri and Ibiza -- many locals have found secret hideaways that allow them to avoid the crowds at all costs . Unlike Americans ( and , increasingly , Asians and South Americans ) , many Europeans do n't view sightseeing , culture and history as essential components of a summer holiday , since they often have those experiences year-round in their hometowns and cities . `` Europeans are usually more concerned with quality hotel accommodations , good food and one-of-a-kind shopping , '' says Chrismar Kuhn , a Basel-based luxury travel agent and fan of Sylt , a German North Sea island . And those in the Mediterranean have been dodging tourists for centuries . Many chic Romans travel to the breezy hush-hush island of Panarea , the smallest and poshest of the Aeolian Islands , off the coast of Sicily ; the French -- who try harder than anyone to avoid tourists -- hike in the Drôme , sail in Vannes or go `` glamping '' in Loire-Atlantique . Follow their lead and pay a visit to one of these 10 lesser-known European destinations . Departures.com : Amazing first-class air cabins . The Jura and Three Lakes Region , Switzerland . Nobody loves secrets more than the Swiss . But nobody loves St. Moritz and Gstaad more than moneyed Russians , Americans and Brits , eager to take part in boozy mile-high après-ski parties . Family-friendly Lenzerheide has lured Swiss celebs like Roger Federer , but the spectacular Jura Mountains in the northwest remain a rugged , undeveloped region that is an anomaly in the resort-speckled country . Located on the edge of the region is Neuchâtel and the Hôtel Palafitte ( from $ 350 ; Route des Gouttes-d'Or 2 ; 41-32/723-0202 ; palafitte.ch ) , a contemporary favorite of the Swiss , who happily give up their fondue stübli for this modern gem . Bornholm , Denmark . The phenomenon of `` new Nordic '' cuisine has created a new Nordic invasion , and getting a table at one of Copenhagen 's buzzy , Michelin-starred restaurants has become more challenging than navigating the city on a bike during rush hour . Fortunately , sensible Danes know when enough is enough . Come high season they flee the city limits for islands like Bornholm and Samsø , where they can get back to life 's simple pleasures . Windswept Bornholm is known for its round churches , smoked herring and pottery . The tiny fishing village of Gudhjem is home to Stammershalle Badehotel ( from $ 250 ; Sdr . Strandvej 128 ; 45/5648-4210 ; stammershalle-badehotel.dk ) , whose welcoming potbellied stove is all the luxury you 'll need . Departures.com : America 's best rooftop bars . Cavtat , Croatia . Though Dubrovnik remains a posh Adriatic go-to , its share of cruise-ship passengers and fortress wall-walking British , German and American tourists increases every year . Many locals sneak 30 minutes south to leafy , cultured Cavtat ( pronounced `` Tsav-tat '' ) , which has long been a secret weekend getaway for the affluent . The swank Hotel Croatia Cavtat ( from $ 250 ; 385-20/430-830 ; alh.hr ) overlooks the entire harbor . Its distinct 1970s James Bond-esque exteriors might be off-putting to tourists , but the luxuriously refurbished five-star hotel has swaddled many a VIP within its walls . Cheltenham , Cotswolds , England . Brits looking to escape the Olympics are renting out their homes in record numbers and temporarily heading for greener , less-crowded pastures in the bucolic countryside . Places reachable in less than fours hours -- such as Somerset , known for rolling hills and cider , and charming villages in the Cotswolds like Stow-on-the-Wold -- are especially popular . The upscale spa town of Cheltenham is the home of British steeplechase horse racing and the Montpellier Chapter ( from $ 200 ; Bayshill Rd . ; 44-1242/527-788 ; themontpellierchapterhotel.com ) , a posh inn filled with modern art and Eames furniture . Depatures.com : The world 's most outrageous hotel perks . Fiskebäckskil , Sweden . As hordes of fans eager to get close to the setting of Stieg Larsson 's `` Millennium '' trilogy swarm Stockholm , many Swedes head west to the ruggedly tranquil `` crime fiction coast , '' where renowned writers and readers alike hole up in places like blustery Marstrand , the rocky Väderöarna Islands and charming Fiskebäckskil , the former summer grounds of Ingrid Bergman and a source of inspiration for modern crime-fiction writer Camilla Läckberg , whose novel `` The Ice Princess '' is set there . After reading your fill of crime literature , plunge into the sea from the glass-enclosed sauna at the modern Gullmarsstrand Hotel ( from $ 200 ; 451 78 Fiskebäckskil ; 46-523-66-77-88 ; gullmarsstrand.se ) . 5 trips for crime fiction lovers . Grignan , Drôme , France . No one tries to avoid tourists more than the French , who have an annual six-week grand vacance to help them do so . As the world 's most-visited country , many French travelers are forced to sacrifice popular destinations like Normandy and Provence for lesser-known but equally beautiful départements like Morbihan and the Loire-Atlantique . The village of Grignan in Drôme hits all the criteria for a secret French hideaway : It 's historic , of culinary interest and offers Gauls a chance to reconnect with nature . Ditto for Le Claire de la Plume ( from $ 150 ; 2 Place du Mail ; 33-4/75-91-81-30 ; clairplume.com ) , a small inn once used as a truffle house by Picasso 's girlfriend and today visited by Bernadette Chirac and chanteuse Arielle Dombasle . Depatures.com : Spectacular hotel rooftop pools . Nordmøre , Norway . Dodging tourists tethered to cruise ships in Norway 's fjords is no easy feat . To get away , many Norwegians retreat to the jagged , UNESCO-free Lofoten Islands , but under-sung Nordmøre also gets its share of locals seeking refuge . Perched just off Norway 's western coast , just 20 minutes south of Kristiansund , is Håholmen Havstuer ( from $ 200 ; Kårvåg , 6530 Averøy ; 47-71/517-250 ; haholmen.no ) , a renovated 17th-century fishing camp turned posh retreat . Take a ten-minute crossing on the hotel 's private boat and enjoy fish soup and bacalao fireside atop the Håholmen dining room 's burnished timber floor -- with nary a mega cruise ship in sight . Panarea , Aeolian Islands , Sicily , Italy . Known as the set locale for Michelangelo Antonioni 's `` L'Avventura , '' Panarea remains a secret hideaway for the jet and yacht sets , but could very well become the Mediterranean 's next Capri . The smallest and chicest of the Aeolian Islands is home to moneyed Romans and wealthy Sicilians , and welcomes a roster of VIP regulars as well , including Anish Kapoor , Princess Caroline , Prince William and Roberto Cavalli . Hotel Raya ( from $ 150 ; 39-90/983-013 ; hotelraya.it ) is the island 's ground zero of chic and regularly the scene of la dolce vita canoodling . Depatures.com : Top yoga retreats . Serra de Tramuntana , Deià , Majorca , Spain . Majorca might not be a secret , but Serra de Tramuntana -- its mountainous northwest coast -- is a world apart from Palma 's crowded beaches , budget hotels and sunburned Europeans from all points north . The seaside village is home to abandoned estates , steep limestone seawalls and scenic pine forests , and artists and locals flock here to get away from high-season madness . La Residencia ( from $ 350 ; 34-971/636-046 ; hotel-laresidencia.com ) is nestled into orange and citrus groves in the village of Deià , an artists ' colony that attracted Robert Graves , Anaïs Nin and , more recently , Richard Branson and Mick Jagger . Sylt , Germany . This sandy North Sea island , located three hours northeast of Hamburg , has often been referred to as Germany 's Hamptons and remains the discreet summer grounds of wealthy Germans swathed in Hermès . The reed-thatched Dorint Söl'ring Hof ( from $ 550 ; Am Sandwall 1 ; 49-465/183-6200 ; soelring-hof.de ) is a charming 15-room inn that rises over the dunes studded with wild rose bushes just enough to give guests an open sea view . © 2010 American Express Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved .
While travelers swarm Europe every summer , many locals have found hideaways . The French village of Grignan is a lesser-known destination locals enjoy . North Sea island Sylt is often referred to as Germany 's Hamptons .