The June destinations you may not have considered

Before the peak of the summer, the month of June offers travellers a more relaxed time of year for reliable sunshine, less crowds and perfect hiking and exploring conditions.

- writes Lauren Taylor.

The Colosseum in Rome.

“A very big trend at the moment is ‘cool-cations’, which is realising that going to the Mediterranean in July and August is unbearable now,” says Tom Barber, co-founder of Original Travel.

“Europe, for me, is absolutely best in May and June. Anything rural with meadowland will be full of wild flowers.” It’s a great time for hiking, he adds. “June is not too hot and the sea is just warming up.”

So, if you’re planning your early summer adventure, where should you go?

History lovers will marvel at central Romania's Transylvania, with it’s well-preserved medieval towns. The largest Gothic church in Eastern Europe can be found in Brasov, visit Sibiu for incredible Baroque architecture and cobblestone streets, or Sighisoara for a hilltop citadel and a clock tower dating back to the 14th century. And make sure not to miss the castles of Bran and Corvin.

“Transylvania is basically like time travel,” says Barber. “It feels like you've gone back a couple of hundred years; beautiful little villages, all traditional, people still use horses and carts, you can see herdsmen. Its like a scene out of medieval times. There are hardly any roads or cars - it’s genuinely old-school.”

Wildlife in the rural landscape includes wolves and bears (Romania has the largest brown bear population in Europe, outside of Russia).

“Menorca, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, I went last June,” says Barber.