Top 9 off-the-beaten-track destinations for culture vultures to visit this year

To satisfy adventurous appetites, the accommodation reservation platform has used traveler recommendation data to draw up a list of lesser-known destinations for culture vultures to discover this year. 

The study, which polled 34,000 travelers in 17 countries, found that 66% of respondents were looking for new travel experiences in 2017. The site recommends getting adventurous with trips to destinations that are less well-known on the global travel scene, overshadowed by famous hotspots like Paris, London and Rome.

In fact, an alternative destination in Italy comes top of Booking's list. In a land with a strong musical tradition, Recanati, in the Province of Macerata, is a small town on the Adriatic coast with almost 22,000 residents which is a historical center of accordion making. 

Also in Europe, the hotel reservation site suggests intrepid travelers with a taste for culture head to Viljandi in Estonia or Vézelay in France.

Destinations further off the beaten track include the Indian city of Jaisalmer, in second place. Located on the border with Pakistan, this fortified city is gaining interest among travelers and appeals to the curiosity of amateur historians thanks to its strategic location at a crossroads between India, Persia and the West.

Another historical hotspot on the list is Borobudur, a Buddhist monument on the Indonesian island of Java. Built around 800 C.E., this lesser-known site is sure to please culturally-minded travelers looking for an alternative to Bali. 

Barichara in Colombia also makes the list, at a time when the country is gaining ground as an upcoming destination for 2017 in all kinds of travel rankings. 

IN PICTURES: Booking.com's top culture destinations for travelers looking to head off the beaten track 

1) Recanati, Italy. Image: Clodio/iStock

2) Jaisalmer, India. Image: GorazdBertalanic/iStock

3) Viljandi, Estonia. Image: Luik3/iStock

4) Aït Benhaddou, Morocco. Image: Max1893/iStock

5) Borobudur, Indonesia. Image: MasterLu/iStock

6) Uluru, Australia. Image: Wyco/iStock

7) Barichara, Colombia. Image: Devasahayam Chandra Dhas/iStock

8) Vézelay, France. Image: digital_eye/iStock

9) Flores, Guatemala. Image: snoofek/iStock

Source: Top 9 off-the-beaten-track destinations for culture vultures to visit this year