Lonely Planet 2015: Iceland's tiny Akureyri is the travel guide's top European destination

Travel guide Lonely Planet has named a small Icelandic town as the place to visit in Europe this summer.

Akureyri is the land of geysers and volcanoes' second largest urban area, despite its minuscule population of 18,000, and Lonely Planet praised it for a tourist-free, natural beauty.

Situated on Iceland's lesser-visited northern coast, it is surrounded by mountain peaks and nearby activities such as cross-country skiing, fishing and whale- and bird-watching. It also sits on Eyjafjörður.

"Akureyri tops the list as the best place in Europe thanks to its easy-going feel combined with an urban buzz, while also providing a great base for exploring north Iceland's green pastures, fishing villages and waterfalls, not to mention glimpsing awe-inspiring glaciers, volcanoes and lava fields," said the Lonely Planet in a press release.

Leipzig, Germany, was also among the top 10, because it will host several festivals and exhibitions this summer, while Malaga in Spain, was included due to art galleries and museums.

"The destinations have been chosen by our team of European experts. Some may be surprising, some are definitely under the radar, but all of them are great places to visit right now," said Tom Hall, Lonely Planet's editorial director, in the press release.

Europe's 10 best beach destinations in Europe and top places for family holidays were also listed, with Montenegro having the best beach, while Kent in southern Britain, was the top choice for a family holiday.