We all know that the scene of European travel changes rapidly. From year to year, happening holiday destinations change as tourists migrate to newer, cooler and less-trodden spots all over the Continent. With these annual migrations, sometimes the older and more tried and true destinations re-open themselves as great places, while the crowds have made for greener pastures.

Old and new, here are some of Europe’s hippest holiday hotspots for summer 2010.

Croatia

With its sea, sun, warmth, great food and fantastic weather, Croatia has rapidly been rising on the list of popular European holiday spots. Owing to the fact that it hasn’t yet taken the Euro, Croatia is also relatively cheap. There are dozens of gorgeous beaches with clear blue water along Croatia’s long Adriatic Coast, and plenty of sweet party towns in the north part of the country. Plus, Dubrovnik, the capital city, is a treasure chest of ancient medieval architecture and historic beauty.

Sicily

While everyone else is battling for space to view St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, you will be far from the maddening crowd on one of the beautiful beaches of Italy’s southernmost outpost: Sicily. An island just off the coast of Italy’s boot toe, Sicily has a brand of culture, food and sunshine all its own.  The Mediterranean Sea here is warm and the area is chock full of ancient history – what more do you need in a summer destination?

Turkey

Everyone knows that Turkey is cheap right now, but that’s just one of many reasons it makes for a great summer European holiday destination. A large and ancient country, there is something in Turkey for just about every taste, whether you want to go white water rafting, explore Biblical ruins, head for the beach (forget the Mediterranean, how about the Aegean!) or simply eat yourself silly. Perhaps the best part about Turkey is that it is so far only discovered mostly by backpackers, meaning you’ll get the amazing summer experience without all the summer crowds.

Norway

When most people think of Norway, they think of cold, snow and ice, but the best time to visit this gorgeous Scandinavian paradise is during summer, when the weather is nice and there is plenty of daylight for sightseeing. Furthermore, Norway’s summers rarely peak over 20°C (the hottest temperature ever recorded in Norway was only 35.6°C!), making for a great escape from the sweltering summer that plagues most of Southern Europe.

Greece

At the risk of sounding completely insensitive, Greece is a fantastic place to go this summer because its flailing economy has made it incredibly affordable to visit. An old standard, Greece is pretty much the perfect summer destination because it has amazing beaches, stunning water-filled vistas and some of the oldest architectural ruins in the world. Plus, Greece has loads of islands you can hop to to escape the masses, should you so desire (think Alonissos, Santorini and Lefkas). Add to that its current state of affairs making things incredibly cheap. What more could you want?