Charming old-world towns, around the world.

Kastelruth

Photogenic village in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, Kastelruth sits at around 1,000 metres elevation near the Seiser Alm alpine meadow and is a recognised me…

Saorge

Particularly photogenic and a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association, Saorge is a compact hilltop village in the Alpes-Maritimes with an…

Marbella

This Mediterranean city on Spain's Costa del Sol with a dense café and restaurant scene, a photogenic old quarter, and a seafront backed by the Sierra Blanca…

Città della Pieve

This photogenic hilltop town in Umbria, Città della Pieve sits on a ridge overlooking the Val di Chiana near the Umbria-Tuscany border, built largely from ex…

Terrasson-Lavilledieu

This small town on the Vézère river in the Dordogne, Terrasson-Lavilledieu is known for its Jardins de l'Imaginaire, a medieval-origin market trading in truf…

Amarante

A particularly photogenic small city on the Tâmega River in northern Portugal, Amarante sits in deep wine country with a strong café and restaurant scene for…

Domodossola

A walkable town in Piedmont's Ossola valley with a centre full of cafés and historic churches, Domodossola is the main hub of the Val d'Ossola, sitting at th…

Jaén

Jaén, in Andalusia, is self-styled the world capital of olive oil — the surrounding province is the largest olive oil producer on earth, and the city has hos…

Queluz

Queluz National Palace, an 18th-century royal pleasure palace in the Lisbon metropolitan area, is the main draw of this city within Sintra Municipality on th…

Belluno

A walkable town in the Veneto where the Ardo stream meets the Piave river, Belluno sits at the gateway to the Eastern Dolomites — a UNESCO-listed landscape s…

Moguer

Birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning poet Juan Ramón Jiménez and a key stop on the lugares colombinos route tracing Christopher Columbus's first voyage, Moguer…

Salcombe

Photogenic little resort town on Devon's south coast, Salcombe sits along the steep western bank of the Kingsbridge Estuary — a sheltered ria that historical…

Vietri sul Mare

Polychrome ceramics have been made in Vietri sul Mare since at least the 15th century, and the tradition remains central to this little Campanian town at the…

Estaing

Estaing, a modest village on the Lot river in Aveyron, is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries an unusual concentration of protected his…

Ochsenfurt

A well-preserved medieval town wall with numerous towers and gates rings the historic centre of this little Franconian town on the River Main, set deep in th…

Bertinoro

A hilltop wine-country village in Emilia-Romagna with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Bertinoro sits atop Monte Cesubeo with view…

Niort

Walkable town in western France's Deux-Sèvres department, Niort sits on the Sèvre Niortaise river and serves as the eastern gateway to the Marais Poitevin re…

Bellinzona

Three medieval castles — Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro — crown the hills above this Italian-speaking Swiss town, earning Bellinzona a UNESCO Wo…

Trevi

Commanding views across the Umbrian plain — said to extend over much of the valley in westerly directions — this medieval hill town on the lower flank of Mou…

Frohnleiten

A compact Styrian town where pastel-fronted historic buildings and a prominent church rise directly above a broad river, backed by forested hills and served…

Bocairent

Dense cluster of pale stone houses crowns a rocky hilltop above an old arched bridge in this small Valencian town, with a church tower at the summit and a ca…

Cortona

A photogenic hilltop town in Tuscany's Val di Chiana, Cortona sits high enough to offer panoramic views in every direction and holds an unusual concentration…

Friesach

Claimed as the oldest town in Carinthia, Friesach dates to at least 860 and retains a well-preserved medieval centre — including a town wall and a water-fill…

Ávila City

Enclosed by medieval walls and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, Ávila's old town is one of the best-preserved in Spain, earning the city the ni…

Maratea

Basilicata's only town on the Tyrrhenian coast, Maratea is a particularly photogenic pocket-sized town with an unusual concentration of churches and chapels…

Naumburg

Naumburg Cathedral, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 for its role in shaping medieval European culture, anchors this walkable town in southe…

Saint-Amand-les-Eaux

A walkable town on the river Scarpe in northern France's Nord department, Saint-Amand-les-Eaux has a centre with a real café and restaurant scene and sits on…

Noto

Rebuilt in the early 18th century after a devastating earthquake, Noto is one of eight Late Baroque towns in Sicily's Val di Noto declared a UNESCO World Her…

Kufstein

Kufstein Fortress, first mentioned in the 13th century, dominates this photogenic Tyrolean town on the River Inn, flanked by the Brandenberg Alps and the Kai…

Forcalquier

Once the capital of a flourishing county in medieval Haute-Provence, Forcalquier is a tiny town in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence sitting between the Lure and L…

Minervino Murge

Known locally as the "Balcone delle Puglie" (Balcony of Puglia) for its elevated position on the western flank of the Murgia Barese mountain chain, Minervino…

Cazorla

Small Andalusian town in Jaén's Sierra de Cazorla, with a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, multiple scenic viewpoints into mountai…

Senlis

This compact historic town in the Oise department north of Paris, Senlis preserves a medieval old quarter of ancient lanes and houses enclosed within Gallo-R…

Carrara

Marble has defined Carrara since ancient times — the white and blue-grey stone quarried from the Apuan Alps above this Tuscan town has supplied sculptors and…

Ponte da Barca

Sitting on the Lima River in northern Portugal's deep Vinho Verde country, Ponte da Barca is a particularly photogenic small town with a café and restaurant…

Colmars

A small fortified village in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Colmars-les-Alpes holds membership in the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, a recognit…

Sant'Agnello

A pocket-sized town on the Sorrentine Coast between Piano di Sorrento and Sorrento, Sant'Agnello sits right at the water with scenic viewpoints nearby and a…

Sinop

Sinop sits on a narrow isthmus at the northernmost point of Turkey's Black Sea coast, giving the town water on nearly every side and a compact centre with a…

Mondsee

A modest lakeside town in Upper Austria's Salzkammergut region, Mondsee is best known for the medieval Mondsee Abbey, whose church served as the wedding loca…

Real Sitio de San Ildefonso

Home to the Royal Palace of La Granja and the Royal Glass Factory, this small town in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama is a short drive from Segovia…

Vimperk

Vimperk is a tiny South Bohemian town at the foot of the Šumava mountains, long known for its glass-making and printing traditions and its position on the hi…

Bra

Birthplace of Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, Bra is a gastronomically focused town in Piedmont's Roero area whose main claim to fame exten…

Zahara de la Sierra

A white-walled Andalusian village in the Sierra de Grazalema natural park, Zahara de la Sierra sits above the Embalse de Zahara reservoir with panoramic view…

Swidnica

A Lower Silesian town in south-western Poland with nearly a thousand years of history, Świdnica is home to the Church of Peace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,…

Fiumalbo

This small Emilian village in the Modena Apennines holds membership in I Borghi più belli d'Italia — Italy's register of its most beautiful villages — and dr…

Zuheros

This pocket-sized whitewashed village in the Subbética mountains of Córdoba province, Zuheros is part of Andalusia's White Towns and has been recognised by t…

Espalion

A little town in the Aveyron department of southern France, Espalion sits directly on the Lot river, with a café and restaurant scene in its compact centre a…

Chacas

Founded in 1572 in the Conchucos zone of Ancash, Chacas is a high-altitude Peruvian town whose colonial centre has kept its original Andean-Andalusian archit…

Gaeta

A seaside town on a promontory between Rome and Naples, Gaeta combines sandy beaches on its western coast with a layered military history — its walls date to…

Murau

Compact Austrian town where a Gothic church and a hilltop manor anchor a dense cluster of orange-roofed buildings along a fast-flowing river, backed by fores…

Schmalkalden

Town on the Schmalkalde river at the southern edge of the Thuringian Forest, Schmalkalden sits in mountain terrain with scenic viewpoints across the surround…

Foligno

This walkable Umbrian town on the Topino river where it meets the plain of the Clitunno, Foligno has a food-and-drink scene and a concentration of medieval c…

Obidos

Compact walled town in Portugal's Oeste region, its dense cluster of white-walled, terracotta-roofed houses crowned by a medieval castle and dotted with chur…

Calatayud

Calatayud, a town in Aragón on the river Jalón, is known for the Mudéjar towers of its old-town churches and a castle whose origins date to around 850 AD.

Sala Comacina

Colorful ochre and terracotta houses rise directly from Lake Como's waterfront here, climbing wooded terraced hillsides past a bell tower, with a small but w…

Neuchâtel

A lakeside town in French-speaking western Switzerland, Neuchâtel sits directly on Lake Neuchâtel with vineyards in the surrounding hills and a walkable cent…

Dendermonde

Sitting at the confluence of the Dender and Scheldt rivers in East Flanders, Dendermonde is a Belgian town with a walkable, café-lined centre, a concentratio…

Matelica

This modest wine-country town in the Marche region of central Italy, Matelica sits alongside water and has a compact historic centre with cafés, restaurants,…

Landshut

Every four years, Landshut stages the Landshuter Hochzeit, a large-scale re-enactment of the 1475 wedding of Bavarian Duke Georg the Rich to Polish princess…

Huy

Walkable Wallonian town on the river Meuse, Huy has a centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, with vineyards in the surrounding countrys…

Arrone

Small Umbrian village on the Nera river in the Valnerina, Arrone holds several historic churches and scenic viewpoints for its size, along with a handful of…

Quimper

Quimper faience — white glazed pottery with colourful painted designs — is the signature craft of this Breton town, the prefecture of Finistère in northweste…

Grund

A river-level quarter of Luxembourg City where a stone bridge crosses calm water below a dramatically lit old town rising on rocky cliffs, with cafés, church…

Pergola

This small town in the Marche region of Italy, Pergola holds a museum displaying the Gilt Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola, a set of ancient gilded bronze fig…

Pesmes

This village on the banks of the Ognon river in Haute-Saône holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries a dense concentration of listed…

Ruurlo

Ruurlo Castle, a former town hall that now houses museum MORE, a modern art museum, is the main draw of this little Gelderland village in the eastern Netherl…

Pastrana

Declared a historic-artistic ensemble in 1966, Pastrana is a small village in Guadalajara's La Alcarria region whose medieval and Renaissance character remai…

Foix

The castle of the Counts of Foix, classified as a historic monument since 1840, rises on a rock above this modest medieval town at the foot of the Pyrenees i…

Kolín

This walkable Central Bohemian town on the Elbe River with a well-preserved historic centre protected as an urban monument reservation, Kolín sits roughly an…

Morcote

This photogenic village on the shore of Lake Lugano in Switzerland's Ticino canton, Morcote pairs its waterfront arcades and Renaissance church with a monume…

Toul

This compact town in Lorraine where an ornate Gothic cathedral with twin towers and intricate stone lacework dominates the old centre, set alongside a river…

Persenbeug

Persenbeug sits on the bank of the Danube in Lower Austria, anchored by a listed castle that rises above the river.

Castletown

This compact Isle of Man harbour town where sailboats rest on tidal mud flats at low water, overlooked by a substantial medieval stone castle with battlement…

Banyuls-sur-Mer

Banyuls-sur-Mer gives its name to the surrounding wine region and sits on a bay at the southern end of France's Mediterranean coast, making it the country's…

Varenna

Sitting directly on the eastern shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, Varenna is a modest lakeside village with a heritage-dense centre of medieval churches, histo…

Vélez-Blanco

The Cave of the Signboards (Cueva de los Letreros), declared a National Historic Monument in 1924 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, sits just outside…

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Village in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence with an unusual density of cafés and restaurants for its size, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie sits against a rocky escarpment…

Sondrio

Walkable wine-country town at the heart of the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, Sondrio serves as the provincial capital and was named Alpine Town of the Year…

Imst

Heritage-dense modest town on the River Inn in western Tyrol, Imst sits close to the mountains with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding area and a café and…

Frías

Claimed since 1435 to be the smallest city in Spain, Frías is a medieval hill village in Burgos province rising above the river Ebro, where a castle and a 12…

Massa Marittima

Small Tuscan hill town in the Metalliferous Hills of Grosseto, Massa Marittima sits at the centre of a mining region historically rich in iron, mercury, copp…

Traunkirchen

This pocket-sized Upper Austrian village sits directly on the Traunsee lake, surrounded by mountain terrain, with several historic churches and a handful of…

Saint-Imier

This pocket-sized Swiss town in the Bernese Jura mountains, Saint-Imier is known as the site of the 1872 Saint-Imier Congress, widely regarded as the foundin…

Sansepolcro

Birthplace of the Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca and the mathematician Luca Pacioli, Sansepolcro is a compact Tuscan town on the upper Tiber, near…

Pasaia

A working port town on the Bay of Pasaia in Spain's Basque Country, spread across four distinct districts around a natural harbour where the Oyarzun river me…

Veere

This little historic town on the former island of Walcheren in Zeeland sits along the Kanaal door Walcheren and the Veerse Meer, with a waterfront setting, a…

Pinerolo

A walkable town in Piedmont, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone, with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches.

Moclín

Compact Andalusian municipality in Granada's mountain country, Moclín was the site of the Battle of Moclín in 1280 and sits alongside the Velillos river.

Vorselaar

This tiny Belgian town in Antwerp province where a moat-encircled stone castle with conical towers and Gothic detailing reflects in still water, set among ma…

Fénis

Fénis Castle, a well-preserved medieval fortress in the Aosta Valley of north-western Italy, is the main draw to this small village, which also sits in wine…

Oviedo City

Oviedo, the capital of Asturias in northern Spain, has a dense café and restaurant scene in its historic centre, which holds a concentration of old churches…

Ehnen

This compact Luxembourg village where working vineyards press right up against stone houses and a medieval church tower, with rolling wine-country hills abov…

Bosa

Sitting on the north bank of the Temo River — the only river-built town on Sardinia — Bosa is a little Sardinian settlement with a strong café and restaurant…

Sainte-Enimie

This photogenic village in the Gorges du Tarn in southern France's Lozère, Sainte-Enimie sits directly on the river and holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Vi…

Zvornik

Sitting on the Drina River at the foot of Majevica mountain in Republika Srpska, Zvornik offers a compact centre with cafés and restaurants alongside scenic…

Pieve Tesino

Birthplace of Alcide De Gasperi — Italy's first post-war prime minister, born here on 3 April 1881 — this small mountain village in Trentino sits at the geog…

Saint-Céré

This compact town in the Lot department of southern France, Saint-Céré sits on the River Bave with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and scenic views…

Leiria

A dense sea of terracotta rooftops spreads across this mid-sized Portuguese city, with a walkable historic centre, an exceptionally lively café and restauran…

Alassio

A sandy-beached resort town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, Alassio draws visitors year-round — as a bathing destination in summer and a health resort in…

Setenil de las Bodegas

Houses built directly into the overhanging rock face of the Río Guadalporcún gorge make Setenil de las Bodegas one of Andalusia's most photographed compact t…

Thun

A walkable Swiss town where the Aare flows out of Lake Thun, with a food-and-drink scene packed into the centre, historic churches, and scenic viewpoints ove…

Rosazza

This tiny Piedmontese hamlet in the Valle Cervo sits in mountain terrain along the water, with a striking number of churches for its size and strong scenic a…

Segura de la Sierra

A photogenic hilltop village in eastern Andalusia, Segura de la Sierra sits within the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park and was admitted…

Sangerhausen

Town in Saxony-Anhalt at the southeastern edge of the Harz mountains, Sangerhausen served for several centuries as a centre of non-ferrous metal mining — cop…

Susa

This little town in the Susa Valley west of Turin, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, with a concentration of Roman and medieval monuments that reflects its an…

Aubusson

Tapestry-making has defined Aubusson for centuries, earning this modest town in France's Creuse department a reputation that extends well beyond its size.

Hausach-Dorf

A compact Black Forest town in a forested valley, with a large Gothic sandstone church anchoring its red-tile rooftops, half-timbered streetfronts, and woode…

Verucchio

Sitting on a spur above the Marecchia river valley, this compact Emilia-Romagna village has earned a place in Italy's official register of its most beautiful…

Chenonceaux

Château de Chenonceau, built across the River Cher and the most visited château in France after Versailles, sits at the edge of this little hamlet in the Ind…

Lunenburg

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, Lunenburg is a port town on Nova Scotia's South Shore whose original 1753 street layout and wooden vernacular archit…

Barga

A medieval hill town in the Serchio valley of Tuscany, Barga holds an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size, a small central core with café…

La Roque-Gageac

Sitting directly on the Dordogne river in southwestern France, this tiny village carries membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and a strong reputat…

Fribourg

Founded in 1157 on a rocky spur above the Sarine River, Fribourg is a Swiss town whose Old City holds Switzerland's best-preserved medieval fortifications, m…

Moltrasio

Pocket-sized village on the western shore of Lake Como, Moltrasio draws on a heritage-dense streetscape, scenic lake views, and a concentration of churches a…

Decize

This stone arched bridge crosses a wide river into this compact Burgundian town, where a Romanesque church tower and slate-roofed buildings rise above a live…

Saint-Maurice

This small Swiss town in the canton of Valais where the Rhône valley narrows to a pass, Saint-Maurice has been a strategic gateway since antiquity — the site…

Sutri

Sutri's ancient remains — a Roman amphitheatre carved directly into tuff rock, an Etruscan necropolis of rock-cut tombs, and a Mithraeum embedded in the cryp…

Corte

Corte served as the capital of independent Corsica under Pascal Paoli between 1755 and 1769, and the town still carries that history at its centre — the cita…

Meissen

Meissen porcelain — the first European porcelain, produced here since 1708 — is the defining reason to visit this Saxon town on the River Elbe, a short dista…

Muro Lucano

A pocket-sized Basilicata hill town in southern Italy's Potenza province, Muro Lucano rises dramatically on a rocky spur, its pale stone buildings climbing t…

Gruyères

This medieval Swiss village on a hill above the Saane Valley and the Lake of Gruyère lends its name to Gruyère cheese and is anchored by a castle that draws…

Kronach

Birthplace of the Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, Kronach is a town in Upper Franconia where three rivers meet at the edge of the Franconian For…

Brunate

Known as the "Balcony on the Alps," this compact village above Lake Como offers panoramic views stretching across the western Alpine arc, the Po Plain, and t…

Saint-Lary-Soulan

This dual-season mountain resort village in the Hautes-Pyrénées, Saint-Lary-Soulan draws skiers in winter to its slopes at Pla d'Adet and Espiaube, and hiker…

Guarda

This broad granite square fronts a massive Gothic cathedral with ornate pinnacles in this upland Portuguese town, where a walkable centre, café culture, and…

Ivrea

Ivrea earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018 for its mid-20th-century Olivetti complex — factories, headquarters, and surrounding modernist buildings th…

Alcalá la Real

The Fortaleza de La Mota, a well-documented hilltop castle, dominates this walkable Andalusian town in Jaén province, positioned at the southwestern edge of…

Olsztyn

This walkable city in northern Poland with a Gothic Old Town at its centre, Olsztyn is known for its medieval Castle of the Warmian Cathedral Chapter and St.

Bagnone

This little Tuscan village in the Lunigiana, Bagnone sits alongside the Bagnone torrent with views toward the high Apennine peaks and an unusual concentratio…

Cuenca

Cuenca's old town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, occupies a narrow escarpment between the Júcar and Huécar rivers, with the famous Casas Col…

Oberstein

The Felsenkirche — a late 15th-century church built directly into a vertical rock face above the old town — is the defining landmark of Idar-Oberstein, a gem…

Ostuni

Widely known as "the White Town" for its whitewashed houses and medieval walls, Ostuni is a walkable Apulian hill town in the province of Brindisi with a den…

Joigny

A tiny wine-country town on the river Yonne in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Joigny has a medieval old town that has earned the Pays d'art et d'histoire designati…

Annaberg-Buchholz

A mountain town in Saxony's Ore Mountains whose historic old town has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2019, alongside the surrounding histori…

Castiglione di Garfagnana

This medieval walled village in Tuscany's Garfagnana valley, Castiglione di Garfagnana sits above the river Esarulo and holds an unusual number of churches f…

Montauban

Founded in 1144 by the Count of Toulouse, Montauban is a reddish-brick town on the Tarn river in southern France, known as the birthplace of the 19th-century…

Frauenfeld

Frauenfeld, the cantonal capital of Thurgau in Switzerland, sits where a plateau drops sharply to the Thur valley and the rocky banks of the Murg river, givi…

Tywyn

Home to the Talyllyn Railway and the Cadfan Stone — an early medieval cross bearing the oldest known written Welsh — this small seaside town sits on the Card…

Cherasco

Cherasco is a compact Piedmontese town in the Province of Cuneo with an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size, a Baroque synagogue built in…

Stepantsminda

This small Georgian mountain town in the north of the country, Stepantsminda draws trekkers to the surrounding peaks and offers striking views of Mount Kazbe…

Newlyn

England's largest fishing port sits on the shore of Mount's Bay in south-west Cornwall, where Newlyn's medieval quay — long a subject for the Newlyn School p…

Roccalbegna

Two medieval fortifications — the Rocca Aldobrandesca and the Cassero Senese — crown the twin rocky crags rising above this little Tuscan village in the uppe…

Loket

Loket Castle, a Gothic fortress dating to the 12th century, rises on a rocky spur above a meander of the Ohře River in this modest Bohemian town in the Karlo…

Kulmbach

Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier collection in the world, rises above this Bavarian town on the Main river in Franconia, a short dist…

Dronero

A compact Piedmontese town at the entrance to the Valle Maira, Dronero sits on a rocky spur at the confluence of two waterways, with panoramic views stretchi…

Cangas del Narcea

A compact Asturian town on the Narcea river, with vineyards in the surrounding hills and a compact centre of cafés and restaurants.

's-Heerenberg

Huis Bergh, one of the Netherlands' most significant castles, anchors this little Gelderland town on the Dutch-German border, where city rights date to 1379.

Pennabilli

A modest village in the Montefeltro area of Emilia-Romagna, Pennabilli holds an unusually dense cluster of churches for its size, a handful of cafés and rest…

Montargis

Laced with canals and bridges along the Loing and several other waterways, Montargis is a walkable town in the Loiret that markets itself as the "Venice of t…

Chur

Reputedly the oldest town in Switzerland, Chur sits on the Rhine in the canton of Graubünden, with a walkable centre dense with food and drink options and vi…

Campiglia Marittima

This hilltop Tuscan town in the Province of Livorno with scenic views across the Maremma coastal plain, Campiglia Marittima sits within the "Borghi più belli…

Dawson City

Dawson City, at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike rivers in Canada's Yukon territory, is defined by its role in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896–1899, w…

Úbeda

Úbeda's Renaissance historic centre, jointly declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 alongside neighbouring Baeza, draws visitors to a walkable concent…

Rieti

Traditionally called the "umbilicus Italiae" — the navel of Italy — Rieti is a walkable hilltop town in Lazio whose centre is dense with historic churches an…

Rochlitz

Since June 2024, Rochlitz in Saxony has carried the official designation "Town of Red Porphyry," a nod to the distinctive volcanic stone that defines the area.

Scuol

This mountain village in Switzerland's Lower Engadin valley serves as the main tourist hub for the region, sitting alongside the water with scenic surrounds…

Santa Lucia del Mela

This densely built hilltop town in Sicily's Messina province, its stone houses climbing toward a medieval fortress above tree-covered slopes, with surroundin…

Josselin

A multi-turreted medieval castle rises directly from the riverbank in this tiny Breton village, its grey stone towers reflected in the calm water below, with…

Goes

This walkable town in the Dutch province of Zeeland, on the Zuid-Beveland peninsula, Goes has a compact historic centre dense with listed buildings, multiple…

Thiene

This walkable Veneto town in the province of Vicenza, Thiene sits close to the mountains and within reach of the wine country that defines much of the surrou…

Ménerbes

This walled hilltop village in the Luberon mountains of Provence, Ménerbes holds membership in the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association and sits in…

Elburg

This compact Dutch Hanseatic town on the Veluwemeer in Gelderland is known for its medieval fortified centre, which retains an almost perfectly intact grid s…

Srodmiescie

Broad pedestrian boulevard lined with ornate Hanseatic-style facades and a soaring red-brick clock tower forms the walkable heart of Gdańsk, Poland's Baltic…

Bischofshofen

A little Austrian town in the Salzburg state's St.

Bad Neustadt an der Saale

This walkable Bavarian spa town where the Franconian Saale and Brend rivers meet, Bad Neustadt an der Saale has a centre with several historic churches, café…

Ardales

This small Andalusian village in the mountains of Málaga province, Ardales sits beside the Guadalhorce reservoirs and offers striking views across the surrou…

Alcobaça

The Monastery of Alcobaça, built on the orders of Portugal's first king to mark the 1147 Conquest of Santarém from the Moors, is one of the country's great G…

Pontremoli

A heritage-dense tiny town in Tuscany's northernmost corner, Pontremoli sits on the Magra river — its name meaning "Trembling Bridge," after a prominent cros…

Auch

This walkable Gascon town in southwestern France's Gers department, Auch sits on the River Gers and is known for its gastronomic scene, its cathedral, and a…

Sittard

A walkable town in the southern Dutch province of Limburg, Sittard has a heritage-dense centre thick with listed buildings, historic churches, and cafés.

Orvinio

This small hilltop village in the Rieti province of Lazio, northeast of Rome, is listed among I Borghi più belli d'Italia — Italy's register of its most beau…

Beaune

Widely regarded as the wine capital of Burgundy, Beaune is a walled town in eastern France whose historic centre holds the cellars and facilities of wine pro…

Sot de Chera

Compact white-walled village in Valencia's Los Serranos hills, viewed from above as terrace-farmed slopes and citrus groves wrap around its tight cluster of…

Tenno

A small Trentino village a few kilometres from Riva del Garda, Tenno sits on the slopes above Lake Garda and is home to Lake Tenno, known for its vivid blue-…

Vitrac

A small Dordogne village on the water in southwestern France, with a photogenic setting and a handful of cafés and restaurants that punch above its size.

Hluboka nad Vltavou

Hluboká Castle draws visitors to this little South Bohemian town on the Vltava river, a short distance north of České Budějovice.

Seravezza

This compact Tuscan town sits where the Apuan Alps meet the Versilia plain, offering mountain scenery, scenic viewpoints, and a compact centre with cafés and…

Perleberg

A compact Brandenburg town with a walkable central core of cafés and restaurants, Perleberg has held city rights since 1239 and serves as the district capita…

Cordes-sur-Ciel

Built in 1222 by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, on a ridge high enough above the Cérou valley to earn the name "sur-Ciel" (above the sky), this medieval for…

Gallipoli

A historic town on the western coast of Salento in Apulia, Gallipoli is built around a limestone island connected to the newer mainland district by a 17th-ce…

Küssnacht

Sitting on the north shore of Lake Lucerne at the foot of Mount Rigi, Küssnacht is a pocket-sized Swiss town with a café and restaurant scene that outpaces t…

Tachov

Tachov, a pocket-sized town in the Plzeň Region of Czechia, sits on the Mže River in hilly terrain and holds one of the best-preserved medieval town wall sys…

Westerlo

Belgian town in Antwerp province where a grand red-brick civic building with ornate stepped gables and onion-domed towers anchors a green, walkable centre wi…

Guadix

Cave houses are among the most distinctive features of Guadix, a town on a high plain at the northern foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Granada province.

Oberndorf bei Salzburg

"Silent Night" was first performed in Oberndorf bei Salzburg in 1818, at the Nikolauskirche, making this tiny Austrian town on the River Salzach a draw for a…

Maintenon

The Château de Maintenon, built across several centuries from the 12th to the 18th and enlarged by Madame de Maintenon with gardens laid out by Le Nôtre, anc…

Amatrice

This village in Lazio's Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, Amatrice carries a heritage-dense streetscape and an unusual concentration of churches f…

Sanok

Historic town on the San River in southeastern Poland, Sanok holds a refurbished castle, an open-air Museum of Folk Architecture, and a walkable Old Town wit…

Le Puy-en-Velay

One of the principal starting points for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Le Puy-en-Velay is a heritage-dense town in south-central France's A…

Mudanya district

A compact seafront town on the Gulf of Gemlik along Turkey's southern Marmara coast, Mudanya has a walkable centre with cafés and restaurants and a photogeni…

Llanes

Little coastal town on Asturias's eastern Costa Verde, Llanes sits between the Cantabrian Sea and the limestone ridge of the Sierra del Cuera, with the Picos…

Militello in Val di Catania

One of eight Sicilian towns granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002 for their late Baroque architecture, Militello in Val di Catania sits on the lower s…

Kazimierz Dolny

Photogenic little town on the Vistula river in eastern Poland, Kazimierz Dolny owes its Renaissance streetscape to a grain-trade boom in the 16th and early 1…

Castropol

This small Asturian village sits on the Eo estuary where Asturias meets Galicia, with waterfront views across to Ribadeo and a concentration of scenic viewpo…

Bobbio

Founded around the Abbey of San Colombano in 614, Bobbio is a medieval village in the Trebbia River valley in Piacenza province, with a historic centre that…

Townsville

This coastal city in tropical north Queensland, Townsville sits beside the central section of the Great Barrier Reef and faces Magnetic Island, most of which…

Laxenburg

This compact Austrian village south of Vienna is best known for the Laxenburg castles and their surrounding park, which served as the Habsburg monarchs' most…

Sachseln

A white-towered baroque church with an onion dome anchors this compact Swiss lakeside town, where calm water reflections, traditional timber-framed buildings…

Tursi

Tursi is a little city in Basilicata's Matera province with scenic views over the surrounding landscape and a strong visual character that rewards photography.

San Carlos

On the Sea of Cortez coast in Sonora, Mexico, San Carlos is a tiny beach town designated a Pueblo Mágico in 2023, known for clear, warm water in its shallow…

Priego de Córdoba

Known as the "city of water" for the many springs that rise around it, Priego de Córdoba is also celebrated as the jewel of Cordovan Baroque for its concentr…

Castiglion Fiorentino

A walled Tuscan hill town in the province of Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino sits between Arezzo and Cortona in wine-growing country, with an Etruscan archaeol…

Sandomierz

Spread across seven hills above the Vistula River in south-eastern Poland, Sandomierz is a royal town whose preserved Old Town — declared a National Monument…

Mondonedo

This modest Galician town in a sheltered valley among the northern outliers of the Cantabrian Mountains, Mondoñedo has an unusually high concentration of his…

Castel San Pietro Romano

Small hilltop village east of Rome recognised among Italy's most beautiful villages and, since 2019, named the most beautiful village in the Mediterranean —…

Morlaix

Walkable Breton town in Finistère whose centre sits at the confluence of two rivers, Morlaix is defined by its 19th-century viaduct rising through the heart…

Giornico

A tiny Swiss village in the mountain terrain of Ticino's Leventina district, Giornico sits on the water and holds a striking number of churches for its size,…

Nardò

A Baroque town on the Ionian coast of Salento, Nardò has a walkable historic centre dense with palaces, churches, and chapels built in the ornate local style…

Bavay

Once the capital of the Nervii during the Roman Empire, Bavay is a compact town in northern France's Nord department whose Gallo-Roman forum and departmental…

Torres Novas

This compact Portuguese town of whitewashed buildings and terracotta rooftops spreading across gentle hills, Torres Novas offers a walkable central square, a…

Tagliacozzo

This broad cobblestone piazza lined with colourful Renaissance-era facades, outdoor café terraces, and a central stone column monument sits at the heart of t…

Pont-Audemer

This small Normandy town where tall half-timbered buildings line waterside streets, Pont-Audemer rewards a stroll with its well-preserved medieval architectu…

Lienz

A heritage-dense medieval town in East Tyrol, Austria, Lienz sits at the confluence of the Isel and Drau rivers with a well-preserved historic centre, an unu…

Sperlonga

This photogenic coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, roughly midway between Rome and Naples, Sperlonga is best known for the ancient Roman sea grotto found wi…

Tarazona

Tarazona, on the river Queiles in Aragon, packs an unusual concentration of historic churches and medieval architecture into a modest centre shaped by centur…

Mühlhausen

One of the largest surviving medieval city centres in Germany, Mühlhausen is a Thuringian town on the Unstrut river with eleven Gothic churches, a nearly com…

Aieta

A village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose historic centre is dominated by a baronial palace considered a rare example of Renaissance architecture i…

Saranac Lake

The largest community within New York's Adirondack Park, Saranac Lake sits on Lake Flower — a wide stretch of the Saranac River — with mountain terrain on al…

Einbeck

Bock beer takes its name from this former Hanseatic town in southern Lower Saxony, where a brewing tradition centuries old still defines the local identity.

Castellammare del Golfo

A seafront town in Sicily's Trapani province, Castellammare del Golfo takes its name from the medieval fortress in its harbour — "Sea Fortress on the Gulf" —…

Wałbrzych

Książ Castle, the largest castle in Lower Silesia and the third-largest in Poland, anchors this industrial city in the Sudeten foothills of southwestern Poland.

Deutschlandsberg

A small Styrian town in Austria's southern wine country, Deutschlandsberg sits close to the Slovenian border and a short drive from Graz, with a café and res…

Rovito

A compact hilltop village in Calabria's Cosenza province, Rovito clusters stone and terracotta-roofed houses around a prominent church facade, with densely f…

Sevnica

A little town on the left bank of the Sava River in central Slovenia, Sevnica sits in wine country with a café-and-restaurant core and mountain terrain close…

Rodes

This compact stone village in southern France's Pyrénées-Orientales, where red-tile rooftops and a brick clock tower rise toward dramatic rocky outcrops topp…

Forza d'Agrò

Built on a spur below the ruins of a Norman castle, Forza d'Agrò holds a Byzantine-era monastery and the Cathedral of Santissima Annunziata at its core.

Wasserburg am Inn

This modest Bavarian town whose historic centre occupies a peninsula formed by a loop of the river Inn, Wasserburg am Inn has a strong café and restaurant sc…

Bergen op Zoom

A walkable Dutch town in North Brabant with a dense concentration of listed historic buildings in its centre, Bergen op Zoom sits on the hills of the Brabant…

Soissons

One of France's most ancient towns, Soissons sits on the river Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region, with a walkable centre full of cafés and a strong archite…

Apricale

A small hilltop village in Liguria's Imperia province, Apricale sits in mountain country with scenic viewpoints, surrounding vineyards, and a striking number…

Monção

Wine-country town on the southern bank of the Minho River, where Portugal meets Spain, Monção pairs a walkable centre with a dense food-and-drink scene and s…

Coesfeld

A compact Westphalian town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Coesfeld's red-brick centre radiates outward from a prominent twin-towered church, with tree-lined stre…

Cisterna d'Asti

A small hilltop village in Piedmont's wine country, Cisterna d'Asti is shaped by two landmarks that have defined it since medieval times: an 11th- or 12th-ce…

Banská Štiavnica

This UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, Banská Štiavnica is a modest medieval mining town in central Slovakia set within the caldera of an ancient volcan…

Děčín

Sitting at the confluence of the Elbe and Ploučnice rivers in North Bohemia, Děčín is a photogenic Czech town with a walkable centre, a castle, and a zoo, ri…

Canelli

Canelli, on a bend of the river Belbo in Piedmont's Alto Monferrato, is widely regarded as the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine: the Moscato grape used t…

Sandusky

Cedar Point, one of the world's most visited amusement parks, sits on a peninsula just outside this Lake Erie port city in Erie County, Ohio.

Köpenick

A historic district in southeast Berlin where the rivers Dahme and Spree meet, Köpenick has a well-preserved medieval old town and a Baroque palace, both sit…

Scalea

A tiny coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Scalea pairs a modern beach resort strip — developed since the 1960s along the Riviera dei Cedri — with a…

Laufenburg

Sitting on the Swiss bank of the Rhine directly across from its German twin, Laufenburg (Baden), this small Aargau town was once a single city until Napoleon…

Béthune

A walkable town in northern France's Pas-de-Calais with a café-filled centre and a strong photographic profile, Béthune sits between the hills of Artois and…

Sciacca

This coastal Sicilian town on the south-western shore of the island, Sciacca is known for its historic carnival, its ceramics tradition, and a walkable centr…

Wolfhagen

A small town in Hesse with a historic half-timbered centre, Wolfhagen carries the official designation "Hans-Staden-Stadt" — named after the German mercenary…

Nonza

Small Corsican hillside village of stone and pastel houses, crowned by a watchtower, with dramatic mountain ridges behind and the sea close below.

Atrani

Tiny village on the Amalfi Coast, Atrani sits right at the water's edge just a short walk from Amalfi itself, with a heritage-dense streetscape, a striking n…

Antequera

An Andalusian town whose UNESCO-listed dolmens — Menga, Viera, and El Romeral — date back more than 6,000 years, Antequera also sits beside El Torcal, a kars…

Rozmital pod Tremsinem

This tiny Bohemian town in the foothills of the Brdy hills, Rožmitál pod Třemšínem has a well-preserved historic centre protected as an urban monument zone,…

Victoria de Durango

Founded in 1563 by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Ibarra, Victoria de Durango is the highland capital of Mexico's Durango state, set in the Valley of Guad…

Aguilar de Campoo

A small town in northern Palencia where the River Pisuerga runs through the historic centre, Aguilar de Campoo has an unusually dense concentration of histor…

Amersfoort

This medieval Dutch city with a well-preserved historic centre of canals, city walls, and old fortifications, Amersfoort sits in the middle of the Netherland…

Lichfield

Birthplace of Samuel Johnson — who compiled the first authoritative Dictionary of the English Language — and home to a three-spired medieval cathedral, Lichf…

Talavera de la Reina

Talavera de la Reina's pottery tradition, declared UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2019, has defined this Castile–La Mancha city for centuries.

Caprarola

Villa Farnese dominates this compact Lazio town in the Cimini volcanic hills, a large Renaissance mansion begun in 1530 as a fortress for Cardinal Alessandro…

Château-Verdun

A hamlet in the upper Ariège valley of southwestern France, Château-Verdun sits beside the Aston river in mountain country and holds a nationally listed monu…

Ciudad Real

Ciudad Real is the capital of La Mancha — the Castilian plain made famous by Cervantes, whose fictional knight Don Quixote wanders its landscapes tilting at…

Martina Franca

Baroque architecture defines the walkable centre of this Apulian town in the province of Taranto, where churches, palaces, and piazzas cluster within easy re…

Jelenia Góra

A gateway city to the Karkonosze mountains in southwestern Poland, Jelenia Góra has a walkable historic centre with a restored baroque marketplace, 17th-cent…

Almodóvar del Río

A well-preserved medieval castle crowns a rocky outcrop above this Andalusian town of whitewashed houses along the Guadalquivir River, offering dramatic elev…

Pignola

Known locally as "il paese dei portali" — the town of doorways — Pignola is a small mountain town in Basilicata's Potenza province, where the historic centre…

Česká Lípa

This town on the Ploučnice river in the Liberec Region, Česká Lípa has a well-preserved historic centre protected as an urban monument zone, with a walkable…

Orce

A compact Andalusian village of whitewashed houses crowned by a medieval castle tower and a substantial church, set against an arid, eroded badlands landscap…

Châteaudun

A heritage-dense town on the Loir river in Eure-et-Loir, Châteaudun has a compact centre with a strong concentration of listed buildings — among them a 1938…

Rivello

A compact hillside village in Basilicata, Rivello stacks white and stone houses with terracotta roofs up a forested ridge, with a church tower crowning the u…

Wetteren

A walkable East Flemish town on the River Schelde, Wetteren sits a short distance east of Ghent with a centre that offers a real café and restaurant scene.

Cassel

Perched on a prominent hill above French Flanders, Cassel is a modest commune in the Nord department with panoramic views from the summit of Mont Cassel and…

Castelsardo

A photogenic coastal town on Sardinia's northwest shore, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Asinara, Castelsardo sits right on the water with scenic viewpoint…

Alcoy

Known as "the city of bridges" for the ravines that cut through its terrain and shaped its urban layout, Alcoy is an industrial town in Alicante province wit…

Škofja Loka

A medieval town in northwestern Slovenia, Škofja Loka sits at the confluence of two rivers against a mountain backdrop, with a well-preserved historic core d…

Latera

A small hill village in Viterbo's province, Latera sits on volcanic terrain near both Lake Bolsena and Lake Mezzano, close to the Tuscan border.

Sancerre

Sancerre is a medieval hilltop village in the Cher département of Centre-Val de Loire, overlooking the Loire river and recognized as one of France's most bea…

Cholula

Cholula's Great Pyramid — the largest pyramid by volume in the world, with the colonial Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios built on its summit — ancho…

Carovilli

A snow-dusted Molise village in the upland hills of Isernia, Carovilli clusters stone buildings and a medieval church tower against forested slopes, offering…

Gaillon

A compact Norman town of half-timbered houses and slate rooftops rising above a river valley, Gaillon pairs a walkable central core of cafés with vineyard su…

Blandford Forum

A remarkably intact Georgian town on the River Stour in Dorset, Blandford Forum owes its architectural coherence to a devastating fire in 1731, after which i…

Varallo Sesia

Dominated by the Sacro Monte di Varallo — one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in Piedmont — this compact town in Valsesia sits along the Sesia river,…

Cluny

Founded in 910 by Duke William I of Aquitaine, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny shaped this little Burgundian town into one of medieval Europe's great centres…

Peñafiel

Peñafiel Castle, visible from miles around and now housing the Wine Museum of Valladolid, crowns this pocket-sized Castilian town at the heart of the Ribera…

Castelnuovo Don Bosco

This small Piedmontese hill village near the confluence of the Nevissano and Bardella rivers, Castelnuovo Don Bosco sits in deep wine country east of Turin w…

Castres

Castres, a town in southern France's Tarn department, is the birthplace of socialist leader Jean Jaurès and home to the Goya Museum, one of France's leading…

Felgueiras

This compact Portuguese town in the Tâmega e Sousa uplands, with a broad formal garden boulevard at its centre, a hilltop sanctuary visible above the red-til…

Spello

This small walled hill town on the southern flank of Monte Subasio in Umbria, Spello has an unusually dense concentration of historic churches and a café and…

Nafpaktos

Known in the West as Lepanto, this modest Greek town on the north shore of the Gulf of Corinth was the site of the 1571 Battle of Lepanto, the decisive Holy…

Herzberg

A cobblestone market square anchors this small Brandenburg town, where a grand red-brick Gothic church and a stepped-gable Renaissance town hall face each ot…

Zierikzee

This modest Zeeland town in the southwest Netherlands holds an unusually dense concentration of listed historic buildings and churches for its size, with a w…

Tricarico

This modest Basilicata town in the province of Matera holds one of the best-preserved medieval historic centres in Lucania, shaped by an Arab-Norman past and…

Dietkirchen

The Basilica of St.

Trenčín

Trenčín Castle rises from a rock above this western Slovak city on the Váh River, one of the oldest towns in the country and named a European Capital of Cult…

Cantalice

This dramatically stacked stone village in Lazio's upland country, its medieval houses and churches climbing a forested hillside above the Rieti valley, with…

Oschatz

A Saxon town between Leipzig and Dresden, Oschatz centres on a broad cobbled market square framed by a Renaissance town hall with stepped gables, an ornate f…

Romorantin-Lanthenay

A compact French town where a flower-lined weir and stone arched bridge span a calm river, with a church steeple and cream-rendered townhouses forming the ba…

Norcia

Norcia, a small Umbrian town on the edge of the Monti Sibillini mountains, is widely known across Italy for its cured meats and sausages — so much so that th…

Bad Langensalza

This German spa town in Thuringia where a walkable old centre of half-timbered buildings and a tall church tower rising above cobbled streets meets riverside…

Douarnenez

This photogenic port town on Douarnenez Bay in Brittany, long famous for sardine fishing and canning, with a walkable centre and a food-and-drink scene to ma…

Morano Calabro

A particularly photogenic hill town in Calabria's Pollino National Park, Morano Calabro is listed among I Borghi più belli d'Italia — Italy's most beautiful…

Jindrichuv Hradec

Walkable South Bohemian town set on the shore of Vajgar pond, Jindřichův Hradec has a well-preserved historic centre protected as an urban monument reservati…

Marvejols

This little town in the Lozère department of southern France, Marvejols sits on the Colagne river in mountain terrain and served as a royal town and capital…

Opi

This tiny hamlet in the Abruzzo region of central Italy sits within the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, offering mountain scenery and multiple scen…

Castelo Branco

Compact Portuguese town in central Beira Baixa, where a dense roofscape of terracotta tiles surrounds a stone baroque church, with a walkable centre full of…

Eggenburg

This compact Lower Austrian town where a broad historic main square, red-tile baroque facades, a twin-towered Gothic church, and rolling vineyard country bey…

Olargues

A medieval village on the Jaur river in southern France's Hérault, Olargues sits within the Haut-Languedoc regional nature park and carries a listing among L…

Shuzenji

A Japanese hot-spring town on the Izu Peninsula where a rocky river rushes through a compact centre of traditional inns, autumn-coloured maples, and wooded h…

Teggiano

A tiny hilltop town in Campania's Salerno province, Teggiano preserves the street plan of a Roman oppidum — its ancient cardo and decumanus still legible in…

Saint-Beauzély

This village in Aveyron's Grands Causses regional nature park, Saint-Beauzély sits on the right bank of the Muze river on the southern slopes of the Lévézou…

Almansa

Moorish castle crowns the white limestone crag above Almansa, a wine-country town in Albacete province where vineyards spread across the surrounding plain.

Afyonkarahisar

Afyonkarahisar's most striking landmark is its ancient citadel, built around 1350 BC on a black volcanic crag rising above the city, with a cluster of mosque…

Cluses

Sitting on the Arve river in the Alps of Haute-Savoie, Cluses is a town with a walkable centre, a café scene, and steep mountain slopes rising on either side.

Riegersburg

This small Austrian village in the wine country of southeastern Styria, set among hills with scenic viewpoints and a café scene that punches above its size.

Bilina

A spa town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of Czechia, Bílina is known for its mineral spring water, Bílinská kyselka, and a well-preserved historic centre prot…

Lods

This tiny hamlet on the Loue river in eastern France's Doubs département sits among vineyards and carries membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, th…

Grottammare

A walkable Adriatic beach town in the Marche region, Grottammare pairs a seafront café and restaurant scene with a medieval hilltop quarter that belongs to t…

La Chaux-de-Fonds

Watchmaking shaped La Chaux-de-Fonds so completely that the town was rebuilt after an 1794 fire on a grid street plan designed to serve the industry — a layo…

Angles-sur-lAnglin

This small village on the Anglin river in the Vienne département, Angles-sur-l'Anglin is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries a strong p…

Conca dei Marini

A compact village on the Amalfi Coast between Amalfi and Furore, sitting directly on the water with scenic viewpoints nearby and an unusually dense cluster o…

Rattenberg

Austria's smallest city sits on the Inn River in Tyrol, and its compact historic centre — dense with listed buildings, churches, and cafés — punches well abo…

Sagunto

The ruins of ancient Saguntum, the Iberian and Roman city whose siege in 219 BC triggered the Second Punic War, are the defining reason to visit this Mediter…

Cerreto Sannita

Ceramics have defined Cerreto Sannita for centuries, and the village's planned grid of streets — rebuilt from scratch after a devastating earthquake on 5 Jun…

Stargard

One of the oldest cities in Poland, Stargard sits on the Ina River in northwestern Poland with a walkable centre and a concentration of medieval Gothic landm…

Labruja

A small village in northern Portugal's Ponte de Lima municipality, dominated by a grand baroque church with twin bell towers, ornate stone statuary, and a sw…

Becov nad Teplou

A small Czech town in mountain terrain along the Teplá river, Bečov nad Teplou has a well-preserved historic centre protected as an urban monument zone, scen…

Dinan

A walled Breton town in the Côtes-d'Armor department of northwestern France, Dinan sits on a hill above the Rance river, its medieval ramparts and château fo…

Anversa degli Abruzzi

This little Abruzzo village in the province of L'Aquila sits alongside the Sagittario Gorges nature reserve, a dramatic river canyon that gives the surroundi…

Sikinos

This quiet Cycladic island between Ios and Folegandros was known in antiquity as Oenoe — Island of Wine — and carries an unusual density of religious archite…

Harlingen

A waterfront town in the Dutch province of Friesland, Harlingen has a walkable centre dense with listed historic buildings, a working harbour that is the pro…

Bitonto

Olive cultivation has defined Bitonto since at least the 13th century — the town west of Bari even lends its name to a local cultivar, cima di Bitonto — and…

La Ferté-Bernard

Tiny French town in the Sarthe where a grand Gothic church with flying buttresses and intricate stone carvings dominates the centre, complemented by watersid…

Zamora de Hidalgo

The Santuario Guadalupano, a neo-Gothic church said to be the tallest in Mexico and among the tallest in the Americas, dominates the skyline of this mid-size…

Iglesias

A walkable town in southwestern Sardinia with a centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, Iglesias was one of the most important royal cit…

Yvoire

A medieval village on the shore of Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie, Yvoire holds a strong visual appeal — its flower-filled streets have earned it a place among…

Woudsend

This tiny Frisian village on the water in the Netherlands, Woudsend has a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, making it a reasonable…

Civitanova del Sannio

This compact hillside village in Molise's upland interior, its terracotta-roofed stone houses climbing toward a central church tower, backed by forested lime…

Chelva

This compact hilltop village in Valencia's Los Serranos comarca, Chelva rises above dry scrubland with warm stone buildings, a prominent baroque church tower…

Delémont

A tiny Swiss town with a notably lively café and restaurant scene, Delémont sits on the water with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and scenic viewpo…

Corropoli

A warm-toned stone bell tower rises above palm trees under a clear Abruzzo sky in this small hilltop town near Teramo, where heritage architecture and rollin…

Mirepoix

A heritage-dense tiny town in the Ariège department of southwestern France, Mirepoix sits on the River Hers-Vif with a café and restaurant scene that punches…

Archidona

Declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1980 for its Baroque urban heritage, Archidona is a tiny Andalusian town in the foothills of the Sierra de Gracia, with…

Lüneburg

This heritage-dense Hanseatic town on the River Ilmenau in Lower Saxony, Lüneburg carries a well-preserved medieval streetscape and a walkable centre with a…

Nantua

Sitting directly on the glacial Lac de Nantua in the southern foothills of the Jura Mountains, this small French town in the Ain département is known for its…

Mariembourg

Founded in 1542 on the orders of Mary of Hungary, governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Mariembourg is a small Belgian village in the Province of Namur whose…

Pirna

This sweep of red-tile rooftops and a commanding Gothic church tower define this Saxon town on the Elbe, set in hill country near Dresden with vineyards clos…

Jihlava

The oldest mining settlement in the Czech Republic, Jihlava was also the first city in Central Europe to codify mining law, a history that shaped its well-pr…

Brousse-le-Château

This compact Aveyron hamlet sits at the confluence of two rivers and holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, the association recognising Franc…

Fossombrone

Compact Marche town where a river curves through a red-tile historic centre, backed by vineyard-covered hills, with a good café and restaurant scene and a no…

Frauenstein

A pocket-sized town in the eastern Ore Mountains of Saxony, Frauenstein sits in mountain terrain with scenic viewpoints and a castle northeast of the town ce…

Kelowna

This walkable city on the shores of Okanagan Lake in southern British Columbia, Kelowna sits at the heart of BC's wine country and draws visitors with a live…

Ouro Preto

This UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto is a former colonial gold-mining town whose Baroque churches,…

Kruibeke

This tiny East Flemish town in Belgium's Waasland region sits alongside the River Schelde, offering waterside scenery and a photogenic setting.

Saintes

Sitting on the Charente river in western France, Saintes carries one of the region's most substantial Gallo-Roman, medieval, and classical heritage records —…

Villafranca Montes de Oca

This little Burgos hamlet lies directly on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, making it a natural stop for pilgrims crossing the Montes de Oca in Cast…

Moritzburg

The Baroque hunting castle Schloss Moritzburg is the centrepiece of this tiny Saxon town between Meissen and Dresden, set on a lake and reached by a narrow-g…

Cléron

Sitting on the left bank of the Loue river in the Jura massif's first plateau, this little village in the Doubs is dominated by a 13th- and 14th-century cast…

Scanno

A modest Abruzzo village with a strong photographic reputation, Scanno sits beside a lake in the mountains of the L'Aquila province, partly within the bounda…

Peníscola

This small Mediterranean coastal town in Castellón, Peníscola sits on a rocky promontory jutting into the sea, giving it strong photographic appeal and sceni…

Vecrīga

Vecrīga (Old Riga) is the medieval historic core of Latvia's capital, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and awarded the European Heritage Lab…

Bytów

14th-century Teutonic Knights castle is the centrepiece of this compact town in Poland's Gdańsk Pomerania region, set on a lake and two rivers in the Bytów L…

Nant

This little village in eastern Aveyron sits alongside a river with mountain views in the distance, and carries an unusually dense architectural record for it…

Oetz

Modest Tyrolean village at the foot of Acherkogel mountain in Austria's Ötztal valley, Oetz sits alongside the Ötztaler Ache river and offers scenic viewpoin…

Cagli

Small town in the Marche region of central Italy, Cagli sits alongside the Burano river with an unusually dense concentration of churches for its size and a…

Aiguèze

Sitting on the Ardèche river in southern France's Gard department, this modest village has been a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 2005 — th…

Yverdon-les-Bains

A thermal spa town on the southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel, Yverdon-les-Bains has been known for its sulphurous springs since Roman times, when it was called…

Salemi

A medieval hill town in western Sicily's Trapani province, Salemi clusters around a castle whose battlemented tower offers wide views across the landscape to…

Bazas

Bazas, a small town in Gironde in southwestern France, was an episcopal seat until the French Revolution and retains a substantial collection of medieval mon…

Guisando

Small village on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Gredos in Ávila, Guisando sits within the regional park's protected zone and offers scenic mountain sur…

Avigliana

Two volcanic maar lakes — Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo — sit at the edge of this modest Piedmontese town in the Susa valley, west of Turin, with the medieval…

Le Malzieu-Ville

This member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 2021, this compact village in the Lozère department of southern France sits along the river Truyère in…

Elassona

This tiny Greek town at the foot of Mount Olympus, Elassona sits alongside a river with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants.

Dornbirn

Vorarlberg's largest city, Dornbirn sits in Austria's westernmost state with a walkable centre dense with listed historic buildings, cafés, and churches.

Murol

Grey-stone village in the volcanic uplands of Auvergne, seen here from a high vantage point above dense forest, with a lakeside setting, nearby scenic viewpo…

Kremnica

Home to the oldest continuously operating mint in the world, Kremnica is a modest medieval town in central Slovakia where gold and silver have been mined sin…

Herisau

This walkable Swiss town serves as the seat of government and parliament for the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, with a centre that includes a Protestant c…

Bourg-en-Bresse

A food-focused town in eastern France's Ain department, Bourg-en-Bresse is the historic capital of the Bresse region and sits within easy reach of both Lyon…

Baiersbronn

Baiersbronn, a town in Germany's Black Forest, holds an outsized reputation for haute cuisine — accumulating eight Michelin stars across its restaurants, a c…

Cividale del Friuli

Founded by Julius Caesar as Forum Iulii — the name that eventually gave the entire Friuli region its identity — Cividale del Friuli later became the capital…

Kutná Hora

Silver mining made Kutná Hora one of medieval Bohemia's wealthiest towns, and the architectural legacy it funded earned the historic centre — along with Sedl…

Feuerthalen

This compact Swiss village on the Rhine, where red-tile rooftops and half-timbered houses line a broad river crossed by an iron rail bridge, with forested hi…

Kurozweki

A 14th-century palace open to visitors anchors this south-central Polish village on the Czarna Staszowska river, with a bison farm on the grounds and a 15th-…

Camerino

A little Apennine hill town in the Marche region of central-eastern Italy, Camerino is home to a medieval university and has a café and restaurant scene that…

Venlo

This Dutch city on a bend of the Maas river, Venlo has a walkable centre dense with listed buildings, cafés, and restaurants, and serves as a trading and tra…

Cuenca

Founded in 1557 on the ruins of the Inca city of Tomebamba, Cuenca is a large Andean city in Ecuador whose historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Herita…

Johnstown

Johnstown, a Pennsylvania steel town in Cambria County, is best known today for the catastrophic 1889 flood that devastated the city — an event commemorated…

Stribro

Founded in the 12th century as a silver and later lead mining settlement, Stříbro is a compact town in the Plzeň Region of Czechia, set on the Mže River in t…

Camaiore

A Tuscan town in the Versilia region whose compact centre holds a concentration of historic churches and a real café and restaurant scene, Camaiore stretches…

Southport

Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles, is the centrepiece of this Victorian coastal town in Merseyside, founded in 17…

Brugg

Sitting where the Aare, Reuss, and Limmat rivers meet — a confluence known in German as the Wasserschloss der Schweiz — Brugg is a little Swiss town in canto…

Kampen

One of the best-preserved old town centres in the Netherlands, Kampen sits on the lower IJssel river in Overijssel, its walkable historic core dense with lis…

Royal Tunbridge Wells

One of only three towns in England to hold the "Royal" prefix — granted by King Edward VII in 1909 — Tunbridge Wells in Kent built its reputation as a fashio…

Karviná

Karviná is a city in Czech Silesia, on the Olza River at the Polish border, with a well-preserved historic centre in the Fryštát district — a former Silesian…

Pilsrundale

Rundāle Palace, an 18th-century baroque residence set beside the Bērstele river confluence in the Semigallia region of Latvia, stands in this compact village…

Tripoli

Lebanon's second-largest city and its northernmost seaport, Tripoli sits on the eastern Mediterranean with a walkable centre dense with cafés and Mamluk arch…

Baeza

Baeza holds some of the best-preserved Italian Renaissance architecture in Spain, recognised alongside neighbouring Úbeda as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in…

Sint-Niklaas

Belgium's largest market square anchors Sint-Niklaas, a Flemish city in East Flanders between Antwerp and Ghent.

Aguiar da Beira Municipality

Granite medieval tower and crenellated stone manor house dominate the cobbled central square of this pocket-sized Portuguese town, set in upland Viseu countr…

Pécs

Pécs holds more Ottoman-era buildings than any other city in Central Europe, including the mosque of Gazi Kasim Pasha still standing on the main square — a l…

Arcidosso

This small Tuscan village on the slopes of Monte Amiata, Arcidosso draws visitors year-round with access to skiing in winter and mountain trails in summer, a…

Tomar

Founded within the walls of a Knights Templar fortress in the late 12th century, Tomar is a Portuguese town on the water with a walkable centre dense with hi…

Zülpich

This Roman-founded town in North Rhine-Westphalia between Aachen and Bonn, Zülpich traces its origins to the 1st century BC under the Latin name Tolbiacum an…

Lobbes

This compact Wallonian town on the Sambre river in Hainaut, Belgium, Lobbes grew up around an abbey established here around 650 AD.

Pérouges

This medieval walled village in the Ain department, northeast of Lyon, Pérouges is listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries one of the most…

Olinda

Founded in 1535, Olinda is one of Brazil's best-preserved colonial cities, with its historic centre — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982 — dense with ba…

Alcalá de Guadaíra

Once known as Alcalá de los Panaderos — the baker's town that supplied most of Seville's bread — this city on the Guadaíra River sits just southeast of Sevil…

Olette

A pocket-sized commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales whose village of Évol holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Olette sits along the Têt rive…

Husum

Birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who called it "the grey town by the sea," Husum is a walkable North Sea town in Schleswig-Holstein with a café-fill…

Hartkirchen

Yellow baroque church with a dark onion-dome tower anchors this compact Upper Austrian village, set among gently rolling hills and close to the Danube, with…

Ribeira de Pena

Small town in northern Portugal's Vila Real District, Ribeira de Pena sits in transition country between the mountainous Trás-os-Montes and the greener Minho…

Bakuriani

A small ski and mountain resort village in Georgia's Borjomi municipality, Bakuriani sits at the end of the Borjomi–Bakuriani railway line and is connected b…

Korneuburg

This heritage-dense tiny town on the Danube a short distance northwest of Vienna, Korneuburg pairs a colourful main square — dominated by a neo-Gothic town h…

Civita

Founded in the 15th century by Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman invasion, Civita is a hill village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose Albanian-or…

Baena

Baena is an Andalusian town in the province of Córdoba known for its olive oil production, which carries its own denominación de origen.

Altdorf

Altdorf, the cantonal capital of Uri in the Swiss Alps, is best known as the setting of the William Tell legend — the compact town where Tell is said to have…

Matrei am Brenner

This pocket-sized Tyrolean village on the Sill river, south of Innsbruck, with a striking number of churches for its size and scenic mountain surrounds.

Ryn

Sitting between two lakes in the Masurian region of northeastern Poland, Ryn is a modest town with a photogenic waterside setting and a 14th-century Teutonic…

Ostana

This compact hamlet in Piedmont's Valle Po, Ostana sits on the south-facing slopes of the valley beneath the dramatic mass of the Monviso mountain group.

Deventer

A heritage-dense city on the IJssel river in the Dutch province of Overijssel, Deventer has one of the oldest histories in the Netherlands — mentioned in 9th…

Benesov nad Ploucnici

Tiny Czech town on the Ploučnice river in the Děčín District, Benešov nad Ploučnicí is built around a Renaissance castle complex whose well-preserved histori…

Andermatt

High-Alpine village in the canton of Uri, Andermatt sits at the historic crossroads of Switzerland's north-south and east-west mountain routes through the Sa…

Workum

One of the eleven historic cities of Friesland, Workum received its city rights in 1399 and retains a heritage-dense waterfront streetscape in the Dutch prov…

Trzebiatów

A little town on the Rega River in north-western Poland, Trzebiatów has a well-preserved medieval Old Town — registered as a protected historical monument —…

Salers

Salers, a tiny village in the Cantal department of south-central France, is the origin of both the Salers breed of cattle and the AOC-protected Salers cheese…

Rudolstadt

Castle Heidecksburg rises above the old town of Rudolstadt, a Thuringian town on the River Saale founded in 776 and once the capital of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Busca

This compact Piedmontese town of red-tile rooftops spread across a valley floor, Busca sits among vineyards and rolling hills with a walkable centre offering…

Llíber

This compact Valencian village of stone-roofed white houses spread across a valley floor, backed by pine-forested limestone hills, with surrounding vineyards…

Tamsweg

At over 1,000 metres elevation, Tamsweg is the highest-situated district administrative centre in Austria — a little market town in the Salzburg Lungau regio…

Zonza

A compact Corsican village of granite-stone houses and terracotta rooftops, dominated by a Gothic-arched church and tall clock tower, set against densely for…

Termoli

This coastal town on the Adriatic in Molise, Termoli holds a medieval walled quarter alongside a lively seafront promenade lined with restaurants.

Clacton-on-Sea

This seaside town on the Essex coast that developed as a resort from the 1870s, Clacton-on-Sea has a walkable centre with a concentrated food-and-drink scene…

Salmon Arm

Salmon Arm sits on the shores of Shuswap Lake in British Columbia's Southern Interior, home to the longest wooden freshwater wharf in North America.

Gmunden

Lakeside town in Upper Austria's Salzkammergut region, Gmunden sits on the northern shore of the Traunsee with mountain views, a walkable centre dense with l…

Tesanj

This compact Bosnian town where a cobblestone old quarter of Ottoman-influenced whitewashed buildings and a clock tower leads the eye uphill to a substantial…

Stein am Rhein

Stein am Rhein sits on the Rhine where Lower Lake Constance meets the river, and its medieval centre — pedestrianised, lined with half-timbered houses, and c…

Gjakova

A city in western Kosovo with a walkable historic centre built around the Çarshia e Madhe — the old bazaar that once made Gjakova one of the leading commerci…

Cehegín

Cehegín's old town, declared a historic-artistic ensemble by Spain's Ministry of Culture in 1982, makes for a walkable afternoon in the Murcia region, with a…

Milazzo

Founded by ancient Greeks around 716 BC, Milazzo is a Sicilian town on the north coast with a walkable centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and scenic…

Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt

This small Aveyron hamlet on the Lot river holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries two protected historic monuments: the church of…

Zofingen

Walled medieval town in the Swiss canton of Aargau, Zofingen has a well-preserved historic core with a medieval monastic settlement, a good spread of cafés a…

Civitella Messer Raimondo

A compact hilltop village in Abruzzo's Chieti province, its pale stone houses crowning a densely forested hill, with several churches for its size and easy a…

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Clinging to a steep cliff above the Lot river in south-western France, this small Quercy village draws visitors with dramatic viewpoints, a strong café and r…

Jenbach

A compact Tyrolean market town of red-tile rooftops and a prominent church spire, Jenbach sits in a broad Alpine valley with upland country close at hand and…

Mulazzo

A compact hilltop stone village in Tuscany's Lunigiana area, Mulazzo rewards visitors with cobbled lanes, a medieval stone arch gateway, terracotta-roofed ho…

Autoire

This modest hamlet in the Lot department of southwestern France is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, set on the Causse de Gramat — the largest a…

Trbovlje

A Slovenian mining town in the Central Sava Valley known as the birthplace of Laibach, the industrial music group, Trbovlje sits along the Sava River in moun…

Dervio

This modest Lake Como village on Lombardy's eastern shore sits where the Varrone river valley meets the water, with several historic churches, a café and res…

Gimel-les-Cascades

A cluster of grey-stone houses and old fortified walls rises above a deep, densely wooded valley in Corrèze, where the village's namesake cascades draw walke…

Rumburk

Rumburk's Loreto Chapel, built in the early 18th century within a Capuchin monastery complex, is claimed to be the northernmost Marian pilgrimage site of its…

Dauwendaele

A compact Dutch town on the water, Dauwendaele sits within reach of Middelburg's ornate Gothic civic architecture — visible here in a grand stone town hall r…

Mariazell

Austria's most significant Catholic pilgrimage site, Mariazell is a small Styrian mountain village whose Basilica of the Nativity of Mary houses a lime-wood…

Poza de la Sal

A tightly packed old stone village in Burgos province, its terracotta-roofed historic core spreading across a hillside above green patchwork farmland, with e…

Morcone

This densely built hilltop town in Campania's Benevento province, Morcone rises dramatically above forested slopes with tightly packed white and pastel house…

Zagrad pri Otočcu

Small hamlet in the wine-country hills north of Otočcu, in southeastern Slovenia's City Municipality of Novo Mesto, Zagrad pri Otočcu is home to a historic c…

Port Angeles

A waterfront town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles sits on the Strait of Juan de Fuca with ferry service to Victoria, British Columbia, and mo…

Itri

Sitting in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the Gulf of Gaeta, Itri is a tiny agricultural town in Lazio's Latina province with a photogenic medieval c…

Steffisburg

Swiss town in the canton of Bern spread across a broad valley floor, with a castle-like church rising above red-tile rooftops and a dramatic wall of snow-cap…

Monsaraz

A walled hilltop village in Portugal's Alentejo region, Monsaraz sits above the Guadiana River near the Spanish border and deep in one of the country's most…

Buñol

Every August, tens of thousands of people descend on this modest Valencian town to hurl over 100,000 kilograms of tomatoes at each other in La Tomatina — a f…

Hunedoara

Hunyad Castle, the most important Gothic secular building in Transylvania, dominates this Romanian town in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mo…

Valladolid

Walkable Yucatán town with a dense food-and-drink scene, a concentration of historic churches, and strong photographic appeal, Valladolid sits in the eastern…

Molfetta

A walkable Apulian town on the Adriatic coast, Molfetta has a well-restored old city dense with historic churches and a lively café and restaurant scene.

Great Malvern

At the foot of the Malvern Hills — a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Worcestershire — Great Malvern grew from an 11th-century Benedictine pr…

Sabrosa

A sun-warmed central square of granite fountains and whitewashed manor houses with a Baroque church tower rising behind them sets the tone for this pocket-si…

Zutphen

A heritage-dense Hanseatic town on the eastern bank of the IJssel river in Gelderland, Zutphen has a walkable centre packed with listed historic buildings, m…

Villafranca del Bierzo

A small wine-country town in the El Bierzo comarca of León, Villafranca del Bierzo sits at the confluence of the Burbia and Valcarce rivers on the Camino de…

Uzzano

A compact Tuscan hillside village in Pistoia province, Uzzano stacks ochre-and-stone buildings up a green slope toward a crenellated bell tower, with vineyar…

Prudnik

Founded in 1255 on Magdeburg law, Prudnik is a historic Upper Silesian town in southern Poland where the Prudnik river meets its Złoty Potok tributary, on th…

Susice

A compact town in the Šumava foothills of the Plzeň Region, Sušice sits on the Otava River with two scenic lookout towers on the hills to the west, a well-pr…

Bonneville

This flower-filled stone fountain anchors Bonneville's cobbled main square, backed by a salmon-pink town hall and Alpine ridgelines, making this Haute-Savoie…

Gustavia

This little Caribbean capital on the island of Saint Barthélemy sits directly on the water, with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants and a strong visua…

Litoměřice

A walkable wine-country town at the confluence of the Elbe and Ohře rivers in northern Bohemia, Litoměřice has a well-preserved medieval centre — protected a…

Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry

This little Basque village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques sitting on the Nive des Aldudes river, Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry is the main gateway to the Aldudes va…

Marken

Photogenic former island in the Markermeer, Marken is a North Holland village whose wooden houses — many built on stilts or raised earthen mounds — have draw…

Valderrobres

Photogenic modest town in Aragon's Teruel province, Valderrobres sits directly on the Matarranya River with a Gothic church, a Gothic castle, and a Renaissan…

La Romieu

A member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, this small Gers village in southwestern France is anchored by the 14th-century Collégiale Saint-Pierre, whose…

Vercelli

One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, Vercelli traces its origins to around 600 BC and claims the world's first publicly funded university, establ…

Horgen

Lakeside town on the south bank of Lake Zurich, Horgen has a walkable centre with cafés and restaurants, scenic viewpoints in the surrounding hills, and dire…

Lorvao

Modest Portuguese town in upland country, Lorvão is dominated by a grand white baroque monastery with a domed church tower, set beside a tree-lined garden sq…

Greccio