Dreaming of visiting one of those picture-perfect European towns filled with old-world charm, delicious food, and incredible scenic beauty? Here are 15 of the most magical fairytale small towns in Europe that you need to add to your bucket list!
From an itty-bitty Icelandic outpost surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery to a lakeside hamlet in Austria and everything in between, these 15 storybook towns are the stuff European vacations dream about.
Too many travelers overlook small towns in Europe. When it comes to European vacations, big culture-driven cities like London, Paris, and Rome tend to get all the attention.
But between all the landmarks and selfie-taking tourists, you’ll find hundreds of charming spots in Europe with populations smaller than the line for the Eiffel Tower. And despite their petite size, they still offer the same great architecture and beautiful natural surroundings as their metropolitan counterparts.
Get your passport ready, because I bet one of these beautiful small towns in Europe featured below are sure inspire some serious wanderlust! Let’s dive in,
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Switzerland is known around the world for its chocolate, cheese, charming towns, and scenic landscapes. Everywhere you turn, you’re treated to a little bit of history and a little bit of nature’s beauty, as well as some seriously mouthwatering cuisine in between.
If you are visiting the Jungfrau region, adding Lauterbrunnen to your Swiss itinerary is a must.
Often referred to as the Valley of 72 Waterfalls, the Alpine town of Lauterbrunnen is a gorgeous collection of chalet-style houses and small village churches. But its natural surroundings are what really steal the show: think towering rock faces, mountain peaks, flowery meadows, and some of the tallest free-flowing waterfalls in Europe.
Not every day do you see a mammoth waterfall cascading into a village below.
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Eguisheim, France
If you close your eyes and picture the perfect French village, it probably looks exactly like Eguisheim. This picturesque village is famous for zigging cobblestone streets, striking architecture, and exquisite wine.
The Alsace town has it all: half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, medieval churches, and even a Christmas market in December. It’s even part of the world-famous Alsace Wine Route, France’s oldest wine route, and an endless source of surprises and new experiences for a truly exceptional time!
If you’re visiting in summer, you’ll be rewarded with colorful hanging baskets that adorn wooden window frames. The sight of which makes you wonder if you’re in a real-life fairytale.
Hallstatt, Austria
Nope, this isn’t a made-up fairy-tale village, but it might as well be. The Alpine town— a treasure trove of human history that dates back to 800 B.C. and is nicknamed “the pearl of Austria”—is, unsurprisingly, the most photographed place in the country. Within the UNESCO World Heritage town are churches that date to the 12th century, a buzzing market square, and plenty of cozy, candlelit restaurants.
Thousands of years of salt mining translated into enduring prosperity for Hallstatt, which can be seen in its beautiful square ringed with ivy-covered buildings.
Bonus: Hallstatt is only an hour’s drive from Salzburg and three from Vienna, making it a relatively easy day trip from Austria’s larger and more touristed cities.
Strasbourg, France
Located in the northeast corner of the country, this more than 2000-year-old city shares a border with Germany. Here you’ll find foods, languages, and a culture that is neither French nor German: Strasbourg is truly Alsatian, a culture of its own.
The city’s rich architectural heritage embraces styles from the Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic and Art Nouveau eras. First-time visitors to Strasbourg will feel as if they are looking at a movie backdrop.
A maze of narrow streets and alleys that beckon you to wander and look up at the rooflines and steeples. The reflections of half-timbered houses with sloping roofs, reminiscent of those seen in fairytales, recur in the many waterways surrounding and running through the city. Cascades of brightly colored flowers hang over balconies and bridges. *Swoon*
At every turn, you will want to stop and take photographs.
Giethoorn, Netherlands
If you’ve ever fantasized about living a simple life, this idyllic Dutch town located in the province of Overijssel may fit the bill. Affectionately referred to as the “Venice of the Netherlands,” this village has no roads, connected instead by a network of old-world canals, creating small private islands for each home.
About four miles of canals connect farmhouses with thatched roofs that date back to the 18th century. In the wintertime, residents commute by ice skating frozen canals. Too cute!
Cotswolds, England
Ok so hear me out: The Cotswolds in England is not a small city but is an area in England – 787 square miles that is home to picturesque towns and villages. Imagine buildings carved from honeyed stone folded into the hills, surrounding dinky rivers and centuries-old town squares.
Expect to see smart country-house hotels; and the country pubs are the kind you dream of stumbling across, serving hearty local fare and artisan ale by roaring fires. Big hitters of the Cotswolds include Bourton-on-the-Water, the Slaughters (Upper and Lower), and Castle Combe, but I also would recommend under-the-radar spots such as Snowshill and Blockley as a cute day trip.
Castle Combe is a quintessentially English village where no new houses have been built since the 1600s, so the town is a well-preserved stretch of Cotswold stone cottages and old pubs and churches.
Bibury is often called England’s most beautiful town and still stands as it did hundreds of years ago, with the River Coln continuing to dominate the main street, while lush meadows abut ancient stone cottages with steeply pitched roofs. Arlington Row is known as the most scenic area in town, with its lane of sepia-hued cottages built in the 17th century to house weavers working at Arlington Mill.
One thing is for sure: there is plenty of space to hide between the rolling hills and creamy-stone villages full of fabulous antique stores and cheese shops in the Cotswolds.
Assisi, Italy
Assisi isn’t just home to UNESCO World Heritage sites, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Assisi is a medieval hilltop town that has earned heritage status because of incredible art and historically significant buildings, like the Basilica di San Francesco. The basilica, in particular, has such a collection of frescoes and paintings that rivals world-famous art museums.
Like most of Italy, Assisi has a long history of local artisans. You can take your pick among the many shops dotting the main streets selling local crafts such as ceramics, medieval weapons, and religious sculptures. Delicatessens sell regional specialties like Umbrian cured meats, dried pasta, and Umbrian chocolates.
Seville, Spain
A city of nearly infinite charm & the romantic, passionate heart of Andalucía, Seville (population about 700,000 in the city and 1.5 million in the greater metro area) is a mecca for those who love gracious living & southern Spanish style.
Famous for its historic churches and palaces, Moorish buildings, flamenco dancing, and more. Whether you’re interested in tapas or history, there’s no chance you’ll get bored in this Andalusian city.
Sintra, Portugal
In 1809, Lord Byron penned a letter to his friend Francis Hodgson, writing, “I must just observe that the village of Cintra in Estremadura is the most beautiful in the world.” This fairytale Portugal town sitting at the edge of Europe has charmed countless visitors for centuries.
Sintra (located just one hour out of Lisbon), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site & is replete with stunning palaces, Baroque municipal buildings, and castles. Sintra is a colorful and wonderfully intimate retreat, it’s great for hiking, and the food is outstanding.
Burano, Italy
If you’re ever in need of a mood booster, this cheery technicolor town in the Venetian lagoon should do the trick. Burano, Italy is made up of a group of four small islands, and each island is linked together by a series of small bridges.
Bright colors pop out in a way that gives Burano a tropical feel, with all of the houses following a particular color pattern that dates back to the island’s “golden age” when it was first created.
Burano is more than just colorful houses, also known for having a long history of fishing, & is perfect for lovers of seafood.
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Bern, Switzerland
Like something straight out of a fairytale, Bern’s steepled towers rise out from among the slanted orange-topped houses that hug the winding Aare River. That imagery alone is what draws people to Switzerland’s picturesque capital, but it’s much more than just a photographer’s dream.
Home to bear pits, medieval buildings, cobblestoned streets, 15th-century houses, and a centuries-old clock tower, Bern is not only one of the world’s most beautiful cities—but it’s also one of the best preserved.
Its Old Town is a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. This walkable part of the city is where to find fantastic restaurants and cafes, great shopping, cobblestone streets, and that famous medieval architecture.
Alberobello, Italy
Alberobello is a town in Italy’s Apulia region that is known for its trulli – a collection of whitewashed stone houses with conical roofs that look like a charming little mushroom village.
The Rione Monti quarter in the ‘trulli zone’ is where tourists should start their journey. This area contains over 1,000 trulli, which are mostly filled with tourist shops, bars, restaurants, and tourist accommodations these days.
The small town has a kind of charm you really can’t find anywhere else, making it a special and incredibly memorable trip. Nearby are tons of wineries to visit. It’s almost hard to believe this place is real.
Reine, Norway
If a picture tells a thousand words, Reine in Norway has a story to tell.
Set north of the Arctic Circle in the Lofoten archipelago, this former Viking village features sapphire bays that sit at the edge of breathtaking mountains and towering fjords.
Rightfully voted Norway’s most beautiful village, this small town of 300 is home to delightful fishing huts. Many of the bright red rorbuer, or fishermen’s cabins, have been transformed into cozy visitor cottages with direct access to the Norwegian Sea as well as amazing night sky vistas, including the mesmerizing Northern Lights.
Between September and April, you can also watch the phenomenal aurora borealis as they paint the temperate northern sky.
If you have time on your hands, be sure to add this to your bucket list.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Even in the land (southern Germany) of ridiculous medieval charm, Rothenburg ob der Tauber stands out. It pulls out all the romantic Bavarian stops, with turrets, stone archways, clock towers, taverns, and made-for-Instagram multicolored facades. After ambling through the knot of cobbled alleyways, walk the one-and-a-half-mile stone rampart to see the picture-perfect town and its bucolic surroundings.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
I guarantee – even if you’ve been all over Europe – you’ve never seen anything quite like Dubrovnik. It’s one of the world’s most magnificent walled cities, overlooking the calm blue sea with the most stunning views you’ll ever see.
The old city wall still encircles the town and affords amazing views of the Adriatic at every turn and the medieval fortress landscape makes it feel as if you’ve journeyed back in time.
