Nearly in the heart of Germany is one of Germany’s best kept secrets practically unheard of outside of the country. Often referred to as a “mini Black Forest”, the Harz Mountains, stretches 100 km long and 30 km wide over a distance of three German states, Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony and Thuringia. Boasting of Medieval towns littered with timber-frame houses, historic steam trains, UNESCO World Heritage status, fairy tale castles and a lot of natural beauty in between, it’s a great place to explore lesser known parts of Germany.

If you’re an avid Caliglobetrotter reader, you’ve likely noticed by now that many of the places we visit are low-key destinations. Small towns and cities or hidden natural gems not always found between the pages of a travel guide. You might ask, well then how did you discover these hidden gems in Germany? I certainly like to think I have a special talent in sniffing out the diamond in the rough, the whimsical town that is better than any major city.

When considering a visit to Europe, some might become overwhelmed with the endless options when it comes to finding the best places to visit and the huge variety between countries. While hitting up Europe’s capital cities like London, Paris, Prague, or Rome, it’s always a great idea to include a few, smaller, picturesque towns, but finding these pretty little towns can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. So, I’ve gathered 50 small cities and cute towns in Europe that are just downright STUPID PRETTY!

Set on a rocky peninsula jutting out into the Black Sea, the ancient Bulgarian town of Old Nessebar is one of the country’s few UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Today, it is one of Bulgaria’s most popular tourist destinations, and for good reason: it’s packed with exceptionally picturesque wooden houses and churches. The small peninsula is connected to the main land via a man-made isthmus meaning “narrow strip of land connecting two areas of land” in Ancient Greek.

Let’s be honest. When you think about Germany, everyone pictures Germans wearing Lederhosen, drinking beer and eating bratwurst, magnificent fairy tale castles perched high above the towns people and beautiful landscapes. While this is partially true, there is certainly much much more to this wonderful country.

There are three types of dwellings most Germans reside in: Big cities like Berlin, Munich or Frankfurt, villages out in the countryside with endless fields of crops and then there’s half-timbered storybook towns that we imagine all of Germany must look like.

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