Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own and these products/services have been found useful during our travels and come highly recommended to you from yours truly!
If you were to ask me what most beautiful town in Europe is, I would have a very hard time giving you an answer. Each city, town and village is so unique and special, no two are the same. But I would have to say that my favorite towns are the ones bursting with color that make it look like a rainbow exploded over the whole town, like an artist’s canvas come to life.
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1. Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt is a small village, clinging to the side of a mountain, hugging the edges of the pristine Hallstätter See with houses clustered together in every shade of wood possible draped in ivy with a backdrop of lush autumn trees. Around every corner and every other step offers something even more pleasing to the eye than the step before. Hallstatt is THE true definition of European fairy tale charm and is without a doubt one of the BEST small towns to visit in Europe and is an easy day trip from Vienna!
2. Colmar, France
Colmar sits in one of the most beautiful regions in Europe, between France and Germany. With canals throughout the city, wooden boat rides and houses painted of every color of the rainbow, Colmar tops the list as one of the most colorful towns in Europe! It’s also considered the wine capital of the Alsace region, so with such beauty and good wine, it’s no wonder the two countries ping ponged this beautiful town back and forth over the last centuries!
3. Monschau, Germany
Monschau is a small village not far from Aachen and the Belggin/German border which has over 300 protected houses that have remained vastly unchanged over the last 300 years and provide an endless amount of half-timbered houses and a small flowing river through the town. What makes it so über special is the fact that it’s still relatively off the radar and therefore, not entirely over run by tourists, thus allowing you to stroll through one of Europe’s quaint villages!
4. Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre, made up of 5 towns – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Riomaggoire, Manarola and Corniglia that all cling to the cliffs along the Ligurian Sea. Each town, slightly different but all equally adorable and charming thanks to the lack of honking horns and screeching cars. Cinque Terre is no hidden gem though and is definitely one of the most visited towns in Europe, but don’t let that stop you from a visit!
5. Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is considered to be one of several “Venice of the North” with it’s many canals and is by far one of the most magical towns with 17th century gilded houses lining the market. Forget about Paris and Venice as Bruges is by far one of the most romantic places to go with a loved one! Best of all, this beautiful town is an easy day trip from Brussels. But, to be honest, the biggest question is, Bruges or Ghent? Guess You’ll have to find out for yourself!
6. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is by far one of the popular fairy-tale towns in Germany, sitting above the Tauber River, giving Monschau a race for it’s money. The town is still completely surround by it’s Medieval walls and the town has been vastly unchanged. It truly is like stepping back in time when one walks through the town, though beauty comes with a price: mass tourism. However, if you’re looking for the BEST day trip from Munich, this is as good as it gets!
7. Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Český Krumlov is a small medieval town almost completely unchanged as it was almost completely forgotten about, therefore, preserving it’s unique appearance. The city grew around the 13th century Gothic castle perched above the town and is encircled by the Vltava River. By far one of the most interesting towns to visit if you feel like stepping back to a time long gone, making it a great alternative to Prague! Another great day trip from Prague would also be Ceske Budejovice or Karlovy Vary!
8. Heidelberg, Germany
Located in the Odenwald Mountains, Heidelberg is the town for lovers who come to stroll down the main street or along the Neckar river. Perched upon the hill, overlooking the town sits the remains of the Heidelberg Castle where one can enjoy a very lovely view over the entire town. Heidelberg is one of those classic German towns you just have to visit on a European tour!
9. Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg, like Colmar sits in one of the most beautiful regions of Europe known as Alsace and is beloved for the half-timbered houses scattered throughout the town. By far one of the most romantic towns in France besides Paris to stroll through with a loved one, especially when the sun starts to set and the town is illuminated with a romantic ambiance. Best of all, you can combine both Strasbourg and Colmar in one trip, especially if you want that true Disney-esque feeling!
10. Leuven, Belgium
Leuven is a small town that is vastly overlooked by city-goers headed to Brussels. This adorable little town is full of 17th century gilded houses of red bricks and an impressive city hall that will leave you in awe, but it’s underrated charm and beauty is what lands it on my list of most beautiful towns in Europe!
If you’re interested in visiting Europe and are looking for more information, I highly recommend using the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide. Without these guides, I would be lost! This is my travel Bible!
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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own and these products/services have been found useful during our travels and come highly recommended to you from yours truly!
More Picturesque Towns in Europe:
The MOST Picturesque Half-Timbered Towns in Germany
3 Charming Half-timbered Towns You’ve NEVER Heard Of!
The ULTIMATE List of Day Trips from Munich
The BEST Day Trips from Frankfurt
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I live in Utrecht, which I prefer over busier Amsterdam! Giethoorn and Haarlem in the Netherlands are also adorable, as well as Miltenberg in Germany!
I alllmost put Utrecht in the lineup! I loved it there!!
Ahh Colmar! So beautiful!
I loved Colmar & Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Both look like they are taken straight from Grimm fairytales.
To answer your question… other adorable towns I had a chance to visit worth mentioning are Piran in Slovenia, and Deia and Valdemossa in Spain.
Haven’t been to those yet! I was in Ljubljana and Lake Bled! I almost put Lake Bled on the list! It was hard keeping it just to 10! I could have done a Top 100 haha
So pretty! I’m going to Europe for a bit in December, might try and fit in a stop at one of these places – they look like they’re straight out of a fairytale!
Oh you should definitely find room for one, if not more during your travels! 🙂
I suppose I should be patriotic and nominate some in England. How about Port Isaac, Fowey and Polperro all in Cornwall or Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds?
Yes those all sound lovely and I would like to add them to the list after I’ve seen them 🙂 I’ve been dying to go to the Cotswolds all year!
Wonderful list! I have only been to Bruges from the list, and I confirm that it’s really pretty, although a bit too touristic. Would love to visit the rest! Most of my other travels in Europe have been in big cities and I am getting a bit tired of it..
I felt the same way! I’ve done all the big cities in Europe too almost and am over the crowds. This year I find myself more wanting to visit the smaller, less touristy places…even the super touristy places we have gotten lucky at going on off seasons, like Hallstatt. It still had a lot of people, but you could tell restaurants and hotels were a little slow because they’re preparing for winter.
I think Porvoo in Finland is a very pretty little town as well 🙂
I’ve just pinned that town! Looks adorable! Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂 Haven’t made it to Finland yet! 🙁
Colmar and Strasbourg are such beautiful places – as are most Alsatian towns and villages! (I lived in Colmar last year) In terms of aesthetically pleasing towns in the UK, I would recommend towns around the Yorkshire Dales, such as Ilkley, York and Skipton. There are also several beautiful towns in North Wales, such as Beaumaris, Portmeirion (which in many ways looks like an Italian town!) and Conwy 🙂
nice post lolo, have you been to Amsterdam yet? for me its the most adorable 😀
Ya I’ve been twice! Abbbbsolutely loved it!
These towns are amazing in every sense of the world. I agree with you. I love color too. It is difficult not to agree with your choices. I want to visit them all.
I hope you do one day! These towns are all amazing!!
Having been to Colmar, Bruges, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and Strasbourg, I can definitely agree with those choices. The others are still on the list, but your photos certainly support your recommendations.
Love this list, even more so because I will be visiting 6 or 7 of the towns in December. Now I am even more excited!
you’ve hit the nail on the head! i’ve only visited Colmar and Strausbourg and loved them both but you have a few of my bucket list destinations listed here. 😉
I’ve only been to two out of the list and I’m putting the rest in my to-visit list! 🙂
You have assembled and impressive list of old towns in Europe, some of which I have visited. They really are very pretty.
I’ve only been to Cinque Terre- Bruges is high on my list. The rest are so pretty – I hope to get to them….one day!
You will love Bruges! Its so adorable! I think about going back over and over again all the time!
I love how colourful they all are! Of these, I’ve only been to Colmar, Strasbourg and Heidelber. Colmar is my favourite of those. I would love to visit the rest!
Nagold and Calw in Germany and Stratford Upon Avon in England are some other pretty European towns I can recommend 🙂
I haven’t heard of those two German towns, but I went to Stratford-Upon-Avon as a kid! I’d love to go back!
This is so awesome and makes me miss Europe oh so much! I am so sad to say I have only been to one place on your list,,,Brugges (we actually got engaged here!) but your photos make me want to visit the other 9!
Another Brit here who would add some of our home towns. I lived in Bourton on the Water for a while and although it is lovely I think it is a little tacky. Stow is probably prettier, but also Broadway has to be up there. And agree with some of the Welsh suggestions. Conwy is lovely. OOOh and also Lacock……once you start, you realise how many adorable towns there are out there 🙂
Wow, you have really captured some picturesque towns. Great post and you have introduced us to some cities that would not have otherwise been on our radar. We will pin this for future reference!
I’ve been to some of them, but ages ago!! Annecy and Yvoire in France are very pretty! I also love Nurnberg and Regensburg in Germany. But what tops my list is Knaresborough in the UK (near York) which I accidentally discovered while driving from Lancaster to York. Recently I’ve keep seeing photos from that place surfacing on Pinterest!
I’m glad to hear you liked Regensburg! I live in Regensburg! 🙂
These are all such picture postcard perfect places. I bet you found it hard to tear yourself and your camera away! #MondayEscapes
I certainly did! I could have stayed forever in every town!
Your pictures are brilliant!!!! 🙂 How many days do you think it’ll take to cover about 7-8 of these cities?
I would say you would need probably 1 1/2-2 weeks to see 7-8 of the cities without rushing through them. Some are close together like Strasbourg and Colmar. You’re looking at a day in each city but with travel time I would add in several hours of travel to get from one city to the next. Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Cesky Krumlov will be your furthest towns and Cinque Terre probably too far out of your way
Perfect!!! Thanks for tht.. ?
Yes to all of the above! A few I haven’t yet visited but all look amazing, something uniquely European about each of them and just captivating – great shots #mondayescapes
What an interesting looking suggestion. I can vouch for Bruges being wonderful but am yet to visit any others. #MondayEscapes
I’ve heard great things about most of those towns, Hallstatt and Colmar are at the top of my wishlist. Didn’t know about Leuven, I must visit it when I’ll go to Belgium! 😀
Strasbourg is somewhere I would love to visit. I love your list of adorable towns – they’re also very pretty! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Don’t miss Bulgaria next time 🙂 You will love it! I can recommend you to visit Plovdiv – The European Capital of Culture in 2019 🙂
Sincerely,
Moni
Cinque Terre is definitely one of the most adorable five lands in the world, I’m glad it made it to your list. We also recently visited Strasbourg, and do agree that it is just adorable. Would love to visit during Christmas one year.
I went to the Strasbourg Christmas market while I studied abroad in 2007! It was like a dream! I hope to make to back this year to get better pictures than 9 years ago!
As a lover of small towns I want to visit all of these. So charming!
I hadn’t heard of all of these, so many added to my travel list!
They’re pretty amazing towns! You’ll love them!
When most people would just visit the bigger cities and tourist mekas, I think it’s great you have had the opportunity to wander around the smaller, less known and sometimes even more charming little towns and villages. You should definitely try and to a volume 2 of this post! Would love to read it! Thanks for sharing!
Oooh I plan to one day!! 🙂
Great list- only missing Haarlem!
Oooh don’t worry! I plan to write part 2, 3, 4… one day! 🙂
Haha, yeah it must be really difficult to list just ten. Oh, Bath in the UK too!
Yea Bath for sure could make that list! And I’m hoping to see the Cotswolds too!
I’m so glad I found this post! I have more options where to travel next now! Considering you wrote about Český Krumlov take a look on my post about Prague! 😀 I would really appreciate your opinion http://glamvoyagediaries.blogspot.rs/2016/09/golden-prague.html
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Hope you get to visit some of these amazing places! I’ll check out your post in a bit!
These towns are so cute! I love how all the towns in Europe have so much character. No two are the same. That’s what draws me so much to Europe. #wkendtravelinspiration
Couldn’t agree more!
Even though everyone prefers to look at the bigger European cities when traveling, it’s the smaller towns in between that have the most charm and affection. Bruge and Cinque Terre have had my attention for a long time, they both have great architecture and a welcoming feel to them.
I am reading this going yes, yes, yes .. but I probably would have put Ghent in instead of Bruges. Both adorable, but maybe one is a little too popular now.
Wow, what a list! I love all of those places…they are cute.
Thanks for linking up with #wkendtravelinspiration! See you next week!
What a nice selections of the cities! I have been so far just in Český Krumlov but would love to visit all of these! 🙂
I am visiting 6 of these cities next year along with Annecy, Ghent, and Quedlinburg. The other 4 cities I have already been to are Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Heidelberg, Manarola, and Vernazza of the Cinque Terre. This is a great top ten. Santorini, Greece and the Amalfi Coast, especially Positano, Italy are also amazing!
Half timbered houses and crinkly architectecture, love it! I did notice that half the towns are in Germany, cannot disagree that they have more than their fair share of fabulous towns. Thanks for sharing on #farawayfiles
This is an ollllld post but don’t you worry, I’m working on a biggie!
And I’ve only been to the first one – Hallstatt. Will have to see some of the others as it was because of your blog posts that Hallstatt became a must-see for me. #farawayfiles
Stay tuned then for my SUPER big post coming soon!
What an inspiring post! I’ve heard of almost all of these places but have hardly visited any of them so I’ll be saving this for future travels, that’s for sure. I rather fancy Alsace as the wine there is so good although I’m not so sure about the choucroute and sausages! Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
This a lovely post and beautiful photos, I’m definitely going to add Halsstatt and Monschau to my list. I’m pleased to say that I’ve visited a few of your other favourites.
It must have been difficult narrowing it down. #farawayfiles
This is an old post before I visited all the dozens of other towns I’ve since visited, so stay tuned for an extreme post!
So many beautiful towns. I’d love to go to heidelburg. #Farawayfiles
Great round-up! Sadly I’ve hardly been to any of these but particularly wanting to go to the France and Austria towns. They have so been on my radar, just too many places to visit in this world! Hopefully some day soon! Thanks for linking up with #farawayfiles
I was nodding my head fanatically at all of these. Except for Bruges, as it’s turning into such a tourist trap at the moment. That’s why I’m delighted you listen Leuven, much much better and one of my favourites in Belgium. I think you should add some Dutch towns to your list too, obviously 😉
#FeetDoTravel
Don’t worry, I’m finishing up a new, more extensive post which includes a few Dutch towns ? Stay tuned!
I’d love to go to all of these, even the ones I’ve been to before! Lovely collection of wonderful places! #farawayfiles
Such a great guide. So good to visit the smaller places as well as the capital cities. The only one of these towns I have been to is Bruges, which I loved. Colmar in France looks gorgeous. #Farawayfiles
There truly is so much beauty in Europe, and this post shows it! I loved Bruges when I visited and Antwerp is also very beautiful. I haven’t had a chance to see anywhere near as much of Germany as I would like, but as I’m English, the half-timbered houses are a draw for me! Cinque Terre, in Italy is another hot favourite of mine to see … oh actually Prague as well, darn, I’ve practically listed the whole of this post haha. Beautiful, thanks for showing me there is much I need to add to my bucket list! #feetdotravel
That’s a great selection. I’ve visited only two of these towns but most of them are on my bucket list. Pin for later #farawayfiles
There are a few on this list that we intend to visit this year on our roadtrip so I’m glad they’ve got your seal of approval too. Europe is just brimming with beautiful towns isn’t it! I think Italy has to be my favourite country for gorgeous little towns tho. #farawayflies
Ones I want to visit this summer are Strasbourg, Colmar, and Heidelberg. Decisions, decisions! Each one looks so charming!
Tricky one, but this is a great selection. I especially love Colmar, Heidelberg and Bruges #FarawayFiles