Europe's 15 Most Breathtakingly Beautiful Villages

Nothing speaks more to the notion of serenity and quaintness than rural Europe . ThinkLord of the Rings - vogue English villages , with relics dating back to a pre - industrial years , thatched - roof bungalow , windmills , and market square . Yes , these places still do subsist , and they are what give modern Europe its bumpkinly magic spell . And what ’s more , Europe ’s fertile cultural diverseness furnish the modern traveler with a veritable mix of locations and finish to select from – all full with forts , castles , and local delicacies . Here are 15 of the most picturesque Greenwich Village that are worth going out of your direction to visit when you ’re in Europe . Or peradventure you should just quit your job , go and never come back . Just prognosticate to send us a postcard ?

Bled, Slovenia

You ’ll be intemperately - weigh to find a more picturesque setting than Bled , in Northern Slovenia near the mete with Austria . It ’s picture perfect in every mother wit . The Julian Alps command the backdrop , while in the foreground , a 17th - century Baroque church service sits on a distant island , adrift in the middle of a glacial lake . It ’s the stuff of fairytales . With waterfalls , castling , and remote caves all within the orbit , it makes for a vivid and character - fill up landscape painting . Pro peak : Nothing beatsTito ’s Tearoom , with its perfect wake spot out over the tremendous lake .

Quedlinburg, Germany

Sitting on the edge of the Harz Mountains about 130 miles from Berlin , this medieval hamlet was founded as far back at the 9th century . The medieval - elan architecture , narrow - cobbled lanes , castle , and steam train all speak to the town ’s historic appealingness . It ’s the complete spot to engage in a series of hiking trails that litter the Harz part , all approachable with the narrow - gauge railway , which itself dates back to the 1890s . The Harz neighborhood is absorb in folklore and provide the source material for many of the Brothers Grimm legend . If you ’re in the area then it ’s also recommended to inspect the nearby townsfolk of Wernigerode , which is home to a stupendous medieval rook . Pro crown : Brauhaus Lüddeis a must - travel to in Quedlinburg . Dating back to the other 1800s , this restaurant is domicile to excellent home - brewed beer along with typical German meat platters . It is the estimable place to confab after a day of wandering .

Zermatt, Switzerland

If you only get to visit one Alpine village in your lifetime , then I pity you . But , should that choice arise , then make it Zermatt . With the Matterhorn bearing ominously down on it , this tiny Swiss settlement near the Italian border has the lush surroundings and made-to-order wooden chalets befitting any stereotypical Alpine cliché . Combustion engines are forbidden on its tiny streets , and only silent , electric cars can be seen ( not heard ) bumbling between one chalet and the next . Pro tip : bring in money , you ’ll call for it .

Aiguèze, France

France has an tie-up that promotes and lists its finest and most beautiful villages , calledLes Plus Beaux Villages de France . All 155 placement must have fewer than 2,000 indweller and at least two interior heritage sites . One of the fine on this list is the medieval village of Aiguèze , which looks over the spectacular Ardèche defile . Surrounded by vineyards , the quaint retreat in the Dixie of France amount with Romanesque churches , Renaissance art , and a 100 - yr - honest-to-goodness suspension bridge . The border fields are abundant with fresh lavender , with its purple wildflower spreading out for miles into the horizon . Pro tip : This one comes from my cycling - obsessed mother – take a bike and lead down the “ Lavender Route ” to Sault , about a daylight - long ride away , which has stunning view over shaky cliff - faces .

Lacock, England

This English village epitomized the pomp of pre - Dickensian affluence . So much so , it ’s been the go - to filming fix for many menstruation dramas , such as Downton Abbey , Pride & Prejudice , and several Harry Potter films . The 13th - 100 Abbey contract precedence in this pastoral and very British commonwealth hamlet that rests just 100 air mile outside of London . But by wandering further off - piste , there are also various chapels and church service to explore – along with the serious old British countryside . Pro crest : take hold of a pint inThe Red Lion . It has a serious selection of ales .

Reine, Norway

Situated on theLofotenarchipelago just northward of the Arctic Circle , this former Viking settlement – with its delicious sportfishing huts and rattling mountains that fence in the island chain – is a ken to lay eyes on . Between September and April , you may also determine the phenomenal aurora borealis as they paint the temperate northern sky . hike and kayaking choice abound here call for wildlife galore – especially whale watching . And if you have n’t , try some hulk . But just the once . Whales are badass . It ’s just a shame they also taste so good . Pro tip : Sailing from Tromø – just northward of Reine – will take you to theVulkana , a converted whaling boat , now doubling up as an out - to - sea sweat room and restaurant . you’re able to Jacuzzi in sub - zero temperatures , dive into the Arctic waters , and dine on some of the best seafood in the world .

Procida, Italy

In The TalentedMr . Ripley , Matt Damon travels to Procida , the idyllic island resort just off the coast of Naples . Here he obsesses over Jude Law ’s exquisite life and goes all out to insure he can snag it . But with Procida ’s keen beauty , with its fluent beaches , garrison , abbeys , and picturesque harborfront , how far would you go to stay there?Pro top : charter a ice yacht to explore the island Italian - manner . But seriously , you do n’t need to belt down anyone to hold out well here .

Sintra, Portugal

This Portuguese UNESCO World Heritage Site – just one hour out of Lisbon – is full with stunning palaces , Baroque municipal buildings , and castles . Sintra is a colorful and wonderfully intimate retreat , where the quick Atlantic atmosphere starts to cool down as it lightly climb the slew in Natural Park , create this fresh , yet moist , nerveless melody . It ’s not bad for hiking , and the food is outstanding . Pro bakshis : stay on at theAlmaa Sintra Hostel . It ’s a converted farm building that offer yoga and cookery course of instruction , with a huge , colorful garden provide many of your breakfast good .

Korčula, Croatia

With a Romanesque duomo , flyspeck Venetian streets , and knightly Ithiel Town and harbour , you might mistake the small Croatian town for a mount fromGame of Thrones . Which would n’t be too far from the truth , as the show is take two hour down Croatia ’s Adriatic seashore in Dubrovnik . It ’s one of Croatia ’s few retreat , with most tourist flocking to the large port wine towns , such as Hvar . In Korčula , you could corrode at menage - owned restaurants , and generally get the run of the town . It was also the supposed place of birth of legendary world traveler Marco Polo . Pro tip : Go to Dubrovnik too . It can be a bit touristy at times , but its beaut be intimate no leaping .

Bickensohl, Germany

That there are even two German hamlet on the list is a will to the bumpkinly charm of this nation ’s smaller conurbations . Bickensohl ride in the south of the Kaiserstuhl – a range of hills that make up part of Southern Germany ’s Baden - Württemberg district . Located in a valley hem in by vineyards that produce its famed grauburgunder varietal , Bickensohl has it all : stunning purview , landscape , and an teemingness of wildlife . With a 600 - class - sometime church that dominates that skyline , and a encompassing variety of wine-coloured to sample in – and around – the settlement , Bickensohl is a hidden jewel in Germany ’s foresty Rhine region . Pro tip : Seriously , drink the wine . Pre - bottled German grauburgunder taste as if it ’s make out straight from the footing , been filtered by angel , and harvested by the Lord himself .

Vejer de la Frontera, Spain

Just 15 minutes off the Andalucían coast sits this off - the - road , pastoral hideaway , characterized by its white buildings , multi - leveled street organisation , and winding passing . At prison term , Vejer de la Frontera can feel more like cony warren – or a Moroccan medina , fill with Muslim artwork and Moorish architecture . It ’s secluded and quiet at the honest of times , epitomize Moresque influence in Europe . Pro tip : If you get timeworn of tappa , taste outEl Jardin del Califa , which specializes in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine .

Hallstatt, Austria

This Austrian village is so beautiful that the Chinese drop dead onwards andbuilt a full - weighing machine replicaof it that lives in the responsibility of Guangdong – though the duplicate adaptation is omit the amazing surroundings of the original . situate on a small recess between a little lake and an Alpine mountain kitchen stove , Hallstatt is considered to be the oldest inhabited village in Europe . It is also home to the first - ever salinity mines , which lay the innovation for the village ’s affluence . Pro tip : This could be the near place for hiking in all of Europe , so bring your charge .

La Roque-Gageac. France

Another on France ’s “ most beautiful hamlet ” list , the Gallic village of La Roque - Gageac is actually work up into the sway expression of the mountain alongside the Dordogne river . With the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle in the airwave , dream - like cafes , celestial wine-colored , alien gardens , and a Renaissance manor house , it seems more like the scope for aJean - Pierre Jeunetmovie than it does realism . Pro tip : Go explore the abandoned houses built into the sway face at the top of the village that have been choose over by nature .

Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Sitting out on the Scottish East Hebrides , the Isle of Skye is splendid with exotic wildlife – eagle , deer , and Atlantic salmon – jag rock candy geological formation , lochs , and stunning landscapes . Remember that opening scene in Ridley Scott’sPrometheus(arguably the only good affair about that movie , but I digress ) ? Well , that ’s here . The harborside village of Portree is the perfect launching pad to explore the island , as it looks one mode out to sea , the other to the nearby hill . Pro tip : The Isle of Skye is household toTalisker whisky , one of Scotland ’s okay single malt . A misstep ‘ round the waterfront distillery has to be on your to - do list .

Oia, Greece

Perched on the island community of interests of Santorini and build up atop a caldera ( collapsed volcanic ridge ) , this one-time ocean port – with its narrow lanes and white , sea - wash huts – offers awing sunset scene and picturesque scene . Its lush computer architecture and spectacular background over the Aegean Sea make this a matter of aspiration . Pro tip : The island was the scope for the open up scene in Lara Croft Tomb Raider : The Cradle of Life , but that still does n’t relieve the film .

Reine, Norway