Tourism today is no longer just focused on Europe's major capitals. In the wake of the pandemic, tourist interest could be setting a new trend: visiting charming little villages. This is so much the case that experts at CNN have drawn up a ranking of the most beautiful villages in Europe. Let's see what they are (a little spoiler, one of the entries is right here in Spain!).
Giethoorn, Netherlands
They call this town the Dutch answer to Venice, but Giethoorn lacks one fundamental thing that the Italian city has in abundance: overtourism. Like in Venice, life here revolves around the water as there are no cars in the center of Giethoorn, so the only way to get around is on foot or on the water.
Take a boat tour around the thatched houses sitting on peat-filled islands and enjoy the quaint sights. And if you're hungry why not stop at the Michelin-starred restaurant Hollands-Venetië?
Guimarães, Portugal
Guimarães has an important place in Portugal's history: it was named the country's first capital in the 12th century, and its medieval core remains largely intact, full of convents, grand palaces and even a crumbling castle, perched on top of a bluff.
Like everywhere in Portugal, local bakeries make a delicious pastel de nata, but here you really should try the local speciality: torta di Guimarães -- a pastry filled with squash and ground almonds.
Roscoff, France
Port towns can often be grubby. But that is not the case with lovely little Roscoff though. Located in France's Brittany region, it built its fortune on maritime trade, including exporting its famous pink onions to the UK.
Today, it's an important center of thalassotherapy, using seawater to treat medical conditions, as well as simply being a beautiful Breton town. Tiny fishing boats bob in the small harbor, while further out of the town there is a much larger harbour, from which ferries leave for Plymouth in the UK, further out.
Anghiari, Italy
Near to the Tuscan-Umbrian border, hovering inconspicuously on a hilltop, lies the delightful Anghiari. This tiny walled town curls gently round itself as it clings to the beautiful Italian landscape.
The streets of Anghiari are a pedestrianized warren of alleyways and roller-coastering roads, packed full of grand palazzi which were built by the mysterious, mercenary "men of arms" who lived here in the Renaissance period.
Find out more about them, and warfare in the period, at the Museo della Battaglia di Anghiari, which traces the history of a momentous medieval battle which took place on the plain outside town.
Nafplio, Greece
The gorgeous town of Nafplio sits on the Aegean coast of the Peloponnese, notable from the water for its Venetian-built castle that thrusts out into the waves. There are in fact three castles to visit here, and a charming old town sprawled out behind the old town walls.
This was the first capital of modern Greece, so there is plenty to see and do. There's a lido, if you want to take a safe dip in the sea, and if history's more your thing, the archeological museum contains items dating back to the Mycenean age.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzigovina
Mostar's famous Stari Most, or "Old Bridge," which was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, has long been considered to be one of the finest examples of Balkan Islamic architecture.
Arcing high as it crosses above the Neretva river, it's one of the most famous sights in the Balkans. Traditionally locals dive from the bridge into the water below, and today it's one of the stops on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
Unfortunately, in November 1993, during the Balkan wars, the original bridge was destroyed by Croat forces. A reconstructed bridge was built in 2004, and today, Mostar remains a beloved destination in Bosnia and Herzigovina, and a popular day trip from Dubrovnik, over the border in Croatia.
Mazara del Vallo, Sicily
Sicily has historically been a cultural melting pot, and Mazara del Vallo typifies that. Originally founded by the Phoenicians nearly 3,000 years ago, it's seen myriad cultures flow through the island over its long history since then. The town's Kasbah area is similar to a north African medina, there's a strong Tunisia community, and while you are still in Italy, you'll be more likely to find couscous on the menu than pasta.
Its stand out attraction in Mazara del Vallo is the Satiro Danzante, or dancing satyr, an ancient bronze statue fished out of the sea nearby in 1998.
Clovelly, UK
Donkeys were once the only way to get up and down the steep streets of Clovelly, a pretty fishing village in Devon, southwest England.
Even today, it is still impossible to get cars down to where the town sits, at the bottom of a 400-foot cliff. Instead, goods are transported by man-powered sledges, but if tourists can't face the walk back up to the car park, they can grab a ride in a Land Rover instead.
Dinkelsbühl, Germany
Dinkelsbühl has everything you would look for in a charming little town: a cute historic center, traditional timbered houses, and stout, stone towers. Plus, it sits right on Germany's "Romantic Road" a touristic route known for its lovely old towns.
Ringed by medieval walls, and containing a vast Gothic church, St George's Minster, it was the setting for Werner Herzog's film "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser."
Korčula, Croatia
When it comes to beautiful scenes in Europe, it is hard to beat a peaceful island sitting calmly in the Adriatic Sea. But if that just isn't enough, there's Korčula, jutting out from the island of the same name on a tiny peninsula.
Locals say that the adventurer Marco Polo was born here; though of course, Venetians dispute that. True or not though, Korčula is still a world-class town, with gleaming white streets and buildings hewn from local stone, water circling almost all the way round, and beautiful buildings left by the Venetians, who ruled here for centuries.
Kenmare, Ireland
On the southwestern tip of Ireland, in County Kerry, the famously verdent landscape melts into the Atlantic Ocean. Here, between green hills and blue waters, Kenmare sits on the bay of the same name, where the Roughty River flows into the sea.
This is in the middle of some of Ireland's best loved areas: it's on the Wild Atlantic Way, between the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Beara. The town of Kenmare is known for its food, and of course, for its views, with old mountains rearing up behind it, and the pristine bay laid out in front.
Piran, Slovenia
Slovenia only has a thin sliver of coastline, located at the top of the wedge-shaped Istrian peninsula, hanging out into the Adriatic Sea.
Sandwhiched between Italy and Croatia, this stretch of coast, while small, is home to several beautiful towns, including Piran. Largely developed by the Venetians, who conquered it in 1283, it's like a beautiful mini Venice, with a stout belltower, frothy architecture, and fishing boats docked in the tiny harbor.
Reine, Norway
Do you want to visit a charming town in Norway, remote, tiny, and by the water? You need to see Reine, the joy of the Lofoten Islands, whose pretty red cabins sit at the base of a range of craggy mountain peaks that make this idyllic place look like a cross between the Dolomites and Ha Long Bay.
This is one of the most spectacular spots in the Lofoten archipelago, with a jawdropping viewpoint, Reinebringen, from which you can see the islands and the village itself just outside.
Regencos, Spain
Spain's tourism industry is best known for the tourist-filled coastlines, though the Costa Brava, in Catalonia, is relatively quiet as far as they go. But it doesn't hold a candle to peaceful Regencos, just 10 minutes inland. Just south of the "Dali Triangle," the area where the surrealist artist lived and worked, it's a mountain-fringed area full of quiet medieval villages.
Regencos itself is a slightly larger example, with the remnants of its medieval walls, a pretty church, and traditional stone houses spreading out from the historic center.
Tarnów, Poland
First things first -- this is a city, not a town. But wander around the 'Old Town' in the centre, and you'll find it still has that small-town feel, with quaint medieval buildings that give a feel of how nearby Krakow was before mass tourism arrived.
The square in the 'Old Town' is a glorious mix of architectural styles, there's a beautiful gothic church and a lot of Jewish heritage to be seen, though this community was more or less wiped out during the Second World War.
Article seen on: Europe's most beautiful towns (Cnn)
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