Europe\u2019s cities get the headlines, but its small towns are where the continent still looks the way you imagined it. The most beautiful small towns in Europe are the ones with a lake or a river at their feet, a castle or a church at the top and streets that have not changed in 400 years. Above all, they are places to slow down in rather than tick off.<\/p>\n This list ranks the 25 most beautiful small towns in Europe, grouped by region so you can string several together on one trip. For each one you will find why it earns its place, the one thing not to miss, where to stay and how to get there. In short, it is the list for your second trip to Europe, once the capitals are done.<\/p>\n If you want the big-city version, start with our 30 most beautiful cities in Europe<\/a>. For single countries, our most beautiful villages in France<\/a> and best small towns in Italy<\/a> go deeper.<\/p>\n Short on time? Then choose by what you want from the trip. Each pick links down to its full entry.<\/p>\n How the regions fit together.<\/strong> The Alps and Central Europe (towns 1 to 7) form one loop from Munich or Vienna. Western Europe (8 to 15) covers France, the Low Countries, Britain and Ireland, which are best as two separate trips. Southern Europe (16 to 21) runs from Italy to Portugal and Greece. Finally, the north and east (22 to 25) are each a trip in their own right, and they are where you will find the fewest tourists.<\/p>\n Lakes, mountains and painted houses: this is the Europe of the fairytale books. The towns are close together, the trains are excellent and summer is the season, because many of these places sit under snow from December to March.<\/p>\n Hallstatt is a 16th-century salt-mining village squeezed between a lake and a mountain, with pastel houses stacked so tightly that the only way through is on foot. It is the most photographed small town in Europe, and in fact China built a full-size copy of it. Yet in the early morning, before the buses arrive from Salzburg, it is still magical.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the classic view from the road north of the village at dawn, the salt mine and its skywalk, and a boat across the lake to the station.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Heritage Hotel Hallstatt, in three lakeside houses, is the best in the village. Alternatively, Seehotel Gr\u00fcner Baum sits on the main square with rooms over the water.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 2 hours 30 by train from Salzburg or Vienna, with a ferry across the lake at the end. Stay the night, because the day-trippers leave by 5pm.<\/p>\n Bled is a glacial lake with an island church in the middle, a castle on a cliff above and the Julian Alps behind, and the town wraps around the shore. It is the picture that sells Slovenia. In fact, it is even better in person, especially in October, when the trees turn.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> rowing to the island and ringing the wishing bell, the Ojstrica viewpoint at sunrise and a slice of Bled cream cake. Our guide to Lake Bled<\/a> has the rest.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Vila Bled, Tito\u2019s former summer residence on the lakeshore, which we reviewed in our Vila Bled review<\/a>. Otherwise, Grand Hotel Toplice is the classic alternative.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 45 minutes by car or bus from Ljubljana airport. Combine it with Vintgar Gorge<\/a> and Lake Bohinj.<\/p>\n \u010cesk\u00fd Krumlov is a Renaissance town folded into a loop of the Vltava river, with a castle on the rock above and red roofs filling every gap. It is a UNESCO site and, by a distance, the most beautiful town in the Czech Republic. It is also busy by day, so stay the night.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the castle tower for the view, the baroque theatre, which is one of only two intact in the world, and a raft trip around the river bend.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel R\u016f\u017ee, in a former Jesuit college above the river, is the grand choice. Alternatively, Bellevue Hotel sits on the main square.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 2 hours 30 by bus from Prague with RegioJet, or 3 hours by car. Linz in Austria is only 1 hour away, so it links to Hallstatt.<\/p>\n Rothenburg is the best-preserved medieval walled town in Germany: half-timbered houses, towers, a covered walkway along the full circuit of the walls and a square that looks like a film set. In fact, Disney used it as the model for Pinocchio\u2019s village. In December, the Christmas market fills it with lights and snow.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> walking the walls at dawn, the Pl\u00f6nlein corner, which is the famous view, and the Night Watchman\u2019s tour, which is funnier than it sounds.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel Herrnschl\u00f6sschen, a 12th-century house with a garden inside the walls, is the romantic choice. Alternatively, Burg-Hotel, built into the wall itself, has the valley views.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 2 hours 30 by car from Frankfurt or Munich, or 3 hours by train via Steinach. In fact, it is the highlight of the Romantic Road.<\/p>\n Cochem sits on a hairpin bend of the Moselle river under a fairytale castle, with vineyards climbing the slopes on every side. The old town is half-timbered, the wine is Riesling and, best of all, the castle looks like it was drawn by a child. It is also the easiest beautiful small town to reach from Frankfurt or Cologne.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the Reichsburg castle, a boat trip along the river to Beilstein, and a tasting of the local Riesling in one of the wine taverns on the riverfront.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel Villa Vinum, in a 19th-century villa above the river, is the pick. Otherwise, Alte Thorschenke, a 14th-century inn in the old town, has the character.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour 30 by train from Koblenz or 2 hours from Cologne. Likewise, the Moselle valley road is one of the best drives in Germany.<\/p>\n Gruy\u00e8res is a single cobbled street on a hill, with a castle at one end, the Alps all around and the cheese of the same name made in the dairy below. It is tiny, car-free and, frankly, almost absurdly pretty. It is also home, strangely, to the museum of H.R. Giger, who designed the monster in Alien<\/em>.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the castle gardens, a fondue at Le Chalet de Gruy\u00e8res, the cheese dairy at the bottom of the hill and the Giger museum, which is as odd as it sounds.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel de Ville, on the single street, is the one to book. Alternatively, Le Gruy\u00e9rien in the valley is modern and quiet.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour by train from Lausanne or 1 hour 15 from Bern, with a change at Bulle. Combine it with the Cailler chocolate factory in Broc.<\/p>\n Lauterbrunnen is a village at the bottom of a glacial valley with 72 waterfalls dropping off the cliffs around it, and Tolkien is said to have based Rivendell on it. For example, the Staubbach Falls drop 300 metres right beside the church. It is also the base for the car-free villages of Wengen and M\u00fcrren above.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the Staubbach Falls at sunrise, the Tr\u00fcmmelbach Falls inside the mountain, and the cable car to M\u00fcrren for the view of the Eiger, M\u00f6nch and Jungfrau.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel Silberhorn, beside the station, is the comfortable choice in the village. Above it, meanwhile, Hotel Alpenruh in M\u00fcrren has the mountain views.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 2 hours 30 by train from Zurich or 2 hours from Bern via Interlaken. Leave the car in Interlaken, because the valley is best without one.<\/p>\n Western Europe\u2019s small towns are canals, half-timbering and honey-coloured stone. The Low Countries and northern France make one easy loop by train, while Britain and Ireland are a separate trip, and a car helps for both.<\/p>\n Giethoorn is a village with no roads in its old centre, only canals, footpaths and 176 wooden bridges linking thatched farmhouses. As a result, everything moves by boat, including the postman. It is called the Venice of the North, but it feels more like a fairytale than a city, especially on a weekday morning.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> hiring an electric whisper boat and steering it yourself, the Museum Giethoorn \u2018t Olde Maat Uus farmhouse, and a walk along the Binnenpad path at dusk after the boats have gone.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel de Harmonie, a thatched inn on the canal, is the charming choice. Otherwise, De Dames Van De Jonge sits by the water with a good restaurant.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour 30 by car from Amsterdam, or 2 hours by train and bus via Steenwijk. It is an easy day trip, but equally it is far quieter overnight.<\/p>\n Bruges is technically a city, but its medieval core is small enough to walk across in twenty minutes, and nowhere in Europe has kept its Gothic streets so intact. Canals wind between step-gabled houses, swans drift under the bridges and, above it all, the bell tower rings the hours. It is busy in summer, so come in late autumn or winter.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the view from the Rozenhoedkaai, climbing the Belfry, the Groeninge Museum for the Flemish Primitives and a beer in the garden of De Halve Maan brewery.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Hotel Dukes\u2019 Palace, in a 15th-century ducal residence with a garden, is the grand address. Alternatively, The Pand Hotel, on a canal near the Burg, is the boutique choice.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour by train from Brussels, or 3 hours 30 from London by Eurostar via Brussels. Above all, leave the car outside the ring road.<\/p>\n Dinan is a walled medieval town on a hill above the river Rance in Brittany, with three kilometres of ramparts, a steep cobbled street of half-timbered houses leading down to the port and a 13th-century castle. It is the best-preserved town in Brittany, yet it gets a fraction of the visitors of Saint-Malo, 30 minutes away.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> walking down the Rue du Jerzual to the port, the ramparts at sunset, the Thursday market and a cr\u00eape and a bowl of cider in any of the old-town cr\u00eaperies.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> La Maison Pavie, an 18th-century townhouse in the old town, is the romantic choice. Alternatively, H\u00f4tel Le Challonge sits on the main square.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour by car from Rennes or 3 hours from Paris by TGV and bus via Saint-Malo. Combine it with Mont-Saint-Michel, an hour east.<\/p>\n Colmar is the capital of the Alsace wine route, and its old town is the one that Disney used for Beauty and the Beast<\/em>: painted half-timbered houses leaning over canals, flower boxes on every window and a Christmas market that is among the best in Europe. It is also the base for Riquewihr and Eguisheim, which sit 15 minutes away.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the Little Venice quarter by boat, the Unterlinden Museum for the Isenheim Altarpiece, and a tarte flamb\u00e9e in the covered market.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> La Maison des T\u00eates, a 17th-century mansion with a Michelin-starred restaurant, is the one to book. Otherwise, H\u00f4tel Le Colombier, in Little Venice, is the design alternative.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 30 minutes by train from Strasbourg or 1 hour from Basel airport. Then, hire a car for the wine villages.<\/p>\n \u00c8ze is a medieval village on a rocky peak 430 metres above the Mediterranean, between Nice and Monaco, with stone lanes too narrow for cars and a cactus garden on the summit. The view over the Riviera is the best on the coast. It is tiny, so stay the night and have it to yourself after 6pm.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the Jardin Exotique at the top for the view, the Nietzsche path down to the sea, and dinner on the terrace at La Ch\u00e8vre d\u2019Or.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Ch\u00e2teau de la Ch\u00e8vre d\u2019Or, a cluster of medieval houses with a two-star restaurant and infinity pool, is one of the most romantic hotels in France. Likewise, Ch\u00e2teau Eza, next door, is the smaller alternative.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 20 minutes by car or bus from Nice. Our most beautiful villages in France<\/a> has the rest of the Riviera.<\/p>\n Bibury is a row of 17th-century weavers\u2019 cottages called Arlington Row beside a trout stream, surrounded by the honey-coloured hills of the Cotswolds. William Morris called it the most beautiful village in England, and indeed the row is printed inside the British passport. It is also very small, so combine it with Bourton-on-the-Water and Castle Combe.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> Arlington Row early in the morning, the trout farm, and a walk along the Coln river to the church. Then, see our review of Thyme<\/a> for where to stay nearby.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> The Swan Hotel, a 17th-century coaching inn on the river in Bibury, is the one in the village. Otherwise, Thyme, 20 minutes away in Southrop, is the best hotel in the Cotswolds.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour 45 by car from London, or train to Kemble and a 20-minute taxi. A car is essential for the Cotswolds.<\/p>\n Castle Combe is a single street of stone cottages running down to a brook and a bridge, with no modern buildings, no television aerials and a market cross in the middle. It has been used in a dozen films, including War Horse<\/em>, because nothing in it needs to be hidden. It is also as small as it gets, with about 350 residents.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the view from the bridge, the 14th-century church clock, which has no face, and a drink at the Castle Inn on the market square.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> The Manor House, a 14th-century manor with a golf course and a Michelin-starred restaurant, is the grand choice. Alternatively, The Castle Inn, in the village, is the cosy one.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 25 minutes by car from Bath, or 2 hours from London. Combine it with Bath, Lacock and the Cotswolds.<\/p>\n Dingle is a fishing town of painted pubs at the end of a wild peninsula on Ireland\u2019s west coast, with cliffs, beaches and Gaelic-speaking villages all around it. The town itself is a line of bright shopfronts along the harbour, and almost every one of them, moreover, is a pub with live music. It is the friendliest place on this list.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the Slea Head drive around the peninsula, a boat trip to the Blasket Islands, music at Dick Mack\u2019s, and Murphy\u2019s ice cream. Our guide to the Dingle Peninsula<\/a> has the full loop.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Pax House, a guesthouse above the harbour with views across the bay, is the one to book. Alternatively, Dingle Benners Hotel is in the centre of town.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour by car from Kerry airport or 2 hours from Cork. A car is essential, because the peninsula is the point.<\/p>\n Southern Europe\u2019s towns are whitewash, terracotta and sea. They are at their best in May, June and September. In August, by contrast, they are hot and full, so plan around it.<\/p>\n Manarola is the oldest and most photographed of the five Cinque Terre villages, a stack of pastel houses on a black rock above a tiny harbour, with vineyards climbing the cliff behind. The classic view, meanwhile, is from the path towards Corniglia at sunset. It is small, steep and car-free, which is exactly why it is here.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the sunset viewpoint on the Punta Bonfiglio path, a swim off the rocks in the harbour and a glass of Sciacchetr\u00e0, the local sweet wine.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> La Torretta Lodge, with a terrace above the harbour, is the best in the village. Otherwise, base yourself in Portovenere and come by boat.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour 30 by train from Pisa to La Spezia, then 15 minutes on the local line. See our Cinque Terre guide<\/a> for trail passes.<\/p>\n Ravello sits 365 metres above the Amalfi Coast, and from its villa gardens the sea seems to belong to it alone. It has no beach and no harbour, so the crowds stay below in Positano and Amalfi. Instead, it has two of the most beautiful gardens in Italy, a summer music festival and the quietest evenings on the coast.<\/p>\n Do not miss:<\/strong> the Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone, the gardens of Villa Rufolo, and a concert on the cliff-edge stage during the Ravello Festival. Our guide to Ravello<\/a> has more.<\/p>\n Stay:<\/strong> Belmond Hotel Caruso, with its infinity pool hanging over the coast, is one of the great hotels of Italy. Otherwise, Palazzo Avino, next door, is the pink alternative.<\/p>\n Getting there:<\/strong> 1 hour 30 by car from Naples, or a 25-minute bus ride up from Amalfi. Whatever you do, leave the car at the top.<\/p>\n Cudillero is a fishing village on the Asturian coast of northern Spain, with houses painted in every colour stacked up a natural amphitheatre above a harbour. It is the prettiest village on the Bay of Biscay, and most visitors to Spain have never heard of it. The seafood is also superb, because the boats come in every afternoon.<\/p>\n![\"Hallstatt](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/hero-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
Quick picks: the most beautiful small towns in Europe for your kind of trip<\/h2>\n
The most beautiful small towns in Europe: the Alps and Central Europe<\/h2>\n
1. Hallstatt, Austria<\/h3>\n
![\"Hallstatt](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/hallstatt-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
2. Bled, Slovenia<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/bled-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
3. \u010cesk\u00fd Krumlov, Czech Republic<\/h3>\n
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/cesky-krumlov-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
4. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/rothenburg-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
5. Cochem, Germany<\/h3>\n
![\"Reichsburg](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/cochem-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
6. Gruy\u00e8res, Switzerland<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/gruyeres-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
7. Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/lauterbrunnen-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
The most beautiful small towns in Europe: Western Europe<\/h2>\n
8. Giethoorn, Netherlands<\/h3>\n
![\"Thatched](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/giethoorn-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
9. Bruges, Belgium<\/h3>\n
![\"Canal](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/bruges-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
10. Dinan, France<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/dinan-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
11. Colmar, France<\/h3>\n
![\"Half-timbered](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/colmar-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
12. \u00c8ze, France<\/h3>\n
![\"\u00c8ze](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/eze-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
13. Bibury, England<\/h3>\n
![\"Arlington](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/bibury-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
14. Castle Combe, England<\/h3>\n
![\"Stone](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/castle-combe-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
15. Dingle, Ireland<\/h3>\n
![\"Painted](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/dingle-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
The most beautiful small towns in Europe: Southern Europe<\/h2>\n
16. Manarola, Italy<\/h3>\n
![\"Manarola](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/manarola-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
17. Ravello, Italy<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/ravello-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
18. Cudillero, Spain<\/h3>\n
![\"Colourful](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/cudillero-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/frigiliana-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"Walled](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/monsaraz-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/oia-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/reine-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"Old](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/rovinj-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/sighisoara-europe-small-towns.jpg\")
![\"Colourful](\"https:\/\/www.worldofwanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/aeroskobing-europe-small-towns.jpg\")