When it comes to pretty little towns, you simply can’t beat Europe. It’s no surprise that the top eight places on a new Forbes list of the world’s top 50 most beautiful villages are on the continent.
The team at Forbes curated their list with help from Unforgettable Travel Company, which it describes as ‘curators of journeys that venture far beyond the tourist trail’. Every spot has been carefully chosen for its ‘old-world whimsy and lived-in charm’. These are places you can lose yourself among brambles and bracken, stay in a tiny stone cottage, and fall asleep listening to a babbling stream. Bliss.
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So, which wee villages landed a spot on the ranking?
In first place is Bibury, a tiny town nestled into the English Cotswolds countryside. Once described by William Morris as ‘the most beautiful village in England’, Bibury is well known for its rows of postcard-perfect homes and vibrant natural life.
It’s so popular, in fact, that some locals want to ban coaches bringing tourists in their droves, as these winding roads weren’t built for 100-seater buses. But as long as you are willing to walk, rather than drive, around the town centre, residents will welcome you. Read more about Bibury and its place on the ranking here.
In second place is Hallstatt, an Austrian village set beside the glittering Lake Hallstatt. It’s a place where ‘centuries-old timbered houses cling to the steep mountainside and flower-boxed balconies spill with scarlet geraniums’ according to Forbes. Plus, it’s got plenty to do, from a traditional marketplace to the World Heritage Museum, full of fascinating prehistoric relics.
Hallstatt has faced its own problems with overtourism, with up to 10,000 visitors a day descending on the village, which is home to only 700 residents. Being this pretty comes at a cost, it seems.
Up north to Norway, where the village of Reine comes third. Alongside mountain views and cosy Nordic cafés, the place is known as a Northern Lights hotspot.
The top eight villages on the list are all in Europe, with a total of 23 of the final 50 also scattered across the continent.
The world’s most beautiful villages, according to Forbes
- Bibury, England
- Hallstatt, Austria
- Reine, Norway
- Giethoorn, Netherlands
- Gásadalur, Faroe Islands
- Oia, Greece
- Bourtange, Netherlands
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Shirakawa-go, Japan
- Batad, Philippines
You can read the full list on Forbes now.
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