Europe’s most scenic towns are the the stuff of fairy tales. Canal-cut villages, sea-front fortresses, winding sandstone streets, and soaring ancient bridges all draw travelers from around the world. And for good reason.
Anghiari, Italy
Anghiari, close to the ancient border between Tuscany and Umbria, is a small walled town with narrow stone roads designed for foot traffic, not cars. Mostly built during the Renaissance by mercenary forces, it could affectionately be called a warren. Exploring here is an endless maze of small, charm-like discoveries. Of particular worth is the Museo della Battaglia di Anghiari, a museum devoted to a medieval battle which took place on the plain below the town.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzigovina
Stari Most, or “Old Bridge,” connects the two sides of Mostar across the Neretva River. The original high, graceful bridge, with castle towers on both ends, was built by the Ottomans in the 1500s. It was destroyed in 1993 by Croat forces during the Balkan wars, but a reconstruction was finished in 2004. If this place is on your bucket list, look up when the bridge diving competitions are happening.
Giethoorn, Netherlands
No list of Europe’s most scenic towns would be complete without Giethoorn, the Dutch version of Venice. Verdant and lushly forested, the center of the city is open to boats and pedestrians only. Eighty kilometers of canals and 176 bridges braid together around peat islands with thatched houses that date back to the early 1800s. Locals and tourists alike transit the city in kayaks and “whisper boats,” small craft with electric motors that won’t disturb the neighbors.
Reinebringen, Norway
Reinebringen is a tiny village in Norway’s Lofoten islands, where little red cabins crowd the edges of a bay beneath the massive presence of mountain peaks. Many of the houses are in the bay itself, standing above the tide on stilts, with living sod roofs as insulation against the harsh winters of the North Sea.
Are these really the most scenic towns in Europe?
If you want to see some of the most scenic towns in Europe, here’s a great start! Have you been to any particularly lovely European towns you think we should visit? Let us know in the comments!
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