Dreamy European Locations That Could Be Straight Out Of A Fairytale

The small, beautiful town of Bled is the perfect place for people who love being in and around the water. You can rent a boat while you’re there, perhaps one of the traditional pletna boats, and observe the beautiful scenery at your leisure. If you decide to go to the church on the island in the middle of the lake, the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage, don’t forget to climb to the top and ring the bell! According to local legend, it will bring you good luck.

Bibury in the Cotswolds advertises itself as “quaint,” and it is, in all the best ways. It boasts stone cottages and traditional country pubs, all with the River Coin as a backdrop. People have raved about its beauty for centuries, and in the modern day both Bridget Jones’ Diary and the fantasy movie Stardust filmed scenes there. Oh, and it also reportedly happens to be haunted. One alleged ghost of Bilbury is Mary, a reluctant bride who froze to death at the village’s water mill. Book a ghost tour and see if you can spot her!

Cinque Terre is actually five villages in one. These are Manarola, Riomaggiore, Mare, Corniglia, and Vernazza, and all of them combined with the surrounding hills and cliffs make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has everything you could possibly want in an Italian getaway: clear waters, cobblestone streets, gorgeous houses, and of course lots of food and wine. You’ll never be short of things to do, and you get to do them surrounded by a riot of color fit for the pages of any fairytale book.

Sibiu is famous for vampires and Dracula, like all of Transylvania. But it’s famous for something else too: houses that have eyes! Yep, many of the buildings in Sibiu have attic windows that look exactly like they’re watching you. It makes for a wonderfully unsettling effect and allows for many great photo opportunities. Let the window eyes follow you as you explore the town’s Evangelical Cathedral, where the son of the infamous Dracula-inspirer Vlad the Impaler is buried.

Can this Disney-esque scene be a real place? The website Unforgettable Croatia states, “Situated in the far south of the former Yugoslavia, Mostar is home to three distinctly different cultures: Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs, and Catholic Croats. Each culture has its own unique influence on the city.” So this is definitely the place to be if you want to experience three cultures in one! Or if you’re a thrill-seeker, you can try jumping off the famous Stari Most bridge. Unsurprisingly you have to take a training session before you’re allowed to try it, but it’s an experience you’ll never forget.

Step back in time when you visit Riquewihr in France! It’s a preserved medieval village, but it has all the modern amenities, don’t worry. It’s also noted for its vineyards, so this is one of the best places to be in all of France if you like drinking fine wine. And Christmas is recommended as the best time to visit because Riquewihr absolutely loves the holidays. The town looks like a colorful dream lit up in Christmas lights over the festive season.

Hallstatt is the picture-perfect Austrian town. It’s so idyllic that it even has swans gliding delicately about on the water from time to time! There are so, so many things to take photos of, and there’s something there for lovers of the macabre as well. Why not visit “the Bone House” where the skulls of long-dead Hallstatt citizens rest on shelves? It sounds gruesome, but for some it’s a life-affirming experience, especially as the skulls have been decorated by artists.

Once upon a time, Poznań was the capital of Poland. Now, it’s a little-known but beautiful old town boasting great food and endless photo opportunities. It caters to everybody: you can eat and party all day and night or you can take it slow and spend some time visiting the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the oldest cathedral in Poland. Or you can do both! What’s more, staying in Poznań is even cheaper than most Polish tourist spots. Its colorful buildings look straight out of a children’s storybook.

Dürnstein is a very small town: it’s home to only around 900 people. But that just makes it even more of a perfect holiday spot. It’s most famous for the tower that forms part of the Stift Dürnstein monastery — as you can imagine, this looks absolutely fantastic in photographs — and the castle where King Richard the Lionheart was once imprisoned. Still, if exploring historical buildings isn’t your thing, you can also order fine wine from one of the town’s many taverns and drink it while relaxing in the heat.

Mont-St-Michel has seen many conflicts over the course of history, but it remains beautiful. Most people come to see the abbey, which is in fact the fully functioning residence of many monks and nuns, and you may even hear them singing if you’re lucky. You can also check out the town’s museums, restaurants, and shops, but be prepared to do a lot of walking: cars are not permitted! You can ride a horse and carriage though, or use the free shuttle bus if needed.

The place to be if you want to ski! You can try winter sports in Chamonix against the beautiful backdrop of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the whole of Europe. It’s not for nothing that Chamonix is known as one of the best ski resorts in the world, but there’s more to it than that. The town also hosts running events throughout the summer, music events including the Cosmo Jazz Festival throughout the year, and it even has its very own ice cave you can go and explore.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is sometimes called “Prague in miniature” and it has every bit the beauty of that city. And it has everything else you’d want in a quiet holiday destination, too. There’s gardens, courtyards, cafes, and bears. Wait, bears? Yep, Český Krumlov happens to be home to a gang of well-cared-for furry friends. The castle there has maintained a space in the moat for bears since 1707, and there are four of them living there at time of writing. And every Christmas Eve, the town throws a party for its ursine inhabitants!

Have you seen the Pixar movie Luca and been blown away by the beauty of the area in which the characters live? Well, if you want to visit it in real life, you need to head for Positano in Italy. It boasts some of the most beautiful views you can see in the country and there are plenty of things to do. You can shop and relax on the beach of course, but you can also have a walk up the hiking trail, which is called the “Path of the Gods.” And it’s a very appropriate name indeed.

Wandering around San Gimignano is like stepping back in time. It’s a surviving walled village filled with incredible and well-preserved medieval buildings, and because of its historical significance it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. Back in the 1st century the town was called Silvia, but it was renamed San Gimignano after an heroic bishop who helped save the settlement from the armies of Attila the Hun. Definity a fantastic holiday spot for history-lovers!

People have adored the quiet town of Sintra for a long time now. Author Hans Christian Andersen stayed in the town for a while in 1866 and he absolutely fell in love with it, writing extensively of its beauty and friendliness. And he wasn’t the only one: Lord Byron called Sintra “the most beautiful [town] perhaps in the world,” in a 1809 letter. You can easily follow in the footsteps of those great writers and visit Sintra for yourself.

Are you one of those people who takes thousands of pictures on your holidays? Then you’ll love Rothenburg ob der Tauber: it’s incredibly picturesque. For some once-in-a-lifetime photographs, be sure to drop by St. Jakob's Church and check out the altarpiece created by famous German woodcarver Tilman Riemenschneider. Or are you more into horror and thrills than art? Well, in that case, drop by the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum and gawp at the ancient torture devices on display.

Ile De Re is a whole island of beautiful buildings, sandy beaches, and a well-maintained network of bike lanes. Everyone cycles here, so you’d better learn to ride before you go! Going beyond the island will obviously take more than a bicycle, but honestly most people who go to Ile De Re on holiday never want to leave anyway. The island has everything you need, including — oddly — donkeys wearing pants! Yep, these are the Poitou donkeys, and their owners dress them up and have them give rides to children.

The charmingly named “Shambles” is one of the best tourist locations in the gorgeous city of York. Once upon a time it was a place you’d probably never want to go, a medieval street that probably smelled terrible from all the rotting meat butchers would discard on the cobblestones — but no more. Now the Shambles is a beautiful Diagon Alley-like wonderland filled with interesting shops; it’s considered to be one of the most well-preserved medieval streets in the whole of Europe.

Annecy is one of the prettiest places in France, which is really saying something. It’s surrounded by mountains and the crystal-clear Lac d’Annecy, which is considered one of the cleanest lakes in the whole of Europe. And you can go play in it if you like! Companies in Annecy offer all sorts of watersports, including scuba-diving and paddleboarding. But if you prefer the sky to the water, you can also try paragliding above the lake and taking in the magnificent views that way.

Marsaxlokk is a beautiful and colorful fishing village in Malta, dotted all over with traditional luzzu boats. Obviously a lot of the town’s trade and day-to-day activities revolve around fishing, but there are plenty of other things if you don't like fish! There are myriad restaurants, many places to swim and, as you can see from the photo, some stunning architecture that almost looks like a blend of European and African designs. By the way, the name of the town is pronounced “mar-sa-schlock” if you weren’t sure.

Enjoy a sunny holiday by the beach on Korcula, the sixth-biggest island in Croatia. Korcula is little-known enough that you won’t end up fighting anybody for a spot under a beach umbrella, which makes it even more of an ideal destination! There are festivals, food, and folklore, all without the crowds. And knowing about the beauty of Korcula puts you into some pretty exciting company: apparently Matthew McConaughy, Beyonce, and Jay Z have all holidayed there at some point.

Kotor has everything you’d want in a holiday for both history- and adventure-lovers. The town’s location makes it a hotspot for watersports: you can choose to stay above water in a kayak, or go under it with a snorkeling session. Kotor also boasts a beautiful old cathedral, a maritime museum, an old fortress, and an all-round relaxing vibe. Over the years it’s become a popular spot for tourists, but not so popular that you have to worry about crowds.

The town of Meissen is most famous for its incredible porcelain! Lots of activities in the town are porcelain-based — you can take a tour of the centuries-old Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, for example, or view the porcelain figures on display in the beautiful churches — but there are other things to do as well. Why not visit what historians believe to be the oldest fortification in Germany, the Gothic Albrechtsburg Castle? It’ll make you feel like you’ve walked inside a dark fairytale.

Tellaro is considered to be Italy’s best-kept secret, but it doesn’t have to stay clandestine to you. It’s a stunningly gorgeous fishing village, and it has a local legend straight out of a movie plot! So the story goes, once upon a time an octopus saved the town from being destroyed by pirates by using its tentacles to tug on the church bells. In recognition of that act, the town holds an Octopus Festival at the beginning of every August. So that’s the ideal time to visit!

Albarracin is one for those who like adventure on their holidays. This town in Spain, a Moorish kingdom a long time ago, boasts countless natural rock formations that draw devoted climbers from all over the world. But if you don’t enjoy climbing, Albarracin is still a beautiful part of the world to just hang out in. Try and learn a bit of Spanish before you go, though: since Albarracin is under the radar tourist-wise, not many people in the town speak English.

The Greek island of Corfu is surely one of the most beautiful in the world. It’s a bit busier than some of the other places on this list — even the airport attracts tons of visitors, it’s a great place to take photos of planes — but it’s still an experience you’ll never forget. The beaches alone are worth the price of a holiday but you can also wander the historic streets, visit the stunning castles, and eat delicious food in cafes with the Sun shining down on you.

The historic home of Dracula is now a fantastic tourist spot. As you can imagine, it’s filled with architecture that looks straight out of a movie, but that's not all. Tour guides in the area will be more than happy to lead you around the town and explain all its connections to the world’s most famous vampire. You can even visit Bran Castle, a.k.a. “Dracula’s Castle!” Brasov is absolutely the place to be if you’re a big horror fan.

Wales in the United Kingdom has some of the most beautiful villages in Europe, and Portmeirion is one of them. A lot of it was the brainchild of one single man, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who wanted to create a place to nurture “good manners.” Well, seemingly it worked! Portmeirion is now known for its pottery and for cult British TV show The Prisoner. It’s a wonderful place to just wander around in as you go from shop to shop.

Polignano a Mare is a town that dates all the way back to 4 B.C., so it’s packed to the brim with Greek and Roman history. It’s also, as you can see, incredibly beautiful. The water there is so refreshing and crystal-clear that people come from all over the world to jump into it, and yes, that means literally jump into it. Polignano a Mare is also famous for cliff diving: it hosts competitions that attract thousands of people to the town.

Have you ever wanted to visit Belle’s quiet village from the iconic Disney film Beauty and the Beast? Well, the town of Colmar in France is about the closest you can get to it, and it’s amazing. It features a few excellent museums as well, including one dedicated to Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the artist who created the world-famous Statue of Liberty. It may not fit in perfectly with the local decor, but there’s a smaller replica of Lady Liberty in Colmar as well!

Èze, on the French Riviera, boasts everything you could want in a mini-break. It has stunning architecture dotted all along its beautiful coastline and there are plenty of things to do. You can shop and find items you can’t find anywhere else in the world: you can visit the Fragonard perfume factory, or you can just relax on the beach all day and swim in the crystal-clear waters. The place does get fairly busy at times, but it’s much less crowded than some of the other more famous tourist destinations.

Popeye Village is literally the Popeye village! It was created for the Popeye film in 1980 and then gradually evolved into a fully functioning holiday destination. It’s basically Disneyworld for Popeye fans! You can meet and greet with the characters and explore the houses built for said characters on the film set. But there are other non-Popeye-related things you can do in the village as well: fun activities for the whole family include boat rides and mini-golf.

Meersburg is a German town straight out of a Disney movie. It’s surrounded by stunning castles and even more stunning scenery: you can even see parts of Austria and Switzerland from Meersburg. There are plenty of things to do in the town, including swimming, shopping, checking out the fascinating Zeppelin Museum, or dining on fine German food and wine. Or you can even visit a medieval torture chamber beneath the town’s Old Castle, if that’s more your thing.

This lovely town is the home of the famous Gruyère cheese! So if you’re a turophile, this is absolutely the place you want to be. There is, as you might expect, a cheese factory in the town and it offers tours to visitors. But if you don’t like cheese, you’re also in luck! Gruyères offers many other things, including a museum dedicated to the works of Swiss artist H.R. Giger, the man who created the Xenomorph from Alien!

The high-up village of Gordes in France is a relaxing and sunny place to while away the time. It has breathtaking views of which you’ll never stop being in awe and lots of nature: you can even spot vultures there sometimes. And there are plenty of fascinating man-made things in the village to learn more about, including a working abbey where the monks use the surrounding lavender to make honey. Being in Gordes really is like stepping back in time.

Castle Combe advertises itself as “the prettiest village in England” and although it’s up against some pretty stiff competition, maybe you’ll agree with that assessment. It’s so picturesque that it’s been used as a film set multiple times — some of the original Dr Doolittle was filmed there for example — and it has a very calm and relaxing vibe. You can shop or take photographs, or you can play a round of golf in beautiful surroundings at the local course.

Giethoorn has the nickname of “Dutch Venice.” Why? Because, like the famous Italian city, it’s built on canals. It’s much less crowded than Venice, though! It’s a calm, serene little place where every house looks like a work of art. You can drift along in a “whisper boat” without a care in the world and listen to the sounds of the birds singing. It may be compared to Venice a lot, but there’s nowhere quite like Giethoorn in the world.

Bergheim is officially France’s favorite village! It won the title in 2022 and you can see why, can’t you? It’s a town that dates back to medieval times and it’s kept many of its walls and colorful buildings intact for centuries. There’s endless history to explore in Bergheim, including the gruesome parts. Tucked away in the village is a museum called the Witches’ House, which documents the witch-hunts that once ravaged Bergheim. But once you’ve left that house of horrors, you’ll be standing in one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

Once, Alhambra was a huge walled complex that hosted kings and queens. But now, anyone can walk its medieval paths. And you should, because Alhambra is a unique historical landmark. Not only is it one of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world, it contains an incredible achievement in mathematics as well. The tiles that made Alhambra are thought to contain almost all of the 17 “regular divisions of the plane,” which makes them all the more beautiful.

This tiny town has been both French and German in the past, hence its name, which means “Emperor’s Mountain.” Now, in the modern day, Kayserberg is a spectacular blend of the designs of both countries. You can visit it just for a day trip if you’d like, but if you’d prefer to stay overnight, don’t miss the sunrise over the vineyards in the morning. It’s one of the most beautiful sights you’ll ever see, and it’s free!