The World’s 13 Most Beautiful Villages You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Visiting a small beautiful village feels like stepping back in time, from the unique architecture to the stunning surrounding scenery. But it’s hard to feel transported when you’re surrounded by throngs of tourists also in search of small-town charm. While plenty of villages like Oìa, Greece, and Portofino, Italy, have become popular destinations, there are still gorgeous under-the-radar spots where you can enjoy the quaint atmosphere without the crowds. Read on to discover 13 magical villages that you’ll want to add to your bucket list, from an English hamlet that looks plucked from a fairy tale to a color-packed town in Colombia.
Photo: Getty Images/Feng Wei1/13Orta San Giulio, Italy
While Lake Como and Lake Maggiore may get all the attention, Lake Orta has equally enchanting scenery without the crowds. The main town on this overlooked lake is Orta San Giulio, a quaint hillside village set on a peninsula. Climb to the to top of the Sacro Monte, where 20 chapels filled with frescoes and statues of San Francesco d’Assisi are nestled within a national park. A short boat ride away is Isola di San Giulio, a small island home to a Benedictine monastery and the Romanesque Basilica of San Giulio. Walk the route of silence and meditation, which goes along the perimeter of the island, and take in the views.
Photo: Getty Images/Thomas Janisch2/13Frigiliana, Spain
Frigilana in southern Spain is often called one of the prettiest of the Pueblos Blancos—or White Villages—in Andalucia, and it’s easy to see why. The picturesque whitewashed town is nestled on a mountain ridge overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and the village has been home to various settlements since the Neolithic period, including Phoenician, Roman, and Moorish communities. The Moorish era left a lasting impact on the architecture of the city, particularly in the upper Mudéjar district, where visitors will find winding, stepped streets. Frigiliana is known for its Festival de las Tres Culturas, which takes place every August and celebrates the three cultures that have inhabited the village: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim.
Photo: Getty Images3/13Taxco de Alarcon, Mexico
If you’re planning a Mexican getaway, skip San Miguel de Allende and head to Taxco de Alarcon instead. Located about three hours from Mexico City, Taxco was once a major mining center and is still known for its silverwork. The hillside city is filled with Spanish Colonial architecture, as well as the spectacular Baroque-style Church of Santa Prisca, which was built by mine owner José de la Borda in the 1750s. Stroll through Plaza Borda, the village’s main public square, to take in the church and Casa Borda, a 1759 building that now houses the city’s cultural center.
Photo: Getty Images4/13Gordes, France
The commune of Gordes in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France has a rich history, beginning as a fort of the Vordenses, a Celtic tribe. Stone houses and buildings line the hillside and narrow cobblestone streets wind up to the medieval castle, which was expanded and transformed during the 14th and 16th centuries. The village was a resistance center during World War II and was awarded the Croix de Guerre metal. Following the war, the town became an artistic hub, attracting artists such as Marc Chagall, Victor Vasarely, and Pol Mara. Visitors can also explore the nearby Village des Bories, a collection of over 20 dry stone huts, some of which date back to the Bronze Age.
- AD-it-Yourself13 Small Backyard Ideas to Live Large Outside
Photo: Getty Images/Peter Adams5/13Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England
The charming village of Castle Combe in the Cotswolds feels like something out of a fairy tale–though its Norman castle is long gone. The town’s three main streets converge at the medieval Market Cross, a freestanding stone and wood structure built when the village was a major center of the cloth industry. Opposite the Market Cross sits St. Andrews, a 13th-century church with a nave and tower added in the 14th and 16th centuries, respectively. The tower features fan-vaulted ceilings and is home to one of the oldest working faceless medieval clocks in the country. Stroll past the Cotswold-stone houses to take in the views of the town and By Brooke from the bridge.
Photo: Getty Images/Barna Tanko6/13Guatapé, Colombia
Located a few hours west of Medellín, the village of Guatapé is bursting with color. Each building features vivid zócalos, fresco-like panels that brighten the lower façades. Dazzling designs decorate every street and square, making the village a color lover’s dream. The lakeside town is also known for El Peñon de Guatape, an over-650-foot-tall rock jutting out of the landscape. Visitors can climb to the top via a 740-step staircase that winds up a crack in the face of the rock.
- AD-it-Yourself13 Small Backyard Ideas to Live Large Outside
Photo: Getty Images/Glen Pearson7/13Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, Morocco
Spread over two hills near Mount Zerhoun, the whitewashed village of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun was the first Muslim city in North Africa and is now an important pilgrimage site. The mausoleum of the town’s founder, Moulay Idris I, is located in the beautifully decorated Zawiya Moulay Idris I in the center of the village. Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is filled with stunning examples of Islamic architecture, including the Sentissi Mosque, which features a cylindrical minaret—the only one in Morrocco—covered in a green and white zellige tile mosaic that spells out a surah from the Koran.
Photo: Getty Images8/13Ogimachi, Shirakawa-Go, Japan
Ogimachi is the largest village in the Shirakawa-Go region, which along with Gokayama, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. The area is known for its collections of traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses. The homes, some of which are over 250 years old, feature steep thatched roofs which resemble hands in prayer, and some now operate as Minshuku, family-operated bed and breakfasts. Visit the Gassho-zukuri Minkaen, an open-air museum featuring farmhouses and other buildings moved from the surrounding areas for preservation, and hike (or take a shuttle bus) to the Shiroyama viewpoint to take in the village from above.
- AD-it-Yourself13 Small Backyard Ideas to Live Large Outside
Photo: Getty Images/Jan van der Wolf9/13Giethoorn, Netherlands
The picturesque village of Geithorn is known as the Venice of the Netherlands thanks to its hand-dug canal systems, which were created 800 years ago by peat farmers. The heart of the village is car-free, so you can explore on foot, by bike, or by boat. Charming 18th- and 19th-century farmhouses with thatched roofs sit on the islands, which are connected by 176 bridges. Rent a punter boat—they’re all electric, so no rowing needed!—and cruise through the canals.
Photo: Getty Images10/13Lamu, Kenya
Set on an island of the same name on Kenya’s northeastern coast, Lamu is the oldest Swahili settlement in East Africa. The beautifully preserved town was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, and the village is known for its architecture, which draws influences from Swahili, Arabic, European, Indian, and Persian styles and utilizes mangrove timber and coral stone. Visit Lamu Fort, a fortress built between 1810 and 1823, which now houses a library and exhibition space, as well as the Lamu Museum, located in a former home built in the early 1900s. Because of the narrow, winding roads, cars are a rarity, so be prepared to travel by motorbike or on one of the island’s more than 6,000 donkeys.
- AD-it-Yourself13 Small Backyard Ideas to Live Large Outside
Photo: Getty Images11/13Sighișoara, Romania
Located in the Transylvania region, Sighișoara is a small medieval village that was founded by German colonists, known as the Transylvanian Saxons, in the 12th century. The fortified town is circled with walls, and 9 of the original 14 towers still stand, including the imposing Clock Tower. Colorful buildings and cobblestone streets add to the charm of the well-preserved old town, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The village is home to several architecturally significant churches, including the Church on the Hill, a three-nave Gothic church with frescoes from the 14th through 16th centuries, and the Church of the Dominican Monastery, a late Gothic church with Baroque elements inside.
Photo: Getty Images/Barry Kusuma12/13Penglipuran, Indonesia
The village of Penglipuran is found in the Bangli Regency of Bali. While the landlocked area may not have Bali’s famous beaches, Penglipuran is still full of beauty, from the nearby bamboo forests to the peaceful car-free streets. The village’s culture and structures have been carefully preserved. The design of the village and its buildings follows the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, the concept of harmony with God, other people, and the environment. The village adopted a community-based-tourism concept that benefits the entire town.
- AD-it-Yourself13 Small Backyard Ideas to Live Large Outside
Photo: Getty Images/Harald Nachtmann13/13Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Half-timbered houses line cobblestone streets in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a beautifully preserved medieval village in southern Germany. The town dates back to the 9th century and was an imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire from 1274 to around 1803, when Napoleon revised the European borders and it became part of Bavaria. Visitors can walk along the still-intact towered city walls in the Old Quarter and watch the Meistertrunk clock—which depicts the legend of the mayor drinking a tankard of wine to save the town during the Thirty Years War—at the Ratstrinkstube.
