The charm of small cities, towns, and villages is undeniable, especially in Europe where many seem like a medieval time capsule. Tourist towns invest a lot of time and money in preserving the ambience and atmosphere of an older time. Many have restored or rebuilt structures from the Middle Ages which have deteriorated or been destroyed.
Our most satisfying and romantic moments on vacations have been while strolling through a small town, appreciating the efforts of the local townspeople to make their home a most inviting place to be.
Below is a list of the prettiest and most charming of these towns, villages & small cities (the ones we have enjoyed are marked with an asterisk). Try some of them out for a delightful departure from the hustle and bustle of the major cities of the world.
Africa
Tanzania
Zanzibar
Asia
China
Guilin*
Suzhou*
Yangshou*
Zhouzhuang*
India
Amritsar
Jaipur
Jodhpur
Udiapur
Japan
Nara
Laos
Luang Prabang
Thailand
Chiang Mai
Vietnam
Hanoi
Hue
Europe
Austria
Graz
Innsbruck*
Melk*
Salzburg*
Belgium
Bruges*
Bosnia-Hercegovina
Mostar
Croatia
Dubrovnik
Split
Zadar
Czech Republic
Cesky Krumlov*
Karlovy Vary
Kutna Hora
Denmark
Odense
England
Bath*
Cambridge*
Chester
Broadway* (or other Cotswold village)
Oxford*
Stratford-upon-Avon*
Windermere*
York*
Estonia
Talinn
Finland
Turku
France
Avignon
Bayeaux*
Beaune*
Blois*
Caen*
Chartres*
Eze*
Honfleur
Lyon*
Mont-St-Michel*
Riquewihr* (or any Alsace town)
Strasbourg
Germany
Garmisch-Partenkirchen*
Heidelberg*
Mittenwald*
Oberammergau*
Rothenburg ob der Tauber*
Wurzburg
Greece
Mykonos* (town)
Nafplion
Rhodes*
Thessaloniki
Thira*
Hungary
Eger
Ireland
Galway
Kilkenny
Killarney
Kinsale
Italy
Assisi*
Bellagio
Como*
Lucca
Orvieto
Pisa*
Portofino
Positano*
Ravello*
San Gimignano*
San Marino* (actually a separate country)
Siena*
Spoleto*
Taormina
Vernazza (or any of the Cinqueterra)
Verona*
Latvia
Riga
Lithuania
Vilnius
Luxembourg
Luxembourg City*
Malta
Valletta
Montenegro
Kotor
Netherlands
Delft*
The Hague
Norway
Bergen
Trondheim
Portugal
Sintra
Romania
Brasov
Sibiu
Sinaia
Slovakia
Bratislava*
Slovenia
Ljubljana
Spain
Avila*
Cordoba*
Granada*
Ronda*
Salamanca*
Santiago de Compostela
Segovia*
Toledo*
Torremolinos*
Sweden
Visby
Switzerland
Basel*
Bern*
Geneva
Interlaken
Lugano*
Luzern*
Zurich
Wales
Cardiff
North America
Canada
Mont Tremblant*
Revelstoke*
Cuba
Havana
Guatemala
La Antigua
Martinique
Fort-de-France*
Mexico
Acapulco
Cancun*
Guanajuato
Oaxata
Pueblo
Puerto Vallarta*
San Miguel de Allende
Panama
Casco Vieja
Puerto Rico
San Juan*
St Thomas
Charlotte Amalie*
Oceania
Australia
Darwin
Hobart, Tasmania
New Zealand
Christchurch
Dunedin
Napier
Queenstown
Tahiti
Papeete
South America
Argentina
Salta
Brazil
Ouro Preta
Salvador de Bahia
Chile
Santiago
Valparaiso
Ecuador
Quito
Peru
Lima
Uruguay
Montevideo
Total = 143 (I have been to only 65 — gotta get a move on. I seem to have done pretty well in the Northern Hemisphere but very poorly in the Southern Hemisphere).
