While the big capital cities in Europe often get the spotlight, some of the most memorable travel experiences come from smaller towns that are rich in the classic local charm of the continent.
In fact, travelers like us here at Travelbinger find that some of the most beautiful towns in Europe aren’t just about one prominent and famous landmark; the most beautiful and memorable towns pack consistently scenic views and evoke a truly special feeling as you wander about. Many of these towns are also relatively compact, easy to explore, and surrounded by natural beauty, such as lakes, mountains, or coastlines, which feel more magical than most cities you could visit.
These towns we’re talking about today aren’t necessarily popular or touristy (though some are), but we chose them for their visual appeal and unique setting. So, if you’re looking to slow down your itinerary and visit places that truly feel like postcards in motion, there might be a new bucket list destination waiting for you on this list.
Hallstatt, Austria
Best For: Peaceful scenery, reflective photography, and a short, picture-perfect stop in the Austrian Alps.
How to Reach: The nearest major city to Hallstatt is Salzburg. You can reach this picturesque town in about 2.5 hours via a combination of buses (150 → 542 → 543) that drop you directly in the village. Alternatively, take a train to Hallstatt station, followed by a scenic ferry ride across the lake.
Hallstatt isn’t underrated by any means, and it might be one of the most photographed towns in Europe. When you visit, you’ll realize that it lives up to every picture you’ve seen and that it’s truly worth the trip to see it in person.
Set between a still alpine lake and towering mountains, the town is incredibly scenic from every angle. The main village curves along the lakeshore and is dotted with pastel-colored houses. Spending time in these narrow lanes leading toward the lake is an experience that feels straight out of a fairy tale.
You can walk the whole town in under an hour, but you’ll probably stop every few steps to pinch yourself for being surrounded by such unreal beauty.
Top spots to visit include the classic lakefront photo viewpoint and the historic market square. If you want to take photos similar to the ones you see online, take a short ride up to the Hallstatt Skywalk for the most breathtaking mountain and lake views.
Colmar, France
Best For: Fairy-tale charm, canal-side strolls, and colorful, half-timbered backdrops that look great in any season.
How to Reach: Colmar is about a 30-minute train ride from Strasbourg or around 2.5 hours from Paris by high-speed train with one transfer.
Colmar, known as “Little Venice,” feels like walking through a storybook. This small Alsatian town is full of half-timbered houses painted in soft pastels with flowers often spilling out of window boxes. The houses have narrow canals winding between them, which makes the scene even more magical.
The old town of Colmar is compact and easy to explore on foot. The best way to check out the entire town and learn everything about Colmar is on a walking tour. You’ll love being surrounded by cobblestone lanes, wooden shutters, and bridges framed by hanging blooms. For a slightly different but equally scenic perspective, consider taking a boat ride through the canals as well.
The real beauty of this town lies in the fact that you can just sit around and soak in the atmosphere, walk slowly, and stop at cafés or bakeries between photo stops and people-watching. Colmar is perfect for travelers who want to take it slow and just live in the beauty around them.
Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Best For: Medieval streets, panoramic river views, and one of Europe’s most scenic small-town skylines.
How to Reach: The easiest way is to take a direct bus from Prague (about 3 hours). Trains are available, too, but they often take longer and require transfers.
Český Krumlov is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, and everything about it appears to have been frozen in time.
The old town sits inside a bend of the Vltava River. The views here are as good from ground level as they are from above, as the town is a delightful mix of terracotta rooftops and pastel façades placed aesthetically against the backdrop of a massive castle. You can even walk up to the castle tower for a wide-angle shot of the entire town or take photos from the riverside cafes and bridges below.
The town is small enough to explore in a day, but if you want to truly make the most of this magical town, stay longer and explore slowly. There is a relaxed pace here, a great contrast to the capital city of Prague, which is always bustling with tourists.
Positano, Italy
Best For: Dramatic coastal views, cliffside photography, and a taste of the Amalfi Coast’s signature glamour.
How to Reach: The closest major city is Naples. From there, take a train to Sorrento, followed by a bus, private transfer, or ferry to Positano.
Positano is one of the most visually striking towns in Italy, with colorful buildings stacked one above the other up the stunning mountainous coastline. The entire town is built vertically on cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, and it truly looks like a destination out of your wildest dreams. From nearly every point in town, you’ll get sea views as well as views of the town’s terracotta rooftops, lush gardens, and pretty bougainvillea.
Positano is mainly built around a central pedestrian street. The street is full of ceramic shops and gelaterias. However, exploring the town requires navigating the numerous steps. So, if you want to surround yourself with the beauty of this town, be prepared for the climb.
Positano’s main pebbled beach is packed in summer, but even then, the setting is hard to beat and worth a visit.
Giethoorn, Netherlands
Best For: Peaceful canal-side scenery, quiet walks, and a no-car village experience that feels almost surreal.
How to Reach: The nearest major city is Amsterdam. Take a train to Steenwijk (approx. 2 hours), then a short bus ride (Bus 70) to Giethoorn. From there, you can walk or rent a bike to explore the village.
Giethoorn is a tiny Dutch village with no roads in its center, where you can only commute via narrow paths, canals, and footbridges. The town’s beauty is further accentuated by its houses with pretty thatched-roof cottages and manicured gardens.
This town is also often referred to as the “Venice of the North,” but the vibe here is significantly quieter than Venice. Instead of the buzz of tourists and traffic, here you will hear the refreshing sounds of ducks and boats gliding silently through the water.
The town is small; you’ll only need a few hours enough to see the entire town.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Best For: Storybook scenery, medieval townscapes, and slow wanders through preserved old-world charm.
How to Reach: The closest major city is Nuremberg. You can reach Rothenburg in about 2.5 to 3 hours by train with one or two transfers, typically through Steinach and Ansbach. It’s also easily accessible by car as part of the Romantic Road driving route.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber looks like it was lifted straight from a fairytale, and while you walk around this well-preserved medieval town, you can imagine yourself as the hero in your town tale.
It’s got all the elements of a perfect European medieval town: timbered houses, stone watchtowers, and flower-filled windows lining every cobblestone street. Ancient walls enclose the entire town, and you can actually walk along parts of the wall for elevated views over the red rooftops and the surrounding countryside. Inside the walls, you’ll find winding alleys, pastel buildings, and a town square that’s slightly chaotic but not busy enough to turn you off.
The best time to explore this town is early morning when the day trippers have yet to crowd it. So, make sure you reach the town the night before for a stay in a cozy hotel.
Annecy, France
Best For: Lakeside beauty, mountain views, and a relaxed mix of nature and charming old-town streets.
How to Reach: Annecy is about a 45-minute train ride from Geneva or 1.5 hours from Lyon. Both cities have international airports and direct regional train connections.
We’ve got one more “Venice” on this list!
Annecy is often called the “Venice of the Alps,” and it rightfully earns the name. The old town is laced with narrow canals, pastel-colored buildings, and flower-filled bridges.
Just a short walk away, Lake Annecy adds a natural backdrop to its already beautiful setting with its turquoise water and surrounding alpine peaks. You can easily explore the town on foot, but make sure you take your time to stop at the canalside cafés and local markets for a lovely time outdoors. The promenade by the lake is one of the best places to get some of the nicest lakeside pictures.
You can enjoy a host of fun outdoor activities here, including renting a paddle boat, swimming, and kayaking. If not, it’s also a great place to simply chill with your family.
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Best For: Iconic Greek island views, golden-hour photography, and cliffside sunsets.
How to Reach: Fly into Santorini (Thira) Airport or take a ferry from Athens. Oia is about a 30-minute drive from the airport or ferry port, with transfers available by taxi, rental car, or shuttle.
If you are tired of reading about towns with canals and Venice-like vibes, Oia is for you!
Oia is the postcard face of Santorini, Greece, as it sits high on the caldera cliffs. The whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches look even better in real life than the many photographs that you must have seen of this town. The Aegean Sea stretches out below this town in every shade of blue.
Most visitors come to Oia for the sunsets and gather around the western tip of the town. The view is magical at this hour as the entire village lights up in soft gold, but be prepared to fight off the crowds that form right as the sun is about to set.
But Oia also has plenty of things to keep you busy all day long, including climbing through its maze of steps, lounging by an infinity pool, or stopping at quiet cafés tucked between domed rooftops.
The town does get busy in summer, but if you stay overnight and explore early or late, you’ll see its calm side when the cliffs glow it really feels like a dream.
Bled, Slovenia
Best For: Dreamy lake views, peaceful walking trails, and scenic boat rides.
How to Reach: Bled is about 1 hour by car or bus from Ljubljana. Trains run to nearby Lesce-Bled station, followed by a short taxi or local bus ride.
Lake Bled is one of those places that feels almost unreal. A small island with a church sits right in the center of the lake, while a medieval castle watches from the cliffs above. Add the Julian Alps in the background, and the whole setting feels like something out of a storybook.
The lakeside trail is flat and easy to walk, and you can even rent a traditional wooden boat (pletna) or row yourself out to the island.
The town itself is quiet and low-key. It’s a perfect place for a slower life. You can simply spend your time here walking, boating, or sitting by the lake with a slice of Bled cream cake.
Bruges, Belgium
Best For: Romantic canals, Gothic architecture, and old-town charm that hasn’t aged a day.
How to Reach: Take a direct train from Brussels (about 1 hour). The town is walkable from the station, and most sights are within 15 minutes on foot.
Bruges looks almost too perfect and as pretty in real life as in pictures. Bruges is also home to narrow canals, but the medieval towers and red-brick buildings add to its charm, and the whole place almost looks like a movie set.
The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can easily walk from square to square of this town, exploring its famous lace shops or tasting delicious varieties of its renowned chocolates.
Two angles offer picture-perfect views of this town. First is the Belfry Tower, offering panoramic views, and you can also take boat rides in its swan-filled canals for unique surface-level angles of the town.
Even though many tourists flock to this town during the high season, the town’s beauty remains intact.
Dinant, Belgium
Best For: Dramatic scenery, cliffside views, and compact riverside charm.
How to Reach: About 1.5–2 hours by train from Brussels, usually with a transfer in Namur. The train drops you right in town.
Dinant is a small riverside town set between the Meuse River and a vertical limestone cliff. It’s not very big, but it looks dramatic, especially when you see the cliffside church with the citadel rising straight above it.
Most of the town runs along the river. It just has a few streets to explore and not much walking involved. You should also take the cable car (or stairs) up to the fortress to get the best view of the whole valley.
This isn’t a place you need to spend the whole day in. A couple of hours here is enough, but it’s worth it for the views and the unusual setting, which feels very different from other towns in Belgium.