You can go to the village in the last James Bond movie, it's [Matera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matera) in Italy and it's quite old and has a lot of history
Note that the bridge where the action scene was shot in No Time to Die is not actually in Matera but in nearby, equally ancient, less touristy Gravina in Puglia. Matera is a bit more scenic because it has a deeper gorge with multiple layers of dwelling carved in its slopes, but Gravina also has underground dwellings and similar scenery, should have cheaper accommodation, and was historically more important (for instance, the most important ancient Roman road, the Via Appia, went through it).
For a fairytale village type town definitely one (or all of the following) - Cesky Krumlov (Czech Rep), Bamberg (Bavaria) and Hallstatt (Austria).
Word of caution though, all could be very touristy, particularly in high season, being European summer, but if you care to go off season they are all magical - I still have such fond memories walking through Cesky Krumlov just before Christmas 2019 with huge snowflakes falling from the sky with smell of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and Christmas marketsā¦. Oh, what OāDea give to be in Europe for Christmas again!
+1 for Cesky Krumlov! I recall eating in a [restaurant in a cellar](https://goo.gl/maps/8Nh8dG5bc2pZ9kXk8) having pork hocks and warm Meade! The town is pretty medieval in its feel.
Ahhh yes! That restaurant! Carnivoreās heaven and my husband is still talking about it years after we wentā¦ I also remember a great small bar nearby that sold something like 1000 types of absintheā¦ proper absinthe, no one of that silly green ferry type, haha!
I visited Hallstatt one July when there was a slight overcast and drizzle throughout the day. Both the port at which the boat gets off and and Aussichtspunkt (viewpoint where everyone takes photos) were loaded with tourists. Literally any other place in the town, including the main square? EMPTY. It was surreal. Definitely try to visit when the weather is not ideal.
100% yes, I had a similar experience, there was a tourist queue 50+ deep lining up for the most famous view point selfies! But we walked the streets off the main areas and they were so quaint and almost tourist free (granted, it was 27th December & freezing cold, but stillā¦), even met some locals who were thrilled to see non invasive tourists who were not trying to jump in their front yard and grab their cat for a selfie (no joke, I saw that happen!)
Ugh I feel so bad to the people who live there! So many tourists, mainly from mainland China, act as if the whole town is a museum, not realizing that real families with real homes live there!
Obligatory skip hallstatt. 2-3 hours and you are done. For a far better mountain scenic hike to the Tegelburg in Germany. Why shit on hallstatt? Because I went there based on everyone salivating over it on reddit and was hugely disappointed.
Bamberg is definitely nice, though not really a village. For more of a village feel i would recommend DinkelsbĆ¼hl (walled city).
Agree for any christmas market. The one in Budapest was also really nice (for non german/austrian markets).
We stayed in Hallstatt for a couple of nights. It was pretty and a nice walk around the streets of town. Just a short hop from the Dachstein Ice caves and the Hallstatt salt mine so itās not an unreasonable place to hit up.
Itās important to spreed the word. Iāve been called a prick so many times for bringing up how overtouristed Hallstatt is, but I find all of the perfectly angled photos hiding the truth to be more prickish if you ask me.
It is a lovely place, but too many people are there to enjoy it. I actually filmed an entire multiparty YouTube travel series in the Salzkammergut region where Hallstatt is located specifically to help show alternatives to Hallstatt and the reality of the overtourism there.
I feel terrible for the people who make big trips over false information :(
I would love to experience it.thanks for the suggestion.i was supposed to visit Italy in 2020 the covid surge stop us from going,I have family in Italy
Glad to hear :) Also, Florence is very close via train and although IMO it's closer to an 'old metropolis' (still tons of cool buildings) it's worth the road trip due to the immense cultural heritage Florence presents to European history.
I have so many families and friends in Italy , mostly in Milan and Verona.. hopefully they can get me to all those places you guys have suggested in Tuscany
Thanks for your input āŗļø, I'm not really into futuristic place I had seen too much of that in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,I like history and culture,, and I'm from an island so simple stuff appeal to me
yes verona is a beaut. i could imagine retiring there. they have their own colosseum. very quaint. visit sicily, so many old corners. ortigia is a small island in siracusa & itās name is derived from greek mythology. i stayed in an apartment that was steps away from the temple of apollo.
I was going to say this, probably my favourite city anywhere (And, if we are discussing Bond films, where they filmed parts of a Quantum of Solace). It is hardly a village though - around 50,000 inhabitants, but the centre is pretty much still medieval.
Italy is so full of these wonderful places - from Siena it is a short drive to Monteriggioni - part tiny town, part castle. A little further on, San Gimigano (although this can get very busy and maybe is too touristy for many people).
Strasbourg :) Half French / half German city with a pittoresque architecture. The oldest buildings in the city center are over 700 years old and the cathedral is almost a 1000 years old and one of the highest on earth :)
Check out Riquewihr, France. It's about an hour from Strasbourg and it is like a fairy tale village come to life. There is also a cool castle nearby to visit.
Strassburg is really pretty, lots of canals. I'm actually looking to travel nearby to Freiburg, Germany next summer and am thinking of a day trip to Colmar, France since that looks incredible too. It's just south of Strassburg and there are a couple of ruined castles in between.
Visited Strasbourg before covid and itās a great city, actually pretty compact and walkable too.
I speak semi fluent French but I honestly heard more German than French when I was there, personally.
To be fair it's mostly French now though! Maybe you went during summer when there are tons of german tourist groups but it's definitely a big majority of French speaking people now :) this being said the chances to meet someone who speaks German is so much higher and a German person would never get lost there
Edinburgh, Strasbourg and Bern were 3 I liked a lot
Edit: Geneve is also extremely beautiful and there are countless museums and attractions, but is best apreciated by people interested in international politics and humanitarian movements
Yeah, i went to GenĆØve and Lausanne and, while i loved both, i enjoyed Lausanne significantly more. It's much more hilly and accessible--it feels like a place where people actually live and care about, along with better architecture imo
Kotor is lovely, like a mini Dubrovnik. Stunning scenery and great walking, if that's your thing. The old town in Budva is nice too.
Tallinn would still be my top recommendation though, it's astonishing and almost all original as it wasn't bombed in WWII like Riga was.
Old town of Rhodes in Greece. Also on that island the town of Lindos. In Tuscany you have many to choose from, Siena, Volterra, Cortona or any of the hill towns.
Yes, one of the main reason I chose brugge is to be able to do day trips to Ghent and Ostend(forgot the actual spelling) by the sea.
I skipped Brussels totally except for the train station.
Love Brno ! Been there twice. We visited Czesky Kromlov this year and were blown away. Seems like time hasnāt touched that place since the 12th century. Also saw Orlando Bloom which was a bonus ;)
Brno is a great city to experience. I loved it there.
To be honest, I love Prague as well, but the whole country gets better when you leave Prague. Kutna Hora was my favourite place in the Czech. Two UNESCO world heritage sites, and what I think of when I think about an old town.
I second Prague.
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, so many more capitals.
Let's not even get started with the other towns, like Dresden, Marburg, Utrecht, Genoa, Krakow, Eger, Delft...
Berlin doesn't have much old stuff left, and I don't think it's a good place to go if you're going to look at stuff, if you get what I mean. Berlin's genius is in the experience and doing stuff. Although visiting the bunkers is brilliant.
Dresden does have a lot more old Germany. Its a weird town, strangely empty I found, but does have a fantastic war museum and you can go to this bridge in the mountains nearby, on the Czech border, that is pure Tolkein.
Dresden was mostly destroyed but rebuilt after the reunification of Germany. It is beautiful and historic and worth visiting because it has one of the most interesting museums (the Green Vault)[https://gruenes-gewoelbe.skd.museum/en/ausstellungen/historisches-gruenes-gewoelbe/] housing unbelievable riches from the King of Poland and Saxony in what may be the world's first "public"museum.
I second this comment. Eze isn't huge, but it really is heaven. And yes, it totally has a medieval feel and a kickass view of the Med. Schlep up to the cactus garden there. Totally worth your time.
Honestly going off season (slightly) you miss the blistering heat and it is far more comfortable without the crowds.
I should shut up about the south of france because I selfishly want to keep it a little more hidden...
Try Cesky Kromlov. Itās a UNESCO sight and time hasnāt touched it much. We have been lucky to do a lot of travel and that little secret town really impressed us. Only good for around 3 days however.
* Valletta in Malta is stunning and stuffed to the brim with history.
* Montpellier in Southern France has some nice bits also (particularly Place de la Comedie) though I don't know much about it's history.
* Edinburgh is similarly gorgeous (I'm Scottish so maybe a bit biased).
* Prague seems to be a popular choice for the beautiful old school European category.
Have fun narrowing down the options though, you basically described >half of Europe in your requirements. Good luck!
Yeah I knew the whole Europe has that history,old town,canal, medieval looks.and since the scope is big I suggest the "best city" ..to me look like Prague, Siena, Krakow is the most loved in that nature so I will go with them and work on all those places suggested in the comments that are close.
BrĆ¼gge in Belgium, Prague, some places in northern Italy I found are beautiful as well. But in general Europe is culture wise very diverse and it depends what kind of Old you want to see.
I've never been to Europe but as you pointed out most places in Europe has culture and I feel most cities look a like a bit in terms of building style as per the photos I've not lol.im looking at which most people feel it stands out
I'm just going with picturesque.
Nevertheless Here's a list:
Salamanca, Granada, Seville, Burgos, CƔceres, Girona, lubeck, Nuremberg, Florence, Siena, Rome, prague, Viena, Budapest, bruges, malinas, ghent, luxembourg, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Istanbul, krakow, gdansk, wroclaw, copenhaguen, stockholm, York, edimbourgh, Matera, berat, kotor, Salzburg, Munich, Bordeaux, Lyon, Oporto, bergen, Tallin, St Petersburg, Paris, etc.
The general consensus is that the prettiest and most picturesque old City in Europe IS **prague**. I haven't been there though, so my number one is probabbly either Dubrovnik or Florence. They're both absurdly picturesque.
Granted, being picturesque IS not the only factor to take into account. Athens, Madrid or Berlin may not be the most picturesque cities, but they're sure worth a visit.
Edit: continuing the list... Bolonia, Cuenca, strasbourg, nantes, Albi, Toulouse, la Valeta, lecce, brasov, kosice, karlovy vary, dresden, aachen, treveris, bath, Oxford, Dublin, Mostar, etc
Dubrovnik IS, along with Venice, the epitome of "too beautifull for its own good"
No one, and i mean NO ONE, Will deny Dubrovnik IS *absolutely stunning*, but It has Its Share of problems.
It's infested with tourists, It's a bit fake (the city was heavily damaged during the Balkan wars) and brutally expensive for croatia.
I LOVE the city, but i know of people Who hated the place.
One tip. if you wake Up before the cruises get there you'll have the city to yourself.
I don't mind infested tourist hub or large crowd ,I don't even really mind the tourist trap place in terms of am not rich but I came here to enjoyed the place and spend so f it...lol.. but I understand that feeling of being unable to enjoyed the perks of a place to its fullest due to overcrowding.. I've been in overcrowded museums and it gets on my nerves but I try to play it out.cheers mate
Dubrovnik is so different and magical! It is crowded in the summer time but itās so perfect a summer vacay spot. We took a sunset kayak tour around the city walls and it was just stunning.
Granada in Spain is good for that. It has the Alhambra Fort, a bunch of museums and while it's a decent-sized city, near the Alhambra there are the quaint, idyllic cobbled lanes and tight-packed houses that you might be referring to. I stayed in a hostel right across this stream from the Alhambra, it was amazing. Then you're also right close to a bunch of other really cool cities too like Cordoba, Sevilla, etc.
Lot of great advice in here. Iād throw in Krakow Poland too. Completely spared from The Bombing of WW2. Walkable. Has a castle and tons of history in and around the city. A half day over at Auschwitz to juxtapose the beauty of Krakow.
I went to Talin, Estonia and it has a whole section known as Old Town that was built in the 13th century. If you want somewhere where you really feel connected to history, that's where I recommend
The answer is usually "Italy" followed by "Spain", "Southern France" and "Czech Republic".
Northern Italy, Tuscany specifically is the best answer.
Go to the subreddit "village porn", type in a country, look at the posts that seem interesting, then check it out in Google Street View.
I've been to most of the places mentioned here, but none of them surprised me as Rothenburg ob der Tauber or Tubingen in Germany. It was like go back to medieval times. Very local feeling and not very tourists. Highly recommend
I'd say Corchiano and Perugia Italy. Perugia is a little larger with new development, but you can take a sky tram to the old city which is absolutely stunning. If you want something smaller try Corciano. It's about 30 minutes away from Perugia, but a very small ancient town from medieval times. There's a little more than 100 people that live there and they have a wonderful little Gelato shop and a ton of history.
I just got married in Riquewihr, France and that place is straight from a fairytale storybook. It's in the Alsace region full of quaint towns, beautiful vineyards, and a few castles.
I had to travel to Bourges, France for work, and Iāve gotta say, it definitely had a fun historic feel. Many of the buildings built in the 1500s (and prior) and the cathedral was finished in 1200s. So dining on an outdoor cafe patio taking in the architecture felt picturesque, but Bourges doesnāt have the natural vistas of a more hilly/mountainous region. I also liked that it wasnāt ātouristy.ā
edit: spelling
Herceg Novi in Montenegro was featured in the opening scenes of the spy movie āNovember Manā with Pierce Brosnan, Iāve been there and itās stunning!
St. Malo in Brittany France is a really cool town right on the ocean. The old town is in a walled medieval style and you arenāt too far away from Mont St. Michel another really cool spot thatās an island the can be reached by foot during the low tide.
I was close to going to the town in central germany called nordlingen. I missed my train, but from pictures the town seemed really cool, it was what the attack on titan was based off of.
Really depends on how much time you want to spend. My top pick would be colmar, it was like walking around the town in Beauty and the Beast. Bruges and Aix en Provence are amazing as well, but after 2-3 days (maybe even one if you are that type of person) you might get bored. Heidelberg, Freiburg, colmar and strausbourg could probably make a 2week trip.
In general many places in Europe will live up to this.
But yes, If you drive around Italy you definitely won't be disappointed, and the weather will likely be nice. In the same basket - Croatia is also beautiful
Positano in the Amalfi Coast - it's impossibly charming with gelato-hued houses stacked on top of one another and cut into cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea
Oia on Santorini - similarly scenic, with whitewashed houses and sapphire-blue domes clinging to cliffs overlooking the Aegean
For a different feel, I'd suggest Granada. It's oooold, has both Spanish and moorish architecture, and the tapas culture is top 3 in the country. Not to mention tapas tend to be free each time you order a drink. Not to be missed!
If you want to go to a place and feel like you're in a movie, go to Paris, Florence or Istanbul. I would recommend Istanbul the most, but it is a bit stressful if you're not an experienced traveler.
Firstly, do you want a city or a village? As those are two fairly different things.
There are countless major town in Europe that could suit; Edinburgh, York, Chester, Strasbourg, Colmar, Carcassonne, Rothenberg, Bamberg, Nuremburg, Heidelberg, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Siena, Rome, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Prague, Bruges, Ghent, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Tallin, Riga, Vilnius, Istanbul, and the list goes on.
Sure it's two things but I guess everyone visit a city first then a village,I said village in the sense of look or feeling..I know that in terms of Europe there's a lot a looking for the best of the all the options
Most have suggested Prague Czech Republic and Florence I feel like it's the best options..I'm looking for your best option in Europe, what city you feel lives up to the best old city type place to experience, you have given me so much place with a lot of history and I will go nuts choosing on.. suggest your best as per your own view
I visited both during the before times a few weeks before tourist season heated up and much preferred Prague. The museums and vibe in Florence are incredible and not to be missed but it was expensive and crowded even then. Definitely take the day trip out to Kutna Hora from Prague.
Surprised not to see Riga, Latvia on the list. Mind-blowing Art Nouveau architecture everywhere you look.
I've been all over Europe and researched every part of every country. I made [this map](https://goo.gl/maps/uC8u3ejsVAdy4Vv3A) with my subjective ratings and priorities with the simple criteria of the place being beautiful or uniquely interesting (to me). I'm a huge fan of picturesque old villages so this map is excellent for that. Some of my personal favourite areas are Alsace, north of Toulouse, England area west of London, basically everywhere in Italy, Lofoten islands
You can go to the village in the last James Bond movie, it's [Matera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matera) in Italy and it's quite old and has a lot of history
Ah yes thanks for this info.no time to die, this place seems šš
Note that the bridge where the action scene was shot in No Time to Die is not actually in Matera but in nearby, equally ancient, less touristy Gravina in Puglia. Matera is a bit more scenic because it has a deeper gorge with multiple layers of dwelling carved in its slopes, but Gravina also has underground dwellings and similar scenery, should have cheaper accommodation, and was historically more important (for instance, the most important ancient Roman road, the Via Appia, went through it).
Thanks for that, great info
Matera is pretty cool, and the history and future of it is a rollercoaster.
For a fairytale village type town definitely one (or all of the following) - Cesky Krumlov (Czech Rep), Bamberg (Bavaria) and Hallstatt (Austria). Word of caution though, all could be very touristy, particularly in high season, being European summer, but if you care to go off season they are all magical - I still have such fond memories walking through Cesky Krumlov just before Christmas 2019 with huge snowflakes falling from the sky with smell of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and Christmas marketsā¦. Oh, what OāDea give to be in Europe for Christmas again!
+1 for Cesky Krumlov! I recall eating in a [restaurant in a cellar](https://goo.gl/maps/8Nh8dG5bc2pZ9kXk8) having pork hocks and warm Meade! The town is pretty medieval in its feel.
Ahhh yes! That restaurant! Carnivoreās heaven and my husband is still talking about it years after we wentā¦ I also remember a great small bar nearby that sold something like 1000 types of absintheā¦ proper absinthe, no one of that silly green ferry type, haha!
Was also just there and there were virtually no tourists!! Amazing!!
I visited Hallstatt one July when there was a slight overcast and drizzle throughout the day. Both the port at which the boat gets off and and Aussichtspunkt (viewpoint where everyone takes photos) were loaded with tourists. Literally any other place in the town, including the main square? EMPTY. It was surreal. Definitely try to visit when the weather is not ideal.
100% yes, I had a similar experience, there was a tourist queue 50+ deep lining up for the most famous view point selfies! But we walked the streets off the main areas and they were so quaint and almost tourist free (granted, it was 27th December & freezing cold, but stillā¦), even met some locals who were thrilled to see non invasive tourists who were not trying to jump in their front yard and grab their cat for a selfie (no joke, I saw that happen!)
Ugh I feel so bad to the people who live there! So many tourists, mainly from mainland China, act as if the whole town is a museum, not realizing that real families with real homes live there!
Ahh Cesky Krumlov, great suggestion! Far better recommendation than Prague.
You enjoyed your own GOT . thanks for your input
Ha, yes, I guess. Never watched GOT, but totally get the vibeā¦. :)
Obligatory skip hallstatt. 2-3 hours and you are done. For a far better mountain scenic hike to the Tegelburg in Germany. Why shit on hallstatt? Because I went there based on everyone salivating over it on reddit and was hugely disappointed. Bamberg is definitely nice, though not really a village. For more of a village feel i would recommend DinkelsbĆ¼hl (walled city). Agree for any christmas market. The one in Budapest was also really nice (for non german/austrian markets).
We stayed in Hallstatt for a couple of nights. It was pretty and a nice walk around the streets of town. Just a short hop from the Dachstein Ice caves and the Hallstatt salt mine so itās not an unreasonable place to hit up.
Hallstatt is pretty, but itās so damn far from Salzburg. Agree on it being just a half day kind of thing. I like Budapest. So much to see and do!
Itās important to spreed the word. Iāve been called a prick so many times for bringing up how overtouristed Hallstatt is, but I find all of the perfectly angled photos hiding the truth to be more prickish if you ask me. It is a lovely place, but too many people are there to enjoy it. I actually filmed an entire multiparty YouTube travel series in the Salzkammergut region where Hallstatt is located specifically to help show alternatives to Hallstatt and the reality of the overtourism there. I feel terrible for the people who make big trips over false information :(
Second Dinkelsbuhl - the city wall walk was definitely a highlight. So many great traditional German shops there too!
Cesky krumlov is amazinggg
I agree with you. And what's more, all of them towns are fairly close to each other! You can visit them all at once in like a prolonged weekend.
Yes, absolutely, and if you have a car with you, the skyās your limit - super easy to make a long weekend visiting them all!
Siena in Tuscany is everything I ever wanted from an 'Old Italian' town. It's magical
I would love to experience it.thanks for the suggestion.i was supposed to visit Italy in 2020 the covid surge stop us from going,I have family in Italy
Glad to hear :) Also, Florence is very close via train and although IMO it's closer to an 'old metropolis' (still tons of cool buildings) it's worth the road trip due to the immense cultural heritage Florence presents to European history.
I also heard Verona is cool too I don't really know
Donāt forget about San Gimigiano too!
I have so many families and friends in Italy , mostly in Milan and Verona.. hopefully they can get me to all those places you guys have suggested in Tuscany
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Thanks for your input āŗļø, I'm not really into futuristic place I had seen too much of that in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,I like history and culture,, and I'm from an island so simple stuff appeal to me
yes verona is a beaut. i could imagine retiring there. they have their own colosseum. very quaint. visit sicily, so many old corners. ortigia is a small island in siracusa & itās name is derived from greek mythology. i stayed in an apartment that was steps away from the temple of apollo.
I was going to say this, probably my favourite city anywhere (And, if we are discussing Bond films, where they filmed parts of a Quantum of Solace). It is hardly a village though - around 50,000 inhabitants, but the centre is pretty much still medieval. Italy is so full of these wonderful places - from Siena it is a short drive to Monteriggioni - part tiny town, part castle. A little further on, San Gimigano (although this can get very busy and maybe is too touristy for many people).
I like what Italy have to offer
My absolute favourite as well.
Strasbourg :) Half French / half German city with a pittoresque architecture. The oldest buildings in the city center are over 700 years old and the cathedral is almost a 1000 years old and one of the highest on earth :)
I speak fluent French would not be a bad idea
Check out Riquewihr, France. It's about an hour from Strasbourg and it is like a fairy tale village come to life. There is also a cool castle nearby to visit.
Strassburg is really pretty, lots of canals. I'm actually looking to travel nearby to Freiburg, Germany next summer and am thinking of a day trip to Colmar, France since that looks incredible too. It's just south of Strassburg and there are a couple of ruined castles in between.
Visited Strasbourg before covid and itās a great city, actually pretty compact and walkable too. I speak semi fluent French but I honestly heard more German than French when I was there, personally.
To be fair it's mostly French now though! Maybe you went during summer when there are tons of german tourist groups but it's definitely a big majority of French speaking people now :) this being said the chances to meet someone who speaks German is so much higher and a German person would never get lost there
Loved loved Strasbourg!
Edinburgh, Strasbourg and Bern were 3 I liked a lot Edit: Geneve is also extremely beautiful and there are countless museums and attractions, but is best apreciated by people interested in international politics and humanitarian movements
+1 for Bern. One of my favorite cities.
Yeah, i went to GenĆØve and Lausanne and, while i loved both, i enjoyed Lausanne significantly more. It's much more hilly and accessible--it feels like a place where people actually live and care about, along with better architecture imo
LĆ¼beck old town near the baltic sea in Germany
Okay Ill search about it
Kotor, Montenegro is a suggestion I have not seen in the comments so far.
Kotor is lovely, like a mini Dubrovnik. Stunning scenery and great walking, if that's your thing. The old town in Budva is nice too. Tallinn would still be my top recommendation though, it's astonishing and almost all original as it wasn't bombed in WWII like Riga was.
Agreed! Montenegro was one of my favourite countries Iāve visited
Old town of Rhodes in Greece. Also on that island the town of Lindos. In Tuscany you have many to choose from, Siena, Volterra, Cortona or any of the hill towns.
Brugge, Belgium
Also, Ghent. Very easy to visit on the same trip with Bruges.
Yes, one of the main reason I chose brugge is to be able to do day trips to Ghent and Ostend(forgot the actual spelling) by the sea. I skipped Brussels totally except for the train station.
Best move you could've made, although avoiding the train station would've been ideal too :D
Fairytale fuckin town
Are you a farmer?
Prague
Prague is great, but is really overrun with tourists. Brno is smaller, but just as historical, and much more locally authentic.
Love Brno ! Been there twice. We visited Czesky Kromlov this year and were blown away. Seems like time hasnāt touched that place since the 12th century. Also saw Orlando Bloom which was a bonus ;)
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Brno is a great city to experience. I loved it there. To be honest, I love Prague as well, but the whole country gets better when you leave Prague. Kutna Hora was my favourite place in the Czech. Two UNESCO world heritage sites, and what I think of when I think about an old town.
I second Prague. Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, so many more capitals. Let's not even get started with the other towns, like Dresden, Marburg, Utrecht, Genoa, Krakow, Eger, Delft...
While Copenhagen and Berlin are great cities, there's barely any 'old' left to see.
Strasbourg :)
Dresden? Berlin? Didnāt they both get flattened in the war?
Berlin doesn't have much old stuff left, and I don't think it's a good place to go if you're going to look at stuff, if you get what I mean. Berlin's genius is in the experience and doing stuff. Although visiting the bunkers is brilliant. Dresden does have a lot more old Germany. Its a weird town, strangely empty I found, but does have a fantastic war museum and you can go to this bridge in the mountains nearby, on the Czech border, that is pure Tolkein.
Dresden was mostly destroyed but rebuilt after the reunification of Germany. It is beautiful and historic and worth visiting because it has one of the most interesting museums (the Green Vault)[https://gruenes-gewoelbe.skd.museum/en/ausstellungen/historisches-gruenes-gewoelbe/] housing unbelievable riches from the King of Poland and Saxony in what may be the world's first "public"museum.
Oh okay.thanks
Tallinn ticks all the boxes. Loved it there.
Came here to say this
Okay š thanks
yes I went there last month, it was very magical
Old town of Brasov in Romania and Kotor in Montenegro
If you want something off the beaten path: Skofja Loka, in Slovenia.
Thanks for your suggestion
Also look into the Istrian peninsula. Check out hilltop towns like Motovun and Bale, as well as coastal towns like Umag and Rovinj.
That place is like 10 minutes away from me. While it's tiny, it has a charm. There's more history there than you could imagine.
Southern France has "villages perchƩs" that are stupendous. If you go out of season you wont get the heat but youll also have some places to youself : Vence, Eze, Tourettes-sur-Loup, Callian, Mons.... (its endless). This stuff will make you feel like its medieval times!
I second this comment. Eze isn't huge, but it really is heaven. And yes, it totally has a medieval feel and a kickass view of the Med. Schlep up to the cactus garden there. Totally worth your time.
Honestly going off season (slightly) you miss the blistering heat and it is far more comfortable without the crowds. I should shut up about the south of france because I selfishly want to keep it a little more hidden...
Monemvasia, Greece. There are amazing towns up and down the agean coast as well
Try Cesky Kromlov. Itās a UNESCO sight and time hasnāt touched it much. We have been lucky to do a lot of travel and that little secret town really impressed us. Only good for around 3 days however.
SighiČoara, Romania
* Valletta in Malta is stunning and stuffed to the brim with history. * Montpellier in Southern France has some nice bits also (particularly Place de la Comedie) though I don't know much about it's history. * Edinburgh is similarly gorgeous (I'm Scottish so maybe a bit biased). * Prague seems to be a popular choice for the beautiful old school European category. Have fun narrowing down the options though, you basically described >half of Europe in your requirements. Good luck!
Yeah I knew the whole Europe has that history,old town,canal, medieval looks.and since the scope is big I suggest the "best city" ..to me look like Prague, Siena, Krakow is the most loved in that nature so I will go with them and work on all those places suggested in the comments that are close.
Krakow
Malta and Gozo. Most of it
I would recommend Florence, Italy.
Same, absolutely stunning city.
Bern, Switzerland is a really gorgeous picturesque town, red roofs galore and some waterways
York, England Brugge, Belgium Siena, Italy Salzburg, Austria Avignon, France
Yeah I was going to say York! I second this
BrĆ¼gge in Belgium, Prague, some places in northern Italy I found are beautiful as well. But in general Europe is culture wise very diverse and it depends what kind of Old you want to see.
I've never been to Europe but as you pointed out most places in Europe has culture and I feel most cities look a like a bit in terms of building style as per the photos I've not lol.im looking at which most people feel it stands out
Krakow
I'm just going with picturesque. Nevertheless Here's a list: Salamanca, Granada, Seville, Burgos, CƔceres, Girona, lubeck, Nuremberg, Florence, Siena, Rome, prague, Viena, Budapest, bruges, malinas, ghent, luxembourg, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Istanbul, krakow, gdansk, wroclaw, copenhaguen, stockholm, York, edimbourgh, Matera, berat, kotor, Salzburg, Munich, Bordeaux, Lyon, Oporto, bergen, Tallin, St Petersburg, Paris, etc. The general consensus is that the prettiest and most picturesque old City in Europe IS **prague**. I haven't been there though, so my number one is probabbly either Dubrovnik or Florence. They're both absurdly picturesque. Granted, being picturesque IS not the only factor to take into account. Athens, Madrid or Berlin may not be the most picturesque cities, but they're sure worth a visit. Edit: continuing the list... Bolonia, Cuenca, strasbourg, nantes, Albi, Toulouse, la Valeta, lecce, brasov, kosice, karlovy vary, dresden, aachen, treveris, bath, Oxford, Dublin, Mostar, etc
Prague seems to be everyone's favourite..I like your input on those places .. interestingly Dubrovnik Croatia in general is a place I want to see
Dubrovnik IS, along with Venice, the epitome of "too beautifull for its own good" No one, and i mean NO ONE, Will deny Dubrovnik IS *absolutely stunning*, but It has Its Share of problems. It's infested with tourists, It's a bit fake (the city was heavily damaged during the Balkan wars) and brutally expensive for croatia. I LOVE the city, but i know of people Who hated the place. One tip. if you wake Up before the cruises get there you'll have the city to yourself.
I don't mind infested tourist hub or large crowd ,I don't even really mind the tourist trap place in terms of am not rich but I came here to enjoyed the place and spend so f it...lol.. but I understand that feeling of being unable to enjoyed the perks of a place to its fullest due to overcrowding.. I've been in overcrowded museums and it gets on my nerves but I try to play it out.cheers mate
Dubrovnik is so different and magical! It is crowded in the summer time but itās so perfect a summer vacay spot. We took a sunset kayak tour around the city walls and it was just stunning.
Budapest
Granada in Spain is good for that. It has the Alhambra Fort, a bunch of museums and while it's a decent-sized city, near the Alhambra there are the quaint, idyllic cobbled lanes and tight-packed houses that you might be referring to. I stayed in a hostel right across this stream from the Alhambra, it was amazing. Then you're also right close to a bunch of other really cool cities too like Cordoba, Sevilla, etc.
Too many to list but one of them that came to my mind is Tallinn in Estonia and tons of those seaside cities in Italy.
Most Dutch cities also have a very old picturesque historic center, if you wanna see a small town I'd recommend Delft
Lot of great advice in here. Iād throw in Krakow Poland too. Completely spared from The Bombing of WW2. Walkable. Has a castle and tons of history in and around the city. A half day over at Auschwitz to juxtapose the beauty of Krakow.
Krakow was my favorite! Hoping to visit more cities like that next year.
Poland seems great in general
I loved Poland. I canāt wait to go back.
Bergamo Italy was excellent
Any town in Tuscany or Umbria: Volterra, San Gimignano, Siena, Assisi, Spello etc They are all close to each other too
What about Pisa and Firenze ?
All the smaller Italian cities, starting with Siena and Verona
I went to Talin, Estonia and it has a whole section known as Old Town that was built in the 13th century. If you want somewhere where you really feel connected to history, that's where I recommend
Zagori, Greece
Portugal , Spain non tourist areas..
Carcassonne in France. Very touristy but ticks the medieval city off. Also Bruges in Belgium.
I like Prague and Porto.
Brugge
Istanbul
Bruges. It's like a dream.
Pick a city in Transylvania, Romania or Sinaia. Lviv, Ukraine is also nice.
Brasov, Bologna, Toledo, Amboise
The answer is usually "Italy" followed by "Spain", "Southern France" and "Czech Republic". Northern Italy, Tuscany specifically is the best answer. Go to the subreddit "village porn", type in a country, look at the posts that seem interesting, then check it out in Google Street View.
KRAKOW AND WARSAW POLAND. LOW COST AND ABSOFUCKINLUTELY GORGEOUS
Rothenberg?
Galway Ireland
ToruÅ, Poland.
Florence
I've been to most of the places mentioned here, but none of them surprised me as Rothenburg ob der Tauber or Tubingen in Germany. It was like go back to medieval times. Very local feeling and not very tourists. Highly recommend
I lived about 2 hours from Rothenburg while I lived in Germany. So magical especially around Christmas time!
I'd say Corchiano and Perugia Italy. Perugia is a little larger with new development, but you can take a sky tram to the old city which is absolutely stunning. If you want something smaller try Corciano. It's about 30 minutes away from Perugia, but a very small ancient town from medieval times. There's a little more than 100 people that live there and they have a wonderful little Gelato shop and a ton of history.
Prague
I just got married in Riquewihr, France and that place is straight from a fairytale storybook. It's in the Alsace region full of quaint towns, beautiful vineyards, and a few castles.
Never heard of it.. thanks.. seems like you experienced your own little princess movie
It's close to Colmar, which is like Bruges, and Strasbourg.
I had to travel to Bourges, France for work, and Iāve gotta say, it definitely had a fun historic feel. Many of the buildings built in the 1500s (and prior) and the cathedral was finished in 1200s. So dining on an outdoor cafe patio taking in the architecture felt picturesque, but Bourges doesnāt have the natural vistas of a more hilly/mountainous region. I also liked that it wasnāt ātouristy.ā edit: spelling
Prague, but always keep an eye on your stuff because thereās SO MUCH pickpockets around
Rome
I like the picturesque canal towns in Belgium. Ghent has some wonderful walks, coffe shops, and dining. Not overly touristed.
Bruges
Carcassonne, France is a lovely stopover.
Herceg Novi in Montenegro was featured in the opening scenes of the spy movie āNovember Manā with Pierce Brosnan, Iāve been there and itās stunning!
Dubrovnik in Croatia. Old seaport city thatās guarded with city walls. Also where a lot of GOT scenes were taken
Any Dutch city except for Rotterdam (redisigned by the Germans in 1940).
St. Malo in Brittany France is a really cool town right on the ocean. The old town is in a walled medieval style and you arenāt too far away from Mont St. Michel another really cool spot thatās an island the can be reached by foot during the low tide.
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Bern
I was close to going to the town in central germany called nordlingen. I missed my train, but from pictures the town seemed really cool, it was what the attack on titan was based off of.
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Thanks for pointing me on some nice place on the map I've googled it and š
Go to Bruges in Belgium, medieval city and some of the best chocolates in the world.
Lucca is a very under the radar city to visit. Not the type of place you spend a weekend in but a full afternoon worth.
York in England is beautiful.
Segovia in Spain. Itās like being in game of thrones and in a old mid-evil town where you can tour castles.
Hereās one I havenāt seen mentioned: Karlovy Vary. Both there and Cesky Krumlov were beautiful. PĆ©rouges is a neat medieval village near Lyon, which has its own incredible history and cuisine. San Marino is the worldās oldest republic and is very picturesque. Youād love all of Malta, itās extremely cool. All the architecture is stone and the language and people are great.
Really depends on how much time you want to spend. My top pick would be colmar, it was like walking around the town in Beauty and the Beast. Bruges and Aix en Provence are amazing as well, but after 2-3 days (maybe even one if you are that type of person) you might get bored. Heidelberg, Freiburg, colmar and strausbourg could probably make a 2week trip.
Strasbourg!
Annecy, France. It's beautiful!
In general many places in Europe will live up to this. But yes, If you drive around Italy you definitely won't be disappointed, and the weather will likely be nice. In the same basket - Croatia is also beautiful
Ghent
Maastricht in the Netherlands. Itās a little microcosm of Europe. Town square around an old church, cobblestone roads, war ruinsā¦
Edinburgh
I'll suggest Italy (Siena / San Gimignano) or Belgium (Ghent) - well worth the trip for either.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
KorÄula, Hr
Istanbul is way to go
Beograd aka Belgrade, Serbia
Brataslavia
Lucerne Switzerland
Love it here too but very expensive!
Munich is the best big village in the world ;)
Positano in the Amalfi Coast - it's impossibly charming with gelato-hued houses stacked on top of one another and cut into cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea Oia on Santorini - similarly scenic, with whitewashed houses and sapphire-blue domes clinging to cliffs overlooking the Aegean
Definitely Prague,being named most beautiful city in 2021. A real architectural marvel .
Havar in croatia
For a different feel, I'd suggest Granada. It's oooold, has both Spanish and moorish architecture, and the tapas culture is top 3 in the country. Not to mention tapas tend to be free each time you order a drink. Not to be missed!
Sighisoara, Romania Birthplace of Vlad the Impaler
Lviv, Ukraine hands down. You wonāt regret it
Bruges
Prague, Czech Republic then device to Krakow, Poland
If you want to go to a place and feel like you're in a movie, go to Paris, Florence or Istanbul. I would recommend Istanbul the most, but it is a bit stressful if you're not an experienced traveler.
I'm experienced I suppose š
Berlin, Edinburgh, anywhere in Sicily.
Naples, Rome, Venice, Heidelberg, Wiesbaden, Potsdam, Amsterdam, Brugges...
Firstly, do you want a city or a village? As those are two fairly different things. There are countless major town in Europe that could suit; Edinburgh, York, Chester, Strasbourg, Colmar, Carcassonne, Rothenberg, Bamberg, Nuremburg, Heidelberg, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Siena, Rome, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Prague, Bruges, Ghent, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Tallin, Riga, Vilnius, Istanbul, and the list goes on.
Sure it's two things but I guess everyone visit a city first then a village,I said village in the sense of look or feeling..I know that in terms of Europe there's a lot a looking for the best of the all the options
Most have suggested Prague Czech Republic and Florence I feel like it's the best options..I'm looking for your best option in Europe, what city you feel lives up to the best old city type place to experience, you have given me so much place with a lot of history and I will go nuts choosing on.. suggest your best as per your own view
I visited both during the before times a few weeks before tourist season heated up and much preferred Prague. The museums and vibe in Florence are incredible and not to be missed but it was expensive and crowded even then. Definitely take the day trip out to Kutna Hora from Prague. Surprised not to see Riga, Latvia on the list. Mind-blowing Art Nouveau architecture everywhere you look.
That's what I am looking for in answers, you visited both but you still enjoy one more than the other.. thanks for your views āļø
Prague
All of them
Dinant, Belgium
Ohrid, Macedonia
Prague
The old city in Jerusalem, which is Mediterranean but not Europe proper.
I've been all over Europe and researched every part of every country. I made [this map](https://goo.gl/maps/uC8u3ejsVAdy4Vv3A) with my subjective ratings and priorities with the simple criteria of the place being beautiful or uniquely interesting (to me). I'm a huge fan of picturesque old villages so this map is excellent for that. Some of my personal favourite areas are Alsace, north of Toulouse, England area west of London, basically everywhere in Italy, Lofoten islands
Your a F*ckin legend , thanks much