I recently visited Schloss Neuschwanstein, a castle in Southern Germany famous for inspiring Walt Disney and providing the blueprint for the Disney motif. Naturally, the trip got me thinking about other places in Europe that have inspired fairy tales or ā more to the point ā could do.
From romantic cobbled streets to dramatic clifftop vistas, here are 10 fairy-tale villages in Europe that could inspire their own happy ever afterā¦
11. Colmar, France
Reportedly the inspiration for Beauty and the Beast, traditional Colmar is an obvious choice for this list, looking like it came straight out of the pages of a fairy tale. Located in the Alsace region, close to both Strasbourg and the German border, the town is characterised by its pastel-coloured timber-frame houses, narrow cobbled streets ā and swarms of tourists. Particularly charming (and particularly popular) is the row of houses located along the river. Still, the lack of parking explains why Belle always had to walk to the libraryā¦
10. Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau,Ā Belgium/Netherlands
While the buildings of Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau arenāt likely to inspire any happy endings, the curious story of the two towns is sure to get some creative minds thinking. Putting it simply, the town is split into two, with Baarle-Hertog in Belgium and Baarle-Nassau in the Netherlands, but the border zig-zags all across town, with neighbouring houses in different countries. The perfect setting for star-crossed lovers, aka Flemish Romeo and Dutch Julietā¦
Click here for a more in-depth explanation.
9. Beddgelert, Wales
Arguably one of the most beautiful villages in the world, Beddgelert is a scene of tragedy, not romance. As legend would have it, a villager left his trusty hound Gelert to look over his baby while he went out hunting. On his return, he found the child had been attacked and discovered Gelert covered in blood. The man killed Gelert for harming the baby, only to discover the slain body of a wild wolf, which Gelert had heroically fought off after it attempted to attack the child. The name of the village is Welsh for āGelertās grave.ā Not all fairy tales have happy endings.
8. Rostov-Veliky,Ā Russia
Found on Russiaās famed Golden Ring, Rostov-Veliky is one of the oldest villages in the country. Thanks to the townās historic importance, the golden onion domes of its numerous churches can be seen rising above the rooftops of the sleepy town, which looks its best under a blanket of snow. In winter, the colourful domes of the monastery can be viewed from across the frozen Lake Nero.
“The cold never bothered me anywayā¦” –Ā Elsa in Rostov-Veliky, probably.
See more from the Golden Ring here.
7. Staithes, England
Fairy tale village and picture-perfect Staithes hugs the rugged Yorkshire coast in Northern England. Hidden in a small bay, the fishing town and its narrow streets are dwarfed by the high cliffs on either side, offering some beautiful views over the rooftops of the town. The coastal scenery, cosy cottages and fishing nets create the atmosphere of an idyllic English village. The ideal inspiration for a seaside storyā¦
For more reasons to visit North Yorkshire, click here.
6. Sighisoara (SchƤĆburg),Ā Romania
The perfect recipe for a fairy tale village: take a hill-top town, pepper with colourful cottages, sprinkle with cobbled-stone streets and then top with a fortified church and an ancient graveyard. Transylvaniaās Sighisoara fits the bill perfectly with Instagram-worthy views at every turn and even a horse-drawn carriage or two. The covered staircase to the hill-top church is perfectly gothic.
Read more on Transylvania here.
5. Pocitelj, Bosnia & Herzegovina
A fortified Ottoman village built into steep cliffs, Pocitelj could be the perfect setting for a dramatic love story, or even a medieval legend of bravery. However, the town today is almost a ghost town, adding a taste of melancholy. Ravaged by war and abandoned by its inhabitants, Pocitelj feels a bit like a tragic but beautiful hidden gem, waiting for be rediscovered.
Read more about Pocitelj here.
4. Portmeirion,Ā Wales
Walesā second entry on this list is the beautiful village of Portmeirion, also found in Snowdonia. Behind its beauty, the place is a total oddity. Most of the buildings were personally designed and built by himself, using materials taken from decaying mansions and relics. One man builds a whole Italian town in Wales? The story writes itself.
Click here for more unusual places in Europe.
3. Quedlinburg,Ā Germany
Timber-framed cottages? Check. Colourful houses? Check. Gigantic castle soaring above the town? Check. Quedlinburg fits the bill for a story-book town almost perfectly, but the wider Harz region is also a melting pot for magic and myths. The areaās highest peak, the Brocken, is said to attract witches from miles around and on 30 April, Walpurgisnacht, villages in the region light bonfires to ward off evil spirits in a pagan ritual. By the clicking of my thumbsā¦
For more reasons to visit the Harz region, click here.
2. Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Ok, so the capital of one of the worldās best-known tax havens might not seem an obvious contender for a fairy tale village, but hear me out. A tiny principality of just 32,000 people, Liechtenstein is nestled amongst the Alps and still ruled by Prince Hans-Adam II, who lives in the imposing Vaduz Castle high above the town. The castle can be seen from anywhere in the town, meaning your never out of sight of the Princeās gazeā¦
Read more on the appeal of Liechtenstein here.
1. The Cinque Terre, Italy
The Cinque Terre, meaning āfive lands,ā is an area of Italy composing of five coastal villages. Each is seemingly impossibly built on steep cliffs, clinging to the rocks and overlooking the sea below. Each town is also impossibly beautiful, with incredible views no matter where you look. And while the towns today are well connected to each other and the rest of Italy, itās not hard to imagine these beautiful villages being completely isolated, situated on the edge of the Earth.
Thinking of visiting the Cinque Terre? Read this.
You have picked some amazing villages that sum up why Europe is so awesome! They’re all so pretty! I want to go to all of them š
I agree – thanks for your comment Vicki!
Went to Liechtenstein after a deployment t Iraq, the boring slow way of life there calmed me down so much, just what I needed.
This is a great collection of places Iāve never heard about but want to learn more about. Loved your post and itās inspirational, and made me wanna go to Pocitelj. And BTW, you should check out Popeye Village on Malta – thatās a quite cute little village.
Thanks for the tip Monica! And Pocitelj is a lovely place to visit, but also very sad. I would definitely recommend it!
After visiting these three routes, you will be fed up with half-timbered houses, castles and fairy tales. š
http://www.deutsche-fachwerkstrasse.de/uk/index.php
http://www.burgenstrasse.de/uk/Home.html
http://www.deutsche-maerchenstrasse.com/de/
Thanks for the tips Josh! I’ve been to a few of the villages mentioned on that list and the others look easy enough to get to from Cologne š
I’m crying for that valiant Gelert. What a story. You’ve also mentioned a couple of towns I’ve not heard of, and I love a small town. All are beautiful.
It is a sad story, but luckily the town isn’t as depressing!
All of these look straight out of a storybook. Nothing beats a town that excites my imagination!
Couldn’t agree more Kevin. Which was your favourite?
Loved reading this article – I spent my year abroad in Colmar and it’s such a beautiful town! Cinque Terre is on my bucketlist, but in the nearer future I’d love to visit Staithes, having seen it on a few other similar lists and knowing it’s not too far from Leeds…!
That interesting, how was it living in Colmar for a whole year? I really liked the town but it was absolutely packed the day we visited – I can imagine it could feel a bit claustrophobic at times with so many tourists?
Definitely do Staithes! It’s a lovely day trip š
I have never been to Europe but I want to visit exactly for this! European villages are so different and have a charm like no other.
Couldn’t agree more Vedante!
This was great! No matter how much I’ve been travelling in Europe, I haven’t visited any of these places… yet! š I do love small places though, as you know, so this is a great addition to my ‘to do’ -list! Have a great week, John!
It’s just a shame I couldn’t add anywhere from Finland to the list…yet!
I love them all! I need another vacation, stat :))))
Another vacation is always a good idea š Which was your favourite Anna?
I NEED to visit Colmar, I keep seeing photos that remind me just how pretty it is! Also, now I have another reason to go to England – Staithes! <3
Colmar was lovely but very, very busy. So pleased you like Staithes! The area around there is absolutely beautiful too š
Some beauties here to add to the wishlist ā loved Portmeirion and I’ve been wanting to get to the Cinque Terre for years now, here’s hoping 2016 might be it!
Oh Cinque Terre was amazing – probably one of the most memorable journeys I’ve done (and not just because we had to be up at 4am). I have a couple of posts on here to help you plan your trip – 2016 has to be the year!