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 – more to the point – 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 after…
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 – 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 library…
10. Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau, Belgium/Netherlands
While the buildings of Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau aren’t 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 Juliet…
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 ‘Gelert’s grave.’ Not all fairy tales have happy endings.
8. Rostov-Veliky, Russia
Found on Russia’s famed Golden Ring, Rostov-Veliky is one of the oldest villages in the country. Thanks to the town’s 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 anyway…” – 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 story…
For more reasons to visit North Yorkshire, click here.
6. Sighisoara (Schäßburg), 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. Transylvania’s 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, Wales
Wales’ 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, 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 area’s 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 thumbs…
For more reasons to visit the Harz region, click here.
2. Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Ok, so the capital of one of the world’s 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 Prince’s gaze…
Read more on the appeal of Liechtenstein here.
1. The Cinque Terre, Italy
Manarola on the Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre, meaning ‘five lands,’ 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, it’s 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.