15 Most Gorgeous European Fairytale Towns

you don't have to visit a fairy tale to see gorgeous towns like this you just have to visit germany these towns look so beautiful it's as if they existed in a fairy tale dream join me as we take a look at 15 of the most gorgeous european fairy tale towns number 15 kitzbuhel austria located on the kitzbuleka river in the central eastern alps in austria is the small medieval town of kitzbuhel which is probably best known in modern times as a premier ski destination but also looks as if it's leaped straight out of the pages of a fairy tale book the earliest signs of people living in the region date as far back as 3 000 years ago and was also ruled by the roman empire during its expansion across the alps but it was in the 13th century when the small town became a part of upper bavaria that it underwent a period of expansion at that time defensive walls were built and over the following centuries gothic architecture became one of its defining features due to its remote location kitzbuhel avoided the wars that ravaged nearby regions and this meant that many ancient buildings were able to survive and newly built structures were done so in the same style one particular note was saint catherine's church which was built in the mid 12th century as well as christ church which was built in 1962 and the dance cafe which was built in 1928 despite being a mixture of old and new there are now strict rules on the outer facades of all structures that must incorporate locally sourced materials and feature wooden roofs and pastel colored exteriors number 14 gruyere switzerland probably most known for being the place where the cheese comes from the swiss town of gruyere is steeped in history and with quaint buildings and more than 800 year old castle you'll feel as if there's a mystery to be uncovered around every corner built atop a hill that overlooks the san river valley there's always a population of one or two thousand people who mainly rely on agriculture ruins of a nearby roman villa as well as iron age grave sites show that people have lived there for a long time but it was when the castle was first built in the late 12th century to control the valley below that the village became established with a need for workers to support the castle gruyere began to develop in its shadows and it soon became a vibrant market town then this can be seen to this day in all directions with houses and buildings still in line with the traditional architectural designs having seen numerous rulers and counts over the years all of whom were recorded in the archives of the castle this is surely the kind of place you'd expect to stop at for a meal while you're on your way to rescue a princess number 13. rottenburg germany the incredible town of rotenberg of the talba is in bavaria in germany and it's one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the country it's also one of the only three that still have their historical city walls and relies so heavily on tourism because of its unique setting that it's part of germany's romantic road theme route which itself is based on the original trade route through the region originally founded in 1170 to support the newly built starfor castle parts of the original development can still be seen today it was soon declared a free imperial city which allowed the rulers of the town to operate independently from the wider country and even though large parts were destroyed by an earthquake in 1356 most of it was rebuilt there was a similar reconstruction period following the second world war during which almost half of the town was destroyed but all structures were designed to replicate or at least in the same style as the original designs which is why it still retains its medieval vibe today undoubtedly feeling like a fairy tale town rotenberg boasts a pedigree like no other this was the town that served as the inspiration for the setting of disney's 1940 movie pinocchio and it was also used as a location in the final two harry potter movies number 12 mostar bosnia and herzegovina the city of mostar is the fifth biggest in bosnia and herzegovina and lies on the picturesque narrative river that runs through it from the first moment you see the old bridge that crosses the waterway you can tell that this is a special place and one that almost seems like time forgot the bridge itself was built by the ottomans in the 16th century and is a stunning example of islamic architecture from the time once described as being like a rainbow soaring up into the skies it's the most visited and recognizable landmark of the city but unfortunately the one that's there isn't actually the original it did stand for more than 400 years and would be there today if it wasn't for its destruction by the pro-asian defense council in the 1990s during the bosnian war a replica was built in 2005 though which was a faithful recreation and made with exactly the same materials and to the same specifications as the original there are plenty of other historic monuments in the city too though that have stood the test of time there are the remains of a christian basilica a clock tower a more than 130 year old synagogue a lavish palace and a mosque from the 16th century that completes the historical field to mostar and has a vista that would be at home on the cover of a storybook [Music] number 11 iggy simon france located within the alsace region of northeastern france the small commune of igesheim is exactly what you'd expect from a medieval encampment in the country surrounded by vineyards and often voted as one of the most beautiful villages in france a castle was first built there in the 11th century and other buildings to support it soon followed arranged in concentric circles around the castle the streets are paved with cobbles and lined with brightly colored houses with traditional pointed roofs and timber frame construction there are still the fountains and courtyards that were installed hundreds of years ago and a small church that had its original 13th century opening virgin walking through the town you'll feel the whispers of the past all around you and stumble upon hidden messages and codes that have been etched into the wooden frames of the buildings whether these are examples of medieval graffiti or ancient riddles no one can be sure but it does add to the mystique of the place while the town is fairytale-like throughout the year it truly comes into its own around christmas time when it's covered in snow and lit up with the annual decorations the rustic charm and architecture mean you'll almost be certain that the brothers grimm must have passed through and seen it for themselves at some point number 10 bled slovenia set on the side of a glacial lake which freezes all the way over each winter blind is a medieval town in northwestern slovenia and one of the most picturesque places in the whole country despite there being a human presence there for centuries the town as it is today began taking shape in the 19th century and has become an idyllic mountain refuge from bled castle which dates back to more than a thousand years and still stands on a precipice overlooking the lake to the small island at the center of the lake which is home to the assumption of mary pilgrimage church not only does the town attract tourists from far and wide because of its stunning architecture and historical importance but also because the pure waters have led it to becoming known as a wellness resort town there's a thermal spring that feeds two of the resort's swimming pools but the lake itself reaches warm enough levels to swim in during the summer in winter though the lake brings the focus back to bled's fairy tale-like qualities because as it becomes covered in ice it's used for skating it also means that the island is accessible by foot rather than being forced to row there by a wooden boat number nine ghent belgium situated in the flemish region of belgium ghent is the third largest city in the country and while you certainly could spend your entire time there in the more modern outer suburbs the old town part of the city stays true to its historical roots it's actually been a region inhabited by people since the stone age and iron age but despite it being used by the romans gent itself first began to develop in 650 with the construction of two abbeys which can still be visited today rapid expansion during the 11th century saw it become larger than cologne and moscow by the 13th century with more than 65 000 residents within the city walls and the towers that the saint pauvo cathedral and saint nicholas's church were built around that time these and the grevinstein castle set the scene for against beauty and are complemented by other medieval buildings in the old town which truly make you feel as if you step back through time as you explore the twists and turns of the car-free streets if you ever visit there's no bad time to be in ghent but truly to savor its charm choose a time when one of the city's many festivals is taking place it's for these that the buildings are dressed and returned to their former glory number 8 positano italy the amalfi coast in italy has been inspiring people for thousands of years with evidence of communities dating back to prehistoric times the region is dotted with small encampments and towns but perhaps the most impressive is the village of positano it's within an enclave in the hills and leads down towards the coastline and it's the way that all the multi-colored buildings sit across the landscape that makes it such a picture-perfect place there are a number of archaeological sites of roman ruins but it's the buildings left over from the village's heyday between the 15th and 17th centuries that have left their mark and given it such a special feeling during this time it became a market port built around the church of santa maria asunta where there's a 13th century byzantine depiction of the madonna that was according to legend stolen by sailors who experienced such a terrible weather condition that they were forced to give their prize to the villages of positano as they passed by in the 19th and 20th centuries the town became a small poor fishing village but retained its quaint charm its resurgence as a tourist destination is thanks in part to author john steinbeck who wrote in 1953 that it's a dream place that isn't quite real when you're there and becomes beckoningly real after you've gone number 7 sintra portugal nestled within the hills of the cerre de sintra and surrounded by a thick and majestic pine forest sintra in portugal gives off fairy tale vibes as soon as you see the colorfully painted national palace of penal looking down from a hilltop but this is neither the town's only palace nor the most spectacular view on offer that's because the town has for a long time been the preferred retreat for the portuguese royalty and as such has a number of unique palaces and villas the most impressive of which surely has to be the quinta del regalera a romantic palace that was built in the 19th century and is surrounded by gardens that contain lakes fountains grottos and foleys and is covered throughout with mystic symbols it's the palacio nacional de cintra that was the town's original palace though with elements still remaining from when it was first built in the 15th century its two conical chimneys have become icons in their own right and the building is regarded as one of the best preserved palaces in all of portugal something that earned it a place on the unesco world heritage list it is also perhaps no surprise that cintra now relies heavily on tourism and with another two palaces several castles and even further stately homes and residences it's a great place to see romantic architecture with flamboyant and decorative buildings in all directions number six chesky krumlov czech republic found within the southern bohemian region of the czech republic the town of chesky krumlov offers some of the greatest examples of gothic renaissance and baroque architecture in the whole of europe the oldest settlement in the area actually dates back to the iron age as it's on an extremely useful position by a river and it used to be an important stop off a trade route through the region the biggest landmark is the cesky krumlov castle which was built in the mid 13th century and following continual building and the time since now forms one of the largest castle complexes in central europe covering an area of around 17 acres the site now features more than 40 palaces and buildings which are arranged around five castle courts and a park and as you'd expect from a medieval castle there's a moat around the whole place but instead of being filled with water it was designed to be a home to a large number of bears inside the castle the theater has been perfectly preserved as it was when it first hosted performances in the 17th century there are a number of other features and buildings that hearken back to life in that time period making the town a true fairy tale wonder [Music] number five holstadt austria despite there being archaeological evidence linking the area with the iron age the town of holstadt in austria is inextricably linked with medieval times because of the architecture on display and its undeniably picturesque surroundings it's in the gamunden district of the country with the steep slopes of the dakshnin mountain massif to one side and the shores of lake holstadt to the other for a long time the only way to access the town was by boat something that changed in 1890 with the construction of a road but the residents held firmly onto the notion that the character of the place wouldn't be affected by the influx of new people because of its historical importance and because of the scenic surroundings hoshta was recognized as a heritage site by unesco in 1997 and has since seen tourist numbers skyrocket the largest proportion of these new visitors are from china where halstad was said to be the most instagrammable place in the world rumors also spread that it was the inspiration for the village of arendelle and disney's frozen and that has led to there being as many as thirty thousand tourists a day despite there only being a permanent population of less than a thousand amazingly holsteid is seen as such a beautiful place that a replica has actually been built in china which is now its official twin town number four kolmar france another french town that's famous for its wine and its picturesque architecture is kolmar which is in northeastern france first mentioned as being a town as long ago was the year 884 it's undergone a series of changes in the time since after being ruled by the french the germans and for a time the swedish military and it was able to avoid much destruction during the french revolutions and the world wars this means it's now a gloriously preserved medieval village particularly in the old town with countless structures that were first built between the 13th and 18th centuries there are a number of different architectural styles on display here along with 19th century fountains various statues and other monuments and most of the buildings are painted in bold colors and retain their traditional wooden beams you could easily walk around colmar and believe that people who built it were inspired by fairy tales but the truth is it's the opposite thing that happened it's cited as the inspiration behind the design scene in howl's moving castle an animated japanese movie that was released in 2004 and has gone on to be featured in several other japanese works too number three gitorn the netherlands venice is by far the most famous place in the world where residents use canals instead of roads to travel but it's by no means the only place and there's a town in the netherlands that's far more beautiful and looks just like a setting from a fantasy tale called horn it's become known as the venice of the north or the dutch venice where in the old village the only way to move between buildings was by boat and it was only relatively recently that even a bicycle path was added despite having a population of fewer than three thousand people kritorn has 176 wooden bridges across the waterways each of which were dug by hand along with a series of lakes in the natural peatland that was there before the reason for doing this was that the villagers were peat farmers so by creating their ideal home they were also removing the material they needed to sell elsewhere and this left a vast network of ponds lakes islands reed beds and forests even today with more modern buildings the town is virtually entirely a pedestrian district if you choose to stay on dry land but it's by boat that you'll get the best vantage point of the 18th and 19th century thatched farmhouses number two bybury england england has a large number of quaint little rural towns that have been the inspiration for locals and stories such as lord of the rings and alice in wonderland but of all of them the one that's considered to be the most beautiful and then attracts the most visitors purely because of its photogenic qualities is byberry built along the river cone in the cotswolds the stone houses with pitched roofs were mainly built during the 17th century the honey-colored buildings were used by weavers and were specifically designed in a way to allow the wool to be hung and dried before being processed and then taken to market no matter where you look in vibrant you'll find historical buildings and evidence of a thriving market town such as the largest building library court which was constructed in 1633 the most famous part though which attracts people from as far as japan is arlington row where the cottages were first built in the 12th century as a wool store and repurposed in the 17th century as homes for the weavers this is one of the most photographed views in the region featured on the british passport and when you're having that cup of tea you'll almost be convinced you've seen a few hobbits running off into the undergrowth number one mitinvald germany as the country where most classic fairy tales were either written or said it makes sense that germany has more than its fair share of dreamy towns but the one that stands out above the rest is mythenvald which lies on the border with austria with cobbled streets and stunning mountainous views this was once a vibrant trade center where the merchants would stop off on their way to venice its heyday was during the 16th to 18th centuries at a time it also became synonymous with the manufacture of violins violas and cellos but today it's the fairy tale setting that's the biggest draw for tourists seemingly frozen in time more than 200 years ago mythenvault's old town still has a babbling brook rippling through its center with beautifully painted facades called lufte malarai adorning each building front what would otherwise be a fairly boring town is brought to life by these artistic accents many of them tell a story such as the profession of the former house owners or tales of festivals and events that took place in the town with further historical buildings like churches and workhouses and being within driving distance of some of germany's most famous castles you can imagine all of the most famous fairy tale characters walking through these streets and it almost certainly was the inspiration for a number of stories that were published by the brothers grimm watch our binge watching playlist if you'd like to watch all of our most popular top 15 videos grab a drink grab a snack and get ready to binge [Music] [Music]

Channel: Top Fives

Views: 1,482,063

Keywords: Fairytale Towns, towns

Id: nBCaqDfDdgA

Length: 20min 4sec (1204 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 29 2022