9 of the Most Beautiful Villages in Europe

Europe is the birthplace of western civilization, home of some of the most exciting times in history. It’s where the Renaissance flourished, the origins of the all of the Grimm Brothers fairytales, and home to some of the most beautiful villages in the world.
 

1. Motrèsor, France
Nestled on the banks of the Indoris, this village is famous in France for preserving the cultural traditions and historical architecture.

2. Pučišća, Croatia
This magnificent village was built almost entirely of local stone, found on the Island of Brac, where it is located. The village has preserved the historical art of stonework, with parents passing the knowledge down to their children.

3. Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt used to be one of the most isolated places in Austria, with no more than 1000 residents. The village had a tradition of exhuming their dead every ten years to make space for new ones, and leave the skulls decorated with the owner’s name and profession.

4. Bled, Slovenia
One of Slovenia’s top tourist attractions, Bled is famous for its ancient castles and picturesque views.

5. Rocamadour, France
The name means “Lover of Rock”, and was given to the village to commemorate a hermit that used to live where the village now stands. It is claimed that the hermit actually conversed with Jesus, and his burial place became a place of pilgrimage for French believers.

6. Bonifacio, France
Originally founded as a fortress, Bonifacio is built above the water of the Mediterranean Sea, on the French Island of Corsica.

 

7. Gruyères, Switzerland
Built in medieval times, Gruyères’ streets are all made of cobblestone and the use of cars is greatly discouraged within the village.

8. Colmar, France
Fondly referred to “Little Venice”, this small village looks it came out of a Disney movie, and is known for its high-quality white wine – Alsatian Wine.

9. Bibury, England
Considered to be one of the prettiest villages in all of England, Bibury is most famous for its stone-built cottages, called “Arlington Row”. The buildings are so beautiful, that Henry Ford once tried to purchase them all, in order to ship them to the U.S.