I love big cities, but there are a lot of them around the world the feel remarkably similar. They consistently feature skyscrapers, crowded streets, and busy people in business suits.
In my travels I have found that one of the best ways to experience a fundamentally different culture is to explore the smaller villages away from the big cities. Below are 27 of the most beautiful villages the world (some small cities) that immediately show how unique they truly are.
The Most Beautiful Villages in the World
Let me know in the comments which of these beautiful villages is your favorite.
1. Shan State village, Myanmar
Inle Lake, Shan State village, Myanmar. Definitely not the easiest village to get to, but if you get the chance, it is the opportunity of a lifetime!
2. Popeye Village, Malta
Popeye Village, located at Anchor Bay in the north-west corner of the Mediterranean island of Malta.
3. Xingping Guangxi, China
The Xingping and Li river from a nearby mountain in Xingping Guangxi China.
4. Carvoeiro, Portugal
Beautiful small town of Carvoeiro on the Portuguese coast.
5. Simiane La Rotonde Village, France
Simiane La Rotonde Village in Provence, France.
Related: 9 Charming Towns in France
6. Reine, Norway
Gorgeous village in Reine, Norway.
See also: 20 Photos That Will Inspire You To Visit Norway
7. Manarola, Italy
Manarola is a village in the province of La Spezia, Italy.
See also: 12 Best Cities in Italy to Visit This Year
8. Rural village, China
Village on a rice field in southern China.
9. Vernazza, Italy
Who doesn’t want to travel here?! The village of Vernazza, one of the Cinque Terre on the Italian coast.
10. Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt, one of Austria’s oldest and most famous towns and one of the most beautiful village in the world.
11. Gifu village, Shirakawa, Japan
Shirakawa, Gifu village in Japan. Known for being the site of Shirakawa-go traditional village showcasing a building style known as gassho-zukuri.
12. Cochem, Germany
Amazing Village of Cochem, Germany.
13. Village in the Dolomites in the Italian Alps
Amazing scenery of the Dolomites in the Italian Alps.
14. Albarracin, Spain
Albarracin, Spain
15. Ronda, Spain
Ronda, a mountain top village in Spain’s Malaga province that sets dramatically above a deep gorge. This place is out of this world beautiful. Do you agree?
16. Nuuk, Greenland
Nuuk, Greenland, pretty much my top dream travel destination. So much so that we even wrote a post all about it even though we have yet to go there! I couldn’t help myself – Greenland is just incredibly fascinating to me.
You can check out that post here – you know you really want to go somewhere when you study about the culture in your free time. One day it is going to happen.
See also: 20 Of The Most Colorful Cities In The World
17. Bibury, England
The charming English village of Bibury, England.
18. Procida, Italy
Gorgeous view of a fisherman’s villages on the island of Procida, Italy.
19. Staithes, North Yorkshire
Staithes, North Yorkshire. Exactly what I would imagine a place in North Yorkshire to look like.
20. Ait Benhaddou, Morocco
Ait Benhaddou in Morocco is an impressive fortified city made up of many “kasbahs”. A kasbah is buildings made entirely from mud and straw.
21. Trondheim, Norway
The colorful city of Trondheim, Norway.
22. Village in Burgundy, France
Burgundy, France.
23. Halong Bay, Vietnam
Incredible floating village in Halong Bay, Vietnam.
24. Small remote village in Iceland
Green roof houses in Iceland make for one of the most beautiful villages on the list.
Related Post: Top 10 Things To Do In Iceland
25. Foggia, Italy
Foggia is a city in Southern Italy. With a population of just over 153,000 Foggia definitely slides under most people’s radar.
Read Next: 30 Most Beautiful Cities in Italy
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These are amazing! I really want to go travelling now. Especially to the Igloo village :)
Isn’t the Igloo village amazing?! It is on my bucket list for sure now.
heavens on earth!!! thanks for posting all of these……
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks!
Nice surprise these pictures…beautiful villages and I haven’t even heard of most of them!
Thank you so much Anke!
Have just visited Staithes last week-end, it’s too good to be true!
Ah I am so jealous! We are slowly making our way through this list and Staithes is one we haven’t been to yet. It looks like a fairy tale.
I have never heard about Cochem. It looks like an amazing place to visit. Thank you for the list!
Cochem is one of my favorites! Thanks for reading!
Great list! Although Trondheim is not a village, it’s the third largest city in Norway :)
Halong bay is amazing. I went there last year.
I would love to visit Myanmar, looks so pretty.
I know! They are all amazing! I can’t wait to get back to traveling!
My bucket list just got a LOT longer!
Tell me about it! So many incredible places to visit!
Halong bay is amazing. I went there last year.
I would love to visit Myanmar, looks so pretty.
i loved that you share with my story in Abu Dhabi
Who said these are the most beutiful villages in the world ?
Do the author see all villages in the world ?