The 16 most beautiful small towns in the world

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the fairytale-esque town you’ve seen all over social media. Located in northern Bavaria, this small town is as pretty as it gets: cute timber houses with colourful flowerboxes in the windows, cobbled streets and warm, flickering lamps lining the roads. It has medieval architecture, traditional restaurants and even a castle to explore. For an even more magical experience, visit at Christmastime when it’s blanketed in snow and hosts a Christmas market straight out of a Hallmark movie.

It’ll take some adventuring to reach the town of Wae Rebo on the island of Flores in Indonesia, but the landscapes here are more than worth the journey. The area draws visitors from far and wide to see the traditional, cone-shaped Mbaru Niang houses, which sit here on top of a hill, backdropped by dramatic mountains and surrounded by lush jungle. It’s a 3-hour hike to reach Wae Rebo, meaning those who make the journey get to stay overnight, meet the local villagers and stargaze in one of Indonesia’s most remote regions.

Santorini and Mykonos might be beautiful, but they can also be busy, so heading to this stunning dupe in Tunisia means you’ll be ahead of the tourist curve. The town of Sidi Bou Said sits outside of the capital, Tunis, and flaunts the same white-washed buildings, domed roofs and sapphire blue accents that can be seen in Greece, but with more palm trees, art galleries and traditional architecture. After exploring, you can also enjoy delicious Tunisian cuisine at spots like Café des Delices while watching the sun set over the Mediterranean.

Classic storybook village meets stunning beach town in Carmel-by-the-Sea, which is in California’s scenic Monterey Peninsula. The charming streets are lined with cute cottages that wouldn’t look out of place in England, where you can enjoy afternoon tea or explore hidden passageways. In contrast, Carmel is also home to a sweeping beach on the Pacific Ocean, where surfing, diving, and kayaking with friendly seals are everyday activities. Back on dry land, the coastal town also boasts a local wine trail and dozens of California’s best restaurants. 

Alberobello is an incredible Unesco-listed town in Puglia, Italy, famous for its adorable trulli – unique round houses made of limestone with conical stone roofs. These little houses line every cobbled street in the town, particularly in the Rione Monti quarter, which is home to more than 1,000 trulli covered in climbing plants and brightly coloured flowers. You can peek inside the buildings, many of which house some of the 10,000 locals who live in this unique spot, or enjoy a drink in a tiny, traditional cafe.

Western Australia never fails to secure a spot on any list when it comes to beauty, and the town of Esperance, which has a population of just 13,000, should be at the top of everyone’s list when visiting. Esperance is scattered with sugar-soft beaches and some of the world’s bluest waters, which draw surfers and swimmers from all around. At Lucky Bay, you’ll share the sand with a population of friendly kangaroos, while in Cap Le Grand National Park, playful dolphins and seals splash in the shallows, and whales pass by just offshore.

Ogimachi is the largest town in the alpine regions of Shirakawa-go and Gokoyama in Japan. The area is one of the snowiest places in the world – pair this with the chocolate box-style, gasshozukuri farmhouses, and you have a landscape that looks like the inside of a snow globe. The thatched wooden houses, which are over 250 years old, have Unesco status and are equally stunning in spring, surrounded by miles of forest and pastel cherry blossoms. The best part? You can even stay in one overnight, complete with an open fireplace, local food and morning views of the mountains. 

In Switzerland’s Bernese Alps lies Grindelwald, a small town straight out of the Sound of Music, with snowy peaks and lush meadows all around. The valley is dotted with quintessentially Swiss wooden chalets, which make the perfect base in winter when snowsport enthusiasts flock to the region’s largest ski resort. Once the snow has melted, the fields bloom with wildflowers, and there are more than 300km of walking trails and cycling routes that wind past forests, rivers and sparkling lakes. If seeing the mountains from below isn’t enough, there are also cable cars up to Mt. First and Jungfraujoch.

Despite being the capital of the tropical island of Bonaire, Kralendijk only has around 3,000 residents. What makes this place so special is its downtown area, which is made up of Dutch buildings in a kaleidoscope of colours (that might explain the name – Kralendijk loosely translates to ‘coral reef’). Blending its Dutch history with modern Caribbean flair, each of the buildings is home to restaurants, boutiques and dive shops – ideal for picking up some supplies before exploring the rest of the island and its famous aquamarine waters, which are teeming with turtles, dolphins and tropical fish. 

Also sometimes known as Kazbegi, Stepantsminda sits in a valley amongst the Caucasus Mountains, facing Georgia’s most famous sight: the fourteenth-century Gergeti Trinity Church, which is perched on a hill and is set against the dramatic Mount Kazbek. The remote and historic area has one of the world’s oldest crossroads between Europe and Asia running through its heart, which dates back to the sixth century. Stepantsminda makes the ideal base for exploring the waterfalls and hot springs of Kazbegi National Park, and there’s even a photo-ready heart-shaped lake.

This rainbow-coloured town a few hours east of Medellin, Colombia, couldn’t be more camera-ready. The steep, cobbled streets here are flanked by small wooden houses decorated with a myriad of bright colours and pretty frescoes. Seemingly everything is painted, from stairs and balconies to walls and window frames, ensuring there is a photo opportunity around every corner. Wander the streets and make sure to fuel up before climbing the 659 steps up the towering Rock of Guatapé for a panoramic view over the surrounding lakes and islets.

Ilulissat is a small town in Greenland, one of the most remote countries on Earth, which is blanketed in snow for much of the year. Overlooking the vast, icy ocean in Disko Bay, where icebergs float past on a regular basis, Ilulissat’s draw is the cute, multicoloured wooden houses scattered across the white landscape. Dog-sledding tours, wildlife cruises and visits to Ilulissat Icefjord are just a few of the unique activities available here, along with the phenomenon of the Northern Lights, which lights up the skies in winter.

Banff is at the heart of Banff National Park, backdropped by the towering Rocky Mountains. It’s known to be a winter wonderland, where you can soak in hot springs in the snow or enjoy ski resorts that are considered to be some of the best in the world, boasting slopes to suit all levels and jaw-dropping views. In summer, there’s the chance to hike to the brilliantly blue Lake Louise and spot wildlife. To complete the daydream, visitors can stay at Fairmont Banff Springs, an opulent hotel in a castle surrounded by snow-dusted pine forests.

In Vietnam’s misty north, the town of Sapa sits amongst verdant green mountains, deep valleys and cascading rice terraces. Sapa town is compact and remote, reached by a train or coach, which climbs steeper and steeper into the hills. From the local town square, you can see Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina, and the streets are filled with motorbikes, buffalo and markets selling delicious and unusual ingredients. The surrounding area is scattered with tiny villages home to ancient Vietnamese tribes and hiking trails that wind up into the clouds.

Klaksvik is the second-largest town in the remote Faroe Islands, with a population of just 5,000 people. It’s located on the island of Borðoy and has a river running through its centre, where on each side, dramatic green peaks tower over the town and the pyramid-shaped peak of Kunoyarnakki can be seen in the distance. The streets are full of wooden houses and local coffee shops. You can catch even more awe-inspiring views via the ferry, which runs to the black basalt Kalsoy Island and otherworldly Kallur Lighthouse.

A small town that few have heard of, Ghandruk lies northwest of Pokhara in Nepal, on the hills of the Modi Khola Valley in the Annapurna region. Some might recognise this region as the location of the Himalayas, and what draws visitors to Ghandruk are the jaw-dropping panoramas over the towering peaks of Annapurna, ​​Machhapuchhre and other glacial mountains. It has traditional stone teahouses and gently swaying prayer flags, where the golden sunsets and impressive alpine backdrop are the icing on the cake after a long hike.