10 Most Picturesque European Villages To Visit

Europe has always been among the top tourist destinations of travelers from around the world. In fact, Europe is almost always listed somewhere in a travel bucket list of any wanderlust you'd meet. And why not? Europe is home to the most beautiful places that everyone dreams of visiting - Milan, Paris, Vienna, London, Barcelona just to name a few. But, did you know that like in most countries, the hard-to-reach ones are the most picturesque and beautiful among them all. Some of them are the kind of places that requires extra effort but is extra rewarding in the end - giving you an experience of a lifetime. Check out these 10 dazzling European villages that you should include in your itinerary the next time you come for a visit.

Telč, Czech Republic

Telč is a town in southern Moravia, near Jihlava, in the Czech Republic. The town was founded in the 13th century as a royal water fort on the crossroads of busy merchant routes between Bohemia, Moravia and Austria. Besides the monumental 17th century Renaissance chateau with an English-style park (a rebuilding of original Gothic castle), the most significant sight is the town square, a unique complex of long urban plaza with well-conserved Renaissance and Baroque houses with high gables and arcades.

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Bibury, England

Bibury is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on the River Coln, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northeast of Cirencester. A picture of Bibury is seen on the inside cover of all United Kingdom passports, making it the most depicted village in the world. The nineteenth-century artist and craftsman William Morris called Bibury "the most beautiful village in England" when he visited it. The village is known for its honey-colored seventeenth century stone cottages with steeply pitched roofs, which once housed weavers who supplied cloth for fulling at nearby Arlington Mill.

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Hallstatt, Austria

Hallstatt is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter See (a lake). It is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, a culture often linked to Celtic, Proto-Celtic, and pre-Illyrian peoples in Early Iron Age Europe, c.800–450 BC. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence for the Celts was found in Hallstatt.

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Colmar, France

Colmar is the third-largest commune of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. It is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department and the arrondissement of Colmar. The town is situated along the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the "capital of Alsatian wine" (capitale des vins d'Alsace). The city is renowned for its well preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks and its museums, among which is the Unterlinden Museum with the Isenheim Altarpiece.

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Bled, Slovenia

Bled is an Alpine town alongside glacial Lake Bled in northwestern Slovenia. It is most notable as a popular tourist destination in the Upper Carniola region and in Slovenia as whole, attracting visitors from abroad, as well. Bled is known for the glacial Lake Bled, which makes it a major tourist attraction. Perched on a rock overlooking the lake is the iconic Bled Castle. The town is also known in Slovenia for its vanilla and cream pastry (Slovene: kremšnita, kremna rezina). A small island in the middle of the lake is home to Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church; visitors frequently ring its bell for good luck. The island on Lake Bled has 99 steps. A local tradition at weddings is for the husband to carry his new bride up these steps, during which the bride must remain silent.

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Gruyères, Switzerland

Gruyères is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river, and gives its name to the well-known Gruyère cheese. A major tourist attraction is the medieval town of Gruyères with its castle, containing a regional museum and an arts museum. Nearby is Mont Moléson, a mountain suitable for climbing, or for the less athletic there is a cablecar to the summit which was rebuilt in 1998. The resort town Moléson-Village caters for both summer and winter tourism.

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Manarola, Italy

Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore, in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is the second smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists. Manarola and its neighboring towns have become popular tourist destinations, particularly in the summer months. Tourist attractions in the region include a famous walking trail between Manarola and Riomaggiore (called Via dell'Amore, "Love's Trail") and hiking trails in the hills and vineyards above the town. Manarola is one of the five villages. Mostly all of the houses are bright and colourful. Manarola was celebrated in paintings by Antonio Discovolo (1874-1956).

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Pučiśća, Croatia

Dubrovnik is the most popular tourist spot in Croatia. But, if you want to be more adventurous, you might to visit Pučiśća on the island of Brač. You'll be rewarded with a seaside village sizzling with appealing white-stone villas with terracotta roofs, a stone-paved square, and narrow cobblestoned alleys. Experience the serenity offered by the place as well as the abundant swimming spots in the blue Adriatic Sea.

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Cong, Ireland

Cong is a village straddling the borders of County Galway and County Mayo, in Ireland. It is situated on an island formed by a number of streams that surround it on all sides. The village is known for its underground streams that connect Lough Corrib with Lough Mask to the north. It was also the home of Sir William Wilde, historian and father to prominent playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer Oscar Wilde. Cong is the home of Ashford Castle, one of Ireland's finest hotels, converted from a Victorian faux lakeside castle, built by the Guinness family and is a tourist attraction in its own right.

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Reine, Norway

Reine is a fishing village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Moskenes in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the island of Moskenesøya in the Lofoten archipelago, above the Arctic Circle, about 300 kilometres (190 mi) southwest of the town of Tromsø. This is an area famous for starkly beautiful Nordic wilderness, where sapphire bays punctuate fjords and mountains. You will enjoy your stay in the bright red fishermen's cabins which have been converted into comfortable cottages.

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Earth Travelling

Adventure: 10 Best Suggestions from LonelyPlanet.com

One of the best source of travel tips and guides out there is Lonely Planet. So, if you are looking for ideas on what places to hit the next time you're in the mood for travel and some long-awaited R&R, LonelyPlanet.com is the place to hit up. Whether you prefer to hit the beach or go on an adventurous trek in some mountain terrain, they got tips and ideas on where, how and when to go. And in this post, we give you the 10 travel ideas for all of you out there who prefer to commune with the mountains and their forests and trails.

Ski touring the Haute Route - France and Switzerland

Are you fond of the Alps? Then you're in for a big adventure if you take the ski touring of the Haute Route between Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. First completed successfully in 1911, this ski tour is considered as the most famous and coveted ski tour in the world. The skiers in this tour use high mountain huts to enable them to stay high and cover great distances. The tour winds through the highest and most dramatic peaks of the Alps  from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. You will need good weather and favorable snow conditions to be able to embark on this ski tour. Strong endurance is also needed to be able to complete the line.

Cycling the Icefields Parkway, Canada

Known as one of the greatest mountain-biking tours, Icefields Parkway in Canada is a haven for cyclist. And if you're into cycling tours and adventures, this one should be on your list. Stretching 230 km, you can expect mountains, lakes and a variety of mammals including goats, bighorn sheep, elks, moose or even grizzly bears.

Bungee jumping at Verzasca Dam, Switzerland

You're not really an outdoor adventurer if you haven't at least tried bungee jumping. That's what the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland is offering you! Relive the once voted best movie stunt performed by Pierce Brosnan's James Bond in Golden Eye by going on a classic swan dive - a leap of 220m which takes 7 and a half second to complete. Popularly known as the Golden Eye jump, it would cost you €170 on your first jump and half off if you'd like to do it again on that same day. Ad if you're feeling like James Bond, you know you'll do it again. :D

Mountain biking in Moab, USA

Looking for a mountain biking destination? If you're in the US, you need not go any further. Moab, Utah offers a dream haven for mountain bikers in the famous Slickrock Bike Trail. It boasts of riding spots on smooth, wind-polished rock in its 20km loop; which also crosses sandstone ridges, rollercoaster route of super steep climbs and plunging descents. There is also a 3km practice loop for first timers. You can even rent out bikes if you don't want to bring your own.

Rock climbing at Krabi, Thailand

What could be more beautiful than a tropical beach, right? Well, if you ever visit Thailand, the beach in Krabi called Railay is. It doesn't just offer fine sand and crystal clear water, you'll also get to enjoy scaling the cliffs around it. The beach can be found on Thailand's Andaman coast which is blessed with amazing karst formations; some can even be found in the middle of the Krabi River. Thus, it is considered to be among the top tourist destinations for climbers.

Kayaking on Glacier Bay, USA

If you're looking into an adventure that involves kayaking but wants to do it somewhere colder, then it's time to head up to Alaska. There, you can find Glacier Bay where 10 glaciers are flowing down the mountains and filling the sea with icebergs of various sizes and yeah, shapes. You can hitch a ride with the tour boat MV Spirit of Adventure and be dropped in the bay to kayak - any point you prefer, really. When you're done with the kayaks, you can go beach camping on the Beardslee Islands and commune with nature. Lonely Planet suggests you check out www.glacierbayseakayaks.com to book kayaks and guides.

Walking in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Do you have about $800-$1000 to spare? Go head on to South Africa and experience the wild! Walk with the animals at the Kruger National Park - where you can mingle with a horde of lions, zebras, rhinos, elephants, cheetahs and giraffes. There are seven walking trails in Kruger; you can choose to take a guided overnight walks with armed guides. And if you're most interested in seeing the "big five" (Cape buffalo, black rhino, leopard, lion and elephant), you'll have to go see the Napi Trail. Visit www.krugersafari.com for more details.

Hiking the Larapinta Trail, Australia

Love hiking? Yes? You'll definitely love the 223km stretch of desert delights in the Larapinta Trail which can be found in Australia! This trail is an extended walking track in the country's Northern Territory - from Alice Sprints in the eastern end and the Mount Sonder in the western end. It follows the West MacDonnell Ranges in the West MacDonnell National Park. For hikers, food drops can be arranged if you don't want to be carrying a lot of loads while trekking. A full expedition will cost you around AU$3960. For more information and booking details, check out http://www.treklarapinta.com.au.

Trek the Torres Del Paine, Chile

Can't get enough of hiking and communing with nature? Chile have just the right adventure for you - a trek in the Torres del Paine or Towers of Paine! Composed of three main summits such as the South Tower, the Central Tower and the North Tower, the Torrres del Paine rise more than 2000m from the Patagonian Steppes. It would take you 5 days to complete the trek which will begin at Laguna Amarga and end at the Lago Grey. Lonely Planet suggests you watch out for the sunrise if you want to see the towers illuminated and be transformed like slabs of gold.

Swimming with killer whales, Norway

Tired of adventures atop mountains? Why not try water adventures instead? In Norway, you can go swimming with killer whales or orcas. For three months every year, you have a chance to mingle with these sea creatures in Tysfjord. You can also go kayaking if you're not that much into cold waters or ride aboard the whale-watching boats in the area. At night, watch the amazing sky display known as "aurora" or Northern Lights. For more information and tour details, you can check out http://www.orquessansfrontieres.com/  or www.orcasafari.co.uk.

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Image Sources - Wikipedia
Lonely Planet
Orcas in Norway Source - USEA