19 Villages Around The World That Are Better Than Your City

When you make your travel plans you circle Paris in France, Athens in Greece, Rome in Italy and so on and so forth. But why? Isn’t it our aim to explore? To discover? To go out of our comfort zone and see what locals really live like?  If you want to see places that are unexplored, we urge you to abandon city lights for country roads.

If you think they aren’t going to be much of a sight, you might be pleasantly surprised!

1. Manarola, La Spezia, Italy

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It’s probably a picture you’ve come across on your desktop, it’s a picture that you see and say, ‘Hey, nice wallpaper, I wonder where that is?’. Well, it’s a quaint little village in Cinque Terre, Italy and it’s amazing.

 

2. Popeye Village, Malta

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Popeye village isn’t incidentally named so, it formerly served as the set of the ‘Popeye’ musical shot in 1980. Remember to carry some spinach!

 

3. Bibury, UK

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This is the backdrop to which I imagined Jane Austen’s many books playing out and it’s better than my expectation.

 

4. Eguisheim, France.

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When you think France, you think cobbled streets, winding roads, tiny houses and Eguishem has it all!

 

5. Gokayama, Japan

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This world heritage site, has rightly been categorized so, with its wintery charm and Christmassy feel, it perfectly fulfils our Winter Postcard goals!

 

6. Shirakawa, Gifu village in Japan

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Japan is clearly acing the village game right now.

 

7. Floating village, Halong Bay, Vietnam

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It’s named after an interesting myth according to which, dragons dropped gems and precious stones to form this island, thus the translation ‘Descending Dragon Bay’. Incase you were wondering, yes there are several fisherman who reside here.

 

8. Burgundy, France

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Famous for its wine, this village in France is way too modern and suave and it’s just what the vacation gods meant by ‘Heaven on earth’.

 

9. Ronda, Spain

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Hemingway’s favorite village sits on a deep gorge and hosts one of the most happening festivals in Spain, Feria Goyesca.

 

10. Rothenburg, Germany

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The timber houses, medieval architecture are enough to drive you to Rothenburg, but if you need another reason then it has the most amazing food in Germany!

 

11. Moutain Village, China

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I think I died and went to heaven, this is what picturesque looks like!

 

12. Senja, Norway

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Norway’s second largest Island gives you an excellent view of the northern lights, while you sashay down the mountains on a dog sledge.

 

13. Damüls, Austria

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Calling all sports junkies, this village has the highest amount of snowfall in Europe and is the perfect ski destination for us snow deprived humans!

 

14. Grindelwald, Switzerland

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Nestled in the lap of Alp ranges, Grindelwald is a necessary stop on your trip to Switzerland, with the largest ski resort and the toughest climbs, it’s going to be a dream.

 

15. Ólafsfjörður, Iceland

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As hard as it’s to pronounce, that’s how easy it is to be intrigued by the scenery. It’s a village of serenity, peace and some serious discovery.

 

16. Pietrapertosa Village, Italy

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This Italian village built on pure rock in the Dolomite region has the fastest Zipline and some incredible remains from the ancient ages.

 

17. Mawlynnong, Meghalaya

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It’s one of the cleanest villages of Asia and it’s right in our country!

 

18. Kaluk, Sikkim

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North East is laden with beautiful villages and Kaluk is no exception, with that kind of backdrop, I’d teleport there myself!

 

19. Kasol, Himachal Pradesh

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Known for its greens, this village will give you a burst of culture, some amazing weather and an unforgettable trip.

Which one’s on your bucket list this summer?

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