Wine country, around the world.
Vineyards, cellars, and the towns that quietly built around them.
What are some less-touristed wine towns around the world, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Corciano (Italy), a walled medieval hill village just west of Perugia; Lamego (Portugal), a compact Douro wine-country city on the Balsemão River; and Lerma (Spain), a pocket-sized village above the Arlanza river valley. This page includes more than 1,100 options in 59 countries and territories. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Porto, Lisbon or Rome.
Corciano
This hill village in Umbria recognised as one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia, Corciano preserves a medieval centre of almost circular shape, partly still enc…
Lamego
This compact city in Portugal's Douro wine country, Lamego sits on the Balsemão River with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, a real café and…
Lerma
A pocket-sized Castilian village above the Arlanza river valley, Lerma is the headquarters of the Arlanza DOP wine denomination and holds a historic centre —…
Pacentro
This particularly photogenic medieval village in Abruzzo's Maiella National Park, Pacentro sits a short distance from Sulmona and holds a concentration of hi…
Nyon
This lakeside town on the western shore of Lake Geneva, Nyon sits in the heart of Swiss wine country with a walkable centre, a solid food-and-drink scene, an…
Alexandra
Sitting at the confluence of the Clutha and Manuherikia rivers in Central Otago, Alexandra is a photogenic little town on New Zealand's South Island, set aga…
Campagna
This pocket-sized town in the Picentini Mountains of Campania's Salerno province, Campagna has an unusual density of churches and cafés for its size, set aga…
Estremoz
Large white palace-castle with medieval battlements crowns the hilltop above this Alentejo town, whose whitewashed streets, multiple churches, and surroundin…
Bastia
Corsica's principal port and commercial hub, Bastia sits at the base of Cap Corse on the island's northeast coast, where a walkable harbour front, small fort…
Saluzzo
A medieval hill town in Piedmont's Cuneo province, Saluzzo served as capital of its own marquisate for over four centuries — from 1142 to 1548 — and retains…
Bad Ragaz
A spa and health resort in the canton of St.
Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee
A modest market town in Austria's Salzkammergut region, sitting at the water's edge in mountain terrain with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding hills.
Saint-Pierre
A medieval castle rises dramatically above this compact Alpine valley village in Italy's Aosta Valley, where snow-dusted terraced hillsides, a lively café sc…
Cremieu
A little medieval town in Isère, southeastern France, Crémieu has preserved its historic centre largely intact and hosts an annual September festival, Les Mé…
Minusio
This compact Swiss-Italian lakeside town on Lago Maggiore, Minusio spreads along the water's edge beneath snow-capped Alpine peaks, offering a lively café an…
Bevagna
A flat Umbrian town in the Topino river plain — unusual among the hill towns of the region — Bevagna is listed among Italy's most beautiful borghi and carrie…
Ontinyent
This walkable town on the banks of the Clarià River in Valencia's Vall d'Albaida comarca, Ontinyent has a centre with cafés and restaurants alongside baroque…
Amarante
A particularly photogenic small city on the Tâmega River in northern Portugal, Amarante sits in deep wine country with a strong café and restaurant scene for…
Picerno
A compact hilltop town in Basilicata's Potenza province, Picerno rises above rolling green valleys with a bell tower and medieval stone tower at its core, su…
Estaing
Estaing, a modest village on the Lot river in Aveyron, is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries an unusual concentration of protected his…
Ochsenfurt
A well-preserved medieval town wall with numerous towers and gates rings the historic centre of this little Franconian town on the River Main, set deep in th…
Bagnara Calabra
This small Tyrrhenian coast town in Calabria's southernmost stretch, Bagnara Calabra sits directly on the water with vineyards in the surrounding hills and v…
Bellinzona
Three medieval castles — Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro — crown the hills above this Italian-speaking Swiss town, earning Bellinzona a UNESCO Wo…
Naumburg
Naumburg Cathedral, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 for its role in shaping medieval European culture, anchors this walkable town in southe…
Kastelruth
Photogenic village in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, Kastelruth sits at around 1,000 metres elevation near the Seiser Alm alpine meadow and is a recognised me…
Ponte da Barca
Sitting on the Lima River in northern Portugal's deep Vinho Verde country, Ponte da Barca is a particularly photogenic small town with a café and restaurant…
Miltenberg
Particularly photogenic small town on the Main river in Bavaria's Lower Franconia region, Miltenberg sits in wine-growing country with vineyards nearby and s…
Domodossola
A walkable town in Piedmont's Ossola valley with a centre full of cafés and historic churches, Domodossola is the main hub of the Val d'Ossola, sitting at th…
Espalion
A little town in the Aveyron department of southern France, Espalion sits directly on the Lot river, with a café and restaurant scene in its compact centre a…
Brissago
This small lakeside village on the western shore of Lake Maggiore in Switzerland's Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, Brissago sits right at the water with v…
Montefalco
Wine country defines this small Umbrian hill town, which anchors the production zone for Sagrantino di Montefalco and Montefalco Rosso — both built around th…
Béziers
Every August, the Feria de Béziers draws around a million visitors to this southern French wine town for five days of bullfighting — one of the largest event…
Neuchâtel
A lakeside town in French-speaking western Switzerland, Neuchâtel sits directly on Lake Neuchâtel with vineyards in the surrounding hills and a walkable cent…
Bertinoro
A hilltop wine-country village in Emilia-Romagna with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Bertinoro sits atop Monte Cesubeo with view…
Collioure
A Mediterranean fishing village on the French Catalan coast where the last ridges of the Pyrenees meet the sea, Collioure has long drawn artists to its water…
Huy
Walkable Wallonian town on the river Meuse, Huy has a centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, with vineyards in the surrounding countrys…
Carrara
Marble has defined Carrara since ancient times — the white and blue-grey stone quarried from the Apuan Alps above this Tuscan town has supplied sculptors and…
Grund
A river-level quarter of Luxembourg City where a stone bridge crosses calm water below a dramatically lit old town rising on rocky cliffs, with cafés, church…
Morcote
This photogenic village on the shore of Lake Lugano in Switzerland's Ticino canton, Morcote pairs its waterfront arcades and Renaissance church with a monume…
Bra
Birthplace of Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, Bra is a gastronomically focused town in Piedmont's Roero area whose main claim to fame exten…
Clermont-l'Hérault
A modest wine-country town in the Hérault department of southern France, Clermont-l'Hérault sits alongside the Lergue and Salagou rivers and carries a café a…
La Solana
This wine- and olive oil-producing town in the Ciudad Real province of Castile-La Mancha, La Solana sits in one of Spain's most productive agricultural zones…
Matelica
This modest wine-country town in the Marche region of central Italy, Matelica sits alongside water and has a compact historic centre with cafés, restaurants,…
Banyuls-sur-Mer
Banyuls-sur-Mer gives its name to the surrounding wine region and sits on a bay at the southern end of France's Mediterranean coast, making it the country's…
Porto de Mos
Porto de Mós, a small town in Portugal's Leiria region, sits at the edge of the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park, with scenic surroundings, vineyards…
Pergola
This small town in the Marche region of Italy, Pergola holds a museum displaying the Gilt Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola, a set of ancient gilded bronze fig…
Ehnen
This compact Luxembourg village where working vineyards press right up against stone houses and a medieval church tower, with rolling wine-country hills abov…
Mirecourt
Mirecourt, a tiny town in the Vosges department of northeastern France, has long been known for two distinct crafts: lace-making and the manufacture of strin…
Pitigliano
Known as "the little Jerusalem" for its historic Jewish community and working synagogue, Pitigliano is a small Tuscan hill town in the province of Grosseto s…
Puente La Reina – Gares
Where the French Way and the Aragonese Way of the Camino de Santiago converge, Puente la Reina — whose Spanish name means "the Queen's bridge" — sits on the…
Saint-Céré
This compact town in the Lot department of southern France, Saint-Céré sits on the River Bave with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and scenic views…
Sondrio
Walkable wine-country town at the heart of the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, Sondrio serves as the provincial capital and was named Alpine Town of the Year…
Saint-Maurice
This small Swiss town in the canton of Valais where the Rhône valley narrows to a pass, Saint-Maurice has been a strategic gateway since antiquity — the site…
Lodève
This small town in the Hérault department of southern France's Occitania region, Lodève sits at the confluence of several rivers and offers a compact central…
Massa Marittima
Small Tuscan hill town in the Metalliferous Hills of Grosseto, Massa Marittima sits at the centre of a mining region historically rich in iron, mercury, copp…
Meissen
Meissen porcelain — the first European porcelain, produced here since 1708 — is the defining reason to visit this Saxon town on the River Elbe, a short dista…
Chenonceaux
Château de Chenonceau, built across the River Cher and the most visited château in France after Versailles, sits at the edge of this little hamlet in the Ind…
Sansepolcro
Birthplace of the Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca and the mathematician Luca Pacioli, Sansepolcro is a compact Tuscan town on the upper Tiber, near…
Alcalá del Júcar
This modest village in Albacete province where the Júcar river curves tightly around a dramatic gorge, Alcalá del Júcar was designated a protected historic s…
Joigny
A tiny wine-country town on the river Yonne in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Joigny has a medieval old town that has earned the Pays d'art et d'histoire designati…
Pinerolo
A walkable town in Piedmont, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone, with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches.
Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld, the cantonal capital of Thurgau in Switzerland, sits where a plateau drops sharply to the Thur valley and the rocky banks of the Murg river, givi…
Viseu
City in central Portugal with a dense café and restaurant scene, many historic churches, and a position in the heart of Dão wine country.
Fénis
Fénis Castle, a well-preserved medieval fortress in the Aosta Valley of north-western Italy, is the main draw to this small village, which also sits in wine…
Cangas del Narcea
A compact Asturian town on the Narcea river, with vineyards in the surrounding hills and a compact centre of cafés and restaurants.
Chur
Reputedly the oldest town in Switzerland, Chur sits on the Rhine in the canton of Graubünden, with a walkable centre dense with food and drink options and vi…
Susa
This little town in the Susa Valley west of Turin, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, with a concentration of Roman and medieval monuments that reflects its an…
Lebrija
Lebrija, a town on the left bank of the Guadalquivir in Andalusia's Sevilla province, sits at the edge of the Las Marismas marshes and has a long tradition o…
Montreux
A Lake Geneva shore town in the Swiss canton of Vaud, Montreux sits at the foot of the Alps with a walkable waterfront, a dense food-and-drink scene, and sce…
Sutri
Sutri's ancient remains — a Roman amphitheatre carved directly into tuff rock, an Etruscan necropolis of rock-cut tombs, and a Mithraeum embedded in the cryp…
Ménerbes
This walled hilltop village in the Luberon mountains of Provence, Ménerbes holds membership in the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association and sits in…
Carmona
Built on a ridge above the central plain of Andalusia, Carmona is a town in the province of Seville with a walkable centre full of cafés, restaurants, and hi…
Ivrea
Ivrea earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018 for its mid-20th-century Olivetti complex — factories, headquarters, and surrounding modernist buildings th…
Auch
This walkable Gascon town in southwestern France's Gers department, Auch sits on the River Gers and is known for its gastronomic scene, its cathedral, and a…
Wattens
Wattens, a little market town in Tyrol's Innsbruck-Land district, is best known as the home of Swarovski, the Austrian crystal glass company.
Ostuni
Widely known as "the White Town" for its whitewashed houses and medieval walls, Ostuni is a walkable Apulian hill town in the province of Brindisi with a den…
Beaune
Widely regarded as the wine capital of Burgundy, Beaune is a walled town in eastern France whose historic centre holds the cellars and facilities of wine pro…
Salzedas
A compact village on the right bank of the River Varosa in northern Portugal, Salzedas sits within the Távora-Varosa Demarcated Region, known for sparkling w…
Rieti
Traditionally called the "umbilicus Italiae" — the navel of Italy — Rieti is a walkable hilltop town in Lazio whose centre is dense with historic churches an…
Sartène
A small sub-prefecture in southern Corsica's Corse-du-Sud department, Sartène is an inland granite town with valley views and a café and restaurant scene str…
Sandomierz
Spread across seven hills above the Vistula River in south-eastern Poland, Sandomierz is a royal town whose preserved Old Town — declared a National Monument…
Santa Lucia del Mela
This densely built hilltop town in Sicily's Messina province, its stone houses climbing toward a medieval fortress above tree-covered slopes, with surroundin…
Giornico
A tiny Swiss village in the mountain terrain of Ticino's Leventina district, Giornico sits on the water and holds a striking number of churches for its size,…
Deutschlandsberg
A small Styrian town in Austria's southern wine country, Deutschlandsberg sits close to the Slovenian border and a short drive from Graz, with a café and res…
Thiene
This walkable Veneto town in the province of Vicenza, Thiene sits close to the mountains and within reach of the wine country that defines much of the surrou…
Sevnica
A little town on the left bank of the Sava River in central Slovenia, Sevnica sits in wine country with a café-and-restaurant core and mountain terrain close…
Rodes
This compact stone village in southern France's Pyrénées-Orientales, where red-tile rooftops and a brick clock tower rise toward dramatic rocky outcrops topp…
Contigliano
A small village in Lazio's wine-growing Rieti province, Contigliano sits close to the mountains and near water, with scenic surroundings and a strong photogr…
Monção
Wine-country town on the southern bank of the Minho River, where Portugal meets Spain, Monção pairs a walkable centre with a dense food-and-drink scene and s…
Montmelian
Compact Savoie town set in a river valley between forested hills and vine-covered slopes, with a rocky outcrop rising above its grey-roofed centre and easy r…
Tenno
A small Trentino village a few kilometres from Riva del Garda, Tenno sits on the slopes above Lake Garda and is home to Lake Tenno, known for its vivid blue-…
Banská Štiavnica
This UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, Banská Štiavnica is a modest medieval mining town in central Slovakia set within the caldera of an ancient volcan…
Laufenburg
Sitting on the Swiss bank of the Rhine directly across from its German twin, Laufenburg (Baden), this small Aargau town was once a single city until Napoleon…
Villadossola
This compact town in Piedmont's Val d'Ossola, Villadossola sits at the mouth of the Valle Antrona and alongside the Toce river, with mountains close on sever…
Campo Maior
Small Portuguese town in Alto Alentejo whose street festival, the Festas do Povo, was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2021 — an event…
Spiez
This small Swiss town on the shore of Lake Thun sits in the Bernese Oberland, with vineyards on its slopes, mountain views in every direction, and a café and…
Castiglion Fiorentino
A walled Tuscan hill town in the province of Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino sits between Arezzo and Cortona in wine-growing country, with an Etruscan archaeol…
Sancerre
Sancerre is a medieval hilltop village in the Cher département of Centre-Val de Loire, overlooking the Loire river and recognized as one of France's most bea…
Peñafiel
Peñafiel Castle, visible from miles around and now housing the Wine Museum of Valladolid, crowns this pocket-sized Castilian town at the heart of the Ribera…
Castel San Pietro Romano
Small hilltop village east of Rome recognised among Italy's most beautiful villages and, since 2019, named the most beautiful village in the Mediterranean —…
Cluny
Founded in 910 by Duke William I of Aquitaine, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny shaped this little Burgundian town into one of medieval Europe's great centres…
Dietkirchen
The Basilica of St.
Poggio Bustone
A compact stone-built village rising above a broad valley in Lazio's upland country, with a bell-towered church at its crown and sweeping views over patchwor…
Eggenburg
This compact Lower Austrian town where a broad historic main square, red-tile baroque facades, a twin-towered Gothic church, and rolling vineyard country bey…
Olargues
A medieval village on the Jaur river in southern France's Hérault, Olargues sits within the Haut-Languedoc regional nature park and carries a listing among L…
Nardò
A Baroque town on the Ionian coast of Salento, Nardò has a walkable historic centre dense with palaces, churches, and chapels built in the ornate local style…
Almansa
Moorish castle crowns the white limestone crag above Almansa, a wine-country town in Albacete province where vineyards spread across the surrounding plain.
Riegersburg
This small Austrian village in the wine country of southeastern Styria, set among hills with scenic viewpoints and a café scene that punches above its size.
Montemezzo
A tiny lakeside hamlet in Lombardy's Province of Como, Montemezzo sits at the northern end of Lake Como with mountain terrain close by and vineyards in the s…
Lods
This tiny hamlet on the Loue river in eastern France's Doubs département sits among vineyards and carries membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, th…
Sao Joao da Pesqueira
This tiny Portuguese wine town high above the Douro River, São João da Pesqueira sits within the Alto Douro Wine Region UNESCO World Heritage Site and accoun…
Apricale
A small hilltop village in Liguria's Imperia province, Apricale sits in mountain country with scenic viewpoints, surrounding vineyards, and a striking number…
Sikinos
This quiet Cycladic island between Ios and Folegandros was known in antiquity as Oenoe — Island of Wine — and carries an unusual density of religious archite…
Santa Cruz (Torres Vedras)
A beach town on the Atlantic coast of Portugal's Oeste region, Santa Cruz is known for its extensive beaches and strong surf conditions, hosting the annual O…
Cisterna d'Asti
A small hilltop village in Piedmont's wine country, Cisterna d'Asti is shaped by two landmarks that have defined it since medieval times: an 11th- or 12th-ce…
Fermoselle
Fermoselle, a tiny village in Zamora's far southwest, sits above the dramatic gorge of the Arribes del Duero where the Duero and Tormes rivers meet at the Po…
Delémont
A tiny Swiss town with a notably lively café and restaurant scene, Delémont sits on the water with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and scenic viewpo…
Numana
This compact Adriatic village on the Conero Riviera in the Marche region, Numana sits directly on the water with vineyards nearby and scenic viewpoints along…
Darque
A pocket-sized Portuguese town where a broad river meets sandy estuary flats, backed by forested hills and distant mountains, with vineyard surroundings, wat…
Salins-les-Bains
Salt has shaped Salins-les-Bains since the fifth millennium BC, and the town's historic saltworks — added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 as an ext…
Canelli
Canelli, on a bend of the river Belbo in Piedmont's Alto Monferrato, is widely regarded as the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine: the Moscato grape used t…
Pirna
This sweep of red-tile rooftops and a commanding Gothic church tower define this Saxon town on the Elbe, set in hill country near Dresden with vineyards clos…
Kelowna
This walkable city on the shores of Okanagan Lake in southern British Columbia, Kelowna sits at the heart of BC's wine country and draws visitors with a live…
Pignola
Known locally as "il paese dei portali" — the town of doorways — Pignola is a small mountain town in Basilicata's Potenza province, where the historic centre…
Saintes
Sitting on the Charente river in western France, Saintes carries one of the region's most substantial Gallo-Roman, medieval, and classical heritage records —…
Yverdon-les-Bains
A thermal spa town on the southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel, Yverdon-les-Bains has been known for its sulphurous springs since Roman times, when it was called…
Tomo
Compact Italian hamlet in Belluno's forested valley country, where a classical white-façade church anchors a cluster of red-tile buildings against densely wo…
Aiguèze
Sitting on the Ardèche river in southern France's Gard department, this modest village has been a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 2005 — th…
Feuerthalen
This compact Swiss village on the Rhine, where red-tile rooftops and half-timbered houses line a broad river crossed by an iron rail bridge, with forested hi…
Castelsardo
A photogenic coastal town on Sardinia's northwest shore, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Asinara, Castelsardo sits right on the water with scenic viewpoint…
Santa Comba Dão
This pocket-sized Portuguese city on the Dão river in wine-growing country, Santa Comba Dão is best known as the birthplace of António de Oliveira Salazar, w…
Ambrolauri
This compact Georgian city serves as the administrative centre of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti region, set close to mountains and within reach of se…
Garzeno
A pocket-sized Lake Como-area village in Lombardy with a striking number of churches for its size, vineyards in the immediate surroundings, and scenic viewpo…
Tomar
Founded within the walls of a Knights Templar fortress in the late 12th century, Tomar is a Portuguese town on the water with a walkable centre dense with hi…
Zülpich
This Roman-founded town in North Rhine-Westphalia between Aachen and Bonn, Zülpich traces its origins to the 1st century BC under the Latin name Tolbiacum an…
Brentonico
A snow-dusted Trentino village in the uplands above Lake Garda, where a tall stone bell tower rises above compact Alpine houses backed by forested slopes, wi…
Lobbes
This compact Wallonian town on the Sambre river in Hainaut, Belgium, Lobbes grew up around an abbey established here around 650 AD.
Saint-Florent
A former fishing port on the Gulf of Saint-Florent in Haute-Corse, this small Corsican village now fills its harbour with pleasure boats and its waterfront w…
Castelnuovo Don Bosco
This small Piedmontese hill village near the confluence of the Nevissano and Bardella rivers, Castelnuovo Don Bosco sits in deep wine country east of Turin w…
Ribeira de Pena
Small town in northern Portugal's Vila Real District, Ribeira de Pena sits in transition country between the mountainous Trás-os-Montes and the greener Minho…
Llíber
This compact Valencian village of stone-roofed white houses spread across a valley floor, backed by pine-forested limestone hills, with surrounding vineyards…
Spello
This small walled hill town on the southern flank of Monte Subasio in Umbria, Spello has an unusually dense concentration of historic churches and a café and…
Oliver
Billed as the Wine Capital of Canada by Tourism British Columbia, Oliver is a small town near the south end of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, sitting al…
Stein am Rhein
Stein am Rhein sits on the Rhine where Lower Lake Constance meets the river, and its medieval centre — pedestrianised, lined with half-timbered houses, and c…
Sinalunga
Modest Tuscan hill town in the province of Siena, Sinalunga sits on the ridge dividing the Val di Chiana from the Valle dell'Ombrone, with vineyards in the s…
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Clinging to a steep cliff above the Lot river in south-western France, this small Quercy village draws visitors with dramatic viewpoints, a strong café and r…
Trbovlje
A Slovenian mining town in the Central Sava Valley known as the birthplace of Laibach, the industrial music group, Trbovlje sits along the Sava River in moun…
Tricarico
This modest Basilicata town in the province of Matera holds one of the best-preserved medieval historic centres in Lucania, shaped by an Arab-Norman past and…
Ornans
Birthplace of the painter Gustave Courbet, this little town in the Doubs department sits along the Loue river in the Jura massif, its house facades rising di…
Tomelloso
This wine-country town at the geographic heart of La Mancha, Tomelloso sits amid extensive vineyards that define the flat Manchegan landscape, with the Campo…
Cantalice
This dramatically stacked stone village in Lazio's upland country, its medieval houses and churches climbing a forested hillside above the Rieti valley, with…
Zagrad pri Otočcu
Small hamlet in the wine-country hills north of Otočcu, in southeastern Slovenia's City Municipality of Novo Mesto, Zagrad pri Otočcu is home to a historic c…
Monsaraz
A walled hilltop village in Portugal's Alentejo region, Monsaraz sits above the Guadiana River near the Spanish border and deep in one of the country's most…
Cerreto Sannita
Ceramics have defined Cerreto Sannita for centuries, and the village's planned grid of streets — rebuilt from scratch after a devastating earthquake on 5 Jun…
Villafranca del Bierzo
A small wine-country town in the El Bierzo comarca of León, Villafranca del Bierzo sits at the confluence of the Burbia and Valcarce rivers on the Camino de…
Sabrosa
A sun-warmed central square of granite fountains and whitewashed manor houses with a Baroque church tower rising behind them sets the tone for this pocket-si…
Amelia
A compact Umbrian hill town crowned by domed churches and stone buildings that cascade down a wooded hillside, Amelia rewards visitors with multiple religiou…
Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry
This little Basque village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques sitting on the Nive des Aldudes river, Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry is the main gateway to the Aldudes va…
Almodovar
This pocket-sized Alentejo town in southern Portugal's Beja district is home to the Museum of Southwestern Writing, which holds ancient stones bearing what s…
Fossombrone
Compact Marche town where a river curves through a red-tile historic centre, backed by vineyard-covered hills, with a good café and restaurant scene and a no…
Litoměřice
A walkable wine-country town at the confluence of the Elbe and Ohře rivers in northern Bohemia, Litoměřice has a well-preserved medieval centre — protected a…
La Romieu
A member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, this small Gers village in southwestern France is anchored by the 14th-century Collégiale Saint-Pierre, whose…
Lamezia Terme
This coastal Calabrian town with a walkable centre full of cafés and churches, set between the sea and mountain views, with vineyards in the surrounding coun…
Sarnen
This small Swiss town sits directly on the shore of Lake Sarnen, the cantonal capital of Obwalden, with vineyards and mountain scenery in the surrounding cou…
Champagnole
This small town in the Jura department of eastern France, Champagnole sits on the right bank of the Ain river at the heart of the Jura massif's second platea…
Salemi
A medieval hill town in western Sicily's Trapani province, Salemi clusters around a castle whose battlemented tower offers wide views across the landscape to…
Kennelbach
This small village on the water in Vorarlberg's Bregenz district, Kennelbach sits close to mountains and scenic viewpoints, with vineyards nearby and a handf…
Fayence
This hilltop village in the Var department of Provence, Fayence sits above the plain between the southern Alps and the Esterel massif, with cafés and restaur…
Cividale del Friuli
Founded by Julius Caesar as Forum Iulii — the name that eventually gave the entire Friuli region its identity — Cividale del Friuli later became the capital…
Oppenheim
Little Rhine-side wine town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Oppenheim is home to the German Wine Museum and produces wines under the Oppenheimer Krötenbrunnen desig…
Tournus
This compact Burgundian town on the Saône river with a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, Tournus sits in the heart of Bourgogne-Fr…
Varzi
This certified member of Italy's "Most Beautiful Villages" circuit, Varzi sits in the Oltrepò Pavese wine country of Lombardy's Pavia province, along the Sta…
Cromwell
Small Central Otago town on the shore of Lake Dunstan, Cromwell sits at the heart of New Zealand's Central Otago wine region and is surrounded by orchards kn…
Cerdon
This little village in the Ain department of eastern France is known for two things: its pink sparkling wine and a copper factory — once the only one of its…
Sennori
A small wine-country town in northern Sardinia, Sennori has been a member of Italy's national association of wine towns since the association's founding in 1…
Lenzburg
A medieval hill town in the Swiss canton of Aargau, Lenzburg is anchored by Schloss Lenzburg, a castle that grew from an 11th-century fortification on the Sc…
Viviers
This modest town on the Rhône in southern France's Ardèche, Viviers was once the capital of the historic Vivarais province — a name it gave to the entire reg…
Busca
This compact Piedmontese town of red-tile rooftops spread across a valley floor, Busca sits among vineyards and rolling hills with a walkable centre offering…
Valdepeñas
Wine has shaped Valdepeñas for centuries, earning this Castile-La Mancha town the popular nickname "Ciudad del Vino" — City of Wine.
Gruissan
A little Mediterranean coastal town in the Aude, southeast of Narbonne, Gruissan sits within the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée regional nature park alongside l…
Termoli
This coastal town on the Adriatic in Molise, Termoli holds a medieval walled quarter alongside a lively seafront promenade lined with restaurants.
Naters
This small Swiss town in the canton of Valais, Naters sits in mountain terrain near Brig with vineyards in the surrounding area and scenic viewpoints within…
Retz
A compact Austrian market town in the Weinviertel wine region, Retz centres on a broad cobblestone square dominated by a tall baroque clock tower, surrounded…
Lacco Ameno
Rebuilt after a devastating 1883 earthquake that destroyed most of its buildings, Lacco Ameno transformed from a fishing village into a thermal-spa resort on…
Charcenne
A small hamlet in eastern France's Haute-Saône, Charcenne sits alongside the Colombine stream at the foot of the Monts de Gy, with mountain views and wine-co…
Canach
This compact Luxembourg village in the Remich wine canton, where a tall-spired stone church rises above red-tile rooftops and green hillsides, set close to t…
Stenico
This pocket-sized Trentino village set in a broad Alpine valley of terraced orchards and forested ridges, with several historic churches, nearby scenic viewp…
Almagro
Almagro, a little town in Ciudad Real, has hosted an International Festival of Classical Theater annually since 1978 and holds designation as one of Spain's…
Arlesheim
This small Swiss town near Basel, in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, is anchored by a Baroque cathedral dating to 1681 and rebuilt in 1761, whose organ — bui…
Uzzano
A compact Tuscan hillside village in Pistoia province, Uzzano stacks ochre-and-stone buildings up a green slope toward a crenellated bell tower, with vineyar…
Château-Chalon
Vin jaune — the prized yellow wine of the Jura — reaches its most celebrated expression in Château-Chalon, a little cliff-top village in eastern France whose…
Eger
Eger is a Hungarian wine town whose Egri Bikavér (Bull's Blood) red is known well beyond the country's borders, set among vineyards in the hills between the…
Marostica
Every two years, on the second weekend of September in even-numbered years, Marostica's central square fills with costumed performers re-enacting a live ches…
Jonzac
A spa town in the Charente-Maritime since 1986, Jonzac sits on the Seugne river in the heart of Cognac wine country, with a café and restaurant scene that pu…
Celje
Slovenia's third-largest city, Celje sits at the confluence of several rivers in the lower Savinja Valley, with a walkable centre full of cafés and mountain…
Barolo
Barolo, a little Piedmontese village in the Province of Cuneo, lends its name to one of Italy's most celebrated red wines, and the surrounding Langhe vineyar…
Amay
This small Walloon town on the Meuse in the province of Liège, Amay sits at a river crossing that has been in use since Gallo-Roman times.
Talmont-sur-Gironde
Founded in 1284 by Edward I of England, Duke of Aquitaine, this tiny hamlet on a promontory above the Gironde estuary in Charente-Maritime holds the 12th-cen…
Piuro
On 4 September 1618, a catastrophic landslide completely buried the village of Piuro — then part of the Three Leagues — killing between 1,000 and 2,500 peopl…
Sargans
Sargans, a small town in Switzerland's canton of St.
Noyers
Well-preserved medieval village on the river Serein in Burgundy's Yonne department, Noyers-sur-Serein is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, with…
Benevento
Benevento is a heritage-dense hill town in Campania where the rivers Calore Irpino and Sabato meet, with a walkable centre thick with historic churches and c…
Ascona
A modest Swiss town on the shore of Lake Maggiore in Ticino, Ascona pairs a dense café and restaurant scene with vineyard surroundings, mountain views, and a…
Saint-Martin-de-Re
This waterfront village on the Île de Ré, off the Charente-Maritime coast near La Rochelle, Saint-Martin-de-Ré is home to Vauban's 17th-century fortification…
San Lorenzo Maggiore
This compact hillside village in Campania's Benevento province, its terracotta rooftops and a golden-domed church tower rising above rolling green valleys, s…
Neustadt an der Weinstraße
One of Germany's central wine towns, Neustadt an der Weinstraße sits along the Deutsche Weinstraße in Rhineland-Palatinate and hosts the annual Deutsche Wein…
Apt
This small Provençal town on the Calavon river in the Luberon mountains of Vaucluse, Apt has a café and restaurant scene that would suit a town twice its siz…
Avezzano
A compact town in Abruzzo's Marsica area with a café-filled centre and vineyards nearby, Avezzano carries a layered history: first documented in the 9th cent…
Riva San Vitale
Little Swiss-Ticinese village on the shore of a lake ringed by densely forested mountains, with several historic churches, nearby wine country, and high-alti…
Póvoa de Lanhoso
A modest town in the mountains of northern Portugal's Braga district, Póvoa de Lanhoso sits on the water and offers a café and restaurant scene, a concentrat…
Albenga
This heritage-dense coastal town on the Gulf of Genoa, Albenga is known as the city of a hundred spires and holds a well-preserved historic centre within eas…
Lourmarin
This Provençal village in the Vaucluse holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and pairs a café and restaurant scene unusually dense for its si…
Zona antiga de Ponte de Lima
Portugal's oldest chartered town sits on the southern bank of the Lima River, where a medieval bridge gives the place its name.
Sarnico
This tiny lakeside town on the western shore of Lake Iseo in Lombardy's Bergamo province, where the lake meets the River Oglio, Sarnico has a café and restau…
Ensch
This pocket-sized Moselle-side hamlet in Rhineland-Palatinate sits in deep wine country along what is known as the Roman Wine Road, with scenic viewpoints in…
Die
Clairette de Die, a sparkling wine produced in the surrounding Diois region, is the calling card of this little subprefecture in southeastern France's Drôme…
Sovana
This tiny hamlet in southern Tuscany's wine country carries a history well beyond its size: an Etruscan centre, a medieval and Renaissance settlement, and a…
Rehberg
A compact Austrian village in a forested valley, with vineyard rows in the foreground, a church tower rising above red-tile rooftops, and the ruins of a hill…
Clemensat
A tiny French hamlet of dark volcanic-stone buildings set against rolling green upland pastures, Clémensat offers a genuine taste of rural Auvergne close to…
Gerace
This compact Calabrian hill village sits atop a vertical rock formation in the Aspromonte National Park, with views stretching to the coast and the town of L…
Modrej
A small settlement on the left bank of the Soča River in Slovenia's Littoral region, Modrej sits in mountain country where vineyards line the surrounding slo…
Les Vans
A tiny village in the Ardèche with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Les Vans sits on the water in the Cévennes area of southern Fr…
Polcenigo
Springs, streams, and lake-like pools feed the headwaters of the Livenza river at Polcenigo, a little Friuli-Venezia Giulia village on the slopes of the West…
La Roda
La Roda, a town in Albacete's La Mancha region of Castilla-La Mancha, is known for its miguelitos, a local pastry, and sits among vineyards typical of the La…
Alzey
A wine-country town in Rhenish Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Alzey sits in a region ringed by UNESCO World Heritage sites and carries a walkable centre with c…
Mercogliano
Colorful stone houses climb a densely wooded hillside in this little Campanian town, where multiple historic churches, surrounding vineyards, and elevated vi…
Vevey
Milk chocolate was invented here in 1875, and Vevey has remained a town defined by food and drink ever since — it is home to the global headquarters of Nestl…
Tournon-sur-Rhône
Small Rhône-side town in the Ardèche, Tournon-sur-Rhône sits in deep wine country north of Valence with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Peccioli
Small Tuscan village in the Province of Pisa with an unusually lively food and café scene for its size, set among vineyards with scenic views of the surround…
Bad Staffelstein
This small spa town in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, sits along the Main river and is anchored by three landmarks: the Basilica of Vierzehnheiligen, designed by…
Voiron
A gateway town to the Chartreuse Mountains in southeastern France, Voiron sits at the foot of the range with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants,…
Osimo
A hill town in the Marche region of Italy, a short distance south of Ancona, with a centre dense in historic churches and vineyard country in the surrounding…
Obernburg am Main
This tiny Bavarian town on the Main river where the Mümling flows in, Obernburg am Main sits at the eastern foot of the Odenwald hills with vineyards in the…
Ispoure
A small Basque village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Ispoure sits in mountain terrain in the former province of Lower Navarre, with scenic viewpoints in the s…
Acri
Densely built hilltop town in Calabria's Cosenza province, Acri stacks terracotta-roofed stone houses up a wooded summit crowned by a ruined tower, with upla…
Jorquera
This tiny hamlet in Albacete's La Manchuela wine country, Jorquera sits on a river spur encircled by the Júcar, with 12th-century Almohad walls running along…
Elne
Once the first capital of the historical province of Roussillon before Perpignan took that role, Elne is a small town in southern France's Pyrénées-Orientale…
Recanati
Birthplace of the poet Giacomo Leopardi and the tenor Beniamino Gigli, Recanati is a tiny hilltop town in the Marche region known as "the city of poetry." It…
Richterswil
A compact Swiss lakeside town spread along the western shore of Lake Zurich, with vineyard slopes behind it, a ferry on the water, and sweeping views stretch…
Leucate
A small Mediterranean coastal town in the Aude, Leucate sits between the sea and the Étang de Leucate lagoon, with a café and restaurant scene that punches a…
Sorano
Built on a tuff outcrop above the Lente River, this medieval hill village in southern Tuscany sits in mountain wine country with scenic views across the surr…
Herrliberg
This tiny Swiss town on the right bank of Lake Zurich, in the stretch known as the Goldküste (Gold Coast), Herrliberg sits in the canton's wine country with…
Consuegra
Consuegra's hilltop row of windmills, set against the plains of La Mancha, is among the most recognisable sights in Castile, rising alongside a medieval cast…
Fosdinovo
From the 14th to the 18th century, Fosdinovo served as the capital of an independent marquisate ruled by the Malaspina family, whose imperial standing was su…
Céret
Known for its modern art museum, cherry harvests, and bullfighting tradition, Céret is a tiny Catalan town in southern France's Pyrénées-Orientales, sitting…
Bembibre
Bembibre, in the El Bierzo region of León, is a small town on the Boeza and Noceda rivers with vineyards in the surrounding area and a café and restaurant sc…
Cosenza
Walkable southern Italian city in Calabria with a café-dense centre, a historic quarter — Cosenza vecchia — climbing toward the Pancrazio hill, and a scatter…
Port-Lesney
A small village on the banks of the Loue river in the Jura, Port-Lesney draws visitors with a five-star château hotel, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a r…
Amares
Wine-country town in Portugal's Braga District, Amares sits along the Cávado river with an unusually high concentration of historic churches for its size and…
Mola di Bari
Focaccia from Mola di Bari's bakeries has long been a point of local pride in this Adriatic fishing town in Apulia, refounded by Charles I of Anjou in 1277 o…
Holmfirth
Best known as the filming location for the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, which ran from 1973 to 2010, Holmfirth is a stone-built West Yorkshire town in…
Bjelovar
Founded in 1756 by decree of Empress Maria Theresa, Bjelovar is one of Croatia's youngest cities, laid out on a planned grid with a regular square street pat…
Montignoso
A tiny Tuscan town positioned between the Apuan Riviera and the Versilia coast, Montignoso sits where the mountains of Massa-Carrara meet the sea, with Forte…
Slovenske Konjice
Small wine-country town in northeastern Slovenia's Dravinja Valley, Slovenske Konjice sits between the forested slopes of Konjiška gora to the south and the…
Lavardens
This modest village in the Gers department of southwestern France, Lavardens holds membership in the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association and sits i…
Chieri
This town on the southeastern slopes of the Turin hills, Chieri has a medieval centre laid out in a circular plan with streets radiating toward its cathedral…
Merbes-le-Chateau
A small Wallonian municipality in the Belgian province of Hainaut, Merbes-le-Château sits along the water and holds a concentration of historic churches nota…
Alenquer
Small wine-country town in Portugal's Oeste region, Alenquer sits along the river that shares its name and has a central core with cafés and restaurants.
Villa Santa Maria
Known since the 13th century for producing professional cooks, Villa Santa Maria in Abruzzo's Chieti province carries the informal title "Patria dei cuochi"…
Parras de la Fuente
Home to Casa Madero, the oldest winery in the Americas, Parras de la Fuente is a wine-producing town in southern Coahuila, Mexico, with vineyards spreading a…
Torres Vedras
This wine-country town north of Lisbon with vineyards across the surrounding agricultural land, Torres Vedras has a walkable centre with a solid café and res…
Acqui Terme
Hot sulphur springs have drawn visitors to Acqui Terme since the Roman era, when the town was known as Aquae Statiellae, and a 19th-century pavilion called L…
Cerbère
Pocket-sized French village where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean, Cerbère sits at the southernmost seaside point of mainland France and serves as a key…
Celorico da Beira
Small Portuguese town near the Mondego River in the Guarda District, Celorico da Beira is self-styled as the capital of Serra da Estrela cheese, produced in…
Raslina
A small Croatian village on the clear turquoise waters of a sheltered bay, Raslina offers a compact waterfront with moored boats, a pine-fringed beach, and w…
Argenton-sur-Creuse
A modest town in the Indre department of central France, Argenton-sur-Creuse sits along the Creuse river with a café and restaurant scene in its compact cent…
Aldeia Galega da Merceana
A pocket-sized wine-country village in western Portugal's Alenquer municipality, Aldeia Galega da Merceana held its own municipal charter from 1305 until 185…
Arquata del Tronto
The only municipality in Europe contained within two national parks — the Monti Sibillini to the north and Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga to the south — this…
Larressingle
This tiny walled hamlet in the Gers department of southwestern France holds six nationally protected historic monuments within its medieval fortifications, i…
Stafa
A modest town on the right shore of Lake Zurich, in the canton of Zürich, Stäfa sits along the stretch known as the Gold Coast, with vineyard country rising…
Mamoiada
Mamoiada, a small village in Sardinia's mountainous Barbagia region, is known across the island for its traditional carnival, in which participants wear the…
Vernantois
A small stone-and-tile village spread across a green valley in France's Jura, ringed by forested limestone hills, sitting within easy reach of wine country a…
Avanos
Pottery workshops line this little Cappadocian town on the banks of the Kızılırmak — Turkey's longest river — where red clay from the riverbed has fuelled a…
Lanciano
Lanciano, a town in Abruzzo's province of Chieti, is known as the site of the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle, drawing pilgrims to its historic c…
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
Tiny Provençal town on the Rhône across from Avignon, where a massive medieval fortress with round towers and crenellated walls rises above stone houses, cyp…
Barcelinhos
Small waterside parish in Portugal's Vinho Verde wine country, Barcelinhos sits on the bank of the Cávado river within the municipality of Barcelos, with a c…
Bagnacavallo
Bagnacavallo, a small wine-country town in Emilia-Romagna, gave its nickname to the Renaissance painter Bartolomeo Ramenghi.
Requena
A wine-country town in the interior of Valencia province, Requena sits on the left bank of the river Magro with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants.
Vrsar
This pocket-sized seaside village on Istria's western coast, Vrsar has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its size, a historic hilltop centre with t…
Crodo
A small village in Piedmont's Valle Antigorio with a disproportionate number of churches and a handful of cafés and restaurants for its size, Crodo sits alon…
Château-Thierry
Birthplace of the fabulist Jean de La Fontaine and site of both the First and Second Battles of the Marne, Château-Thierry is a town in the Aisne department…
Zahle
Known across Lebanon as "the City of Wine and Poetry," Zahle is a city in the Beqaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, sitting at the junction of Mount Lebanon and t…
Montone
This walled medieval hill village in Umbria, north of Perugia, sits at the high point of a ridge above the confluence of two Tiber tributaries, with scenic v…
Lagrasse
This compact village in the Corbières massif of southern France's Aude department, Lagrasse sits on the Orbieu river in wine and mountain country and holds m…
Zadar
Croatia's oldest continuously inhabited city, Zadar sits on the Adriatic coast in northern Dalmatia with a walkable old town dense with historic churches, ca…
Ronciglione
This modest town in the Cimini mountains of Lazio, Ronciglione sits on tuff scarps above Lake Vico, the crater lake of a former volcano, and holds membership…
Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort
A compact town in the Gard department of southern France's Occitanie region, Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort sits on the Vidourle river in mountain terrain, with a s…
Quinta Grande
Cabo Girão, considered the highest promontory in Europe at 580 metres, sits above this modest Atlantic-facing parish in Madeira's Câmara de Lobos municipalit…
Massa
Once the capital of the Duchy of Massa and Carrara during its medieval peak, this Tuscan town sits between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a heri…
Loupian
This rural coastal village in the Hérault département of southern France, Loupian sits on the edge of the Étang de Thau lagoon, within three overlapping Natu…
Vila Nova de Foz Côa
A small Portuguese town at the confluence of the Douro and Côa rivers, Vila Nova de Foz Côa sits within the Douro wine region and borders the Côa Valley Arch…
Corinaldo
Birthplace of Saint Maria Goretti and producer of Verdicchio wine, Corinaldo is a pocket-sized walled town in the Marche region of central Italy, listed amon…
Pézenas
A small town in the Hérault department of southern France with one of the oldest protected historic districts in the country, Pézenas holds a dense café and…
Nevşehir
The provincial capital of Cappadocia in central Türkiye, Nevşehir sits at the gateway to the region's UNESCO-listed landscape of fairy chimneys, rock-hewn ch…
Procida
This little island off the Naples coast, between Cape Miseno and Ischia, has a café and restaurant scene, a concentration of historic churches, and vineyards…
Champlitte
This wine-country commune in Haute-Saône, eastern France, Champlitte sits within the Communauté de communes des 4 Rivières and holds the labels Cité de Carac…
Poco do Canto
A small parish in Portugal's Mêda municipality, set in wine-growing country with vineyards nearby and close to mountains.
Offida
This modest hill village in the Marche region of Italy, Offida sits on a rocky spur between two river valleys with mountain views, and holds an unusual conce…
Les Baux-de-Provence
Atop a rocky spur in the Alpilles mountains of southern France, Les Baux-de-Provence is a tiny medieval village built around a ruined castle overlooking the…
Covelinhas
Compact village on the water in Portugal's Douro wine country, Covelinhas sits within the municipality of Peso da Régua in northern Portugal, surrounded by s…
Ohrid
Sitting on the shore of Lake Ohrid in southwestern North Macedonia, with high mountains rising behind it, this town holds a dual UNESCO World Heritage design…
Nérac
A small town in Lot-et-Garonne, southwestern France, sitting on the water with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and vineyards in the…
Arcos de Valdevez
Walkable riverside town in northern Portugal's Alto Minho, Arcos de Valdevez sits on the border with Galicia and offers a centre with a real café and restaur…
Cori
This hill town in the Monti Lepini of Lazio with around 3,300 years of continuous settlement, Cori — known in antiquity as Cora — sits above vineyards and re…
Gaweinstal
A modest market village in Lower Austria's Weinviertel wine-growing region, Gaweinstal traces its origins to around 1050, making it one of the oldest settlem…
Montilla
Montilla, a town in Andalusia's Province of Córdoba, is the capital of the Montilla-Moriles Denominación de Origen, producing wines and vinegars from the Ped…
Vrbnik
A medieval walled village on the island of Krk, Croatia, set on a limestone outcrop above the Adriatic and known for its local white wine, Vrbnička žlahtina.
Amriswil
This small Swiss town in canton Thurgau near the shore of Lake Constance, with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and a café and restaurant scene that…
Sonseca
Modest Castilian town in Toledo province, Sonseca centres on a handsome granite Casa Consistorial draped in Spanish flags, sitting within easy reach of viney…
Frontignan
Frontignan, a coastal town in the Hérault department of southern France, is the home of Muscat de Frontignan, an AOC sweet wine made solely from the Muscat g…
Aubonne
Sloping vineyards above a wooded valley give way to a compact village of church spires and tiled rooftops, with a broad lake and Alpine horizon stretching be…
Durbach
This small wine-country town at the edge of the northern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, Durbach is known for its Riesling — grown here under the local na…
Marsillargues
A small town in the Hérault department of southern France's Occitanie region, Marsillargues sits in wine country along the Vidourle river, with two Natura 20…
Diessenhofen
Compact Swiss town on the south shore of the High Rhine in canton Thurgau, Diessenhofen sits directly across the water from the German town of Gailingen am H…
Correggio
Correggio, in Emilia-Romagna's wine country, gave its name to the Renaissance painter Antonio Allegri, known simply as "il Correggio," and was ruled from 151…
Bletterans
This small Jura village in eastern France's Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, with vineyards in the surrounding countryside, water nearby, and a handful of caf…
Dalton
This modest wine-producing moshav in the mountains of northern Israel near Safed, Dalton was founded in 1950 by immigrants from Tripoli and sits beside the r…
Orşova
Modest Danube port town in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County, where the Cerna River meets the river at the edge of the Iron Gates gorge, with vineyards…
Finestret
This tiny hamlet in the Pyrénées-Orientales sits in the Conflent country of southern France, a Pyrenean valley region drained by the Lentillà and several oth…
Kalabaka
The gateway town for the Meteora monasteries — a UNESCO World Heritage site set atop dramatic rock formations just outside town — Kalabaka sits at the foot o…
Cabanas de Viriato
A white baroque church rises above citrus orchards and green meadows in this quiet Portuguese village in the Dão-Lafões hills, set within a wider region rich…
Limeuil
At the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers in southwestern France's Dordogne department, this small medieval village was historically a hub of the r…
Feldkirchen in Kärnten
Tiny Carinthian town in mountain terrain with vineyards nearby and water close at hand, Feldkirchen in Kärnten has an unusually lively café and restaurant sc…
San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli, a little town in Friuli-Venezia Giulia northwest of Udine, is best known as the production centre of its eponymous DOP prosciutto, ce…
Ayora
A pocket-sized inland town in Valencia's Valle de Ayora comarca, set among vineyards and bordered by the rivers Cabriel and Júcar, with mountain ranges on ei…
Limni
A small coastal village on the North Euboean Gulf in northwestern Euboea, Limni sits at the foot of a mountain slope and offers a café and restaurant scene t…
Torre Annunziata
Torre Annunziata sits directly above the buried Roman settlement of Oplontis, whose archaeological area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, lis…
Cabeceiras de Basto
A pocket-sized Portuguese town in the Braga district where vineyards spread through the surrounding valleys and the Serra da Cabreira rises to its highest po…
Healesville
A pocket-sized town on the Watts River in Victoria's Yarra Valley wine region, about an hour's drive from Melbourne, Healesville has a café and restaurant sc…
Bojano
A little town in Molise's Campobasso province with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and an unusual concentration of historic churches.
Vauvert
This small wine-country town in the far south of France's Gard department, Vauvert sits within the Camargue delta and is drained by several waterways, includ…
Covarrubias
Known as "the cradle of Castile," this compact village on the Arlanza river in Burgos province was made a capital of the region by the 10th-century Count Fer…
Garessio
This pocket-sized Piedmontese village in the Ligurian Alps known for its mineral water, Aqua San Bernardo, which drew spa visitors at the turn of the twentie…
Metlika
This small wine-country town in southeastern Slovenia's White Carniola region, Metlika sits on the left bank of the Kolpa River along the border with Croatia…
Fenouillet
This compact rural hamlet in the Fenouillèdes, a long depression between the Corbières hills and the Pyrenean massifs in northern Pyrénées-Orientales, Fenoui…
Mondovì
This hill town in Piedmont's Cuneo province with a compact, café-lined centre, a concentration of historic churches, and a position deep in the wine country…
Mondim de Basto
A pocket-sized town in northern Portugal's Vila Real district with a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its size, vineyards in the surround…
Rogliano
This modest Corsican village at the northern tip of Cap Corse sits close to the water and mountain terrain, with an unusual concentration of churches for its…
Andria
Castel del Monte, the 13th-century hilltop castle built by Emperor Frederick II and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the defining landmark of this large…
Fafe
This small city in northern Portugal's Braga district with a walkable centre, a food-and-drink scene, and vineyards in the surrounding countryside.
Baume-les-Dames
Small town on the Doubs river in eastern France's Franche-Comté, with vineyards in the surrounding countryside, scenic viewpoints nearby, and a central core…
Porrentruy
This small French-speaking Swiss town in the canton of Jura has a café and restaurant scene that outpaces the town's size, with vineyards in the surrounding…
Arco de Sao Jorge
Small wine-growing hamlet on Madeira's north coast, Arco de São Jorge sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains to the south.
Kavarna
Black Sea resort town on Bulgaria's northeastern coast, Kavarna has a beach, a modest yacht harbour, and a central core with cafés and restaurants.
Gerberoy
This compact commune in the Oise department of northern France holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, the association recognising the country…
Mendrisio
A compact Swiss-Italian town in Ticino's wine country, Mendrisio has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, alongside an unusual concentrat…
Patersberg
A tiny hamlet in the Loreley district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Patersberg sits in the Rhine wine country with scenic mountain views and is officially recogni…
Venzolasca
A hilltop Corsican village of grey-stone houses crowned by a tall church tower, with open sea views stretching to a distant island silhouette and nearby vine…
San Luis Obispo
This walkable California town with a dense food-and-drink scene, vineyards in the surrounding area, and hiking terrain on its doorstep — including Cerro San…
Tudela
Tudela sits on the Ebro river in southern Navarre, a walkable town with a centre dense with historic churches, listed buildings, and cafés, set in the wine-g…
Bergerac
Sitting on the banks of the Dordogne river in southwestern France, Bergerac is a Town of Art and History with vineyards in the immediate surroundings and a w…
Vipava
This modest wine-country town in western Slovenia's Vipava Valley, built along the numerous springs of the Vipava River — said to be the only river in Europe…
Oristano
This walkable Sardinian town on the Campidano plain with a food-and-drink scene concentrated in its centre, several historic churches, and vineyards in the s…
Bélesta
Little wine-country hamlet in the Fenouillèdes — a valley corridor between the Corbières hills and the Pyrenean massifs in southern France's Pyrénées-Orienta…
Velenje
This Slovenian town in the Šalek Valley, Velenje was purpose-built and officially opened in 1959 around its coal-mining industry, with the Velenje Coal Mine…
Diepenbeek
Belgian municipality in the province of Limburg, Diepenbeek sits between the cities of Hasselt, Genk, and Bilzen and is home to Hasselt University and the Li…
Balazuc
A small village on the Ardèche river in southern France, Balazuc sits in wine country with scenic viewpoints across the surrounding landscape.
Matacaes
A compact Portuguese village of white-walled, terracotta-roofed houses spread across a green hillside, crowned by traditional windmills, set in the rolling w…
Glenrowan
This modest Victorian village near the Warby Ranges and Mount Glenrowan sits in wine-growing country in Australia's northeast, a short drive from Wangaratta.
Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Wine-country town in the Gard department of southern France, set on the Cèze river with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants.
Tintern
Tintern Abbey, a ruined 12th-century Cistercian monastery on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, is the main draw to this little conservation…
Chieti
This ancient Abruzzo town sits between the Pescara and Alento rivers, within sight of the Gran Sasso and Majella mountains and a short distance from the Adri…
Castelnou
A compact village in the Aspres region of Pyrénées-Orientales, Castelnou sits among vineyards and Mediterranean terrain between the Têt and Tech river valleys.
Oiartzun
A Basque town in Gipuzkoa at the foot of the Aiako Harria massif, Oiartzun sits in mountain terrain with vineyards nearby and a café and restaurant scene tha…
Naramata
Small wine-country village on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake in south-central British Columbia, Naramata is known for its high concentration of wineries…
Sant'Antonino
This small Corsican hill village in the Balagne region is considered the oldest, highest, and most scenic settlement in that area, and holds membership in Le…
Lamia
A walkable central Greek city with a lively café and restaurant scene, Lamia sits on the slopes of Mount Othrys near the Spercheios river, with vineyards in…
Mazzarino
This small Sicilian town in the province of Caltanissetta with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, set in wine-growing country with vineyards…
Caunes-Minervois
Red marble quarried here since Roman times has surfaced in some of France's grandest buildings, and the village's eighth-century abbey anchors a well-preserv…
Šibenik
Two UNESCO World Heritage sites anchor Šibenik's historic centre on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia: the Cathedral of St.
Fermo
A hill town in the Marche region of central Italy, Fermo sits on the Sabulo ridge a short distance from the Adriatic coast, with mountain views in the other…
Pont-Saint-Esprit
A small town on the Rhône in southern France's Gard département, Pont-Saint-Esprit sits at a historic river crossing where the Ardèche meets the Rhône just t…
Penafiel
Modest town in northern Portugal's Tâmega e Sousa region, Penafiel sits in mountain terrain at the edge of the water, deep in wine country, with a compact ce…
Polšnik
Pocket-sized Slovenian hill settlement in central Slovenia's Lower Carniola region, where a white-towered church rises above orange-roofed houses amid dense…
Corbère
A rural village in the Aspres region of Pyrénées-Orientales, southern France, set between the Têt and Tech river valleys in Mediterranean mountain terrain, w…
Krosno
Nicknamed "Little Kraków," this medieval Royal Free Town in southeastern Poland earned its reputation through a preserved old town with Gothic, Renaissance,…
Pollau
This pocket-sized Styrian town in Austria serves as the main centre of the Pöllauer Tal nature park, set among vineyards and close to the mountains, with a c…
Le Vigan
Modest town in the Cévennes region of southern France's Gard department, Le Vigan sits on the River Arre and carries a café and restaurant scene that punches…
Giugliano in Campania
A large city in the Metropolitan City of Naples with a walkable centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, and vineyards in the surrounding area.
Fraxern
A tiny forested village in the mountains of Vorarlberg, Austria, Fraxern sits at elevation above the town of Feldkirch, with meadows and woodland covering mo…
Sommières
Little town in the Gard department of southern France where the Vidourle river runs through the centre, Sommières sits in deep wine country between Nîmes and…
Campi Salentina
This pocket-sized town in Salento, Puglia, set among vineyards and with an unusual concentration of churches for its size.
Hartberg
A little Styrian town in southeastern Austria with a café and restaurant scene that would suit a town twice its size, Hartberg sits in wine country with scen…
Asquins
This small Burgundy hamlet on the Yonne is the starting point of one of the four main French pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, and its church of S…
Ozieri
Ozieri, in Sardinia's Logudoro region, is the centre of the earliest known archaeological culture on the island — the Ozieri culture — giving it a deep prehi…
Vila Flor
This small town in Portugal's Terra Quente Transmontana region, Vila Flor is locally known as the Portuguese Capital of Olive Oil, set in deep wine country i…
Bédarieux
This tiny town in southern France's Hérault department where the Orb river runs through the centre, Bédarieux sits within the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature…
Bortigiadas
This compact hillside village of terracotta-roofed houses rising through dense Mediterranean scrub in Sardinia's Gallura uplands, Bortigiadas rewards slow tr…
Xylokastro
Modest seaside town on the Gulf of Corinth in the Peloponnese, Xylokastro draws weekend visitors from Athens with a long white-pebbled beach, a marina, and a…
Brégnier-Cordon
This compact stone-church village in France's Ain department, its red-tile rooftops spreading across upland country above wooded river plains, with vineyards…
Tavagnasco
Small village in Piedmont's Dora Baltea valley, north of Turin, Tavagnasco sits on the river with mountain terrain close by and vineyards in the surrounding…
Ervedosa do Douro
A compact village in the Douro wine country of northern Portugal, Ervedosa do Douro sits within the municipality of São João da Pesqueira, directly on the ri…
Montolieu
Known as a Village du Livre — a book village — Montolieu is a little commune in the Aude department of southern France, set on the southern edge of the Massi…
Oberachern
A small German village dominated by a striking white-rendered church with a tall slate spire, set in Baden-Württemberg's Ortenau wine country with the Black…
Casale Monferrato
Sitting on the right bank of the Po in Piedmont's deep wine country, Casale Monferrato is a walkable town with a centre full of cafés and churches.
Termes
A little hamlet in the Corbières massif of southern France's Aude department, Termes sits among limestone hills that form the transition between the Massif C…
Vilar de Macada
A compact parish in northern Portugal's Douro wine country, Vilar de Maçada sits along the river in the Alijó municipality, ringed by UNESCO World Heritage l…
Naoussa
Wine production, a traditional carnival, and a ski resort on the Vermio Mountains make Naoussa one of Central Macedonia's more varied tiny cities.
Mauguio
This Mediterranean-climate town in the Hérault with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants, Mauguio sits in the heart of Languedoc wine country and extend…
Vetralla
A modest hilltop town in Viterbo province, Vetralla sits on a shoulder of Monte Fogliano in the heart of northern Lazio wine country, with cafés and restaura…
Leipsoi
Compact Greek island in the northern Dodecanese, Leipsoi sits between Patmos and Leros and is well connected by ferry from Piraeus.
Largentière
Silver mining shaped this pocket-sized Ardèche village for centuries — its name, adopted in the 13th century, refers directly to the silver-bearing ore extra…
Bronte
Pistachio cultivation defines Bronte, a Sicilian town on the western slopes of Mount Etna whose green pistachios are among the most prized in Italy.
Wertheim am Main
At the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers in southwestern Baden-Württemberg, Wertheim am Main is a medieval town best known for its landmark castle and…
Issigeac
A pocket-sized medieval village in the Bergerac wine-growing region of the Dordogne, Issigeac is built on a circular plan with largely original half-timbered…
Radda in Chianti
This small Tuscan village in the heart of Chianti wine country, between Florence and Siena, with a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its s…
Yecla
Wine-country town in the far north of Murcia, Yecla sits among vineyards in mountain terrain with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants.
Villefranche-sur-Saône
The main town of the Beaujolais wine region, Villefranche-sur-Saône sits on the Saône in the Rhône department of eastern France, a short distance north of Lyon.
Leskovik
This modest mountain town in southeastern Albania, close to the Greek border, with vineyards in the surrounding hills and scenic viewpoints across the mounta…
Briones
Tiny wine-country village in La Rioja Alta, Briones sits on a hill above the Ebro river, its northern slope dropping almost vertically to the water.
Anduze
A small town at the foot of the Cévennes in southern France's Gard department, Anduze sits on the River Gard with a café and restaurant scene that punches ab…
Alijó
This little town in Portugal's Douro wine country, Alijó has held municipal status since 1226 and sits within a region ringed by UNESCO World Heritage design…
Kymi
This small coastal town on the island of Euboea, built on a hill above its port village of Kymi Beach, has an unusual concentration of churches for its size…
Rogatec
This modest Slovenian border village in the Savinja region sits between the Donačka Gora hills to the north and the Sotla river to the south, in wine country…
Novi Vinodolski
Adriatic coast town in Croatia with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Novi Vinodolski sits where the Vinodol Valley — long used for wi…
Pedara
This compact Sicilian town on the slopes of Etna, a short drive north of Catania, with a centre concentrated with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants,…
Chambesy
A lakeside village on the south-western shore of Lake Geneva, Chambesy sits just north of Geneva with vineyard country nearby, mountain views across the wate…
Benningen am Neckar
This small wine-country town on the Neckar river in Baden-Württemberg, Benningen am Neckar sits a short distance north of Stuttgart in the Ludwigsburg distri…
Montagu
Founded in 1851 at the confluence of the Keisie and Kingna rivers, Montagu is a Western Cape wine-country town in the Western Little Karoo known for its hot…
Thouars
This modest town on the River Thouet in western France's Deux-Sèvres, Thouars sits in wine-growing country and holds an official "town of art and history" de…
Capranica
This modest town in the Tuscia area of Lazio, Capranica sits on the ancient Via Cassia and along the route of the Via Francigena pilgrimage road, with vineya…
Atouguia
Small white-church village of orange-roofed houses spread across forested hill country in central Portugal, sitting within easy reach of the wider Ourém regi…
Tripoli
A highland city in the central Peloponnese with a walkable centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, set on a plateau with vineyards in the s…
Barge
A compact Piedmontese town where a colonnaded municipal palace and a café-lined main square open onto wine-growing plains, with upland country close by and t…
Weinfelden
A tiny Swiss wine-country town in canton Thurgau with a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, Weinfelden sits on the water with scenic…
Senija
This compact Valencian village set among olive groves and terraced farmland, with a flat-topped rocky peak dominating the skyline, a church tower at its hear…
Bisignano
A small hill town in Calabria's Crati valley, Bisignano sits between the Pollino and Sila National Parks with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and a…
Riom
This heritage-dense town in Auvergne's Puy-de-Dôme, Riom served as capital of the Terre d'Auvergne from 1210 and carries that history in a compact centre thi…
Sobral de Monte Agraco
A compact Portuguese town in the Oeste wine region, its broad cobblestone main square anchored by a red-domed bandstand and whitewashed civic buildings, with…
Tortona
A walkable Piedmontese town on the right bank of the Scrivia river, between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines, Tortona sits in…
Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica and its Italian neighbour Gorizia jointly hold the European Capital of Culture title for 2025 — a designation the BBC called Europe's first borde…
Waasmunster
Pocket-sized Belgian town in East Flanders on the River Durme, Waasmunster has an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size and vineyards in th…
Ferentillo
Split by the Nera river into two small borghi — Matterella and Precetto — this Umbrian village sits in a river valley in the Province of Terni, with vineyard…
Maslin Beach
A long arc of pale sand curves below dramatically layered red and ochre cliffs on Adelaide's southern coast, making Maslin Beach a striking coastal stop with…
Quinson
This tiny Provençal village in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence where a converted stone chapel houses the tourist office, wooded hills rise behind compact streets, an…
Atina
A small village in Frosinone province, Lazio, with several historic churches and a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Manzanares
Founded in the mid-13th century by the Order of Calatrava during the Christian resettlement of La Mancha, Manzanares is a wine-producing town in Ciudad Real…
Condom
A pocket-sized Armagnac-country town in the Gers department of southwestern France, Condom-en-Armagnac sits on the River Baïse with a central core of cafés a…
Ceglie Messapica
This walkable Apulian town in the Salento area of Brindisi province, Ceglie Messapica has a whitewashed historic centre of narrow stone-paved lanes, many chu…
Hellín
This compact inland town in Castilla–La Mancha, Hellín spreads its terracotta rooftops beneath bare rounded hills, with a white-domed church rising above the…
Aggsbach Dorf
This small wine-growing hamlet on the Danube in Lower Austria's Krems-Land district sits within a region ringed by UNESCO World Heritage sites, with vineyard…
Montesarchio
A tiny city in Campania's Valle Caudina, Montesarchio sits at the foot of Monte Taburno in the heart of Samnite wine country, with cafés and restaurants in i…
Logroño
The trade capital of Spain's Rioja wine country, Logroño sits on the Ebro River in northern Spain and was named the country's first Gastronomy Capital in 201…
Najac
A medieval ridge village in southern France's Aveyron, Najac is dominated by a partly ruined château built in 1253 on the orders of Alphonse de Poitiers, wit…
Erice
Sitting on the summit of Monte Erice above Trapani in western Sicily, this medieval hilltop village retains its ancient Elymian-Punic fortifications, cobbled…
Birsfelden
A compact Swiss town where a fast-flowing river runs directly past a row of colourful multi-storey houses, with a lively café and restaurant scene, surroundi…
Moissac
At the confluence of the Garonne and Tarn rivers and the Canal de Garonne in southern France's Occitanie region, Moissac is a pocket-sized town in Tarn-et-Ga…
Poggio Mirteto
Little Tiber Valley town in Lazio's Rieti province, Poggio Mirteto sits on a knoll northeast of Rome amid wine country, with scenic views across the surround…
Meilen
This white-steepled lakeside church anchors this compact Swiss town's waterfront, where lake views, surrounding vineyard slopes, and easy access to upland co…
Traismauer
This pocket-sized Austrian wine-country town on the water in Lower Austria traces its origins to a Roman settlement, with some Roman structures still standing.
Lipari
The largest of the seven Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off northern Sicily, Lipari is the main gateway to the archipelago and the administrative cent…
Aigues-Mortes
Enclosed within well-preserved medieval walls, this pocket-sized town in the Camargue region of southern France sits at the junction of two waterways and dra…
Snells Beach
A small coastal town on the Mahurangi Peninsula north of Auckland, Snells Beach sits directly on Kawau Bay with views east to Kawau Island, and is within rea…
Parabita
A pocket-sized town in the Salento interior of Apulia, Parabita has an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size and sits among vineyards with…
Maaseik
Believed to be the birthplace of the Flemish painters Jan and Hubert van Eyck, Maaseik is a Belgian town in the province of Limburg with a walkable centre fu…
Sellicks Beach
Coastal village on Aldinga Bay at the southern edge of Adelaide's metropolitan area, with vineyards in the surrounding hills and scenic views along the shore…
Guardiagrele
Poet Gabriele d'Annunzio called Guardiagrele "Abruzzo's terrace" for the sweeping views of the Maiella mountain it commands from its hilltop position in the…
Tremolat
This pocket-sized Dordogne village where elevated viewpoints look down over a wide river bend, stone arched bridge, patchwork farmland, and vineyard slopes r…
Karystos
A waterfront town on the southern tip of Euboea, Karystos has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, vineyards in the surrounding countrysi…
Tembleque
This pocket-sized village in Toledo province, Castile-La Mancha, sits in wine-growing country with vineyards nearby and water close at hand, and carries a co…
Cedovim
Little wine-country village in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa in northern Portugal, Cedovim sits alongside the water in a region ringed by UNESCO W…
Stainz
A pocket-sized Styrian wine-country town in Austria's Deutschlandsberg district, Stainz is associated with Schilcher wine and anchored by Schloss Stainz, a f…
Tarazona de la Mancha
A compact Castilian town in Albacete whose sun-drenched Plaza Mayor pairs a whitewashed arcaded town hall with a substantial stone church tower, surrounded b…
Malo Globoko
Tiny cluster of white farmhouses with red-tile roofs sits amid rolling green meadows and forested hills along the Krka River in central Slovenia's Lower Carn…
Vendrogno
This small hamlet above Lake Como, now part of Bellano in Lombardy's Lecco province, sits in wine-growing country with scenic views toward the lake and surro…
Alburquerque
This small town in Spain's Badajoz province, close to the Portuguese border, with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and cafés and restaurants in its c…
Erlenbach am Main
This wine-producing town on the Main river in Bavaria's Lower Franconia region, Erlenbach am Main is the largest town in the Miltenberg district and carries…
Aubenas
This small town in the southern Ardèche with a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, Aubenas sits on the river Ardèche at a crossroads…
Montánchez
Sitting high in the Sierra de Montánchez above the plains of Extremadura, this pocket-sized Spanish village is one of the country's main centres for jamón ib…
Uhersky Brod
Uherský Brod, a town in the Zlín Region of Czechia, is known as the place where the philosopher and pedagogue John Amos Comenius lived, with a museum and sec…
Metković
A compact Croatian river town where red-tile rooftops climb a wooded hill crowned by a white church, set along the Neretva near the Bosnian border and within…
Enguera
This pocket-sized agricultural town in southwestern Valencia province, Enguera sits close to the Sierra de Enguera and is surrounded by olive groves and vine…
La Roque-sur-Cèze
A modest hamlet on the Cèze river in southern France's Gard department, La Roque-sur-Cèze holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and sits with…
Eibiswald
A compact Styrian market town set against forested upland hills, with a distinctive onion-domed church tower at its centre, sitting in the wine-growing south…
Albaida
This hilltop church tower and whitewashed old quarter rise above palm-lined streets in this compact Valencian town, set among vineyard country with a walkabl…
Escapaes
This tiny parish in the Santa Maria da Feira municipality of northern Portugal sits close to the water and is surrounded by vineyards, with a café and restau…
Gobelsburg
Schloss Gobelsburg, a castle and winery in Lower Austria's Kamptal wine region, has been producing wine since 1171, making it the oldest winery in the Danube…
Battipaglia
Buffalo mozzarella production has made Battipaglia one of the most productive agricultural centres on the Sele Plain in Campania, southern Italy.
Palmela
A wine-country town south of Lisbon on the Península de Setúbal, Palmela sits among vineyards with scenic viewpoints across the surrounding landscape and a w…
Volkach
Modest wine town on the river Main in Bavaria's Franconian wine-growing region, Volkach has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Langenzersdorf
This Lower Austrian town spread across a broad river bend, with wooded hills rising behind red-tile rooftops, vineyard slopes nearby, and a café and restaura…
Hualañé
A little agricultural town in Chile's Maule region, Hualañé sits in the Mataquito River valley with the coast nearby and mountains within reach.
Cavaillon
Known across France as the capital of the melon, Cavaillon is a Provençal town in the Durance Valley at the western edge of the Luberon mountains.
Keremeos
Keremeos, a tiny village in British Columbia's Similkameen region, calls itself the fruit stand capital of Canada — roadside stands selling soft fruits, cher…
Tobarra
Tobarra, a small town in Spain's Albacete province, is best known for its Holy Week drum processions — the tamboradas — declared of National Tourist Interest…
Sabbioneta
Jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List with Mantua in 2008, Sabbioneta is a small village in Lombardy's Mantova province, sitting near the north…
El Jadida
The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan, built at the start of the 16th century and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, anchors this Atlanti…
Fleurance
A small town in the Gers department of southwestern France, Fleurance sits on the River Gers amid the cereal fields and vineyards of Gascony's Gaure country,…
Vinchio
A pocket-sized Piedmontese hamlet dominated by a broad-towered brick church, set among rolling wine-country hills with distant Alpine peaks on the horizon an…
Smederevo
Smederevo's medieval fortress, built in 1430 by the Serbian despot Đurađ Branković on the Danube's right bank, was at the time the largest lowland fortress i…
Lisle-sur-Tarn
This pocket-sized town on the River Tarn in southern France's Occitanie region, sitting within the Gaillacois wine country, an area long known for the qualit…
Schio
A heritage-dense town in the Vicenza province of Veneto, Schio sits close to the Little Dolomites and Mount Pasubio, with a walkable centre that holds a conc…
Hyannis
The commercial hub of Cape Cod and widely called its "Capital," Hyannis is a pocket-sized Massachusetts village with a walkable downtown on Main Street, a wo…
Queenston
Queenston, in Ontario's Niagara wine country, sits where the Niagara River meets the Niagara Escarpment — the geological point from which the falls began car…
Paarl
Paarl is the largest city in South Africa's Cape Winelands, set along the Berg River with the mountains close behind.
Vasto
An Adriatic coastal town in Abruzzo with a walkable historic centre dense with churches, restaurants, and wine bars, Vasto sits where the mountains of inland…
Ptuj
Slovenia's oldest recorded town, Ptuj sits on the Drava River in the Styrian wine country of the northeast, with a walkable historic centre that grew around…
Bitaraes
This compact Portuguese village square anchored by a granite cross pillar and a twin-towered baroque chapel, set in the wine-growing country near Paredes, wi…
Serviès-en-Val
Compact hamlet in the Corbières massif of southern France's Aude department, set in wine country on the limestone terrain that bridges the Massif Central and…
Cassino
Cassino, a town in southern Lazio at the foot of Monte Cairo, is defined by two things: the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St.
Longuich
A little wine-country village on the right bank of the Moselle in Rhineland-Palatinate, Longuich sits within the Verbandsgemeinde Schweich an der Römischen W…
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
The spring at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is the largest resurgent spring in France and ranks among the most significant in the world by annual flow, feeding the Ri…
Uster
A lakeside town in the canton of Zürich, Uster sits beside the Greifensee with vineyards in the surrounding area, historic churches in the centre, and a walk…
Promajna
A small Dalmatian hamlet on the Makarska Riviera with a long gravel beach and a coastal promenade connecting it to neighbouring Baška Voda.
Vassel
This compact French village in the Puy-de-Dôme, its central square anchored by a stone fountain, a clock-towered mairie, and a solid Romanesque-style church,…
Torre de Moncorvo
This small town in the Douro River valley of northern Portugal, Torre de Moncorvo sits in almond and olive country with vineyards spreading across the surrou…
Almendralejo
A substantial Extremaduran town built around a striking multi-tiered stone church tower rising above a compact square, with a walkable centre of cafés and re…
Arbois
Arbois holds a double distinction in French wine history: it became France's first AOC-designated wine region in 1936 and is still known as the capital of Ju…
Arruda dos Vinhos
A small wine-country town in the Lisbon District of Portugal, Arruda dos Vinhos has a compact central core with cafés and restaurants and sits within reach o…
Tulbagh
A compact wine-country town in the Western Cape, Tulbagh sits in a mountain basin drained by the Klein Berg River, with vineyards on its doorstep and a centr…
Tarnobrzeg
A walkable town in south-eastern Poland with a café-lined centre and vineyards nearby, Tarnobrzeg sits on the east bank of the Vistula in the Sandomierz Basi…
Sequeiros
A small Portuguese village in the Braga hills, Sequeiros centres on a granite baroque church with an ornate carved facade and bell tower, set on cobbled stre…
Kozje
This small wine-country settlement in eastern Slovenia's Styria region, Kozje sits close to mountain terrain and water and has been a local centre since at l…
Grugliasco
A walkable town square anchored by a tall medieval brick clock tower draws visitors to Grugliasco's lively café and market scene, just a short distance from…
Solsona
This tiny Catalan town in the province of Lleida serves as the seat of the Diocese of Solsona and holds an unusual concentration of historic churches for its…
Eretria
This waterfront town on Euboea facing the Attic coast across the South Euboean Gulf, Eretria was among the most significant Greek city-states of the 6th and…
Montevecchia
A modest Lombardy village in the hills of the Brianza northeast of Milan, Montevecchia sits at the centre of a regional park — the Parco regionale di Monteve…
Sernancelhe
Small town in Portugal's Douro sub-region, Sernancelhe sits among vineyards and is the birthplace of Aquilino Ribeiro, one of the most significant Portuguese…
Marktheidenfeld
A modest Bavarian town on the Main river, Marktheidenfeld sits in the wine-growing Spessart hills of Lower Franconia with a café and restaurant scene that pu…
Tlemcen
A historic city in northwestern Algeria that served as the capital of the Zianid dynasty for more than three centuries, Tlemcen carries a dense architectural…
Santo Isidoro
This modest coastal town in the Mafra municipality north of Lisbon, Santo Isidoro sits in wine-growing country with vineyards nearby and a modest central cor…
Plasencia
Founded by King Alfonso VIII of Castile in 1186 as a Reconquista frontier stronghold, Plasencia is a walkable town in northern Extremadura with a historic ce…
Szekszárd
Wine country defines Szekszárd, a little city in southern Hungary and the county capital of Tolna, where the surrounding hills hold around 4,500 wine cellars…
Viverone
A pocket-sized village on the shore of Lago di Viverone — the third-largest lake in Piedmont — with an unusual concentration of cafés, restaurants, and churc…
Tequisquiapan
Founded in 1551 around natural hot springs in the state of Querétaro, Tequisquiapan is a colonial town with cobblestone streets, wrought iron fixtures, and a…
Prades
Founded in the 9th century as a fortified settlement, Prades is a small Catalan-French town in the Pyrénées-Orientales with a café and restaurant scene that…
Caudete
A compact Castilian town in Albacete's upland wine country where a cobbled main square — shown here alive with costumed participants in a public celebration…
Mesao Frio
This small town in Portugal's Douro wine country, Mesão Frio sits on the river with scenic viewpoints at Monte de São Silvestre, Lugar do Imaginário, and Lug…
Turna nad Bodvou
A compact Slovak town spread across an agricultural plain in the Košice region, viewed from an elevated rocky outcrop that hints at the upland terrain and wi…
Vinca
Compact village in southern France's Catalan Pyrenees, Vinca sits beside a broad river lake with snow-capped peaks rising dramatically behind, surrounded by…
Nidau
This modest Swiss town on the water in the canton of Bern, Nidau sits in wine-growing country near Biel/Bienne and offers a café and restaurant scene that ho…
Polignano a Mare
Cliffs dropping straight into the Adriatic Sea define the old quarter of this small Apulian town south of Bari, where the historic centre sits on a rocky pro…
Billieme
A pocket-sized Savoyard hamlet set among vineyard rows in a broad green valley, with a forested mountain rising sharply behind and the wider Auvergne-Rhône-A…
Brandenburg an der Havel
Brandenburg an der Havel sits on the River Havel west of Berlin, its walkable centre dense with historic churches and a solid food-and-drink scene.
Remelhe
Pocket-sized rural parish in the Barcelos municipality of northwestern Portugal, Remelhe sits on the western slope of Monte Grande in wine-growing country wh…
Épinal
Town on the Moselle river in northeastern France's Vosges département, Épinal has been known since 1796 for its popular printed imagery, a tradition launched…
Lochau
This little Lake Constance town in Austria's westernmost state of Vorarlberg, Lochau sits at the water's edge with vineyards nearby and a central core of caf…
Szigliget
This Hungarian village where a sprawling hilltop castle ruin flies the national flag above green vineyards and a wide lake stretching to the horizon, drawing…
Lons-le-Saunier
The capital of the Jura département in eastern France, Lons-le-Saunier takes its name from the salt springs first exploited by the Romans, which drove the to…
Vibo Valentia
Built on the site of the ancient Greek city of Hipponion and later the Roman colony of Valentia, Vibo Valentia is a Calabrian town on the Costa degli Dei wit…
Biertan
Biertan's fortified church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, was the seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Bishop in Transylvania for nearly three centuri…
Floure
A small wine-country hamlet in the Aude, set along the River Aude on the edge of the Corbières massif — the limestone uplands that bridge the Massif Central…
Mottola
This hilltop town in Apulia's Taranto province with a concentration of historic churches in its centre, Mottola sits high on the Murgia plateau with sweeping…
Alcalalí
This tiny wine-country village in the Pop Valley of Alicante's Marina Alta comarca, Alcalalí sits between the Serra del Ferrer and the Segili hills with scen…
Gleisdorf
This compact Styrian town east of Graz where a baroque parish church anchors a walkable town square, surrounded by vineyard country and within easy reach of…
Tonnerre
A compact Burgundy town on the water's edge, Tonnerre pairs a handsome neoclassical Hôtel de Ville — visible on its cobbled central square — with surrounding…
Red Cliffs
This pocket-sized Victorian town in Australia's Sunraysia wine and citrus country, Red Cliffs sits near striking red-hued cliffs and features a compact, sunn…
Trebinje
A walkable town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina with a dense food-and-drink scene, historic churches, and deep wine country on its doorstep, Trebinje sits…
Nizza Monferrato
A pocket-sized agricultural and commercial town in the heart of Monferrato, one of Italy's most recognized wine-producing areas, Nizza Monferrato sits in the…
Wahgunyah
This pocket-sized wine-country village on the southern bank of the Murray River in northeastern Victoria, Wahgunyah sits opposite Corowa, New South Wales, wi…
Gualtar
This tiny town on the right bank of the Rio Este, just outside Braga in northern Portugal, sits within a landscape of vineyards and scenic viewpoints, with a…
Brunn am Gebirge
A Lower Austrian town with a handsome Baroque main square — complete with a stone fountain and a domed civic tower — sitting in the wine-growing Mödling dist…
Orthez
This medieval stone bridge with a fortified tower spans a green river at the heart of this pocket-sized Pyrénées-Atlantiques town, where a compact café scene…
Agnone
Bell-making has defined Agnone for nearly a thousand years: the Marinelli Bell Foundry, founded in 1040 and authorised to display the papal coat of arms, sti…
St. Pölten
Capital of Lower Austria since 1986, St.
Montclus
This small hamlet in the Gard department of southern France, Montclus sits along the Cèze river and holds membership in Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.
Forjaes
Tiny Portuguese village in the Esposende municipality, Forjães rewards visitors with handsome early-twentieth-century civic architecture, cobbled streets, pr…
Fossano
A walkable Piedmontese town in the province of Cuneo, Fossano has a centre dense with historic churches and cafés, set against a backdrop of surrounding vine…
Ivančice
Birthplace of the Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha and the actor Vladimír Menšík, Ivančice is a pocket-sized South Moravian town where three rivers — the J…
Penalva do Castelo
A compact Portuguese town in the Viseu Dão-Lafões wine country, its central square anchored by a twin-towered baroque church, a cast-iron bandstand, and a ca…
Agropoli
This coastal town at the start of the Cilentan Coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Agropoli has a walkable centre with a good spread of cafés and restaurants, viney…
Puycelsi
A member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association, Puycelsi is a modest village in the Tarn department of southern France, set in the Gaillacois…
Armamar
This small municipality in Portugal's Alto Douro wine region, Armamar produces Douro and Porto wines alongside mountain apples — a crop so central to local l…
Spinazzola
This little Apulian town in the Alta Murgia national park, Spinazzola sits on the border with Basilicata — a boundary redrawn in 1811 when Joachim Murat tran…
Kőszeg
Kőszeg, a compact town in western Hungary near the Austrian border, is one of the country's richest concentrations of historic monuments — a status it owes p…
Marburg
A small Queensland village where a classic two-storey timber pub with wraparound verandahs anchors a rural streetscape, set among vineyard country with uplan…
Buldan district
Buldan, a pocket-sized hill town in Turkey's Denizli province, is known across the country for its textile weaving tradition, and the fabric produced here —…
Radebeul
A wine-growing town in the Elbe valley between Dresden and Meissen, Radebeul is sometimes called the "Nice of Saxony" — a nickname traced to a remark by the…
Squinzano
Wine country defines Squinzano, a pocket-sized town in Apulia's Salento region where the local Squinzano DOC — a red and rosé made chiefly from the Negroamar…
Vourvourou
A small seasonal resort village on the Sithonia peninsula of Chalkidiki, northern Greece, Vourvourou sits directly on the water with several beaches — includ…
Mortagua
A compact Portuguese town spread across a broad valley in the Viseu district, viewed from wooded upland slopes, with cultivated fields, pine trees, and a rid…
Campo de Criptana
Campo de Criptana's hilltop windmills — three of which date to the 16th century — are among the best-preserved examples of the mills that Don Quixote famousl…
Silverton
A compact Oregon town in the Willamette Valley wine country, Silverton sits along Silver Creek with a walkable central core of cafés and restaurants.
Aytos
A town in eastern Bulgaria's Burgas Province, Aytos sits in the Aytos Valley — the easternmost of the Sub-Balkan valleys — with vineyards in the surrounding…
Pignan
A pocket-sized town in the Hérault department of southern France's Occitanie region, Pignan sits in Mediterranean wine country with a central core of cafés a…
Wil
Known as the "Abbots Town" for the more than 500 years that the prince-abbots of St.
Chiaramonte Gulfi
Called the Balcony of Sicily for its hilltop position, Chiaramonte Gulfi looks out over the Ippari Valley and the Mediterranean to the south, Mount Etna to t…
Lectoure
This small town in the Gers department of southwestern France, Lectoure sits above the River Gers in a region historically nicknamed the "French Tuscany," wi…
Anna
A small village in Valencia's Canal de Navarrés comarca, Anna sits in wine country with water close at hand.
San Severo
This wine-country town in Apulia's Foggia province, San Severo sits at the foot of the Gargano spur with a compact centre holding a concentration of historic…
Weiz
This compact Styrian town spread across a green valley floor, backed by forested hills, with vineyard country close by and a solid café and restaurant scene…
Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie
Pottery has shaped this small village in southern France's Gard department for centuries, and today more than twenty ceramic workshops and sculptors line its…
Moncucco Torinese
A pocket-sized Piedmontese village in the wine country between Turin and Asti, Moncucco Torinese holds a 14th-century castle that now houses a Museum of Chalk.
Buje
This hilltop Istrian village, historically called the "sentinel of Istria" for its commanding inland position, sits in deep wine country with a café and rest…
Poysdorf
Deep in the wine country of Lower Austria's Mistelbach district, Poysdorf is a little town with a café and restaurant scene and several historic churches tha…
Sulmona
Sulmona, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, has been producing confetti — the sugar-coated almond sweets — for centuries, and the tradition remains cent…
Montbrison
Montbrison lends its name to Fourme de Montbrison, a blue cheese made in the Forez region of central France for centuries and granted appellation d'origine c…
Pavla Vas
Rolling hillsides blanketed in autumn-gold vineyards surround this tiny Lower Carniola hamlet, where scattered farmhouses sit among forested upland ridges in…
Carema
Carema red wine defines this tiny Piedmontese village near the border with the Aosta Valley, where vineyards cling to rocky slopes above the settlement.
Morsiglia
This compact Corsican hamlet on the Cap Corse peninsula sits at the water's edge with vineyards close by and an unusual number of churches for a settlement o…
Ponteareas
Ponteareas is a Galician town on the river Tea known for its Corpus Christi celebrations, in which residents hand-craft elaborate floral carpets across the s…
Portici
This densely built town on the Bay of Naples, Portici has a walkable centre with a strong food-and-drink scene, a concentration of historic churches, and lis…
Lunel
This wine-country town in the Hérault department of southern France, Lunel sits along the Vidourle river between Montpellier and Nîmes, with rail connections…
Banjol
This waterfront village on the Croatian island of Rab, Banjol has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its small size, along with several churches and…
Mezzojuso
Founded around 1444 by Albanian stradioti soldiers sent by George Castriot Skanderbeg to aid the King of Aragon, Mezzojuso is a Sicilian hill village southea…
Kitzingen
A Franconian wine town on the Main river in Bavaria, Kitzingen sits at the centre of the largest wine-producing district in the state, surrounded by vineyards.
Klisura
This modest Bulgarian town in the Karlovo Valley, Klisura sits between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora range to the south, making it a…
Sinj
Sinj, a pocket-sized town in the continental part of Croatia's Split-Dalmatia County, is best known for the Sinjska alka, a knights' tournament held since th…
Villerouge-Termenès
This small hamlet in the Corbières massif of southern France's Aude department, Villerouge-Termenès sits in limestone hill country between the Massif Central…
Sao Martinho das Amoreiras
This modest Portuguese village in the Odemira municipality, centered on a striking white-and-blue twin-towered church fronting a cobblestone square, with vin…
That's the top 600 worldwide — the other 537 live on the country pages. Pick a country under “Where these live.”
Wine country around the world: quick answers
Which wine towns can you visit on a day trip from a major city?
Our pages for day trips from Porto (72), day trips from Lisbon (26) and day trips from Rome (20) list the most, including Viseu, Torres Vedras and Rieti.
Which countries have the most?
Wandering Well lists 1,137 wine towns in 59 countries and territories. The most are in Italy (209), France (199), Portugal (139), Spain (63) and Switzerland (50).
Which are the highest-rated?
374 are rated gold, including Lagrasse (France), Hollókő (Hungary), Fosdinovo (Italy) and Valdepeñas (Spain).
Which can you reach by train?
333 of the 1,137 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive.