Italian mountain villages off the beaten path.
Less-touristed mountain villages in Italy, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Brienno
This tiny hamlet sits directly on the western shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, with a concentration of churches and a handful of cafés and restaurants that ou…
Clusone
Particularly photogenic small town in Lombardy's Val Seriana, Clusone sits along the River Serio in mountain country with scenic viewpoints and a compact his…
Vogogna
This photogenic village in the Val d'Ossola, Piedmont, sits at the water's edge with mountain terrain rising behind it, partly within the Val Grande National…
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…
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…
Sellano
A tiny Umbrian village in the Vigi valley, Sellano is listed among I Borghi più belli d'Italia and since 2024 has been connected to the Castello di Montesant…
Cascia
A pocket-sized mountain village in the remote southeastern corner of Umbria, Cascia holds an unusual concentration of churches for its size and a handful of…
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…
Campertogno
Particularly photogenic hamlet in the Valsesia valley of Piedmont, Campertogno sits in mountain terrain with a striking number of churches for a settlement t…
Valsolda
This photogenic cluster of villages on the shores of Lake Lugano in Lombardy, Valsolda sits on the Swiss border with mountain terrain rising behind it.
Boccioleto
A pocket-sized mountain hamlet in Piedmont's Vercelli province, Boccioleto sits alongside the water with an unusual concentration of churches for a settlemen…
Montieri
This compact Tuscan hill village in the Colline Metallifere, Montieri sits in mountain terrain and holds a 14th-century church of Santi Michele e Paolo conta…
Gurro
This tiny Piedmontese hamlet in the mountains above Lake Maggiore claims a remarkable origin story: according to local legend, Scottish soldiers fleeing the…
Nesso
A particularly photogenic village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, roughly halfway between the towns of Como and Bellagio, with a little but real café and…
Pescina
This compact Abruzzo hill town of orange-roofed stone buildings, with church towers rising above the rooflines and sweeping views across a broad valley towar…
Omegna
At the northernmost tip of Lago d'Orta in Piedmont, Omegna sits directly on the water with a lakeside boulevard where a street market runs every Thursday mor…
Macugnaga
High in the Italian Alps at the foot of Monte Rosa's dramatic east face, Macugnaga is a tiny mountain village in Piedmont offering skiing in winter and hikin…
Fiumalbo
This small Emilian village in the Modena Apennines holds membership in I Borghi più belli d'Italia — Italy's register of its most beautiful villages — and dr…
Cetara
Colatura di alici — a pungent, amber fish sauce pressed from anchovies — has been produced in this little Amalfi Coast village in Campania for centuries, and…
Bezzecca
A compact Alpine village in Trentino's Valle di Ledro, where terracotta-roofed houses cluster around a yellow-façaded church, forested peaks rise on all side…
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…
Pagnona
Pocket-sized Lombardy hamlet in the Alta Valvarrone, north of Lecco, Pagnona is the birthplace of the artist Luigi Tagliaferri and has a handful of historic…
Pieve Tesino
Birthplace of Alcide De Gasperi — Italy's first post-war prime minister, born here on 3 April 1881 — this small mountain village in Trentino sits at the geog…
Rosazza
This tiny Piedmontese hamlet in the Valle Cervo sits in mountain terrain along the water, with a striking number of churches for its size and strong scenic a…
Castel di Sangro
This compact town in Abruzzo's L'Aquila province, Castel di Sangro sits along the Sangro river with a central core of cafés and restaurants and a photogenic…
Muro Lucano
A pocket-sized Basilicata hill town in southern Italy's Potenza province, Muro Lucano rises dramatically on a rocky spur, its pale stone buildings climbing t…
Pella
Sitting on the western shore of Lake Orta in Piedmont, this compact village in the Province of Novara offers waterfront views, mountain country close by, and…
Cossogno
This modest Piedmontese hamlet sits within reach of Val Grande National Park, with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding terrain and an unusually high number…
Fiera di Primiero
This little Trentino village in the Dolomites sits on the water and packs an unusual number of cafés, restaurants, and churches into a very compact footprint…
Alagna Valsesia
This compact alpine village in Piedmont's Valsesia valley, Alagna Valsesia sits at the foot of Monte Rosa — the second-highest peak in the Alps — and is inte…
Castiglione di Garfagnana
This medieval walled village in Tuscany's Garfagnana valley, Castiglione di Garfagnana sits above the river Esarulo and holds an unusual number of churches f…
Ulassai
Colorful multi-story houses crowd a steep hillside beneath dramatic limestone crags in this little Sardinian village, surrounded by forested upland country w…
Argegno
This tiny Lake Como village on the western shore sits where the River Telo meets the lake, and the waters just offshore mark the deepest point of any lake in…
Ormea
Little village in the Ligurian Alps near the Piedmont-Liguria border, Ormea sits on the Tanaro river with mountain terrain close on all sides and a concentra…
Pennabilli
A modest village in the Montefeltro area of Emilia-Romagna, Pennabilli holds an unusually dense cluster of churches for its size, a handful of cafés and rest…
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…
Seravezza
This compact Tuscan town sits where the Apuan Alps meet the Versilia plain, offering mountain scenery, scenic viewpoints, and a compact centre with cafés and…
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…
Castelsantangelo sul Nera
This pocket-sized mountain hamlet in the Marche region of Italy sits at the headwaters of the Nera River, where the Valnerina valley begins.
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 —…
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…
Triora
This modest mountain village in Liguria near the French border, Triora is listed among Italy's most beautiful villages and draws visitors with its dramatic h…
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…
Rivello
A compact hillside village in Basilicata, Rivello stacks white and stone houses with terracotta roofs up a forested ridge, with a church tower crowning the u…
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…
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…
Solofra
Solofra, a little town in Campania's Avellino province, is one of Italy's four main centres for leather tanning and processing, set in the valley of the Irno…
Morano Calabro
A particularly photogenic hill town in Calabria's Pollino National Park, Morano Calabro is listed among I Borghi più belli d'Italia — Italy's most beautiful…
Opi
This tiny hamlet in the Abruzzo region of central Italy sits within the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, offering mountain scenery and multiple scen…
Ceres
A compact Italian mountain town in the forested valleys northwest of Turin, where red-tile buildings cluster among dense green hillsides, a church tower rise…
Bardonecchia
This small mountain town in Piedmont's upper Susa Valley, Bardonecchia is a winter sports base with two ski areas — Colomion-Les Arnauds-Melezet and Jafferau…
Civitanova del Sannio
This compact hillside village in Molise's upland interior, its terracotta-roofed stone houses climbing toward a central church tower, backed by forested lime…
Santa Maria Maggiore
This modest mountain village in Valle Vigezzo, Piedmont, Santa Maria Maggiore sits on the narrow-gauge Vigezzina railway that runs through the Italian Alps b…
Antey-Saint-André
This compact Alpine village in Italy's Aosta Valley, seen here spread across a green mountain valley floor with forested slopes rising on all sides, offering…
Scanno
A modest Abruzzo village with a strong photographic reputation, Scanno sits beside a lake in the mountains of the L'Aquila province, partly within the bounda…
Averara
This small mountain hamlet in Lombardy's Val Averara, a side valley of the Val Brembana, with a striking number of churches for its size and the Mora stream…
Cagli
Small town in the Marche region of central Italy, Cagli sits alongside the Burano river with an unusually dense concentration of churches for its size and a…
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…
Arcidosso
This small Tuscan village on the slopes of Monte Amiata, Arcidosso draws visitors year-round with access to skiing in winter and mountain trails in summer, a…
Ostana
This compact hamlet in Piedmont's Valle Po, Ostana sits on the south-facing slopes of the valley beneath the dramatic mass of the Monviso mountain group.