Top beautiful villages in the world. The most beautiful villages in the world: cozy places to relax. Bilbury, Gloucestershire, England
Soglio, Switzerland
Italian artist Giovanni Segantini once named his winter residence in the Alpine village of Soglio La soglia del paradiso, translated into Russian as “the gate to paradise.” And this is indeed an apt description - a picturesque village overlooking chestnut forests, located on a sunny terrace in the Bregaglia valley, can be called great place For walking routes. Neat houses, narrow streets and rose gardens give this place the appearance of an ideal mountain village. Only 300 people live here, official language- Italian, but many speak German. In 2015, the media named the village the most beautiful in Switzerland.
Rougon, France
The mountain village of Rougon, remote from civilization, is located on a high plateau with panoramic views of the Verdon, the most impressive canyon in Europe. Less than a hundred people live in the village, and it is so tiny that it doesn’t even have streets. From Rougon you can literally go in all four directions: go down and explore the gorge or climb further into the Alps, to the ruins of a dilapidated castle and observation deck, overlooking canyons, Haute-Provence landscapes and red-tiled roofs.
Arnastapi, Iceland
The sparsely populated Snæfellsnes peninsula is located west of Borgafjörður, West Iceland. The island looks like a miniature copy of its “big brother”. At the foot of Mount Stapafel is the village of Arnastapi. Lovers hiking awaits a three-kilometer path along the coast from Arnastapi to the neighboring town of Helnar, and 8 kilometers from the village is the famous ice-cap volcano Snæfellsjökull, which can be seen even from Reykjavik. On coastline there are colonies different types birds, minke whales and even killer whales often approach the shore. In a small cafe, visitors will be offered “signature” fish soup, hot waffles, plus an unparalleled view of the sea. The small church surrounded by rocks looks especially unusual.
Torla, Spain
In 1918, the Ordesa Valley became a national park. Today it is the oldest nature reserve in the Pyrenees. Walk along the rocks hiking trails overlooking mountain peaks and canyons, lakes and snowfields. The village of Torla, one of the smallest (with a population of about 400 people) places in the Pyrenees, is located at the entrance to national park. Torla has a hotel and two campsites, and a quaint church adorns the center of the settlement.
Gerstruben, Germany
One of the best ski resorts in the German Alps is the Bavarian Obersdorf, next to it is the small Alpine village of Gerstruben, which, thanks to its ancient buildings, looks like a museum. But it’s not just the architecture that is striking: a sawmill, a cheese factory and mills still operate here. The chapel and several 17th-century farmhouses have recently been restored.
Ushguli, Georgia
The community of Ushguli is the main attraction of Svaneti, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Located at 2200 meters above sea level, Ushugli is the highest mountain settlement in Europe. Getting there is an adventure: three hours by car along a rough dirt road along the Inguri River. Some sections of the road are very dangerous - in winter, for example, avalanches can come down from the mountains and the road is closed. Guests of Ushguli can look at the ancient Svan towers that withstood battles with the Mongols and the low winter temperatures of the mountainous region, churches, and castles. Tourists are slowly mastering this area: the museum under open air, several guest houses and cafes are open for visitors.
Hallstatt (Hallstatt), Austria
The small village of Hallstatt, near Salzburg, is considered one of the oldest in Europe. It is located between the rocks and the lake of the same name. The village is famous for its salt mines, which are more than three thousand years old. Fewer than 1,000 people live in neat European houses. In addition to residential buildings, Galtat has a salt mine, a prehistoric museum, and several churches. In China, by the way, they built a copy of the village - Echo Town - 1000 times larger than the original and with much more high prices for real estate. Since 2012, the houses have been sold, but the “copy” has not yet been fully occupied.
Monsaraz, Portugal
Surrounded by olive trees, Monsaraz is the epitome of a medieval town. The main attraction is the impressive castle overlooking the village. The castle courtyard, an abandoned arena, is used in July as an open-air museum site and for music festival. The cultural program in the village is varied: here they eat, sing, dance, and stage performances.
Olden, Norway
The cruise port with scenic surroundings, Olden is located at mountain lake. This fjord village is surrounded by a typical Scandinavian landscape - giant mountains covered in greenery reflected in the blue water of the lakes. Alden relies on agriculture and tourism, so there are no urban attractions to be found here. Small wooden houses, two churches and a minimum set of amenities. The main local attraction is the Briksdal Glacier, which can be reached by minibus. After the glacier - Jostedalsbreen National Park, even in the middle of summer you need to take warm clothes with you. Tourist steam locomotives run through the valley, and boat cruises and lakeside camping are also available. People usually come here to admire nature and go fishing.
Castelmezzano, Italy
The village of Castelmezzano in the Basilicata region is one of the most beautiful places in Italy. Even from a distance this place looks magical: steep stairs, narrow streets, closely built houses, ancient churches against the backdrop of rocks. According to legend, the treasures of the Templars are hidden here. You can admire the natural diversity of the region by exploring the surrounding area on foot, on a mountain bike and on horseback: wild apple trees, pear trees, maple trees grow everywhere, cats hide, peregrine falcons and even porcupines are hiding birds of prey. Tourists especially favor local cuisine. Hunters for best view can ride through a ravine at a speed of 120 km/h on a local attraction, a 100-meter steel cable stretched between the peaks of the Volo dell’Angelo mountains.
If you remember with a shudder how your relatives frightened you with a trip to the village, then the news of a trip to the villages described below would cause you almost childish delight. Who wants to spend a holiday in a quiet picturesque place, we present to you the most beautiful villages in the world.
Shirakawa-go in Japan
The residents' houses are built at the foot of Mount Hakusan. The gasssho architectural style is popular here. The buildings with triangular thatched roofs look neat and a little fabulous. Nearby is Ogiwachi Castle, which offers excellent panoramic views. You can get to Shirakawa-go by regular bus from Takayama.
Bibury in the UK
Poets and artists come to this Gloucestershire village for inspiration. It seems as if time has stopped here. Narrow paths, houses of the 17th-18th centuries, ancient church St. Mary's, 16th-century weaving workshops. There is no public transport here, so nothing disturbs the pristine beauty. To get here you need to train station Paddington take the train to Kemblay and then hire a car or taxi to Bibury.
Wengen in Switzerland
People do not drive gasoline-powered cars here, preferring electric vehicles. Houses local residents located at an altitude of more than a thousand meters, which turns the village into an ideal ski resort. There are trains to Wengen from Loterbrunnen or Interlaken.
Zaanse Schans in the Netherlands
To understand what Holland looked like in the 17th century, you need to come to the village of Zaanse Schans. It is located 20 minutes from Amsterdam, but is very different from the capital. Modern civilization has not touched this region. Here you can see windmills, Flemish houses of the 17th century, craftsmen who paint porcelain, make and sell wooden shoes.
Ezze in France
Taking a bus to Nice or Monaco, within half an hour you can already find yourself in a rocky village on Mediterranean coast. Thanks to its location on a hill, Ezza managed to resist for centuries the invaders who encroached on this piece of paradise. The old part of the city is steeped in history - baroque churches, bell towers, gates to the village from the 14th century.
Pariangan in Indonesia
The Minangkabau people live in this village, so you will be able to learn as much information as possible about the culture and habits of the indigenous population. Here you can see beautiful natural landscapes, houses with traditional gabled roofs and wicker walls made of rattan. The village is adjacent to the active volcano Merapi, which has erupted more than once over the past two hundred years. They go to Pariangan Shuttle Buses from the city of Batusangkara.
Savoca in Sicily
Fans of The Godfather come to Savoca to see key filming locations, including the famous Vitelli Bar and the Church of Santa Lucia. History buffs head to the Capuchin monastery, to the ruins of the fortress of Pentefour. You can get to Savoca by car from any resort on the island of Sicily.
Caleta Tortel in Chile
Caleta Tortel is located on a rock. Therefore, you will have to leave your car outside the village and continue your journey through the “Chilean Venice” on foot. The aroma of cypress trees and natural wood is in the air. Wooden houses rise on stilts, and they are surrounded by pavements and stairs made of the same material.
Cua Van in Vietnam
There are no notable things here historical buildings, buildings that are masterpieces of architectural art. This fishing village is famous for its unusual landscape of an inaccessible huge cliff. The life of local residents takes place on the water. They live in colorful raft houses, and the school is also located in one of the floating houses. There are more boats here than the buildings themselves. In Ha Long Bay you need to hire a raft, which will take you to the village.
Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia
This village attracts creative professionals who want to live and work while enjoying the blue of the Gulf of Tunisia every day. That’s why in Sidi Bou Said there are many originally designed cafes, art galleries and shops. All houses are designed in the same color scheme. The walls are painted white, and everything else (shutters, gates, decorative elements) is blue. Trains run from the capital to the village.
Be surprised and delighted with the travel blog Planet of Hotels!
I present to your attention the TOP 10 most picturesque villages on the planet. Amazing beauty!
Bibury, England
The English village of Bibury is located in Gloucestershire. It has been repeatedly recognized as the most beautiful and most English village in the world by various artists and poets. Cozy houses The 17th century really seemed to have stepped out of a fairy-tale illustration. The village itself is much older - the first mention of this settlement dates back to the 11th century. Despite its popularity among tourists, public transport there is still no service to Bibury, and to get here you need to take the train at London Paddington station, get to Kemble station, and then only take a taxi.
Shirakawa-go, Japan
This picturesque village is on the list World Heritage UNESCO. Here you can admire the wonderful houses with triangular roofs, built in the "gassho" style, and also the Ogimachi Castle, which is located near the village. A regular bus brings tourists here.
Wengen, Switzerland
The views of this Swiss village at any time of the year resemble a fairytale scenery. The indigenous population of the village numbers just over a thousand people. But for every local resident, depending on the season, there are from 5 to 10 tourists, so it is always crowded here. It is home to a famous ski resort and the amazing Kriegsloch cave, which is said to be able to foretell the coming of war. It is prohibited to drive ordinary cars here, so as not to spoil the purest Mountain air. But tourists always have a variety of environmentally friendly electric vehicles at their disposal.
Ezze, France
This picturesque village is located on the shore Mediterranean Sea. For many centuries, continuous wars were fought here, and in the village itself a variety of cultures mixed. All this gave rise to a completely unique architectural ensemble, which, together with stunning landscapes, today attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world.
Zaanse Schans, Holland
Unlike modern Amsterdam, the village of Zaanse Schans has still retained its true identity. There are also typical houses of the 17th century and famous windmills, creating a real “Dutch” landscape. They sell wonderful natural cheese, beautiful painted porcelain and traditional wooden shoes.
Pariangan, West Sumatra
The picturesque streets of this Minangkabau village are literally at the foot of active volcano Merapi, which has erupted almost 40 times over the past 200 years. The dangerous proximity makes the impression of the beautiful landscapes especially strong.
Savoca, Sicily
This village with a thousand-year history is well known to fans of the book and film “The Godfather”, because the events depicted in the film were filmed here. Here you can visit the Vitelli Bar and the famous Capuchin Monastery, where the most famous crypt is located, in which more than fifty bodies of the local nobility and clergy have been preserved for centuries, naturally mummified in the catacombs.
Cua Van, Vietnam
The main treasure of this small fishing village is the incredible surrounding landscapes. Small houses supported by rafts literally stand on the water in Ha Long Bay, surrounded by huge cliffs. In one of these raft houses there is also a village school, and students come to it by boats. To explore all the beauties of this village, tourists also have to rent a boat.
Caleta Tortel, Chile
The small village of Caleta Tortel has the fame of “Chilean Venice”. There are no stone palaces or majestic bridges here, but there are many picturesque wooden houses, rising on stilts and connected to each other by a whole web of light suspension bridges, and sometimes simply by stairs. For obvious reasons, it is impossible to travel here by road.
Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
All the buildings in this Tunisian village have traditional colors: bright white walls and sky blue shutters and gates. Against the backdrop of the dazzling blue Gulf of Tunisia, the village looks simply stunning. Many representatives of creative professions constantly relax here, and many travel companies offer day trips here.
There is a village called Vyatskoye, 38 kilometers from Yaroslavl. A village that on October 15, 2015 became the first member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Russia! Having learned about this event, I decided to go there to see the delights of the village with my own eyes.
2. This is what one of the most beautiful villages in Russia looks like. Central square with restored mansions from the 18th and 19th centuries.
3. Hills, ravines, summer "amphitheater".
5. In some places Vyatskoye looks like this.
6. And now the fun part. Why, unlike most villages and hamlets in Russia, Vyatskoye has not collapsed, but is developing. The answer, of course, lies in money.
There is a businessman in Yaroslavl, Oleg Zharov, who, according to local residents, was looking for a place for a summer residence in the vicinity of Yaroslavl. I came to Vyatskoye, fell in love with the local beauty, and decided to take on the restoration of the village. I bought an architectural monument of the 19th century - the house of honorary citizen Bogorodsky, restored it, and the dacha is ready.
7. Zharov did not stop there, and over the past few years, more than 30 semi-abandoned mansions have been restored, several museums have been opened, and a church has been restored with the businessman’s money.Ascension of Christ built in 1750.
8. There are also opponents of Zharov’s “policy”. They say he buys and restores mansions with only one goal: to sell them, and thereby become richer. And it develops everything around and ennobles it, only in order to build an elite cottage village. In any case, every year new jobs appear in the village, and abandoned architectural monuments are restored.
9. Zharov also received the state prize “For his contribution to the revival and development of traditional cultural and historical values.” He was invited to the Kremlin and seated next to Putin and Medvedev. Where Medvedev said: “How about we go, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to Vyatskoye? At least the roads will be repaired before our arrival.” .
Apparently they never made it, and part of the road from Yaroslavl to the village of Vyatskoye is a toa Yamutokanavu. This is where our short journey to the most beautiful village in Russia begins.
10. Here it is Vyatskoye, an open-air museum of Russian rural life.The main idea of the museum is to present to tourists the life of the Russian village as it was several centuries ago.
11. The village is more than 500 years old in total. AND known in the history of Russia for its crafts, noisy fairs and bazaars, schismatics, “going to the people,” and talented people. For example, the sculptor A.M. Opekushin - the author of the monument to A.S. Pushkin in Moscow (at Pushkin Square), Pyotr Telushkin - the founder of “Russian mountaineering”, who alone, without insurance, repaired the wing of the angel that crowned the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, by the poet Nekrasov, who found images of his heroes in Vyatskoye.
12. On central square a restored fire station, now a museum in the building.
10. The parking lot next to the depot is completely filled with tourists' cars. There are even guests with overseas numbers.
11. We park next to the tourist buses.
12. And along the Ukhtomka River, which flows through all of Vyatskoye, we go to get acquainted with local life.
14. On the right bank of the river there is a museum - black bathhouse.
15. One of the central streets.
16. A rickety hut.
17. Bathhouse with a swimming pool.
18. It’s hard to believe, but, a residential building. There are even satellite dishes hanging on the front side of the façade.
19. Almost destroyed temple.
22. The restoration work of the next mansion is carried out mainly by visitors from neighboring countries.
23. Fragment of a restored mansion.
24. The restored house of photographer Kokoshkin, an architectural monument late XIX century. Perhaps one day the dangling wires will disappear and it will look really good.
25. One of the most beautiful buildings in the village of Vyatskoye. Inside Museum of Russian Entrepreneurship, or “The History of a Village That Wanted to Become a City...”.
26. On the third floor The museum has a large exhibition of household items.
27. On the second floor is the largest collection of musical instruments and boxes in Europe, many of which are still in use. The collection, as we were told at the museums, belongs to Zharov.
29. Organola.
30. Punched tapes for organola. And here it’s worth retelling what the museums told us.
In the old days, when a girl was married off, it was important what kind of hearing she had. And if the betrothed had problems with this, then before playing a piece of music for her future husband, a punched tape was inserted into the organola. The girl could only press the pedal and imitate playing the keys. The music sounds beautiful, the groom is happy, everyone is happy.
Maybe it's just a story, but it was told convincingly.
31. We will consider the Sberbank branch to be the ugliest building in the village, if this booth can be called a building. By the way, speaking of Sberbank, 3 days ago we closed our mortgage! We accept congratulations. Maybe one day I’ll even write about what it was like to live under the yoke of Sberbank.
32. Russian Post Office.
33. Fragment of a restored architectural monument. Everything was done quite well, even the smallest elements of stucco were preserved and restored.
34. From the yard this house looks much sadder. Perhaps it is implied that no one will set foot in the yard.
35. Outskirts of the village.
36. A neighboring village, and a country road home.
p.s. Perhaps some information about the businessman Zharov, and about the village of Vyatskoye, in some places does not correspond to reality. As they say, what you bought for is what you sold for. In general, the businessman is a great guy, he is developing his native land. After all, as practice shows, most of our rich people buy villas abroad, apartments in Dubai, and go live overseas.