There are certain places out there in our world where time has seemingly stood still for a century or more. The kind of places where you can find the pristine beauty of the natural world alongside cosy, almost fairytale-like houses, and where everything is shrouded in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.

We picked some the most gorgeous small towns villages where you’re guaranteed to be able to relax from the endless bustle of the big city. If we ever make it there, we plan on staying — forever!

Germany’s Fairy-Tale Dream Town: Rothenburg

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a German town in northern Bavaria known for its medieval architecture. Half-timbered houses line the cobblestone lanes of its old town. The town walls include many preserved gate houses and towers, plus a covered walkway on top.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini, one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea, was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century B.C.E., forever shaping its rugged landscape and villages. The whitewashed, cubist houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the clear Aegean and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.

Colmar, France

Colmar is a town in the Alsace region of northeastern France, near the border with Germany. Its old town has cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered medieval and early Renaissance buildings. The 13th-century, Gothic Eglise Saint-Martin church stands on central Place de la Cathédrale. The city is on the Alsace Wine Route, and local vineyards specialize in Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines.

Cinque Terre, Italy

The Cinque Terre is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and ancient vineyards cling to steep terraces, fishing boats bob in harbors and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous sauce, pesto.

Masca, Spain

Masca is a small mountain village on the island of Tenerife. The village is home to around 90 inhabitants. The village lies at an altitude of 650 m in the Macizo de Teno mountains, which extend up to the northwesternmost point of Tenerife

Bibury, UK

Bibury is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is on both banks of the River Coln which rises in the same District and which is a Thames tributary. The village is centred 6.5 miles northeast of Cirencester.

Migdal, Greenland

The inhabitants of Greenland originate from Central Asia. The country is part of the North American continent, but geopolitically the island is part of Europe.

Filzmoos, Austria

Filzmoos is a town within the district of St. Johann im Pongau in the state of Salzburg, Austria. Its main income comes through tourism: skiing in winter and hiking in summer. The town is approximately 1 km above sea level.

Portofino, Italy

Portofino is a fishing village on the Italian Riviera coastline, southeast of Genoa city. Pastel-colored houses, high-end boutiques and seafood restaurants fringe its Piazzetta, a small cobbled square overlooking the harbor, which is lined with super-yachts. A path leads from the Piazzetta to Castello Brown, a 16th-century fortress and museum with art exhibitions and panoramic views of the town and the Ligurian Sea.

Wengen, Switzerland

Wengen is a village in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern, located in central Switzerland at an elevation of 1,274 m above sea level.

Inspired by: BrightSide

Source: Wikipedia