Hidden Villages

Discover extraordinary hidden villages across Europe

Monsanto
Boulder Village

Monsanto

Castelo Branco, Portugal

Village built among and under giant boulders

Spring and autumn Low crowds Moderate
Houses built under and between giant rocks
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Giethoorn
Venice of the North

Giethoorn

Overijssel, Netherlands

Car-free village with canals and 180+ bridges

May-September Moderate crowds Easy
No roads at all
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Setenil de las Bodegas
Cave Village

Setenil de las Bodegas

Andalusia, Cádiz, Spain

White village with houses built directly under overhanging rocks

Spring and autumn Low-moderate crowds Moderate
Calle Cuevas del Sol (Caves of the Sun)
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Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Medieval Gem

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Bavaria, Germany

Perfectly preserved medieval town that inspired Disney's Pinocchio

May-September Moderate-high crowds Easy
Complete medieval city walls
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Rupit
Stone Village

Rupit

Catalonia, Spain

Medieval village perched on volcanic basalt with hanging bridge

Spring and autumn Low crowds Moderate
Stone houses built on volcanic rock
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Altea
White Hilltop Village

Altea

Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain

Completely white-painted village on hill with car-free center

April-October Low crowds Moderate
Entirely white-painted buildings
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Berat
City of a Thousand Windows

Berat

Central Albania, Albania

Ottoman houses climbing fortress-crowned hill

April-October Low crowds Moderate
Whitewashed Ottoman houses
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Swinbrook
Quintessential English Village

Swinbrook

Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, England

English village pared down to its essence in honey-stone Cotswolds

May-September Low crowds Easy
Honey-colored Cotswold stone
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Erice
Mountaintop Medieval Village

Erice

Sicily, Italy

Medieval village often lost in clouds, known as 'Kiss of Venus'

April-October Low crowds Moderate (cable car)
Cable car access only
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Lofou
Traditional Mountain Village

Lofou

Troodos Mountains, Cyprus

Stone-built village preserving traditional Cypriot way of life

April-October Low crowds Moderate
Traditional stone architecture
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Hallstatt
Alpine Lake Village

Hallstatt

Salzkammergut, Austria

Postcard-perfect village between lake and mountains

May-September High crowds Easy
4,000-year-old salt mining heritage
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Zermatt
Car-Free Alpine Village

Zermatt

Valais, Switzerland

Car-free village beneath the iconic Matterhorn peak

December-April (skiing), June-September (hiking) High crowds Easy (train only)
Completely car-free village
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