Picturesque Towns in Europe: Your Favorite?

I've been to Rotenburg, Bath, and Sintra. Maybe Mykonos--long time ago.

My favorites are Meersburg and Bamberg, Germany. Also a little town near Freiburg called Staufen. York, England was nice too.

I'm especially partial to Germany. I'm about to go to Quedlinburg, which has been designated a world heritage city.

Hi Katie,

I've been to
Brugge, Belgium
Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany
Bath, Great Britain
Delft, Netherlands

I agree with Brugge & Delft. R od T is way too touristy for me; and Bath is too big.

I also like Bamberg, and while I know Nürnberg is a city, its old town center is very pretty and not too touristy.

One that was missed that comes to mind right away is:

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Been to them all

and except for Eze and Murren agree the rest are very cute

Murren itself is not cute but is in a stunning location - ditto for Eze, which also is terribly overrun with tourists so its alleged beauty could not be appreciated anyway. Many would argue that whatever makes Murren so picturesque then Wengen has more of it and to me Grindelwald is just as mesmerizing.

Lucerne, Siena, York, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Amsterdam would all be on my list

any such list IMO must start with Venice - to me the most beautiful city in the world

I've been to all of them except Sintra.

I wouldn't have either Bath or R od T on the list.

I would add Sarlat. In general, though, I'm partial to smaller towns than any on the list.

In Germany:
Quedlinburg
Wernigerode
Freudenberg
Hannoversch Münden
Fulda
Alsfeld
Celle
..there are many more.

Annecy
Rothenburg--many years ago
Collioure
Lucca
Honfleur
Les Baux de Provence
Moustiers-Ste-Marie

Good question Katie !
I have been to 6 of your favorites, but much preferred Santorini to Mykonos. Here are ones I would add:

Marvao, Portugal
Ronda, Spain
Hallstatt, Austria
Orta San Guilio, Italy
Portovenere, Italy
Piran, Slovenia
Kotor, Montenegro
Noto, Sicily

Here's a few more of my favorites:

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Hallstatt. Austria
Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
Vernazza, Italy
Riquewihr, France
Honfleur, France
Pitigliano, Italy

Last ones (for now)

Rovinj, Croatia
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Kathie...Bob and I have been to all but Mykonos and Murren. We would add Clovlley England,Praugue and a small town just to the south of it called Cesky Krumlov. There are so many wounderful towns and NOT enough time to see them all.

In France:
Eguisheim
Riquewihr
Sarlat
Carcassonne
Aigues-Mortes
St. Thegonnec
...

In Spain:
Avila
Cadaques
Vejer de la Frontera
Carmona
Elciego
Santillana del Mar
Lierganes
...

In UK:
Chipping Campden
Culross
Clovelly
Mortehoe
Salisbury
...

Katie, I am afraid, your question is typical "American" and it is senseless. There are hundred of quaint town in Europe which are EQUALLY picturesque, yet different in style.

Please, please, please do not join the notorious question "Which is the best?" This question is as completely nonsense as rankings. Which is the best novel ever written? Which is the best piece of music ever composed? Nobody can answer such questions.

Come to Europe and enjoy. Explore the regions which are ignored by guidebooks. You will be surprised.

DH and I have been to Brugge, Eze, Bath, Mykonos and Lucca. All were day trips from a home base in another city. Don't know if 'picturesque' is a word I'd use though. One thinks of small villages, eh? Some of the canalled areas in Brugge were. Mykonos so dramatic from the sea.

I'd put Arles, France at the top of those listed above.

Friend of mine said Collioure (spelling?) and Honfleur are picturesque. I found Roussillon and Gordes to be both dramatic and picturesque.

Excuse me while I go look up that word!

Been to Brugge, Eze, and Bath although the latter two were a long time ago. I think they're very touristy now. I love Brugge.

What's missing? Some places I can think of right away are Orta San Guilio, Italy and Tourettes-sur-Loup, St-Remy, and Aix-en-Provence, France. Although there are dozens of small towns in Italy and France that are charming and picturesque.

I've been ro Brugge, Eze, Lucca, and Delft, and agree with their being on the list.

I'd add Orvieto and Verona.

Byrd

Toledo, Spain would also top my list

I've visited all of them and agree they are very picturesque.

Might add Bad Grund in the Harz, Montecatini Terme in Tuscany, Dinkelbuhl on the Romantic Road. There's a little place called Conques somewhere in the Dordogne that time forgot.

Ooh these are good---traveller1959; I understand what you are saying, but I mean this in a completely fun "vicarious" way. I don't have a trip planned concretely for Europe right now but I certainly like thinking about all the places I've yet to have explored (and discovering new ones). I'm intrigued by the mentions of Germany for instance because I've never been.

Plus, as the saying goes, one man's treasure is another man's junk. I know I've posted about this before but I find the town of Glastonbury in England to be completely 'picturesque' partly due to its close proximity to the Tor. I had a friend visit me while I was living there and she described it as "rough around the edges"; I completely didn't see that! So it's interesting to see what places someone considers beautiful.

This is just one prism...I will share these Spain recommendations with my friend!

Hope others chime in too..

We,ve been to Eze (several times-great views) and Murren. Loved both.

We also thought these we're picturesque:

Villefranche-sur-mer
Tourettes-sur-Loup
Amboise
Portofino
Bellagio
Varenna

You've got me thinking now!

Been to Rothenburg and Murren. I agree that Murren should be noted for its beautiful location, not the actual village itself.

I would add Bergen, Norway to the list.

In Spain

Cuenca
Ronda
Avila used to be on the list until the development outside the walls

In Italy
Cefalu
Siena

Traveller1959

Katie simplu asked for picturesque towns. She did not qualify them as to what constitutes quaint and did not use the word "best."

Many of the posters, as evidenced by their responses, are experienced travelers who, of course, will have thier own opinions as what is picturesesque.

I've been to Èze and to Lucca. I agree that the former is over-run with tourists and the latter was "okay".

I'd add to Italy's most picturesque Orta and Baveno. The former wasn't bombed during WWII so was not "re-built" and the latter is on Lago Maggiore but not over-run with tourists the way Stresa is. Bomarzo (south of Florence, north of Rome) also has its charms.

BC

I agree completely with Palenque that Venice is the most beautiful city in the world. How can we say that when neither of us has seen every other city in the world? Just go there and you will know.
However, that was not the question. Katie was essentially asking if you think that the places mentioned are 'picturesque' and what other places do you think are 'picturesque'. To my way of thinking, for a place to be 'picturesque', it must be small enough to fit into a picture - that much-derided art-form: the chocolate-box. Now Venice does not fit onto a chocolate-box. There are some very picturesque places in Venice, but there are some parts that are less than pretty. So I would suggest any of the Pueblos Blancos of Andalusia - Gaucin, Atajate, Benadalid, Algatocin, etc. similarly, many villages in Italy - San Gimignano for instance, why has no one mentioned that? Siena is good, too.

Sorry I omitted one in Spain

Santiago de Compsostela during the summer when the streets are filled pilgrims from the Camino.

When I saw the title of this post, I immediately thought of Lucca, Italy. DH and I loved biking the walls.

Add: Segovia, Spain

Oia, Santorini, Greece.

Amboise, France.

Pitigliano, Italy is very pituresque. It took my breath away the first time I viewed it from a distance. Sorano, Italy and Todi, Italy, also. I always take tons of pictures when visiting these towns.

I thought Lourmarin, France was also very picturesque.

From your list, I've only been to Lucca. I like it, but feel it is not stunning/charming enough to be on the list.

I saw the movie In Bruges (great, by the way) and thought Bruges looked very picturesque. But, I somehow don't think that counts. I'll have to plan a trip to Bruges.

Have been to the first three - Brugge, Eze, and Rothenburg and agree they are certainly picturesque.

There are so many picturesque villages in France that it's hard to know which to name. They are picturesque in different ways - some from a distance - others from the center. Here's just a few:

Vezelay - Burgundy
Equisheim - Alsace
St Paul de Vence, Lourmarin, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Gordes - Provence
Dinan- Brittany
Honfleur - Normandy
Sarlat, La Roque-Gageac - Dordogne
St Cirq Lapopie - Lot

I would also add many of Italian hilltowns -
Orvieto, Siena, Spello
also, the Cinque Terre villages.

Because we always go in off season, many of the villages that are overrun with tourists in the summer, are almost empty in the fall. They are more "picturesque" when you can see the village itself instead of throngs of tourists!

I cannot believe that anyone ever went to Burano in the Venetian lagoon and failed to take a picture.

But what makes for a great picture is in the eye of the picture-taker for sure. Has anyone every called Genoa picturesque, and yet:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14448041@N04/2545231492/in/photostream/

http://viatraveldesign.com/journal/archives/Staglieno_PorticatoSuperiore_37web.JPG

http://blog.cleveland.com/travel/2008/03/genoa_statue.jpg

http://blog.red-bean.com/sussman/images/genova-closed.jpg

I've been to only a few. I think Bruges is picturesque, as is parts of Bath, Delft & Rothenburg.
Some of my favorites:
Toledo & Segovia, Spain;
Positano, Siena, Assisi, Venice & Burano, Italy;
Garmisch & Berteschgarten, Germany

1. Several
2. No
3. Delphi, Greece
Pienza, Montalcino, Orvieto and numerous hill towns in Italy

Some on you list would be on my "not to visit" list.

I've only been to Bath, Rothenburg and Mürren. While the Roman Baths were interesting, I don't consider Bath to be picturesque. Ditto with Murren. It is the location which is breathtaking, not the town.

We're partial to small towns in Germany and have found the following to be especially worthwhile:

Bad Wimpfen
Gengenbach
Dettelbach
Iphofen
Miltenberg
Bernkastel-Kues
Meersburg
Lindau

Hopefully, in September we will be visiting a couple of places that others have mentioned:

Quedlinburg
Wernigerode
Hannoversch Münden
Alsfeld

Austria: Hallstatt

Switzerland: Stein am Rhein

UK: Chipping Campden

Katie, been to several. Would add:

Gruyere Switzerland
Ronda, Spain

Of the places you listed, I've been to Brugge and Rothenburg and agree that they are extremely picturesque. I would definitely add Honfleur, France to the list. I think Salzburg is also lovely.

I think everyone if Fodorville knows that I love Sintra, Portugal.

I have been to Bath, Sintra, Eze, and Mykonos.

I would add Segovia, Spain and Cesky Krumlov to your list.

Thin

How about Brantome, just outside the Dordogne

Delphi, Greece
Boughton-on-the Water, Cotswolds
Albas, The Lot, France
Burano, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
The countryside
All of the Cinque Terra towns

Naarden, Blokzijl, Giethoorn, Harlingen, Franeker, Muiden, Baambrugge, Heusden, Dokkum, Sneek, Hindelopen, Vlieland village, West Terschelling, Deventer, Zwaartsluis, Spakenburg, Zierikzee, Middelburg, Maastricht, Gulpen, Elburg, to name but a few in the Netherlands.

Well, I mixed up Mykonos with Santorini-that was the dramatic one. The windmills and the harbor at Mykonos were very picturesque.

And TPAYT, how could one leave out the lake towns in Italy?! So beautiful.

ps-1959, your "senseless, typically American" comments were unnecessary and unkind IMHO.

Traveller 1959... Relax..............it's about generating conversation about Europe which is always a good thing. On a post like this people will hear about different towns throughout Europe and in turn further research the areas via books and the internet and possibly plan trips around what they have learned...."typically American"??. ..Go Yanks!!

Mikek

I find San G quite clogged with tourists, too. It's great to find lovely little towns, but when you can barely walk down the streets due to the congestion, it's kind of off-putting, IMO.

BC

Wooh--happy Friday. Nice to come in to see so many responses. I'm finding myself googling half of these to see what they look like (and where in the world they are). USNR, your comment about Conques, France, "the town that time forgot" intrigued me. I found the following on Flickr. I would LOVE to spend a few days just taking photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22260323@N08/2369007273/

Zeppole---that first flickr photo you posted with the mannequin is cool looking.

I agree that "picturesque" in my mind usually means "smaller".

Well yes by 'picturesque' i would place about 50 Italian towns above any town in places like Germany, the U.K. and just about anyplace north of the Alps. Only southern France seems to have widely preserved the medieval look in many of its smaller towns as well as places like the Greek Islands.

Indeed if looking romantically untouched and old is the criteria then i'd say Clovelly may be the prettiest town in England.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1354763582011574650JljlPY

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1354805786011574650EfkKBF

Brussels anyone?

I haven't been to any you have mentioned. All my big trips have been to Germany.

I love Oberammergau (in the fall and winter) and
Mittenwald for the sheer beauty of the mountains.

Both can be pretty touristy but the countryside is very nice!

I have been to some of the listed places:
Bath
Delft
R on the T
Sintra (stayed there three times and really love it)
Eze

I like many of the additions, especially Cuenca, Ronda, Vernazza & Corniglia, St Paul de Vence; agree that when I start thinking of "picturesque" places, numerous Italian hill towns, Swiss villages, & French small towns start tumbling through my mind!

Other worthy places listed like Venice and Santiago de Compostela are cities, not towns, in my book, however.

Three more that spring to mind are:

Mutters in the Austrian Tyrol
Obidos in Portugal
Bibury in England

Hi Katie, we renamed Albas in The Lot "Brigadoon" in honour of the Gene Kelly movie - the town only reappears once every 250 years or so. Albas is gorgeous, but murder to find! We were verging on the divorce courts by the time we got to our gite!! But it's so pretty it was worth the trouble.

Thanks for starting this thread, it's great fun.

If one has ever been to Pedraza and/or Consuegra (Spain), they would both be the list.

I agree with op about Sintra and Vernazza as a later poster mentioned.

Anywhere on the trails of CT are great, or a morning sun rise in Florence, walking the st's of rome and catching a glimpse of the colleseum or the st. peters, a sunset in asissi, etc etc.

Been to:
Eze (would definitely agree)
Bath (no, wouldn't call it picturesque although I loved it)
Sintra - yes, maybe
Lucca - no, not my idea of Picturesque. Think some of the other tuscan hill towns have better vistas and look better for photos (another poster mentioned san gimignano, I'd substitute this for Lucca)
Mykonos - didn't understand this one at all, while I enjoyed it I thought in terms of beauty it was nothing special. Oia or Fira on Santorini would get my vote any time.
The big ommission for me is Dubrovnik - breathtakingly beautiful.

I would definitely add Hvar, Croatia to the list!

I believe this thread would be much shorter if we were naming the ugliest and least quaint of the European towns, especially in France. Hard to recall very many.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Hallstatt, Austria
Spello, Italy

I would also second Maitaitom's Ljubljana recommendation as well.

Tracy

What about my capital city..Valletta? Its harbour is in a league of its own....

I think in this case it is a question of beauty being in the eye of the beholder..

My all time breath holders,

Pienza in Italy and all the Val D'Orcia
Positano..when not overrun by tourists
Aeolian islands
Cinque Terre
La Morra in Piemonte....

a bit biased I'm afraid, being so close to Italy ...

Been to Bath, Sintra, Delft and Lucca.

Would add Alberobello (Puglia) Italy.

I've been to Eze and Lucca and agree with both choices, but would call Lucca charming rather than picturesque.

I would add Roussillon (sp?) and Les Baux in France; Ronda and Mijas in Spain; Santorini in Greece and Eyeries and Baltimore in Ireland.

I saw several picturesque villages in Switzerland but don't recall the names.

I've been to Brugge, Bath, Mykonos and Sintra.

I would add Cadaques, Pals and Girona in Spain; Dubrovnik, Grozjnan and Motovun in Croatia; Evora in the Alentejo region of Portugal; and Alghero on the island of Sardinia in Italy.
Jeanine
www.jthetravelauthority.com

Late to the game, I see this went to print today!

I've been to the below:
Èze, France
Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany
Bath, Great Britain
Sintra, Portugal

I'd have suggested Obidos. I enjoyed my brief visit to Sintra, but it didn't have me exclaiming around every corner like Obidos. It's a gem. I second the mention of Pienza, and Oriveto! Guarda in Switzerland, a perfect view...

Been to Lucca and Mykonos (latter is terribly overrated, not quaint or charming, too staged). My choice is Capri town before 10am and after 5pm when the hoards of day-trippers go back to the mainland and leave the place to the natives and residing tourist.

I've also been to 3 Brugge, Delft & Rothenburg - The first one that came to my mind is also Cesky Krumlov, others - Melk, Austria, Maastricht, Netherlands & Namur, Belgium.

I have been to Eze, Brugge, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Mykonos, Lucca and would add Celle, Quedlinburg, Germany.
How about doing this survey on the US to help us Europeans to make better choices when going to that country?

I've been to Rothenburg, Bath and Sintra.

Of these, Sintra is my pick for most picturesque.

I'd add:
Avila
Santiago de Compestala
Segovia
Prague
York
Edinburgh

I have been to all but two...I would agree with saige above that Sintra is very beautiful. I would also add Northern Portugal, in particular Viana do Costelo, and Pinhao...incredible. Can post pictures if anyone cares.

Salzburg.

Specifically, walking from the town center (opposite side of the river from the fortress) toward the Augustiner brewery in the evening, crossing one of the bridges and looking back at the lit old center. Absolutely amazing.

Of course you can't have a list without Venice.

Bath, Vernazza, San Gimignano, Cochem and Wurtzburg are also very high on my list.

Of the ones mentioned only Lucca would NOT be on my list. Lucca is okay but not picturesque.

I would add Villefranche-Sur-Mer France and Zermatt in Switzerland.

Lucca in Tuscany is the most picturesque place I have ever been, so it definitely belongs on your list. I would add a town on the Rhine in Germany and a harbor-town unknown to most Americans.

First, Boppard on the Rhine is one of the few Rhine-side towns where the train tracks are inland rather than right along the Rhine. This allows for a splendid pedestrian promenade on the river. The views are both charming (the town's architecture) and magnificent [the physical features of the Rhine Valley's topography here, at what many observers (self included) think of as the Rhineland's most beautiful part].

Second, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, the Channel Islands. [Note to Los Angelenos: I don't mean the Channel Islands off your coast, I mean the British Crown's dependencies once described by Victor Hugo as "pieces of France that She carelessly dropped into the ocean, and which were scooped up by Britain."] Guernsey is about 19 miles west of France's Cotentin Peninsula [WW2 historians are more familiar with the area immediately EAST of the Cotentin Peninsula, since that's where Omaha, Sword, Juno etc. are located.]. SPP is built on a series of hill-terraces surrounding the most perfectly picturesque harbor that can be imagined. It needs to be on your list. It is almost as picturesque as Lucca, but in a different way.

I need to thank bettyk for reminding me of Lindau, which I visited in 1995. It is VERY picturesque, and for lovers of lake rather than river scenery is better than Boppard.

#1 I have been to 3, Eze, Sintra and Mykonos. #2 Yes, I agree all are picturesque. #3, Burano and the villages of Cinque Terre were mentioned in responses and I agree those are as well. Perhaps I might add Rousillon or Gourdes, Cascais/Estoril and the Amalfi Coast

Echternach in Luxembourg
Horta in the Azores - the painted marina walls and particularly the sidewalks done in stone mosaic are amazing.
Burano - I must have used 1 gig of media taking pictures there
Prague - don't miss the views from the Charles Bridge and Kampa Island

Colmar, France; Salamanca, Spain; Taormina, Italy; Galway, Ireland; Regensburg, Germany.

And of course, PRAGUE, the mother of all eyeball candy cities.

No one has mentioned Interlaken in Switzerland. We rented an apartment here and our balcony looked straight out at the Jungfrau - this was magnificent when the sun was setting in the evening. This is a central place to stay when visiting the mountain areas of Murren and Grindlewald (as already mentioned) and wonderful walking. The train system here is marvellous for visiting all these areas. April/May is a good time to visit - not too many tourists.

Flamm, Norway; Bled, Slovenia; Marsaxlokk, Malta (actually, just about every city in Malta, including Gozo); Tallinn, Estonia.

Kitty - 'Prague, the mother of all eyeball candy cities' - LOL!

I've been to six of Katie's nine. Loved them all. Almost missed Delft. When staying in Haarlem, I took a train there one Sunday. The train station where I got off was in a part of town that was nondescript modern and there seemed to be no one around. Bits of paper and fast food containers were blowing around. It was beginning to rain. I almost got back on the train to return to Haarlem, but in the distance I saw a spire. With that as my "compass" I began walking and came out on a lovely city square. (It helped that the rain stopped and the sun came out as I approached the old part of the city.

However, I don't think that I could list which is to me the most picturesque town. I have been in so many breathtaking places. The wonder of being in a new place always overwhelms me.

Ediemay's comment that this would be a shorter thread were we to list ugly places is so right on target. I can't think of any truly ugly places I've been. There are a few sort of gritty places, but there was always something of interest to make it memorable in a good way.

I had to laugh at Cathies' comment about being nearly ready for the divorce court before finding "Brigadoon". One of the advantages of traveling solo: there is no one to get mad at you when you screw up as driver or navigator. On the other hand, there is no one with whom to share the joy of finding that perfect place.

I didn't see Tallin, Estonia on this thread. I would add that.

Brussels, Pal? HaHaHa.

I would add Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Telc!!!

I've only been to four of the ones on your list, Brugge, Delft Rothenburg, and Delft. I loved all of them, but Mittenwald and Burano would be at the top of my list.

Grrr. Need that edit button. The four I've been to were Brugge, Delft, Rothenburg, and Bath.

Been to Eze (loved it - and it wasn't overrun with tourists in early spring), Mykonos & Bath. All lovely. Loved also Venasque & Arles. Ahh... Looking forward to adding Oia, Santorini this fall.

I live in Italy and I have been in Lucca, Brugge, Mykonos.
In Tuscany I would replace Lucca (well known as Florence or Pisa) with Volterra and Montepulciano.
In Greece Mykonos is -again- very well known. What about Agia Meteora and Delphi?
As for Brugge, no doubt but if you go there add a trip to Genf. The Castle is simply an enchanted place.

Brugge, Belgium Yes
Èze, France No
Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany Yes
Bath, Great Britain Yes
Mykonos Town, Greece No
Lucca, Italy Yes
Delft, Netherlands Yes
Sintra, Portugal Yes
Mürren, Switzerland No

Weird list, I wouldn't include Bath, Delft, Sintra.

Where is Auxerre, Bescancon, Oxford, Bilbao, Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Chablis etc

You have to also think about time of day
St Gimigiano is great at 10 at night and 8 in the morning but once the buses turn up it is not

Having just returned from the Alentejo region of Portugal, I have to say that there is a very high concentration of picturesque towns there:

Evora
Estremoz
Evoramonte
Marvao
Castelo de Vide
Monsaraz

old town tallinn and cesky krumlov -similar in some regards but very photogenic

Eze deserves its place on the list for the view over Cap Ferrat.
Erice in Sicily runs it close.
Lucca hardly rates as particularly picturesque; would suggest Monteriggioni in its place.
Dubrovnik - because my wife says so.
Mykonos - my wife again.
Bath is special but check out Cheltenham when in the area.
Cambridge is the daddy of university towns.
Venice - no contest

I've seen them all but Eze, France. Still, the most beautiful sight I have ever experienced is Bled, Slovenia!! A MUST.

I have been through Eze and Lucca. Both looked nice.

I vote for Venice and CT northern Italy and Nerano in southern Italy.

Aigues Mortes in France

Bruges Brussels,Gordes France, everywhere in Tuscany

Love Èze, France. Would add Innsbruck, Austria; Assisi, Italy and Siena, Italy if you don't mind the steep streets =0).

Beautiful church to visit if you ever find yourself in Innsbruck: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/austria/innsbruck-hofkirche.htm

Almost forgot Lucerne, Switzerland. The Löwendenkmal is a must see, and the lake is lovely to walk around. Also, you can take a cablecar ride up Mt. Pilatus for an amazing view.

Brugge, Belgium ~ on the "to go to someday list"
Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany ~ been there twice, definitely deserves to be "on the list"
Bath, Great Britain ~ headed there in 6 weeks
Mürren, Switzerland ~ great setting, thought Gimmelwald had more charm

I would add
Lower Slaughter, England
Soglio, Switzerland
Guarda, Switzerland

Oh my! I googled pictures of Bled Slovenia!!!!! It must go onto my "to go to someday list"

I guess most of my favorites are more villages than towns.

Of your list, I've only been to Rothenburg, and do agree with its inclusion. However, I'd definitely have to add Lindau on Lake Constance, and Stein am Rhine to the list. As for Greece, I'm very surprised not to see Oia on Santorini included... sunset over the caldera... aaahhh...

I'm so enjoying everyone's replies - More trips to plan!

Sundborn, Sweden
Bergen, Norway
Geiranger, Norway
Trondheim, Norway

Well, I have been to ALL of them, and many more which have been mentioned.
I tend to think of picturesque as relating to villages, and would like to mention just one that I visited recently, which I do not think has been posted.
It is BUREN, in the Netherlands. Have a look at it, if you can.

Well, OK just one more "new" one: Lans, near Innsbruck,

Then of course, Thin is so right: Sintra is a romantic dream, or at least it was in 1984, again in 1985, and seemed just as good in 2005.

Viana do Costelo was my favorite in 1985.

Riquewihr was delightful in 1982.

I'm hoping these beauties can stay as picturesque as they are in memory.

Forgot to say, for Americans, Martin van Buren's ancestors came from Buren, in the Netherlands, and I'd never even heard of it til our friend took us there for a day's outing in June, 09!

Szentendre, Hungary

Very inspiring thread. So many places to see, so little time.

Hard to believe, but I’ve only been to one of those towns. I’ve been “close” to several others.

As far as adding to that list, quite frankly I wouldn’t know where to start or where to stop. So here’s a few representing the letter “S,” off the top of my head...
San Gimignano
Saumur
Spoleto
Segovia
Sarlat

In no particular order:

Regensberg, Switzerland (outside Zurich)
Sintra, also Evora, Evoramonte, Estremoz
Wells, England
Chester, England
Robin Hood's Bay, England
Monteriggioni
Cortona (if a little overrun)
Orvieto
Tenby, Wales
Llanrhaeadr, Wales
Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland
Tobermory, and the whole Isle of Mull, Scotland

Been to five of the towns listed. I would add:
Wengen
Etretat
St Cirq LaPopie
San Quirico
Martel
Vernazza
Laycock
Castle Combe
Cawdor

Noto, Sicily; Città Barocca

Karlovy Vary, czech republic

I've been to Rothenburg and Bath.

I would add the following:

Mont St. Michele, France -- It is so unique, being on an island and having, as it were, one street that winds its way up to the top, turning into stairs.

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic -- I visited on a rainy, chilly late October day, and the gloom added to, rather than detracted from the town's charm. Despite their being a fair number of people about, Cesky Krumlov seemed to possess a somewhat Sleeping Beauty-esque quality, as if it were waiting to be awakened from a lingering dream.

Positano, Italy and/or Vernazza, Italy -- Both of these enchanting towns seem to cascade down from the heights to the sea and are actually viewed better from the sea. What can you say but "che bellezza!"

San Gimignano, Italy -- Viewed from the top of the Torre Grossa, San Gimignano's Piazza della Cisterna and the surrounding streets and structures look to be part of a patchwork quilt composed of red tile, golden stone and spots of green. Simply stunning.

I've been to only three of your listed towns(Brugge, Rothenburg, Delft). I will be visiting Bath this Summer.

I would nominate:

NETHERLANDS:
1. Hindeloopen(Friesland)
2. Sloten(Friesland)
3. Thorn(Limburg)
4. Veere(Zeeland)

BELGIUM
1. Lier(Antwerp)
2. Ronse(Flanders)
2. Durbuy(Ardennes)

LUXEMBOURG
1. Vianden
2. Esch sur sure

DENMARK
1.Aeroskobing
2. Ebeltoft

We've been to Bath, but don't recall it as a highlight on our 1700 mile driving trip. But it was nice. IMO:

Innsbruck, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Capri, Italy
Deauville, France
Honfluer, France
Murano & Burano, Italy

Planning our trip to Montreaux based on Fodor bloggers immediately followed by a Baltic Cruise, so we'll get to see Tallinn, Estonia listed in this thread. Also we're still considering driving to Bellagio for 2 days based on this thread. Happy Travels.
P.S. Someone asked for a US City suggestion and besides the obvious New York City (and most Europeans like Orlando, Florida) my favorite city is San Francisco followed by Chicago.

I have only been to Eze on your list and it was quite enchanting.

I have been to Brugges and Sintra. Brugges is particularly picturesque.

I can't believe someone else mentioned Aeroskobing! It wouldn't have leaped to mind but my walk to the beach there did evoke an impression of old Flemish paintings.

I would add-
-Coullioure
-Carcassonne
-Lucerne
-Positano
-Capri
-Bellagio
-Varenna
-Agios Nikalos (sp?) on the island of Crete.
-Villefranche sur mer

Been to 3. I agree with Betty's list. Have to add
France:
Conques
Collioure
Noyers
Fontaines-de-Vaucluse
Nancy (perhaps too large a city for some to be considered)
Wissembourg
Rochefort-en-Terre
Forte La Latte (not actually a town, fort where Kirk Douglas' "The Vikings" was filmed

In Germany
Ladenburg
Speyer
Mainau Island
Bad Wimpfen
Michelstadt
Gengenbach
Neuleiningen

Having just spent 3 weeks in England this Summer I can add to what I listed above in my previous reply:

Rye
York
Robin Hood's Bay
Staithes
Hawkshead
Almost any town and village in The Cotswolds. Little slices of heaven. Standouts were Upper and Lower Slaughter, Snowshill, Bourton on the Water, Stanton, Chipping Camden, Broadway. The wonderful appeal about this region of England(Cotswolds) is that there are dozens upon dozens of beautiful towns and villages in a relatively concentrated area. Some touristy,but many more untouched and remote. Get lost in the Cotswolds--a bucolic wonderland.

Bath(we were definitely not prepared for how beautiful this Unesco World Heritage Site truly is. So many car free sections and nothing negative to spoil the atmosphere. Perfectly Georgian). I place it next to Bruges in it's beauty.

Postitano, Italy
Venice, Italy
Montichiello (Tuscany region)

Oh! this soo good & worth a note!

I have been to: Rothenburg au Tauber and Brugge, Belgium

I nominate: Bamberg, Ceske Krumlov. Positano and Ronda

I did not realize how many beautiful towns I have missed over
the years. I will have to keep on Traveling!

Forgive me, I left out Balzano, Italy.

In France:
Peruges,
angles-sur-anglin,
Collonges-la-Rouge,
Cordes-sur-Ceil,,
La Couvertoirade,
Gourdon,
Kayserberg,
Uzes,
Riec-sur-Belon,
La Roche-Gyon,
St-Cirq-lapopie,
saint-Guilem-le-Desert,
villefranche-de-Conflent,
Ainhoa,
Le Poet Lavel,
Entrevaux.
Peillon,

Great lists! Not to be redundant but to add some place I can't stop visiting:
* I always delight in is Utrecht -- the long, long stretch along the grand canal is what people were hoping from Amsterdam: dappling water and sweeping trees, shifting scenes and aspects from moment to moment - - going on and on - - while vibrant and alive with cobblestones, cafe's and people vividly living everyday joys. Utrecht along the grand canal is the best of current human civilization.
* Ferrara: rent a bike and discover avenues of amazing architectural diversity and glory in every direction, but in an air of amazing quiet and often solitude, amidst the medieval masterpieces that are just everywhere; in the center things are vibrant (in a bicycle-riding sort of way) but still very calm, civil, and natural - - this town is masterpiece, but you have to cover some significant but wonderful slow-biking territory to realize it.
* Tavira: this whitewashed eastern-Algarve town, with tiled buildings and tiled squares, has a beautiful situation along the river, with an enchanting walk up to the church and garden on the hill. Not far from there, across the river in Spain, is pretty Ayamonte, the impressive fortress of Castro Marim with incredible views over towns and valleys, and the tiny white burg of Cacela Velha, perched like as a whitewashed jewel overlooking the Atlantic.
* Uzes: Northwest from the Pont Du Gard, the central squares are sycamore-dappled heaven. This is one of the prettiest places you have ever been. You will never feel more relaxed and nurtured walking the narrow streets till you rest at a cafe' under these grand, grand trees. Seriously - - pull it up in Google Images.

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