Sojourntraveller

Once you've got past the 'usual suspect' list of cities(or never started with them) you may have moved on to discovering smaller towns and villages that you enjoyed visiting in Europe. I would like to know what your personal favourites are.

For the sake of usable criteria I would like to suggest populations of no more than 15,000 which eliminates a lot of the second level of 'usual suspects' and a place in which you have spent at least 3-4 nights. I'm looking for places to stay, not places someone day tripped to.

Here are a couple of my own favourites in France as examples.
Langres:
http://www.tourisme-langres.com/lang...ory_en_01.html
Aigueze:
http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-d...g/en/aigueze-0

What are your favourites?

Christina

I don't consider 15K a village, or a small town, but I would call it a town (just not small).

in France, one of mine is Pernes-les-Fontaines where I've stayed several times. Mainly, I really like the inn I stay in, but I also have a favorite restaurant there and just find it a convenient location.

I'll admit I can't think of any other place in Europe I've ever stayed 3-4 days that is that small. I don't really like staying in small places, to be honest, I find them dull as a place to stay. I like a variety of restaurant choices and more of a lively feel, stuff to do. Even places I was thinking might be kind of small are much larger (ie, Wroclaw, Poland is over 500K, I just checked). Even Perpignan, the next smaller place I stayed in France to Pernes, is at least 100K.

Now I did stay in Verbier Switzerland for the summer music festival, but that's kind of a resort town so I wouldn't call it one of my favorites, and it wasn't 3-4 days. That knocks out about every other small villages I've stayed in, actually, that time requirement.

PalenQ

Grindelwald, Switzerland

jelopez33

Amalfi, Positano, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

PalenQ

Lauterbrunen, Switzerland

one zillion French villages!

dweislaw

Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
Sitges, Spain
Obernai, France (one of the zillion)

Judy

Saignon in Provence though I really do not know the population.

IMDonehere

I'll get back to you I am conducting multiple censuses as we speak. If I am correct, I am going to gerrymander most of Italy.

pja1

Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. Stayed here in 10/06, 10/07 and 9/09 for a total of 10 nights. We also stayed nearby (about 10 minutes away) in Schonau am Konigsee in late 11/10 and 11/13 for a total of 8 nights. The reason for staying in Schonau am Konigsee in 12/10 and 12/13 was the place we loved staying at in Ramsau is closed in November. We love both places now.

Paul

Sojourntraveller

The 15,000 is an arbitrary number Christina, I chose it as being a maximum number I thought was suitable. However, there is no minimum. My second example of Aigueze above, has under 250 inhabitants.

I would have liked to use an even lower maximum of around 3000 people but that would no doubt drastically reduce the number of favourites people might suggest. As would increasing the time requirement to a week which is what I would also have liked to do.

Jelopez, Amalfi does not fit the population criteria. Nor does Sitges dweislaw. Please check the population before posting people. Just Google the name + population and you will find it easily enough. Saignon is just over a 1000 Judy.

I was hoping people would include a nice link with their suggestions that would let the readers have a quick look at what to expect. I like the look of Saignon Judy. Perhaps you could say why you stayed there for 3 nights or more.
http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/vaucluse...on/saignon.htm

maitaitom

San Quirico d'Orcia
Sarlat-la-Canéda

pja1

http://www.fendtenlehen.de/bilder/fe..._ramsau-gr.JPG

http://www.ramsau.de/en/

http://www.koenigssee.com/en/

Our personal photo's are at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/sets/

flpab

Oberammergau, Germany. http://www.ammergauer-alpen.de/oberammergau-en/
When my husband was in the Navy he did duty there and we loved it. The NATO school is there. The Passion Play is done there every ten years but it is a beautiful quiet village the other nine years.

Lahinch, Ireland is also a favorite of ours.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g...Vacations.html

Bayeux in Normandy was a nice village but we were looking for entertainment at night. Did find one little bar open.

I like bigger cities but those are a few of my favorite smaller places.

Sassafrass

Not stayed that long in many places that small, but did stay 3 days and nights in Aigues Mortes, loved it and would return for another stay of a few days.

bettyk

It has to be St. Gilgen (on Wolfgangsee) in Austria, since we've stayed there a half dozen times and have loved every minute. Just spent 10 days there in September at the lovely Hotel Schernthaner.

http://www.hotel-wolfgangsee.com/index.php/en/

http://dkubiak.smugmug.com/Travel/Au...2014/i-zpDBz7m

http://dkubiak.smugmug.com/Travel/Au...2014/i-JV7JQ4m

The town is quite small but has 6 or more really good restaurants and a number of nice hotels. It is a short drive to Salzburg, Bad Ischl and any number of small lakeside villages in the charming Salzkammergut.

grandmere

Uzes, France.

cmstraf

Santa Margherita Ligure (we were married there ) and Varenna on Lago di Como

rosemaryoz

Monpazier, France: un Plus Beau Village, rich in history, beautifully preserved, lots of shops & restos.
Rothenburg & Dinkelsbuhl, Germany, in winter: like stepping into a Christmas card.
Ravello, Italy: beautiful setting, great views, local cuisine

jelopez33

Sojourntraveller:
You can omit any comment you don't like of course, and you can ignore Amalfi if you don'tlike the amalfitans.
But regarding population, I insist it has les than 15000.
"Oppposite are the 62 broad steps up to the Duomo di Sant' Andrea. It is only when you consider that Amalfi's population in the early 14th century (prior to the earthquake) was c.70,000 compared to less than 6,000 today that such an imposing edifice makes sense. "

The not so reliable wikipedia also cites a population of less than 6000......

I beg your pardon for taking some of your time.

And also please forgive me for my poor english. English is not my first language.

Sojourntraveller

My mistake jelopez, I did a Google and saw 70,000. Didn't realize it was a long time ago. You are correct that it is less than 6,000 today.

Rosemaryoz, I know Monpazier and stayed there for a week once at the Hotel Edward. I think it's interesting that Edward 1st, King of England founded the town.

Cmstraf, any of the villages on any of the Italian lakes is of course worth a stay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ2HLLo2jRs
My own favourite is Ascona on the Swiss side of Maggiore. Somehow finding palm trees in Switzerland always makes me smile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiwq0eImCg0

Grandmere, Uzes sounds good although after reading the following article in the NY Times, it sounds like visiting soon before it becomes too popular would be a good idea.
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2...of-franc/?_r=0

Another of my own favourites is Zofingen, Switzerland. Within the town walls, it has to be one of the best preserved and restored towns in Europe.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=zofin...Q&ved=0CCgQsAQ

There are so many small towns/villages worth staying in and fortunately for those who do stay in them, the hordes all stick to the cities.