padams421

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.

Aduchamp1

In Spain

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

In Italy
Cefalu
Siena

Aduchamp1

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.

bookchick

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

Bert4545

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.

Aduchamp1

Sorry I omitted one in Spain

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

AJMelheim

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

Add: Segovia, Spain

BigRuss

Oia, Santorini, Greece.

Amboise, France.

zoecat

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.

blh

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!

zeppole

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/1444804...n/photostream/

http://viatraveldesign.com/journal/a...iore_37web.JPG

http://blog.cleveland.com/travel/200...noa_statue.jpg

http://blog.red-bean.com/sussman/ima...ova-closed.jpg

Sassafrass

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

kybourbon

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.

bettyk

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

latedaytraveler

Katie, been to several. Would add:

Gruyere Switzerland
Ronda, Spain

Attnymom

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.

Cries_Van_Notebook

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

leuk2

How about Brantome, just outside the Dordogne

cathies

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

hetismij

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.