EUROPE

The 12 most romantic small towns in Europe

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MOST ROMANTIC towns

In need of a little romance away from the bustling crowds, city lights and sounds? Head to one of these romantic small towns in Europe for a holiday you (and your partner) will never forget…

Brugge

1. Brugge, Belgium

Brugges is often cited as Europe’s most romantic little town – and it’s not hard to see why. Whether you visit in Summer or Winter (or in between), its impossible not to fall in love with effortlessly romantic Brugges.

 

Hallstatt

2. Hallstatt, Austria

This little hidden gem is the perfect winter escape you’ve been looking for. Snow? Check. Charm? Check. Dark cozy nights by the fire? Check.

 

Cesky Krumlov

3. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Just a couple of hours drive south of Prague one will find the impossibly charming Cesky Krumlov. It’s the perfect place to escape reality for a few days and enjoy true Czech hospitality that you just won’t find in the busy capital!

 

Italy

(source)

4. Cinque Terre, Italy

It’s no secret this would have to be one of the most romantic picks in all of Europe. Sure, it’s ‘been done before’. But one look at that picture and you know why… it’s hard to beat! Cinque Terre is in fact an area made up of a few little towns – giving you more than one reason to visit!

Why You Should Visit Wroclaw, Colourful

 

5. Wroclaw, Poland

 Lesser known Wroclaw is a perfect choice for travellers looking to get off the beaten path and enjoy a town less frequented by crowds of tourists. It is also home to oodles of charming and colourful architecture with each building distinct from the next! Sure, Wroclaw is a large city itself – but the old town of Wroclaw won our hearts and subsequently a place on the list.

 

neuschwanstein castle

6. Bavaria, Germany

Why include just one town when you can visit many? Although Bavaria is a region in Germany, it is eerily similar throughout – and we couldn’t pick just one town to visit! Hire a rental car and make a road trip out of it – this is undoubtedly the most romantic area in all of Germany!

 

kulm hotel st moritz

7. St Moritz, Switzerland

Although it is packed with avid ski enthusiasts during the winter, St Moritz is a true hidden gem in the warmer months. There’s a great variety of hiking in the area and the small Swiss village seems as if it could pass as a ghost town during summer – making it the perfect escape for couples.

 

Haarlem

Wikicommons

8. Haarlem, the Netherlands

 Lesser known Haarlem has all the Dutch charm of Amsterdam and more. If you’re looking to get off the beaten path in the Netherlands, this is our top pick!

 

porto

(source)

9. Porto, Portugal

Whilst Porto was once overlooked by tourists and travellers heading straight for the capital, Lisbon, the fishing town has now become a strong contender for tourism. It is impossibly charming and an accurate depiction of Portuguese culture past & present. Porto is in fact the second largest city in Portugal — but the old town is simply too charming for this destination to not be included.

 

colmar france

10. Colmar, France

With a strong German influence just over the border into France, Colmar is a romantic dreamboat if ever there were one.

 

Gdansk

Wikicommons

11. Gdansk, Poland

Although lesser known to the likes of Warsaw and Krakow, Gdansk is equally charming and certainly the top choice for the closet romantic. Expect fascinating architecture, lively restaurants and bars, and more than enough romance to keep you loved up for a few days.

 

lakebled

12. Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled hardly needs an introduction… especially if a picture tells a thousand words. There could quite possibly be nothing more romantic than a visit to one of Europe’s most stunning lakes, rowing a boat to the island and climbing the stairs to the church once there. 

Brooke founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen!

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  • majchers@gmail.com'
    majchers
    March 12, 2016 at 7:19 am

    With all the due respect – neither Wroclaw nor Gdansk, both of Poland, are not small towns.

  • salz118@hotmail.com'
    Sal
    March 4, 2016 at 11:54 pm

    Don’t forget Strasbourg in France.
    See other beautiful places on my website.

  • laughinglines@gmail.com'
    Hena
    February 25, 2016 at 9:04 pm

    Beautiful post and such an inspiration to follow!! have been to Bavaria and fell in love with the place instantly …. keep up the great work

  • thecapeonthecorner@gmail.com'
    the cape on the corner
    November 10, 2015 at 5:20 am

    hi, i am totally hoping you can help me decide about my summer travels. We will be staying in the Austrian Alps and renting a car, where we will explore Hallstet, Zell Am Zee, Innsbruck etc for a week. i am not sure if the best bet is to take the following week and divide that between Salzburg and Vienna, or to attempt Bavaria or Cesky or Lake Bled. or more than one. Or, fly into Vienna, spend a few nights there, go to the Alps, explore there, do Salzburg on the way back for a few days and one more listed place, and then fly out home from Vienna. Thoughts? i am afraid cesky and lake bled will be too similar to hallstet. thanks!
    b

  • mikkelrehdin@gmail.com'
    Mikkel
    October 6, 2015 at 7:02 am

    Regensburg, Gent, Utrecht, Turin.

  • abees@onet.eu'
    Kazimierz
    August 28, 2015 at 6:18 pm

    A w Krużewnikach byli?

  • mymediterraneansoul@gmail.com'
    Elisa
    June 5, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    I think you definately need to add Granada, Spain on this list!

  • City Snapshot: Hallstatt, Austria | Tall Girl Big World
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  • sanandakeller@yahoo.com'
    Sanda
    April 24, 2015 at 6:41 am

    Quite a few beautifully romantic small cities in Croatia too! Seen a sunset from the top of the Motovun, Istria f .e.??

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  • szufler2@yahoo.co.uk'
    Bartek
    February 5, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    no. 1 Gdansk, Gdansk, Gdansk – romantic Old Town visit for a romantic Valentine’s day
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ogarna-Apt/605408609581803

  • greece.secret@gmail.com'
    SecretGreece
    February 1, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    Nice list!I have really enjoyed it and I am glad that I have visited some of them! But I would expect also to see at least one village from Greece, like Santorini or Monemvasia! But, ok! Probably on the next list!

  • guenther.mueller@causal.cc'
    Guenther
    December 25, 2014 at 7:19 am

    I totally agree with you… and there are view more in Norway and Sweden…

  • tstockwell86@gmail.com'
    Tom @ Waegook Tom
    December 24, 2014 at 7:53 am

    Wroclaw, romantic? You have to be effing kidding me. It’s kinda dull. Gdansk, I wholeheartedly agree with though.

  • Gigaiv@yandex.ru'
    Olga
    December 18, 2014 at 11:12 am

    I would definitely put Visby on Gotland island in Sweden on this list. It’s just incredible!
    Then Bonifaccio on Corsica/France would beat many of these towns.

  • miloseski@thebeautyoftravel.com'
    Metodija Milosheski
    December 1, 2014 at 3:11 am

    You`ve managed to putt together quite a collection…. We have visited Cinque Terre this summer, so that means one down eleven to go 🙂

  • tomozuki@gmail.com'
    Tomaz
    November 20, 2014 at 9:36 pm

    Yeah, in case you travel from Austria to Italy, go through Slovenia cuz it is worth visiting. It is one of the safest countries in the world so you don`t have to worry about your belongings. The landscape goes from the flatlands of Pannonia, through the Alps (where Bled is) to the seaside in just about 3 hours of drive. In Kras region there are a lot of large caverns; in Postojna even a small train goes through, but Skocijan caverns are even better. There is Bled but also Bohinj (a bit further), I`d suggest seeing Logarska valley and Bovec too. So yeah, a lot to do and see.

    http://www.hiking-biking-slovenia.com/nova/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/logarska-dolina.jpg

  • halgravity+worldwanderlust@gmail.com'
    Hal
    November 20, 2014 at 5:31 am

    A) The photos and headings are confusing. Photos should be under the apropriate heading….
    B) Gdansk and Wroclaw are niether small or romantic.

  • jczernik@stlouispolonia.org'
    Jarek
    November 8, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    Great suggestions, however Gdansk (population of 460,000) and Wroclaw (pop. 630,000) are hardly “small towns” of Europe..

  • Tips and Tricks for Greatness | Pearltrees
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  • mkhawajakhan@gmail.com'
    K.Kingson
    November 4, 2014 at 2:20 am

    Wow !! Lovely Post.. These all look stunning! May have to take a trip to a few of these…Incredible photos
    http://www.mnaaz.com

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  • e.p.rijnhart@gmail.com'
    Erik
    November 1, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    I am so fortunately to live in Haarlem and I am proud that Haarlem is on this list. Do visit Haarlem. It is only 20 minutes from Amsterdam by train.

  • karendroemer@gmail.com'
    Karen Roemer
    November 1, 2014 at 2:51 am

    Great post! The smaller towns are what get under your skin. The big cities are great but they tend to blend together after a while. I have two more suggestions: Leuven, Belgium and Granada, Spain

    http://fromcitytosand.com/

  • christineking@hotmail.com.au'
    Christine King
    October 31, 2014 at 3:08 pm

    Amazing post. Such beautiful places. Would love to knock a few of these Romantic cities of my bucket list. Thanks for the great read Brooke.

    Cheers

    Christine King
    Photography, Travel, Lifestyle
    http://www.christinekings.com.au

  • davidisrael268@googlemail.com'
    David Israel
    October 31, 2014 at 7:41 am

    A few people have pointed out the over-enhancing of Porto’s colours and the fact that it is not a small town at all, so I will skip that. But it is indeed a wonderful place – and I love port wine. But I agree with those that seem to be in love with Cinque Terre: it is an absolutely wonderful area (and not just a single town as pointed out above). In fact, I think it’s unfair to other countries to include Italian towns at all in this list. Most of them are stunning. It has to be the most beautiful country on the Continent.

  • albinkarmann@gmail.com'
    Albin Karmann
    October 31, 2014 at 3:27 am

    Beautifule places all of them, but you do not need to travel to the other side of the world to find beauty. It is around you everywhere, just open your mind…

  • HAARLEM nr 8 of the most romantic small towns in Europe - expatsHaarlem
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  • apisel88@gmail.com'
    Rudy
    October 30, 2014 at 6:54 pm

    Porto is larger than most european capitals, with around 1.8 million people. Not quiet a small town. But quoting your words: “the old town is simply too charming for this destination to not be included.”
    Cesky Krumlov is also very nice, and all the others look great. In fact, this is just a tiny tiny example of the european beauty.. there would be na endless list of amazing palces to visit.

  • sion_phillip@hotmail.co.uk'
    SPACCI
    October 30, 2014 at 10:08 am

    Pretty sure this website doesn’t know what a small town is. Porto is rather a large city. Tenby in Wales is probably one of the most charming small towns in Europe. Fact.

  • dorota.karc@gmail.com'
    Tangerine
    October 30, 2014 at 5:42 am

    Porto & Gdansk <3. Love it!

  • joanna@op.pl'
    Joana
    October 30, 2014 at 3:54 am

    And where is Reykjavik?! 🙂

  • joaogoncalomp@hotmail.com'
    João MP
    October 30, 2014 at 2:53 am

    Hi Brooke!
    Some really nice places you got here, will definitely look into some of them for my honeymoon.
    I also suggest you to take a look into a couple of small Portuguese towns: Óbidos and Marvão. Two small medieval towns very well preserved and examples of the magic of old castle walls!
    Just google them and look at the image search to feast your eyes on the beauty of these old towns.
    Hope you can visit them one day!

  • f_rocha5@hotmail.com'
    Filipe
    October 29, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    Porto <3

  • santi.gijon@hotmail.com'
    cc
    October 29, 2014 at 11:39 am

    Cáceres, in Spain

  • netmakingmoney@netmakingmoney.com'
    Sergio Paiva
    October 29, 2014 at 11:33 am

    So many beautiful places to visit!
    http://beautifulplaces.org

  • pessoasempre@gmail.com'
    Fernando
    October 29, 2014 at 11:21 am

    @ Rosa Pereira: The photo is from Porto (you can see that church in Ribeira in the bottom center), but the colors were somewhat faked (too much enhanced) using some very basic knowledge of Photoshop…
    To the editors: Porto *is not* a fishing town!

  • deshpande.niraj@gmail.com'
    Niraj Deshpande
    October 29, 2014 at 6:16 am

    Agreed. 5 done,7 more to go… 🙂

  • verheijenmarloes@gmail.com'
    Marloes Verheijen
    October 29, 2014 at 3:40 am

    You´re forgetting Delft, in the Netherlands!!! We call that one, little Amsterdam.

  • k.bakker89@gmail.com'
    Karin | laviedeKarin
    October 29, 2014 at 2:56 am

    I love that my hometown is in this list, Haarlem is the most beautiful city in the Netherlands. Love all the other towns on this list as well!

  • pereiraros@gmail.com'
    Rosa Pereira
    October 29, 2014 at 2:55 am

    Check this video from my hometown Porto…i think the photo is this article is not in Porto.

  • kilaude@hotmail.com'
    Antonio Bernardo
    October 29, 2014 at 2:08 am

    Porto a small town? This article was surely written by an american.

    You are right about the beautiful part though. It is really one of the most enchanting cities I’ve ever seen.

  • indi@poczta.onet.eu'
    Diana
    October 28, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    I would definitely add these ones:
    Giethoorn (The Netherlands)
    Provins (Ile de France, France)
    San Gimignano (Italy)
    Matera (Italy)
    Taormina (Sicily, Italy)
    Courmayeur (Italy)
    Cadiz (Spain)

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  • michas_micho@tlen.pl'
    Miki
    October 28, 2014 at 11:21 am

    most romantic small town in Poland

  • wakemeupwithasmile@hotmail.co.uk'
    Jessica
    October 28, 2014 at 9:49 am

    I would suggest the towns of Varenna and Bellaggio in Lake Como as strong contenders!

    http://www.wakemeupwithasmile.wordpress.com

  • coesmeriz@gmail.com'
    Carla ESMERIZ
    October 28, 2014 at 8:57 am

    Grande post
    Além da
    arquitectura, paisagem, etc que faz a sua beleza o Porto tem a sua gente com a sua forma e como acolhem quem nos visitam que completam a beleza desta cidade.
    Estamos cá para os receberem.

  • buraxta@gmail.com'
    Piotr W
    October 28, 2014 at 4:42 am

    I’d like to mention that Colmar’s railway station (Gare de Colmar) is almost identical as the one in Gdańsk (Gdańsk Główny) 🙂

  • aaaaustin@ymail.com'
    J
    October 28, 2014 at 3:29 am

    that picture of oporto has its colour saturation fully enhanced.. just seems too fake.

  • lillie.mysel@gmail.com'
    Lillie Mysel
    October 28, 2014 at 2:16 am

    Oh my, I enjoyed reading about every single one of these towns SO much. Wish I had a partner! LOL xo

    http://lilliemysel.blogspot.com

  • jbak@wp.pl'
    Maciek
    October 28, 2014 at 12:55 am

    It is nice that two Polish cities have been included but they are all but small towns having a population of more than half a million inhabitants each.

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    sarah mark
    October 27, 2014 at 3:14 pm

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  • juditaos@gmail.com'
    Jutka
    October 27, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    How about Csikszereda in Transylvania, or Lillafured in Hungary?

  • juditaos@gmail.com'
    Jutka
    October 27, 2014 at 12:10 pm

    As far as small cities, off the beaten track, I find the picks here very skimpy and cliche. How about Csikszereda in Transylvania, or Lillafured in Hungary?

  • amimprudence@gmail.com'
    Taylor
    October 27, 2014 at 10:43 am

    I have to agree about the 2 Polish cities included in this post. They are extremely lovely and picturesque, both of them. I would, however, put Krakow on the top of the list of both Polish cities and cities in all of Europe.

  • alex.l@portugalmail.pt'
    alexandre
    October 27, 2014 at 9:41 am

    http://www.sintraromantica.net/

  • alex.l@portugalmail.pt'
    alexandre
    October 27, 2014 at 9:36 am

    Really surprised you missed one out: Sintra, less than an hour away from Lisbon, in Portugal. One look at their website and you know why.

  • elm13@gazeta.pl'
    Jack
    October 27, 2014 at 7:26 am

    I live in Gdansk, yes the old town is lovely and very romantic, but beside that, it’s a pretty big city, with shopping malls, tall buildings, football arenas, international airport and etc. I wouldn’t call it a “small town”…

  • alicia_derks@hotmail.com'
    Alicia
    October 27, 2014 at 2:35 am

    What a beautiful places!
    already been to Cinque Terre, St. Moritz, Haarlem and Brugge. So I know you’re definitely right (:

  • rbrasser@gmail.com'
    robert
    October 27, 2014 at 12:53 am

    Tallinn is missing in Estonia

  • lbercke@gmx.de'
    Lena
    October 27, 2014 at 12:38 am

    Bavaria is nice. But i prefer the north of germany.

  • pcaffese@gmail.com'
    Pier Luigi Caffese
    October 27, 2014 at 12:18 am

    1.Venice
    2.Rome
    3.Dolomit-Bruneck
    4.Domodossola
    5.Florence
    6 KYOTO (as japan Florence)
    7.California Newport Beach
    8.Paradise Island Bahamas
    9.Turin old classic music(no opera)music teca- wist circle
    10,CapeTOWN

  • share@flyingthenest.tv'
    Jessica Valentine
    October 26, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    My partner and I are off to travel the world in December! Will have to check out some of these stunning places 🙂

  • perrysing@yahoo.com'
    Terry
    October 26, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    There are lots of cosy English towns in England! I think of Cantebury, Salisbury,Lewes, etc.

  • tomozuki@gmail.com'
    Tomaz
    October 26, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    My girlfiriend and I have been to Chinque Terre once but have never returned ever since 🙂 Too crowded by tourists, concrete everywhere and it was quite dirty too. We were left disappointed, probably because of the fuss. Go to Tuscany instead where you have numerous of romantic towns, that are less known (for tourists), the landscape is nicer etc. Don`t forget to go there by a car (own or rent one), since there is so much to see…

  • dtarka@gmail.com'
    Danon
    October 26, 2014 at 8:47 pm

    As someone currently living in Brussels and planning to go to Brugge I see your placing it on the 1st place as a definite incentive to do so asap! And it’s nice to see some Polish cities on such a list for a change, if you’re looking for some even less known, but perhaps even more interesting try Torun or Bydgoszcz!

  • samantha.campanini@yahoo.it'
    The Queen of Dreaming
    October 26, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    Stunning list! I suggest also Valdaora in Italy! 🙂

    http://justsem.wordpress.com/

  • heli.frosterus@gmail.com'
    Frostin
    October 26, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    Nice list! Some suggestions from Scandinavia: Visby (Gotland, Sweden), Porvoo (Finland), Bergen (Norway) 🙂

  • yeleninson@yahoo.com'
    maxima
    October 26, 2014 at 6:37 pm

    Beautiful post,really nice ,Have nice day !With love Maxima

  • martarin@alice.it'
    Marta
    October 26, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    I suggest you also Verona (italy), the city of Romeo and Juliet ♡

  • wanderfulways@gmail.com'
    cheyenne
    October 26, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    these all look amazing! gosh, where to go first 🙂 i’m currently living in munich, and i have to admit, bavaria has some really amazing spots.
    xo, cheyenne

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  • michele@prosperitynow.ca'
    Michele
    October 26, 2014 at 2:10 pm

    We loved Colmar, back when we visited years ago, and again when we visited last summer. I’d rank both Giethoorn and Gouda above Haarlem, for Nederland towns. And Cochem, along the Mosel river in Germany, was amazing (and so much less touristy than the Rhine river villages). The five villages of Cinque Terre were definitely contenders.

    Given which, I’d be happy to check out the others mentioned in your list.

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  • aintsamblog@icloud.com'
    aintsamblog
    October 26, 2014 at 12:21 pm

    Really love all the photo and what a wonderful cities.

    Does anyone know the font name or style for the first photo…????

  • genevieveyam@gmail.com'
    genevieve @ gratitude & greens
    October 26, 2014 at 10:16 am

    Great list! Just wanted to point out that Cinque Terre isn’t actually one town- it’s an area made up of five (cinque means five in Italian) villages along the Italian coastline. Porto is also the second largest city in Portugal, so I don’t know if I would consider it a town! Both places are beautiful and I would highly recommend hiking from town to town in the Cinque Terre. I did one of the hikes and it was stunning! Would have hiked the next few towns if we were there for longer.

  • pupskaniqqel@hotmail.de'
    Nicahs
    October 26, 2014 at 10:05 am

    I live in bavaria and it’s true here are a lot (!) of small cute towns. Especially the old quarters of towns, are very sweet and I love them. The best is: you can find an old quarter in almost every city in germany.
    I personally love Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Heidelberg, Augsburg, Würzburg, Aschaffenburg, Bamberg.. etc. There are really A LOT of cute cities over here! ❤️

  • pursefixation@hotmail.com'
    Renfashionista
    October 26, 2014 at 9:49 am

    No places in the world have such a charm as European Old Towns! I have been to three of above, Porto, Wroclaw and Gdansk. I love the unique architecture of the Old Towns in Poland and picturesque streets of Porto! Nice post!

    http://www.PurseFixation.com
    Toast your Purse with an Outfit!
    Fashion Advice, Events and More

  • taramkb@gmail.com'
    tara
    October 26, 2014 at 9:23 am

    My husband and I celebrated our anniversary in Positano, Italy – it most definitely should be included in this list.

  • dawn17angel@yahoo.com'
    Barbara
    October 26, 2014 at 8:14 am

    Porto is completely over-photoshoped here. It is really amazing city, I lived there. But not that colorfull at all, sorry.

  • maria.rosincova@gmail.com'
    Maria
    October 26, 2014 at 8:08 am

    Thankfully from Europe and completely familiar with cities from the list. Greetings from Czech republic, Cesky Krumlov ist the freakin best! I would recommend Bled, Slovenia as well! heaven on Earth.

  • kevin@primepassages.com'
    Kevin
    October 26, 2014 at 7:15 am

    Great suggestions … I was born in a small town

    For more on those small towns in the Czech Republic and Bavaria check out:

    http://www.primepassages.com/index

  • nika.murovec@gmail.com'
    Nika
    October 26, 2014 at 6:50 am

    Lake Bled is my favorite 🙂

    http://brezobzalovanj.blog.com/

  • cfrey@pt.lu'
    merlanne
    October 26, 2014 at 6:43 am

    Oh yes, Cinque Terre … sooooo beautiful!
    Greetings from Luxemburg, a very nice city too, but not so romantic.

  • laetitia.annecy@gmail.com'
    thefullmode
    October 26, 2014 at 6:31 am

    Nice little town, there are I didn’t know they exist. I’ll add Annecy, in France, that’s a lovely town too, between lake and mountains, the old town is wonderfull and there is a little bridget named “Pont des amours” (loves bridge). You can see this website to discover more http://www.tourisme-annecy.net/. kisses
    facebook.com/thefullmode

  • tiffanyteetran@icloud.com'
    Tee | Rotten One
    October 26, 2014 at 6:29 am

    Happy to say I’ve visited a few of these places! Hallstatt is one of my most favorite travel locations – feel free to check out some of my photography during my trip there:

    http://www.rotten-one.com/?tag=Austria

    Cheers! x

  • ploft7@hotmail.com'
    Patricia Rodrigues
    October 26, 2014 at 2:43 am

    Porto is a city, not a small town… Very nice list though

  • contato@cristiantm.com.br'
    Cristian T Moecke
    October 25, 2014 at 11:06 pm

    I’ve clicked the link just to check if Brugge was on the list :)… No surprise, good choice 🙂

  • Yannick.henriot@gmail.com'
    Yannick
    October 25, 2014 at 11:00 pm

    In winter, Riga, in Latvia, is really charming and has something special… and it’s not very touristy 😉

  • Katbyname@yahoo.co.uk'
    Katy Dallinger
    October 25, 2014 at 8:12 pm

    Colmar near Strasbourg is absolutely beautiful – I visited in July. I would also add St Paul de Vence near Nice in the South of France to the list, also any town in the Cotswolds in the UK.

  • lerulia_cerulia@yahoo.com'
    lerych
    October 25, 2014 at 8:00 pm

    http://www.turistderomania.ro/tdruplfiles/sibiu.jpg

    you forgot Sibiu, Romania. It’s a lovely medieval little town in Transilvania, along with SIghișoara.

  • mollypavlovich@gmail.com'
    Molly Pavlovich
    October 25, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    This is super helpful, thank you Brooke! Xo

  • management@thebalancedtraveler.com'
    Jodi Duncan
    October 25, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    These all sound divine!

  • gallivantinggeorgia@gmail.com'
    Georgia
    October 25, 2014 at 7:45 am

    Lovely post. I’d include Seville in Spain, Cambridge in England (punting on the Cam!) and Pai in Thailand.

    I’m going to Bruges next month – it’ll be a solo trip though, so probably not all that romantic!

  • bourbonandbrownsugar@gmail.com'
    MB @ Bourbon and Brown Sugar
    October 25, 2014 at 5:07 am

    Lovely post Brooke… I’m especially fond of Brugges, and realize I need to visit many of your other suggestions!

  • katherine.albrecht@drake.edu'
    Kate
    October 25, 2014 at 2:15 am

    Gdansk and Wroclaw are great, but having visited both (and knowing the population of each is around a half a million), I wouldn’t call either a “small town.” Zakopane, Kazimierz Dolny and Zamosc are better choices for this list. Even the city of Torun, at 200k, has more of a small town vibe.

  • nicolechancellor@ymail.com'
    Nicole Chancellor
    October 24, 2014 at 10:56 am

    Ahh, these places looks absolutely lovely. Can’t wait until I visit half of these visits in December. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    xoxo, j.
    http://www.withlovejean.com

  • Psarabanda@mail.pt'
    Paulo sarabanda
    October 24, 2014 at 9:27 am

    Porto the Best
    If You not believe see this video:

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10201787045896940&id=1205495663

  • kingsonlife.india@gmail.com'
    Nadia K
    October 24, 2014 at 8:52 am

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    I’ll bookmark your weblog and test once more right here frequently.

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    Good luck for the following! http://www.14ads.com/

  • charactersandcarryons@gmail.com'
    Joyce
    October 24, 2014 at 7:26 am

    Great suggestions! I love Cinque Terre and Brugges!

    Characters & Carry-ons

  • rea_sand@yahoo.no'
    Renate @ Renate's Travels
    October 24, 2014 at 6:25 am

    So many beautiful places! I definitely second Cinque Terre and Bled. Slovenia is absolutely stunning! I’ve previously written about the glamping option in Bled, which is definitely a super romantic way to spend the night in such a fairytale setting.

  • cher.petrichoraffair@gmail.com'
    Cher
    October 24, 2014 at 5:35 am

    I’m so going to visit these places ! I want to go to Europe so bad!

  • jedrzej.szmatka@gmail.com'
    Andre
    October 23, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    Since when a city of 600 000 inhabbitants (Wroclaw and Gdansk) are small towns? :O

  • ellieduniam@hotmail.com'
    Ellie
    October 23, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Great post!

  • kayti.clayton@yahoo.com'
    Kayti Clayton
    October 23, 2014 at 11:39 am

    Lovely post! A lot of these places are on my destination list for when I go backpacking next year. I have kind of an odd question, a lot of your posts say “we” and “our” – are there multiple world of wanderlust writers? Just curious – keep up the great posts! I love reading what you write. <3

  • meredith@gridwalking.com'
    Meredith
    October 23, 2014 at 9:49 am

    I’ll reiterate the sentiment of some of the others and express my love for Gdansk. When I traveled there 2 years ago friends and family were utterly baffled – it’s not a common holiday destination in the US. Rich in history, pride and amazingly friendly locals – I couldn’t get enough of this quaint little town!

  • nomadnotebook@gmail.com'
    Lizzy
    October 23, 2014 at 9:12 am

    Definitely agree with Brugges being romantic! Me and my partner absolutely loved it there

    Lizzy from Nomad Notebook

  • kontakt@freedomtravel.se'
    FREEDOMtravel
    October 23, 2014 at 7:59 am

    Nice that you have included two cities in Poland! We really love Poland and think it is an underestimated country!

  • kasia231920@vp.pl'
    Kasia
    October 23, 2014 at 5:05 am

    Oh I love Gdańsk!
    I highly recommed it to everyone 🙂

  • lengesaeth@gmail.com'
    Linn
    October 23, 2014 at 3:59 am

    I would definitely suggest to add Positano, Italy to that list. Most romantic and magical place!

  • meganwols@hotmail.com'
    Megan Wols
    October 23, 2014 at 3:39 am

    Beautiful pictures and proud that Haarlem is one of the cities ! Totally agreeing on that. You must visit Tallinn (Estonia) as well. I just wrote an article about this incredible city, please read it: http://www.meganwols.com

    Thank you in advance !!

  • meganwols@hotmail.com'
    Megan Wols
    October 23, 2014 at 3:26 am

    Wow I love the beautiful pictures and also the fact Haarlem is in this list. As a dutchie I am very proud of this city. You must visit Tallinn as well (Estonia), also a very romantic and nice city to go to. I wrote an article about this city on my blog: http://www.meganwols.com/

    Thanks for reading it :-).

    Greetings Megan.

  • marcello.marchioli@gmail.com'
    Marcello
    October 23, 2014 at 1:08 am

    I’m glad Poland made your list! Twice! All these places are worth visiting. Cinque Terre is beautiful.

    http://www.travellerstalesblog.com/blog

  • isitfrench@gmail.com'
    Is It French?
    October 23, 2014 at 12:31 am

    these places look so dreamy and oh so romantic! YOu can feel their special vibe from the pictures, but I think that in order for you to feel it, you have to have a special relationship with a certain place. It sounds silly, but some places just speak to you and impress you, so for that, any place can be romantic 🙂

    http://isitfrench.blogspot.com/

  • theslowpaceblog@googglemail.com'
    The slow pace
    October 23, 2014 at 12:15 am

    I would say that Brugges is teh most romantic place in Europe!
    It’s absolutely charming!
    xx,
    E.
    http://www.theslowpace.com

  • maja_kezmic@hotmail.com'
    Maja
    October 22, 2014 at 11:46 pm

    This post is great; I find small towns rich with own stories & culture. I’m glad you included Lake Bled, I have to visit it at least once a year- it’s one of my absolutely favourite places. And I live only an hour away! :)) xx Maja
    – modern-muffin.blogspot.com

  • beautybyjana@outlook.com'
    Jana
    October 22, 2014 at 11:26 pm

    Bruges is beautiful indeed but also full of tourists. I live near Bruges and Ghent and definitely prefer Ghent. There are less tourists and I feel like Ghent is full of young, creative people and less “traditional” than Bruges.
    Added Cinque Terre to my must-visit list!

  • ellieduniam@hotmail.com'
    Ellie
    October 22, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    Your posts never cease to amaze me Brooke, always so well- written and informative. I have just started my own travel orientated blog and would appreciate if you could follow, like or give it a comment. Thank you!

  • lilinovamodel@gmail.com'
    Lili Nova
    October 22, 2014 at 10:38 pm

    These places look amazing! Bavaria, Lake Bled and St Moritz are my favorites.
    ——————
    Model / travelblogger
    http://www.lilinova.com

  • kejmy.do.it@gmail.com'
    Kejmy.
    October 22, 2014 at 10:03 pm

    I live in Czech Republic, but I have never been to Český Krumlov (it is written like that in the Czech language), but I would like to go and feel the atmosphere :).
    I am originally from Slovakia, it is the neighboring state to Czech (we used to be in brotherhood) and I think the most romantic place you should visit in Slovakia is The Town Of High Tatras – Mesto Vysoké Tatry (in our language) – it is based of 4 small villagesi it is in High Tatras, not far from Poprad and it is beautiful in winter :).

    Kejmy ♥.

  • bbtceleste@hotmail.com'
    Cony
    October 22, 2014 at 10:01 pm

    looks absolutely stunning, yearning to visit them all!

  • aroundtheworldin80pairsofshoes@gmail.com'
    Kelly
    October 22, 2014 at 9:56 pm

    Porto is gorgeous, visited earlier this month and was just blown away on how beautiful the city was. It reminded me a lot of Dubrovnik before it lost it’s soul to mass tourism! x

  • Marucci.erika@yahoo.ca'
    Erika
    October 22, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    I want to go to every single town you mentioned in this post now! 🙂

    Erika
    http://whaterikawears.com/

  • byckova.m@seznam.cz'
    Michaela
    October 22, 2014 at 7:38 pm

    Wow, Cinque terre is definitely on my list now!

    http://travelnote-s.blogspot.cz

  • wanderwingsblog@gmail.com'
    Henar
    October 22, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Great post! Those are all amazing towns, and just an extra tip about Bavaria. For the hardcore romantic visitor they have an official “Romantic road” that takes you along some of the nicest towns I’ve ever seen 🙂

  • misz.LH@hotmail.com'
    Liz
    October 22, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    The town is called Brugge (Dutch) or Bruges (English). Not Brugges. 😉
    I would add Ferrara to the list, a small, beautiful and romantic town in Italy!

  • timbharrington@yahoo.com'
    TiM
    October 22, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    I can vouch for Gdansk – one of my favorite cities in Europe! Being an ex-pat American, living just across the border in Russia, we make a trip to Gdansk at least once a month for shopping, etc. Old Town is wonderful, with lots of restaurants and shops; plus, it is very affordable.

  • carmenvarner@gmail.com'
    ~ Carmen ~
    October 22, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    Cinque Terre & Lake Bled are my favorites. They’re so picturesque. I bet this would be a lovely place for a picnic or a dinner for two. :] // itsCarmen.com ☼ ☯

  • thetouristoflife@gmail.com'
    yvonnelaura
    October 22, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    Gdansk looks lovely!

    http://www.thetouristoflife.com

  • olganikolskaya@live.co.uk'
    Olga
    October 22, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    any town on the Amalfi coast! you really ought to visit that part of italy!

    http://wideseanoanchor.com/

  • mkowarska@gmail.com'
    Gohs
    October 22, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    Thanks for including two Polish cities! 🙂 Greeting from Poland 🙂

  • inlyfragile@gmail.com'
    Inly
    October 22, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Lovely places! I live in Ceské Budejovice – it’s town near Cesky Krumlov =) And it’s magical too, you should visit it =))

  • martitahh@gmail.com'
    Marta Chan
    October 22, 2014 at 4:10 pm

    I would add venice in italy and gent in belgium =)

  • jukennedy14@gmail.com'
    julia jean
    October 22, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    i LOVE brugges! belgium itself is an incredible country and brugges is no exception. austria too – just too amazing and definitely romantic. i can’t wait to go back!

    rising #GIRLBOSS

  • maartje.ramakers@live.nl'
    Marty
    October 22, 2014 at 11:27 am

    What a lovely post 🙂

    I just heard that I’m accepted at the University of Brugge so I’m going to live there for half a year.
    Can’t wait, it’s so beautiful and romantic there!

  • kirstiejeffries@yahoo.com'
    Kirstie of Venga, Vale, Vamos
    October 22, 2014 at 10:50 am

    I’ve been to five of these and adored them all!

  • departureswithaimee@gmail.com'
    Departures With Aimee
    October 22, 2014 at 9:57 am

    Couldn’t help but notice that most of these places have the most WONDERFUL architecture I’ve ever laid my eyes on! The houses and buildings are so beautifully designed it’s absolutely incredible. 🙂

  • marieking32@gmail.com'
    Marie @ Marie Away
    October 22, 2014 at 8:50 am

    This is such great timing, I have been looking for lists with smaller, romantic towns and villages in Europe recently. Great suggestions!

    http://www.marieaway.com

  • natalie@budgetandthebees.com'
    Natalie @ Budget and the Bees
    October 22, 2014 at 8:30 am

    The picture of Porto looks like a painting! It’s hard to believe a place could be that picturesque and colorful.

  • flawalata@me.com'
    Jalan2Liburan
    October 22, 2014 at 8:18 am

    agree with those list 🙂

  • alissaloxton@hotmail.com'
    Ali
    October 22, 2014 at 8:09 am

    These all look stunning! May have to take a trip to a few of these… especially Hallstatt!! Incredible photos x

    ————————–
    21 year old travel blogger
    http://the-living-spree.blogspot.co.nz/

  • lamb_4444@hotmail.com'
    EmilyAnne Thomason
    October 22, 2014 at 8:09 am

    I could not agree more about Cinque Terre! That is hands down one of my favorite places in the world. I can’t wait to explore some of your other options . http://Www.eatallovertheworld.weebly.com

  • laneeger@gmail.com'
    LEE @ Modern Granola
    October 22, 2014 at 7:55 am

    Beautiful pictures! These places look amazing! Great post.

  • lifeinthefashionlanee@gmail.com'
    shannon
    October 22, 2014 at 7:47 am

    I loved lake bled, we visited this summer and it’s just so stunning! xx

    http://www.walkingwithwanderlust.blogspot.com

  • lary.delacruz@gmail.com'
    Larissa
    October 22, 2014 at 7:46 am

    Thank you for this post!
    I would love to travel to Cinque Terre in Italy!! =]

    I just love how you share all these different small towns around Europe that are relatively unknown to everyone else.

  • Petra.chappell@gmail.com'
    Petra
    October 22, 2014 at 7:36 am

    These places all look so lovely! I’m so keen to visit Europe again and head to some of the lesser known areas.

    http://www.theglobalcouple.com