10 Secret European Little Towns You Must Visit

2. Colmar, France

A medieval city that changed nationality several times between France to Germany, Colmar is now the capital of the Alsace wine region in France. A fascinating vintage city defined by half-wooden traditional edifices with chocolate-colored slanting roofs, narrow cobblestoned alleys, tiny bridges over canals and magnificent churches, Colmar appears to have frozen in time. Thanks to the influx of tourists from neighboring Germany and Switzerland, this gorgeous French city has more German speaking population than French. Home to the international summer festival of classical music called ‘Festival de Colmar’, this fascinating town famous for lip-smacking pastries is one of the 10 secret European little towns you must visit.

Colorful traditional french houses on the side of river Lauch in Petite Venise, Colmar, France | 10 Secret European Little Towns You Must Visit
Colorful traditional french houses on the side of river Lauch in Petite Venise, Colmar, France / Copyright Sergey Dzyuba

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9 Comments

  1. says: Chris

    Good list, but would´t call every city a “secret” Sintra, Reine, Hallstatt and specialy Manarola is VERY touristy.

  2. says: Mike

    Agree with Chris; seeing Manarola as the first ‘Secret’ little town immediately invalidates the post. It receives over ten times the amount of visitors it can cope with and still has some of its trails closed to protect it from the volumes of tourists that arrive every day,

  3. says: Carlee Hebert

    Oh my goodness I love this post! I’m going to be studying abroad in France in the spring and blogging about it! I can’t wait to visit some of these places, especially since some are close to where I will be staying!!

  4. says: Sara

    yes! thank you so much for this list. I am so happy they are all in Europe… i think i can visit them all in the next two years. <3

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