5 unmissable small towns in Europe

I love visiting small towns. Walking through cobblestones streets, watching local people go on with their lives, old folks chatting and kids running through the streets while their moms keeping an eye on them from a healthy distance

Small towns always invite us to stop for a good meal, have a coffee, try a local sweet and have one (or several) ice cream, and enjoy the sunset at main square with a glass of wine (or non-alcoholic drink if that's your thing).

Even if it's for a day, an afternoon or just a few hours, I suggest you always include a small town in your travel itinerary and take the opportunity to slow down, stop, breathe and enjoy the simple life.

Here I share some suggestions of places we have gone to and loved. If it works out to include any of them in your travel itinerary, I guarantee you won't regret it.

Monemvasia, Peloponnese, Greece — Monenvasia

In this post, you will find:

1 – Monemvasia – Greece

Monemvasia was one of – if not the – most charming and pleasant little town we visited on our 15-day roadtrip through mainland Greece.

Located on an island in the south of Greece, Monemvasia is a beautiful medieval walled town with cobbled alleys and many cafés, bars, restaurants, and arts and crafts shops. It's definitely one of the most instagrammable places in Greece, with its scenic walls and stone streets making the perfect backdrop for photos that capture the essence of this historic gem.

Founded in 583, the island town is dominated by a imposing medieval fortress, in the so-called “upper town”. Over the centuries, it underwent Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Venetian, Turkish and Ottoman domination. It was an important port and fortress, fought over by the different peoples who inhabited the region, which can be seen in the ruins and vestiges found both in the upper and lower towns. The castle town itself was once completely self sufficient and the inhabitants could live for months inside the walls if they were under attack..

Scenes from Monemvasia - Stone tower with bells

Monemvasia’s buildings are truly enchanting, but today the majority is tourism-focused, serving as vacation homes, guesthouses, souvenir shops, cafés or bar-restaurants, with only a few houses used as year-round residences by local residents.

The walls that to this day still surround much of the south and east of the island are beautiful and yield amazing photos.

We went there just to spend the day, but if I had researched better beforehand, I would certainly have planned to sleep at least one night in Monemvasia as there are several charming hotels and b&b. I recommend staying on the island old town. Ardamis Guesthouse looks like a dream, as does Bastione Malvasia Hotel, check it out and if you stay there let me know, as it’s on my wish list.

Check availability and rates here:

Monemvasia is about a 4-hour drive from Athens (320 miles), and we included it in our 15-day Peloponnese roadtrip. If you prefer, there are tours departing from Athens that cover a good part of the route we took through the Peloponnese, including Monemvasia.

And since you will be in Greece, also check out my recommendations of what to do in Athens in 2 or 3 days.

Ronda, Andalucia, Spain - View from the Puente Nova viewpoint — Ronda

2 – Ronda – Spain

Ronda was our first stop on our 10 day roadtrip through Andalucia, in the south of Spain, which also included Granada, Córdoba and Seville.

Known as one of the "white cities" (pueblos blancos) of Andalucia, Ronda is one of the most awesome towns in Spain due to its location atop the cliffs of the Guadalevín River canyon, which runs through the town.

The Puente Nueva ("New Bridge"),, completed in 1793, is a stunning architectural feat and offers fantastic photo opportunities. Despite its name, it's not so new, but it impresses with its grandeur. Walking along the canyon's edge, with stops for photos, coffee, and ice cream, highlights the stunning integration of the city with its dramatic surroundings.

The older Puente Viejo, completed in 1616, is a pedestrian bridge that adds to the charm of the area.

White houses on top of a gorge in Ronda, Spain

Ronda - two girls walking in the shade on historic street, Ronda, Spain

Wandering through Ronda's alleys allows you to enjoy the canyon views, historic architecture, and numerous churches.

Ronda is an excellent escape from the tourist crowds of southern Spain at any time of year.

We stayed in a great Airbnb in the city center, but there are also many hotels and guesthouses . available. The town is small and walkable, so we didn't use our rental car there. – we had a rented car but we didn’t use it there once, we really did everything on foot.

Here on the blog, there's a full post dedicated to Ronda, where I cover more about the city, its main attractions, accommodation options, dining recommendations, and much more. Check it out!

If you don't want to spend a night there, you can visit Ronda as a day-tour from Seville or Granada.

View of Flam, Norway, from the boat on the Naerofjord — Flam

3 – Flåm – Norway

Fjords that look straight out of a fairy tale, stunning waterfalls, the world’s most beautiful train ride, charming villages, and numerous options for biking, kayaking, hiking, and more.

Flåm and its surroundings truly are a paradise for nature lovers. Even those more accustomed to city life will be mesmerized by the beauty of Flåm, in Norway.

It was one of the highlights of our 12 day itinerary through Norway, a place I would love to visit again every time I return to Norway.

Blue river through green mountains, Flam, Norway

We stayed in the area for three days, opting for an an Airbnb a bit further away, in Voss.. Since we booked on short notice, this was the best value accommodation we could find in the region. While there are some hotel and inn options in Flåm, they are limited, so I recommend booking as far in advance as possible.

We had a rental car, and unless you're on an all-inclusive tour (which typically departs from Bergen), I highly recommend renting a car to maximize your flexibility and make the most of your time there.

Besides enjoying several hot chocolates, ice cream, local craft beers at Aegir Brew Pub, and plenty of smoked salmon, here’s what we did:

– Boat trip through Aurlandsfjord and Naerofjord
– Train from Flåm to Myrdal (Flamsbana) & Flam Railway Museum
– Bike from Myrdal to Flåm (Café Rallaren)
– Kayak trip in aurlandsfjord
– Stalheim Hotel viewpoint
– Aurland Shoe Shop
– Viking Valley (in Gudvangen, perfect if you're traveling with kids)
– Village of Undredal
– Stegastein Lookout

4 – Malmesbury, England, United Kingdom

Malmesbury, one of the oldest boroughs in the United Kingdom, is a charming little town that invites you to slow down, sit down for a coffee (or tea) and enjoy the local life.

The main attraction in the village is the gorgeous twelfth century abbey, founded as a Benedictine monastery in 676 AD. and which, in the 1180th century, housed the second largest library in Europe, being considered a great cultural and learning center. Completed in 1.500 AD, its tower collapsed, taking most of the construction with it, in a storm around one thousand five hundred AD. A few decades later there was another collapse, so what we see today is less than half of the original building.

Scenes from Malmesbury, United Kingdom - five unmissable towns in Europe

Malmesbury is located in Wiltshire, about 150 miles west of London. You can visit it on a day trip from London, that's what we did, with a rental car, but it's also possible to go by train. The town is close to Bristol and Bath, this one also a charming little town that you can include in your "small british towns itinerary" (the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath are amazin, and I suggest you take a guided walking tour).

If you want to travel slowly and stay a night there, to really enjoy and relax, one great option is Old Bell Hotel, housed in a 13th century building, right next to the Abbey.

Giraldo Square, Évora, Portugal. — Evora

5 – Évora, Portugal

Ok, Évora is not as small as the others, and is already well known on tourist routes, but it is still worthy of a stop on your next trip to Portugal.

Évora is surrounded by medieval walls, well preserved. A great area to explore the wall is around Agua de Prata Aqueductwhich, from 1537 to the present day, takes water from springs located 12 miles away in Graça do Divor to the town. Not to be missed are the Roman ruins of the Temple of Diana, the Capela dos Ossos ( Chapel of Bones, next to the Church of São Francisco), not to mention the several historic churches in town, as well a some of its museums and parks (it is worth strolling through the Jardim Público and the Ruínas Fingidas) and squares (the Praça do Giraldo area - pictured above - is a great place to stop for a coffee and ice cream)

Close to the town is also the Cromeleque dos Almendres, complexes of monolithic ruins dating back to the 6th century BC (for this you need to go by car visiting Zipaquirá)

I would have loved to stay at least one night in Évora, just as I did during my backpacking trip through Europe in the 90s. However, this time around, with kids and friends in tow, we opted for a day-trip from Lisbon instead, as it’s only about 130 km away and easily reachable. We left early in the morning by train and made it back just in time to enjoy an amazing dinner in Lisbon.

There is no shortage of accommodation in Evora. I recommend staying in the historic part of the town, within the walls, so you can walk around town easily and visit all the sites and attractions on foot. Walking is, in my opinion, the best way to get around small towns and an excellent way to interect and imerse yourself in local culture and way of life.

It is really interesting to take a guided walking tour, whenever possible we try to include walking tours in our activities, because nothing like getting to know the city and its stories with a local guide, it gets much more interesting and enriching..

Considering an extended journey through ? Explore this two-week Portugal itinerary

Did you like our selection of 5 unmissable cities in Europe?

These are just a few of the charming little towns in Europe that are worth exploring. There are many other small towns worth visiting. These are just some of the ones we've been to and like - and I 'd challenged myself to select only 5, it wasn't easy, but I had to hold myself back because otherwise this post would have gotten really huge...

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