These Are 3 Of The Most Beautiful Small Towns In Europe To Visit This Summer

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Eurosummer is fast approaching, and if you’ve been thinking of hopping across the pond for some of that Old World charm and amazing history, you might want to hold off on booking London or Paris… at least you’ve read this.

Look, as much as we love those world-famous, iconic megacities, they’re not exactly where you go for that dreamy, fairytale Europe vibe.

You know what I mean: it’s kinda tough to feel like you’re in a storybook when there’s traffic buzzing nonstop, clout-chasers waving selfie sticks, and overpriced bistros that practically scream “tourist trap”.

The true, unspoiled magic lies in those low-key, smaller towns people usually skip right over, and that’s something Rome2Rio finally clocked.

Though we’ve been banging this drum for years here at Travel Off Path, the popular travel search engine finally put out a study recently that shows searches for small cities are up 35 percent globally, as the hunt for places with fewer crowds and more character intensifies.

In case you’re wondering what that looks like in Europe, there seems to be 3 under-the-radar towns that stood out in particular:

Teruel, Spain

Away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, Teruel is a small high-altitude town nestled in the Aragon mountains, in eastern Spain, a region most tourists tend to skip over, for no other reason than the fact it’s slightly out of the way for your average beachgoer.

Too bad, as it is arguably one of the prettiest small towns in the entire country, so it’s no wonder Rome2Rio namedrops it on their research.

The Old Town is primarily known for its Mudéjar architecture, a unique style that combines Gothic and Islamic elements―in case you didn’t know, Spain was at one point under Muslim control―and soaring 12th-century Santa Maria de Mediavilla Cathedral.

The cathedral really steals the spotlight here.

It’s got that massive, soaring structure and a beautifully detailed painted ceiling that makes you stop and stare. Right next door, the Torre de El Salvador kind of feels like an add-on (because it is), built in the 14th century with a striking exterior and those tight, spiraling stairs that wind all the way to the top.

If there’s one thing to know about Teruel, besides the fact that it’s ridiculously stunning, it’s that the food goes hard. You absolutely can’t skip the Jamón de Teruel: dry-cured, rich, and just a touch less salty than prosciutto. You’ll spot it stuffed into sandwiches at pretty much every little bakery you pass.

Škofja Loka, Slovenia

Slovenia is a pretty low-key destination already, with its picture-perfect capital city, Ljubljana, only recently making waves in the travel sphere, but if it’s medieval charm and quaintness you seek, you might as well go all in and take the detour to Škofja Loka.

Sounds like a keyboard smash at first glance, we know, but don’t let the unpronounceable name scare you off. This unassuming village-like setting on the edge of the Slovenian Alps might just be the Central European country’s best-preserved medieval town.

Think stone townhouses lining a crystal-clear alpine river, arched bridges stretching across it, like the historic Capuchin Bridge, colorful buildings with intricate floral details, and a big, yellow-washed Baroque castle watching over it all from the hill above.

In sum, it just ticks all the ‘Fairytale Europe’ boxes.

And if safety’s been on your mind, especially with all the talk about rising crime in big cities like Paris and London, Slovenia is about as chill as it gets. It’s widely considered one of the safest, most stress-free destinations in Europe, with very low reports of violent crime, break-ins, or even pickpocketing.

Travelers have been reporting on their time in Slovenia, giving it a ranking of 86/100 using our Traveler Safety Index:

Slovenia is pretty chill, but if you’re flying to Europe this summer, make sure you refer to the Travel Advisory Checker to verify any travel alerts that apply at your destination beforehand.

Motovun, Croatia

A teeny-tiny Croatian town sitting on a lush hill in Istria—that’s northern Croatia, hundreds of miles from the jam-packed Dubrovnik, for that matter—Motovun is where you go to really sink into that old-world European vibe and escape the crowds.

Honestly, it feels like a storybook town that somehow stayed intact.

Cobbled streets, little piazze anchored by churches or the occasional coffee shop, and tightly packed buildings made from that warm, honey-colored Istrian stone that gives everything a soft golden glow.

Add in those weathered shutters in faded blues and greens, and the whole place just has this lived-in, timeless feel.

It’s more of a “wander around and soak up the atmosphere” destination than a checklist kind of spot, but you’ll still want to swing by the Church of St. Stephen, whose belfry rises above the red-tiled roofs.

Oh, and definitely walk the medieval walls, which overlook Motovun’s clustered maze of houses cascading down the hill, with the rolling Istrian wine country stretching out in the distance.

This summer, the European Union is tightening entry rules for American travelers, including the addition of mandatory fingerprinting and biometric scanning.

Make sure you have your documentation in order: use the Entry Requirement Checker to double-check the existing travel rules at your destination prior to takeoff.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.