September 10, 2025, 5:11 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Not interested in big cities? The business magazine Forbes recently published a list of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world. TRAVELBOOK presents the top three, along with some others we’ve visited ourselves.
Picturesque little alleys, hardly any hustle and bustle, people who have known each other for decades and gather for a chat on the street. Village life has its own unique, sometimes romantically charming appeal. Especially when the village itself is as picturesque as those on Forbes’ list of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world. The magazine was inspired by a luxury travel operator specializing in finding worthwhile alternative travel destinations off the beaten path.
Overview
The most beautiful village in the world is …
Bibury in England. Nestled in the Cotswolds, itself an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” it is located in the southwest of the country. The village, with its honey-colored cottages from the 15th to 17th centuries, appears at first glance as if time has stood still here, taking visitors back to the years of the weavers who once lived along the picturesque Arlington Row.
Second place in Austria, third in Norway
The second and third places on the list of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world are also in Europe. Number two is likely as familiar to many Germans as the first, as it is located in neighboring Austria. The second most beautiful village in the world, according to Forbes, is Hallstatt. The village on Lake Hallstatt, regularly flooded by Asian tourists (TRAVELBOOK reported), has long been high on many travel lists. While it can’t be considered an alternative travel destination, its beauty, with picturesque alpine houses and medieval alleys by the sparkling lake, makes it a village charm destination worth seeing.
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The third place goes to a European country far to the north: Norway. There, Reine in the Lofoten Islands impressed the magazine so much that it was quickly placed third among the 50 most beautiful villages in the world. The village, with its red fishing huts, is located right on the edge of the fjord and is considered an excellent place to see the Northern Lights in the sky.
These are the 50 most beautiful villages in the world according to Forbes
- Bibury, England
- Hallstatt, Austria
- Reine, Norway
- Giethoorn, Netherlands
- Gásadalur, Faroe Islands
- Oia, Greece
- Bourtange, Netherlands
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Shirakawa-go, Japan
- Batad, Philippines
- Russell, New Zealand
- Mrauk U, Myanmar
- Adare, Ireland
- Steg, Liechtenstein
- Eguisheim, France
- Manarola, Italy
- Valldemossa, Spain
- Zhouzhuang, China
- Ghandruk, Nepal
- Cam Thanh, Vietnam
- Monsanto, Portugal
- Špania Dolina, Slovakia
- Victoria-by-the-Sea, Canada
- Purmamarca, Argentina
- Izamal, Mexico
- Ubud, Indonesia
- Motovun, Croatia
- Ogunquit, USA
- Boquete, Panama
- Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Coffee Bay, South Africa
- Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
- Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
- Ban Rak Thai, Thailand
- Paraty, Brazil
- Ghadames, Libya
- Chamarel, Mauritius
- Bandiagara, Mali
- Titikaveka, Cook Islands
- Ortahisar, Turkey
- Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
- Ollantaytambo, Peru
- Bilad Sayt, Oman
- Arang Kel, Pakistan
- Gudhjem, Denmark
- Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
- Hahoe Folk Village, South Korea
- Tatev, Armenia
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
- Marsaxlokk, Malta
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Ubud on Bali
In addition to the top three, there are some real village gems on this list. Among them is Ubud on the Indonesian island of Bali. Strictly speaking, it’s not a village but a small town. Yet wanting to include this enchanting spot in the list of the 50 most beautiful villages is quite understandable.
A truly worthwhile tourist highlight in Ubud is clearly the Monkey Forest, where you can get really close to the resident monkeys. Not only do they jump on your arm, but I even had a monkey sit on my head for quite a while. However, when it started searching my hair for food or lice (I wasn’t quite sure), my happiness from the monkey’s proximity faded a bit. But aside from the monkey forest, Ubud is worth visiting for its nearby rice fields, charming town center, various temples, restaurants, cafes, and much more. Not least, Ubud plays a significant role in the book and film “Eat Pray Love.”
Valldemossa on Mallorca
Valldemossa on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca is also worth a visit. Honestly, it’s been many years since I was there. But it’s one of the few places on the island that I remember well and fondly. The picture-perfect village in northwest Mallorca is known as the home of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and French writer George Sand, attracting many visitors. Valldemossa is located at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana between green mountains and olive trees.
Criticism of the ranking
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Accordingly, anyone familiar with the villages on this list or who has their own favorite villages likely has different favorites. How exactly the list was created, or whether there are criteria for a village’s beauty, is not entirely clear.
What this ranking mainly lacks is a clear distinction or definition of a village. Some places on this list are small but no longer villages. For example, Ubud on Bali or Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany. The administrative district of Ubud has about 75,000 inhabitants. The village or town center is estimated at about 12,000, although numbers vary by source. Rothenburg ob der Tauber has 11,374 residents. Chefchaouen itself has more than 46,000 inhabitants. According to the definition of the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research, communities with 5,000 people are considered small towns, and those with 10,000 inhabitants are considered large small towns.