Have you ever been somewhere that totally takes your breath away? Somewhere you feel like you’ve stepped into an alternate reality and just cannot believe what you’re looking at is real?
Well, there are places like this in the form of European fairytale villages! If you’re heading to Europe this summer, be sure to head to one or all of the following villages to feel like a Disney princess or prince! 🙂
4 Fairytale Villages in Europe You Must Visit
(1) Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt, Austria is over 7000 years old (talk about an old fairytale village) and is home to 859 people! 🙂 The backdrop of the village and the views across the lake are breathtaking. Plus, the only way to get there is by boat! Before visiting Hallstatt I thought I knew what to expect, but even the photos don’t do it justice in real life. When I found out how close it was to Salzburg, Austria I knew I HAD to go on a day trip! Tourists are starting to find out about Hallstatt, so I recommend going soon. Luckily, it still feels somewhat untouched and is beautiful in every season!
Closest cities: Salzburg, Linz or Vienna, Austria
(2) Lake Bled, Slovenia
Lake Bled is a quick bus rid from the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana and is a popular weekend destination for Slovenian’s and foreigners. Next to Lake Bled is another popular lake called Lake Bohinj, but is not as near to as breathtaking as Lake Bled. Lake Bled is one of those fairytale villages that you can’t really compare to anything else. It’s got a picturesque island in the middle of a glacial lake with a castle overlooking the entire town from the mountain top. Not sure how it can get more enchanting than that! It’s also beautiful in all seasons, although I recommend autumn because of fewer tourists and changing leaves!
Closest city: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Related Posts: The Perfect Getaway to Lake Bled Slovenia
Exploring the Charming City of Ljubljana Slovenia
(3) Colmar, Alsace, France
When I first went to Colmar, France I felt like I stepped onto the set of Beauty and the Beast in the village that Belle grew up in. The houses people live in actually look like this and I couldn’t actually tell if I was in Disneyland or it was real. The flowers surrounding the river and the cobblestone walking paths made me feel like I was a princess. AND, yes, it all REALLY does actually look like this. 🙂
Closest cities: Strasbourg, France or Zurich, Switzerland
(4) Füssen and Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria Germany
I’m a huge fan of castles and this is the ACTUAL fairytale castle that Disney modeled their famous castle from. Located just outside of Munich, it was King Ludwig’s permanent residence. He certainly had an eye for beauty because the views from the castle and of the castle are insanely gorgeous. In my opinion, the views of this castle are better than actually going up inside, because of the backdrop of the German/Austrian Alps. Read about how to find the castle and how to get tickets, here.
Closest city: Munich, Germany
Related Post: Avoid the Hassle: Here’s the Easiest Way to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle
I love finding fairytale villages and especially in Europe where everything is old and beautiful. Are there any other fairytale villages in Europe that I should go to?
READ NEXT:
Avoid the Hassle: Here’s the Easiest Way to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle
Hallstatt, Austria: 8 Reasons to Visit Now
My Favorite Region in France: Alsace
The Perfect Getaway to Lake Bled Slovenia
Why Salzburg is My Favorite City in Austria
Exploring the Charming City of Ljubljana Slovenia
PIN IT:
We’re from Belgium and haven’t visited any of these. ? My parents used to take us to France nearly every year, but it seems like we’ve never been to Colmar. Looks beautiful though! Neuschwanstein Castle has been on my bucket list for a while now, but we haven’t made it up there yet. But we will one day, for sure. Thanks for making this summary, added them all to my bucket list. ??
Birthe (from Wandering the World) recently posted…A Colorful City Trip: What to do in Lisbon
SO dreamy! We’ve been to Neuschwanstein and Colmar and have Lake Bled and Halstatt at the top of our list. Absolutely love the fairytale vibes!
You basically just described my Europe bucket list! I LOVE fairytale European towns. My personal favorites are Brugges, Belgium and Bremen, Germany. I need to see more!
Lia recently posted…2 Year Blog Anniversary: The Blogging Origin Story
Oh wow, all of these are on my must see list for places in Europe! I love castles and magical fairytale looking places! Your photos are beautiful too!
What a nice post! I will be adding them to my bucket list~
What lovely photos! I’ve been to all but Fussen and the castle. Colmar was really cool, but as soon as I went, my readers were telling me I should have gone to Riquewihr as well. It was inspiration for the village in Beauty and the Beast!
Wow, Slovenia… this photo, a dream!
And Hallstatt, definitely worth the visit..
I’d add Gordes (just wrote a blogpost about it, it’s in PROVENCE, FRANCE).
x, Anna
Wow! Gorgeous photos!
I will be adding each of these places to my Europe itinerary!
Lovely photos & wonderful post ! The only place I visited is Colmar 🙂 Hallstatt lakeside village is perhaps the most photographed village in Austria.Hallstatt’s UNESCO World Heritage view attracts visitors from all over Europe and the world. I would love to discover this village !
C-Ludik recently posted…Feel like a child again !
Slovenia is beautiful – all the places are beautiful. Great photos.
I’ve seen a lot of gorgeous pictures of yourself on your blog. Do you travel with a friend who takes them for you? Or is there some other way you take them?
This post is amazing 😍 I cant wait to visit these places.
Hi Katie, great work!! Keep it up!
Had a little query you might have an idea about :
Planning to visit salzburg (2N), vienna (3N) and munich (3N) in June 2019.
1) We definitely want to go to hallstatt and wolfsgang , is it possible to be done in a day ?
Otherwise, there will be no time to roam around in salzburg itself !
2) Can major salzburg be done in a day ?