Small towns are often forgotten when traveling Europe, due to the limited amount of time or simply because you don’t know about them. Often it means you’re hopping from city to city like Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Budapest, etc. Cities like these have so much to offer, you can easily spend a week there discovering new things every day. So why should you take the effort to leave such a place and explore some more? Well, let me answer that question for you; because Europe is more than big cities only. By exploring smaller towns you’ll experience a more true “local feeling” and you’re able to enjoy your time more because you’re not in a rushed atmosphere and you don’t have to stand in line for anything.

Well-known destinations like Rome and Paris are always packed with tourists, so you don’t get to discover the real authentic vibes as long as you stay on the beaten path. Sure if you take a few side streets, you’ll be among the locals as well. But small towns have a special charm that no large city can compete with. Small towns still have their authenticity because they’re not influenced by other cultures. Bigger, well known cities are impacted by all the different nationalities that visit them every day. They’re often more polluted as well.

Small towns in Europe you should visit when in Europe:

Here are some small towns I visited and you should definitely explore them too while traveling through Europe.

Szekesfehervar, Hungary

It’s one of the oldest towns of Hungary and located between Budapest and Lake Balaton. More here.

Ronda, Spain

This picturesque town is located in the region of Andalusia and lies next to the El Tajo gorge, which splits Ronda in 2 parts. More about Ronda here.

Fornalutx, Mallorca, Spain

Fornalutx is hidden in the mountains of Mallorca and only 469 inhabitants experience its beauty daily. More here.

Sintra, Portugal

This magical romantic town is only 30 km northwest from Lisbon. More here.

Verona, Italy

Once you arrived in Verona you’ll probably never want to leave again. Verona lies between Milano and Venezia. More here.

Lindos, Rhodes, Greece

This beautiful town consists of small white houses built on a hill. On top of the hill you can find the Acropolis of Lindos which offers stunning sights!

What small European towns did you visit and should I add to my list?