I take you on a virtual tour and introduce you to 9 dazzling towns in Europe that are dream-like, alive with color.
Each is located in a different country, so you'll have 9 towns in 9 countries to pick from for your next trip to mainland Europe.
Most are in central and a few are in Eastern Europe because that's where you will find the biggest cluster of towns that have been using various types of painting techniques over the centuries.
These towns didn't paint their buildings yesterday, most of them have been around for almost 1000 years and I think this just adds to the uniqueness and value of these wonderful destinations.
That said, save them for later because a few places on this list are rarely mentioned by big publications. We actually visited them all and plenty of other towns in the vicinity, and these towns won the most colorful town award!
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České Budějovice (Budweis), Czechia
České Budějovice, also known as Budweis, is the cradle of all the good beer in Czechia. The state owned the legendary age-old brewery there, but that's not the only reason why you should head to Budweis.
The massive square right at the center of the town is surrounded by some of the prettiest buildings in Central Europe. It took away our breath!
We literally walked and filmed the town to show you how stunning it is. Ironically, tourists haven't discovered it yet!
Sterzing, Italy
Pastel colored houses await you at Sterzing, which is also known as Vipiteno in Italian. At the center of it all is the medieval clock tower.
This town follows the typical alpine architecture style of South Tyrol in Italy and Tyrol in Austria.
Not many know about this little hidden town and I highly recommend a trip there if you find yourself in the Dolomites or near Innsbruck in Austria.
Appenzell, Switzerland
Appenzell is a typical Swiss alpine town that isn't too far away from Zürich. The town is known for several things, including top cheese, beer and, of course, unique picturesque houses.
You will love strolling across this car-free town anytime of the year. Little local boutiques with handcrafted items from the village are sold in the display.
We visited in winter and the snow was adding some fantastic contrast to the multicolored Swiss houses.
Ptuj, Slovenia
I have mentioned Ptuj many times on here, and I think this town doesn't receive enough love. Ptuj is located in Eastern Slovenia, near Austria and Hungary, and the vibe of this place is very laid back.
Contrasting colors are used in interplay on almost every house in the town center, which makes this one of our favorite must-see towns in Slovenia.
Besides, Ptuj is more than 2000 years old as the town was founded by the Romans who turned it into a booming center of commerce.
Ribeauvillé, France
Ribeauvillé is one of the Alsatian villages that influenced Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It neighbors other fascinating half-timbered towns, including Colmar, Riquewihr, Hunawihr and Kaysersberg-Vignoble.
Located along the Wine Route in France, this village will transport you into a story time book.
Discover the vibrant houses aligned in a row and a mysterious ruin towering above the town.
Rattenberg, Austria
Rattenberg is located in the Austrian alps, and it's known as the smallest city in Austria. Interestingly, it has been holding this title for over 700 years.
Ironically, this city is smaller than most villages in Austria, which says a lot on itself, but what makes it actually stand out are the wonderfully pale rainbow-hued buildings.
This is also the place where the art of glassblowing has been practiced in Europe since Medieval times. The famed Riedel wine glasses come from the same area.
Mittenwald, Germany
Mittenwald is one of the most unique towns in the world, and that's due to one specific mural art form that has been used for generations on all the buildings of the town.
They call this art Lüftlmalerei, and it involves painting the houses with thin layers of limescale paint. The paintings are detailed and create an optical illusion.
If you love these multicolored hand-painted towns, head to Mittenwald, and other neighboring towns, including Oberammergau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Győr Hungary
We stumbled across Győr accidentally as we were heading from Bratislava to Budapest on a road trip.
Győr served as a night stopover, and as we explored the town, we realized that people who value old world Hungarian vibes would absolutely love to see such as stunning place.
Many of the chalky multicolored buildings, with old wooden door and window panels, follow a monochromatic color scheme. It's pure eye candy, and you should definitely head to Győr on a day trip from Budapest.
Sighișoara, Romania
I introduce you to another wonderful travel discovery that not many people know about. Sighișoara lies at the heart of the historical Transylvanian region, in what is now Romania.
From the bottom to the hill top, the town is adorned with age-old medieval cobbled streets and striking buildings.
The town was built by the Saxons who have been living there for almost 1000 years.
With their know-how and architectural style, they have influenced more than just this town, and I highly recommend visiting all the other Transylvania towns if you want to step back in time.
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