Forbes has drawn up the ranking of 50 Villages (also villages) most beautiful in the world. From the Asian villages perched between misty mountains, to the African corners suspended between Savana and colonial villages, to the picturesque European villages with streets of pebbles and silent squares, Each village has its own history, its traditions and its ways of life that resist the time. These small towns, often not very inhabited, have become destination of a new tourism that seeks authentic experiencesfar from the crowd and large cities.
The 50 most beautiful villages in the second world Forbes
From Patagonia to Norwegian fjords, from the colored villages of Japan to the hidden coasts of Portugal, The selection of Forbes does not only reward the aesthetics. Rewards uniqueness: villages that tell a territory and a culture, where time seems to run slower and each glimpse becomes memorable.
In many cases, These are villages that have been able to preserve centuries -old traditionsfrom local crafts to gastronomy, while facing tourism and modernity. Some are famous for the breathtaking views, others for the unusual architecture, others for the festivals and the holidays that animate the streets. The common element, however, It is the ability to transmit a sense of authentic place, far from mass tourist circuits.
Manarola: the Italian jewel between 50
Among the 50, for Italy, Forbes chose only one: Manarola. This village of the Cinque Terre in Liguria It stands out for a particular magic, it is an open -air painting: pastel -colored houses that climb on jagged cliffs, the intense blue sea that laps the rocks, and the terraces of the vineyards that produce the famous jackk. Forbes calls him a “painter dream”: a place where every corner tells story, life and tradition.
The panoramic position makes Manarola immediately recognizable, but it is not only the beauty that makes it special. The village is an example of balance between local life and tourism: The way of love, which connects it to Riomaggioreis famous in the world, as well as local cuisine, artisan shops and traditional holidays. It is the type of village where The visitor perceives the soul of the communitynot only the postcard image.
Manarola among the global wonders. (Getty)
Fairytale villages between Europe and the north
The list drawn up by Forbes, leads to discover hidden corners that seem to come out of a picture. Among the most particular, in England, Bibury, in the cotswoldswelcomes visitors with its honey -colored stone houses and a quiet river that flows placid between the well -kept gardens, giving a suspended, almost fairytale atmosphere. More east, on the banks of an alpine lake, Hallstatt in Austriait is reflected in the crystalline water surrounded by imposing mountains: a village that seems to jealously protect its centuries of history and tradition, with traditional houses and narrow streets that invite you to get lost.
Between northern Europe and remote islands
Even further north, among the Lofoten islands in Norway, Reine offers breathtaking scenarios: mountains that dive into the calm sea, colored boats that sway between the fjords and an almost unreal silence that accompanies the visitor. In the Netherlands, Giethorn It is known as the “Venice of the North”: wooden bridges, channels that cross the village and no asphalted road.
Walking here means moving slowly, observing the houses from straw roofs and gardens overlooking the water, where time seems to run differently. In the end, In the remote Faroe islands, the small village of Gásadalur It appears as suspended between green mountains and waterfalls that fall towards the sea. Reachable only through an underwater tunnel, it is an isolated and intact place, where nature dominates undisputed and the sense of wonder is immediate.
There is also the east and Asia
But the most fascinating villages are not only found in the North. THEN Japan, Shirakawa-Go captured the imagination with its traditional houses with pointed straw roofs, immersed in the winter snow. In South Korea, Hahoe It preserves rituals and ceremonies that tell centuries of local culture. In France, Colmar fascinates with its channels and colorful gray houses, while in Spain, Valldemossa It dominates the mountains with narrow alleys and panoramas on the sea, remembering stories of artists and musicians who found inspiration to you.
Valldemossa. (Getty Images)
The impact for the villages of Forbes’ recognition
Being inserted in Forbes’ Top 50 means global visibility and therefore also an increase in tourist interest, with potential economic benefits. But there is also a great challenge to face in recent years: manage the influx of visitors without compromising the identity and the environment. Sustainability therefore becomes fundamental, to prevent the wave of popularity from transforming these places into destinations “USA without soul without a soul.
The beauty that speaks to the world
Observe these villages closely, or even only through the images of the Forbes list, It means understanding how beauty can take different forms: millenary architectures, breathtaking landscapes, atmospheres suspended over time. The “Villages”, in fact, are not only places to visit, but stories to live.
Each tells its culture, the challenges of the territory and the life of those who live in it for generations. Forbes highlights themidentifying only a few, but the wonderful villages in the world and, also in Italy, there are many. And in this mosaic of stories and beauty, each of them, small or large, invites you to stop, observe and rediscover a beauty to which you are no longer used to.