Where is the most beautiful place in Europe you have visited?

ncmc

I was in Annecy in the French Alps last month and I would have to say it’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The town itself is picture postcard pretty and the lake with the mountainous backround is just a sight to behold. I think we will definitely be returning next year unless I hear about somewhere even more beautiful (I’ve pretty much ruled out Switzerland and Norway due to the cost) What surprised me most is that I had never really heard of it and neither had most people I told about it. This leads me to believe there may be other little known, beautiful gems out there!



So, where is the most beautiful part of Europe you have visited?

Poochie05

ncmc wrote: »

I was in Annecy in the French Alps last month and I would have to say it’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The town itself is picture postcard pretty and the lake with the mountainous backround is just a sight to behold. I think we will definitely be returning next year unless I hear about somewhere even more beautiful (I’ve pretty much ruled out Switzerland and Norway due to the cost) What surprised me most is that I had never really heard of it and neither had most people I told about it. This leads me to believe there may be other little known, beautiful gems out there!


So, where is the most beautiful part of Europe you have visited?

Since watching Les Revenants on TV last year, which was filmed around Lake Annecy, I want to go there!

My most beautiful place is Sardinia - Is Arutas beach on the west coast, mile long beach of tiny white pebbles that look like grains of rice, and turquoise seas, stunning!

Manzoor14

Annecy is incredible, was covered in a blanket of snow when I was there a few years back.

Mine's a very specific place, the Blue Eye in Albania. It was mesmerising.

rossie1977

discounting switzerland and norway, some of the most picturesque places i have visited in europe include:

zell am see in austria, the grossglockner high alpine road is a must do
bellagio and stresa in italy, both easily accessible from milan
sorrento/capri in italy
fussen in germany
chamonix in france

munchkin_utd

mountains in general are very impressive, so pretty much anywhere in the Dolomites or German/ Austrian alps is worth a spin.

I'd also say that if youre still relatively young and fit, its just spectacular to go for a bit of a hike in the mountains. Even cheat and get a cable car up and then wander about and randomly figure a way down.
The mountains beyond Garmish south of Munich are great as they are largely deserted and the views are spectacular. Or go further south again, Seefeld/ Innsbruck and all round there.
Also the valleys in the northern Alps in Italy which are relatively quiet, but busy enough to have the tourist and transport infrastructre in place.
(see around Meran, Tirol Village or over the other side towards Bruneck/ Brunico).

The problem I have with the prettiest towns is that they are often infested with tourists, sometimes are havens for the rich and other g*bshítes that stand around supping champagne through their botoxed lips in their mink coats just generally out of place in a country town, whereas if you find some stunning nature that you have to yourself its actually way more impressive/satisfying / rewarding/ enjoyable in my opinion

cdeb

I'll nominate the Steg pass in Liechtenstein. Half-way point on a walk from Triesenberg to Malbun - not far off the entire width of the country.



I was there over the June Bank Holiday weekend; beautiful weather and perfect for hiking - but no-one else was around. And everything about the hike is almost stereotypically Alpine - cowbells and buttercups and meadows and wooden huts. The lake then seals it I think.

Stunning spot.

dohouch

ncmc wrote: »

I was in Annecy in the French Alps ,,

I think I posted Annecy in this thread a while back. It has featured in many French movies, "Claire's Knee" is the only one I saw. But go up to altitude early mornings and see the dirty yellow smog that hangs over the road to Geneva. Was November/December 1989.

P.S. Even though there maybe smog over the motorway to Geneva, I think they have a protected the lake water from pollution since sometime in the 19th Century, not sure if you can drink it, but it is extremely clear to the eye.

mfceiling

Annecy is beautiful. I remember seeing a picture of it in the sunday times property section and saying to the wife "we're going there on holidays". What a beautiful part of the world!!

There is another little village in Italy called Apricale...i was truly blown away by it - so lovely!! Alassio was another lovely town in the region.

coleen

Lake Bled in Slovenia is very pretty. We have also been to Sardinia and to Zell Am Zee and would second those recommendations.
We also took a train journey from Lake Bled to gorizia in Italy and then on to Venice this was a very scenic train journey for very little money.
I fell there is lots of very pretty places in Europe but as others have said they are often filled with tourists.
I would like to hear of other lesser known places also.

cdeb

coleen wrote: »

I would like to hear of other lesser known places also.

Yup - it's a great idea for a thread.

Another which mightn't come to mind - and which unfortunately isn't cheap - is the Faroe Islands. Was over in 2005 when Ireland played there; camped by this bay (Hestur is the island, I'm fairly sure, if anyone wants to look it up) -



Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great (as it usually is up there), so the view was slightly diminished, but even then, you could see the place was incredible.

Edit - actually, I think that's Tindholmur, which is a different island. So technically, I haven't visited it, but it's more dramatic than Hestur, so the picture stays!

Beersmith

Lugano in Switzerland is probably the prettiest ive seen.

ProudDUB

Venice.

Close the thread.

Was there in late October, so it wasn't overran with hordes of tourists. There was a misty fog on our last evening there, which added to the overall atmosphere of romance and kinda surreal air about the place. Gorgeous buildings would appear out of the mist, glimmer for a few minutes and then fade back into the mist.

It's pretty much the only city, with a massive reputation, that far, far exceeded my expectations. Nine times out of ten, I feel let down. Not with Venice.

adocholiday

The stunning Island of Madeira is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been. If you like hill walking and mountain views then this place is a must see. Take a bus up to pico do arieiro, the third highest peak on the island and hike over to the highest peak. The most stunning views I've ever seen.

Funchal, the main city, is as picturesque as it gets, and then there are the levada walks. Levadas are man made channels that take water from the mountains to the low points of the island. These have become the basis for some unbelievable walkways through the Island.

Easily the nicest place in Europe I've ever been to.

keithclancy

Most the Ring of Kerry

coylemj

Taormina in Sicily, went to a restaurant one night high up the hill, there was an open balcony door beside our table and we could see the red glow from the crater of Mt. Etna in the distance, a memorable evening.

bottlebrush

adocholiday wrote: »

The stunning Island of Madeira is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been. If you like hill walking and mountain views then this place is a must see. Take a bus up to pico do arieiro, the third highest peak on the island and hike over to the highest peak. The most stunning views I've ever seen.

Funchal, the main city, is as picturesque as it gets, and then there are the levada walks. Levadas are man made channels that take water from the mountains to the low points of the island. These have become the basis for some unbelievable walkways through the Island.

Easily the nicest place in Europe I've ever been to.

Have to agree. Was in Madeira earlier this year and I just want to sell up and move back out there! Want to retire there, but have a good bit to go yet to retirement unfortunately....!

CiniO

ncmc wrote: »

So, where is the most beautiful part of Europe you have visited?

Achill Island

Terrontress

I'll recommend the Black Forest. We drove the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, stayed in Mummelsee for a night, Titisee for a night and Freiburg for a couple of nights.

Absolutely glorious, and free public transport too!

catbear

ProudDUB wrote: »

Venice.

Close the thread.

Was there in late October, so it wasn't overran with hordes of tourists. There was a misty fog on our last evening there, which added to the overall atmosphere of romance and kinda surreal air about the place. Gorgeous buildings would appear out of the mist, glimmer for a few minutes and then fade back into the mist.

It's pretty much the only city, with a massive reputation, that far, far exceeded my expectations. Nine times out of ten, I feel let down. Not with Venice.

It was my first thought too. I'll never forget my first glimpse of the canals as I got off the bus. I knew they existed, seen plenty of pictures but when you're standing there it just seems so ethereal, otherworldly, fantastical in the truest sense.
We rented an apartment for a week in November near the Doge palace and when the tourists and workers left we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
It flooded while we were there but it actually made it even more surreal to see how local residents got on about their day.

For big scenery my favorite so far has been hiking the caldera of Mount Teide on Tenerife.

two wheels good

If you like Annecy you're sure to like Hallstatt, Austria. UNESCO site, small and perfectly formed.
So nice the Chinese built a replica

Mr rebel

I like beautiful cities, and it is quite hard to decide between Stockholm, Lisbon, Prague, Vienna and Nuremberg which are all stunning in their own right.
I must say though that Charles Bridge at dusk is simply quite magical and incredibly atmospheric.

white van man pyh90tm

agreed, the alps mountains are just amazing but if you have never done much in ireland build yourself a nice camper van and do a month going the whole way around ireland sticking as close to the coast as you can and you will se some beautiful places.

Schalker

keithclancy wrote: »

Most the Ring of Kerry

Confirmed (and not joking)

Nichard Dixon

coleen wrote: »

Lake Bled in Slovenia is very pretty. We have also been to Sardinia and to Zell Am Zee and would second those recommendations.
We also took a train journey from Lake Bled to gorizia in Italy and then on to Venice this was a very scenic train journey for very little money.
I fell there is lots of very pretty places in Europe but as others have said they are often filled with tourists.
I would like to hear of other lesser known places also.

+100.
Slovenia is underrated, beautiful place, friendly people and not the most expensive, and the Bohinj railway is tmost scienic trip in Europe.

Prague is nice, if somewhat overrun with tourists and some smaller Czech towns like Český Krumlov are beautiful.

Italy has many beautiful places, I especially like Siena.

ncmc

Some incredible places mentioned. I've been googling like mad all weekend! What amazes me is how little known some of them are. I always find it strange that people rush off to the Costas in their droves when there are such beautiful places to see. Actually, I forgot my other favourite place, the Lake District in Cumbria. Absolutely stunning scenery, lovely towns and villages, great restaurants and pubs. We go every year and the lotto dream is to buy a house there.

A few people mentioned Austria which is on my to do list. How does it compare price wise to Switzerland? Slovenia and Lichtenstein both look beautiful, I remember seeing them in the Sunday times travel magazine and thinking I had to go there some day.

munchkin_utd

ncmc wrote: »

<snip>

A few people mentioned Austria which is on my to do list. How does it compare price wise to Switzerland? Slovenia and Lichtenstein both look beautiful, I remember seeing them in the Sunday times travel magazine and thinking I had to go there some day.

Austria is on the whole much cheaper than expensive countries like Switzerland or Ireland.

That said, at the height of ski season theres not so many bargains to be had for accomodation, but food and drink then is still the same reasonable cost as always

zeffabelli

For man made beauty Florence. For natural beauty, Sardinia.

The Corinthian

Lucerne in Switzerland. Beautiful old city, cristal clear lake and surrounded by the Alps.

zeffabelli wrote: »

For man made beauty Florence.

+1

B17G

Sitting in the Grand Place, Brussels sipping a beer as the light fades is pretty good. First the lamps come on, then the lights on the buildings themselves. When totally dark the place looks incredible.

mattser

The Lake District in England. Stunning in every season.

VG31

Berchtesgadener Land, Germany

Collie D

The Corinthian wrote: »

Lucerne in Switzerland. Beautiful old city, cristal clear lake and surrounded by the Alps.

+1

Lucerne is a lovely town and amazing setting. Shame I only managed a couple if hours there. In fact Switzerland as a whole is great. Can be done on a budget - hotels aren't out of this world expensive and hiking costs nothing and in touristy areas there are plenty of restaurants competing on price.

Just avoid Geneva and Zurich. Both extremely expensive and (to me) boring cities. You'll miss their lakes and Mont Blanc in Geneva but there is plenty of other amazing scenery to be seen in Switzerland.

Check out Berne too - despite being the capital I think it gets overlooked when people think of Switzerland. Probably the prettiest capital city I've been in

JCX BXC

CiniO wrote: »

Achill Island

Spent a week there on an Irish course, hail stones, freezing cold and miserable. Not a place I'd like to return to.

CiniO

Carnacalla wrote: »

Spent a week there on an Irish course, hail stones, freezing cold and miserable. Not a place I'd like to return to.

I didn't say it's the place in Europe with best weather.
I just said it is the most beautiful place in Europe I visited and this beauty can be seen pretty much only when sun is shining.

I've been to plenty of nice places all across europe, but Achill was definitely the best.

It's funny as most posters on this forum are Irish, they fail to see the beauty of their own country, as most people here come up with places outside Ireland.

catbear

CiniO wrote: »

It's funny as most posters on this forum are Irish, they fail to see the beauty of their own country, as most people here come up with places outside Ireland.

I think Ireland can be extremely beautiful but unlike a lot of Europe our weather is reliably unpredictable.
One of the best holidays I had was four days in Galway, the sun shone gloriously as we cycled the byways but yet in the two decades since and the many times I've revisited Galway I've yet to encounter a dry day since.

Same has happened me many a time I've planned hiking holidays to Kerry only for the summer weather conditions to constrict us to days of feeble sludges in overcast unrelenting drissly greyness.

Once cheap airfares arrives I was converted to the more predictable climates.

kupus

Plitvice lakes and waterfalls, beautiful in summer, cant swim in the national park but you can find other places around equally as nice.
Even in winter its amazing.

Also ireland west, when its sunny!!

ProudDUB

CiniO wrote: »

I didn't say it's the place in Europe with best weather.
I just said it is the most beautiful place in Europe I visited and this beauty can be seen pretty much only when sun is shining.

I've been to plenty of nice places all across europe, but Achill was definitely the best.

It's funny as most posters on this forum are Irish, they fail to see the beauty of their own country, as most people here come up with places outside Ireland.

The title of the thread is about the most beautiful place in Europe, is it not? Hence all of the European places being named.

Yes, Ireland is technically a part of Europe. But given the title of the thread, I think that most people presumed - as did I - that the OP was interested in hearing about places in mainland Europe, not Ireland. They are not deliberately slighting Ireland.

scuba8

The Schilthorn in Switzerland

ncmc

It's funny the things that affect your impression of a place, obviously weather is a massive factor - everywhere looks better in good weather. But for example there has been a couple of mentions of Florence, I only have been there on a day trip and I have to honestly say I was disappointed. Now, it's my own fault, because we were only there for a day, we were racing round the same places as the other 25'000'000 people that decided to visit that day! My overall impression is of crowds, crowds and more crowds. If I had gone a different time of year and been there longer, I've no doubt I would have loved it.

I have to be controversial here and say that nowhere I have been in Ireland, comes close to some of the other places mentioned. Don't get me wrong, Ireland is beautiful, but I wouldn't rank it as highly as any of the mountainous regions of Europe. The coast is obviously stunning, but coastal scenery doesn't appeal to me as much as lakes and mountains, so again, it's a subjective view.

-Toppy-

ncmc wrote: »

A few people mentioned Austria which is on my to do list. How does it compare price wise to Switzerland? Slovenia and Lichtenstein both look beautiful, I remember seeing them in the Sunday times travel magazine and thinking I had to go there some day.

Add your reply here.

I have been very much a German Austrian tourist over the last few years (Berchtesgaden, Hallstadt, Salzburg, Fussen etc) over the last few years

Last August we stayed in the NW Austria (really small village) and I must say it was some the best alpine scenery I have ever been. I also used this as a base to travel numerous times to Switzerland (Rheinfalls, Lake Constance, Heidiland and others)

Generally I would say the food prices in both places are about the same, however I would think drinks (and by that i also mean table water) are very expensive in Switzerland

Attraction prices I found reasonable enough (we are a family of 4) (so a cable car lift in Switzerland was comparable to ones in Austria)

However if you are planning a region, review what kind of Guest card is given as some regions seem to have better offers than others (for example we had one in Germany once that gave us access to theme park free which was multiuse as well as cable cars and swimming pools)

That been said we are planning for Black Forest this year!

Toppy

brooke 2

Salzburg!

bidiots

+1 for

Lake Bled(Slovenia)
Brasov(Romania)
Zacopane(Poland)
Rigi(Switz)

VG31

ncmc wrote: »

I have to be controversial here and say that nowhere I have been in Ireland, comes close to some of the other places mentioned. Don't get me wrong, Ireland is beautiful, but I wouldn't rank it as highly as any of the mountainous regions of Europe. The coast is obviously stunning, but coastal scenery doesn't appeal to me as much as lakes and mountains, so again, it's a subjective view.

I agree with you. Ireland is a very scenic country but I don't think it compares with Austria/Bavaria/Switzerland. That's just my taste though.

Wyldwood

The Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, absolutely stunning scenery.

Balmed Out

ncmc wrote: »

It's funny the things that affect your impression of a place, obviously weather is a massive factor - everywhere looks better in good weather. But for example there has been a couple of mentions of Florence, I only have been there on a day trip and I have to honestly say I was disappointed. Now, it's my own fault, because we were only there for a day, we were racing round the same places as the other 25'000'000 people that decided to visit that day! My overall impression is of crowds, crowds and more crowds. If I had gone a different time of year and been there longer, I've no doubt I would have loved it.

I have to be controversial here and say that nowhere I have been in Ireland, comes close to some of the other places mentioned. Don't get me wrong, Ireland is beautiful, but I wouldn't rank it as highly as any of the mountainous regions of Europe. The coast is obviously stunning, but coastal scenery doesn't appeal to me as much as lakes and mountains, so again, it's a subjective view.

Love Florence,
The beauty of Ireland is that for its size there is a great variety of beautiful areas that are distinct from each other. In one short journey you can see quite varying vistas in comparison to most countries.

Fleawuss

Bellagio on Lake Como. The drive from Milan once you get to Como itself is wonderful. Capri is magical but overrun by the likes of me and you: tourists! Norway and Sweden are next on my list to visit.

Squatter

Corsica - almost everywhere.

But particularly the Calanques de Piana or the forests and mountains around Vizzavona (which is where my ashes will be scattered).

Galego

I visited too many beautiful cities in Europe. Lisbon, Porto, Budapest Florence, Santiago De Compostela........they are all beautiful in different ways.

For those of you who like mountains and lakes you should visit Picos de Europa in northern Spain...two must things to do/see there are:

Ruta De Cain. A breath taking walk of 15km.

Covadonga and its lakes.

http://www.baralia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/covadonga.jpg

cdeb

Wyldwood wrote: »

The Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, absolutely stunning scenery.

Good call.

Love the old town too. Really vibrant. More places should be built like that - winding alleys, a few plazas and no cars.

Undertow

Wyldwood wrote: »

The Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, absolutely stunning scenery.

Funny you say that, I never heard about this place until a couple of days ago. It was voted the best city in the world to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet!!

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/lonely-planet-kotor-montenegro-named-best-city-world-visit-manchester-comes-eighth-1525927

munchkin_utd

Undertow wrote: »

Funny you say that, I never heard about this place until a couple of days ago. It was voted the best city in the world to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet!!

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/lonely-planet-kotor-montenegro-named-best-city-world-visit-manchester-comes-eighth-1525927

and Dublin is 3rd ????????????????

says a lot about rating schemes that does !