Forbes magazine has revealed its selection of the 50 most fascinating villages in the world for 2025. The ranking, curated by the Senior Travel Editor Lewis Nunn in collaboration with UNFORGETTABLE Travel Company, was published on August 24 and updated on 11 September 2025.
A journey through five continents
The list ranges from Norwegian fjords to the Balinese temples, from the Austrian Alps to the terraces of the Philippines. Each village tells a different story: bells that echo in the Alpine valleys, swans on Lake Hallstatt, the incense in the jungle temples. Experts have sought places capable of fascinating without clamor, hidden gems that retain the authentic flavor of the past.
The podium of beauty
Bibury, England, conquers the first place. A village in the Cotswolds that seems to have come out of a watercolor painting. Arlington Row’s honey -colored houses date back to the 14th century when the weavers lived there. The Coln river flows placid between willows and ducks, while the scent of lavender mixes with that of the newly baked scones. Those who visit Bibury can discover the Bibury Trout Farm or stop in the Church of St. Mary’s.
In second place we find Hallstatt, Austria. The wooden houses in wood are clinging alongside the mountain, the balconies overflow with red geraniums. The swans slip on the lake while the bells of the church mark time. The Hallstatt Skywalk gives spectacular views of the Dachstein Alps, and the Salzwelten Hallstatt mine tells seven thousand years of salt extractive history.
Reine, Norway, stands in third place. The red cabins of the fishermen dot the fjord, surrounded by purple lupines and silver algae. The Arctic light draws unreal landscapes. The hikers go up to Reinebrogen to admire the jagged ridges and the water mirror of Reinevatnet, while at the port the Nordlys boat swing. The Bingen Kaffebar attracts visitors with cardamom sandwiches and rye bread.
Netherlands and Faroe Islands complete the top five
Giethorn, the Netherlands, occupies the fourth position. A village crossed by the channels of the Medejssel that looks like lace fabric: cottage with straw roofs, arched bridges, waterways instead of the roads. The Museum Giethorn ‘T Old Maat Uus tells the lives of the peat and local fishermen. The nearby De Weerribben-Wieden National Park hosts Canneti and Lonte.
Cinquina Gásadalur closes, Faroe Islands. Houses with grass roofs propose the glacial valley on the island of Vágar, dominated by the peak of theánafjall. The Múlafossur waterfall dives directly into the Atlantic. Until 2004 the village was isolated from the world: it took a tunnel dug in the rock to connect it to the rest of the island.
Italy in the standings with Manarola
Italy appears at position 16 with Manarola, one of the five villages of the Cinque Terre, in Liguria. The pastel -colored houses climb on the Ligurian cliffs, the screws grow on the ancient terraces and produce the jackk, the typical DOC wine in the area .. The fishermen repay the nets in the port kissed by the sun, while tourists sip coffee in the squares or dive from the rocks in the turquoise sea. The way of love starts from Manarola, the romantic path that leads to Riomaggiore. At sunset the village turns on with lights that are reflected on the waves, and the bells of the Gothic church of San Lorenzo resonate among the olive groves.
The complete ranking
We leave you to the complete ranking of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world:
- Bibury, England
- Hallstatt, Austria
- Reine, Norway
- Giethootn, the Netherlands
- Gásadalur, Faroe Islands
- Oia, Greece
- Bourtange, the Netherlands
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Shirakawa-go, Japan
- Batad, Philippines
- Russell, New Zealand
- Mrauk U, Myanmar
- Adare, Ireland
- Steg, Liechtenstein
- Eguisheim, France
- Manarola, Italy
- Valldemossa, Spain
- Zhouzhuang, China
- Ghandruk, Nepal
- Cam Thanh, Vietnam
- Monsanto, Portugal
- Špania Dolina, Slovakia
- Victoria-BY-THE-Sea, Canada
- Purmamarca, Argentina
- Izamal, Mexico
- Ubud, Indonesia
- Motovun, Croatia
- Ogunquit, USA
- Boques, Panama
- Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Coffee Bay, South Africa
- Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
- Lauterbrunnn, Switzerland
- Ban Rak Thai, Thailand
- Paraty, Brazil
- Ghadames, Libya
- Chamarel, Mauritius
- Bandiagara, Mali
- Titikaveka, Cook Islands
- Ortahisar, Türkiye
- Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
- Ollantaytambo, Peru
- Bilad Sayt, Oman
- Arang Kel, Pakistan
- Gudhjem, Denmark
- Seyðispjörður, Iceland
- Hahoe Folk Village, South Korea
- Tatev, Armenia
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
- Marsaxlokk, Malta
