1. Ohrid, Macedonia
Despite its position on the banks of Macedonia’s magnificent Lake Ohrid, this beautiful place remains unknown to most travelers. Ohrid is an eclectic blend of a buzzing summer party atmosphere, ancient charm, of the 10th-century monastery complex Sveti Naum and splendid lake views.
2. Dürnstein, Austria
Backed by striking mountains, Dürnstein’s winding cobblestoned streets and homes with steep, red-tiled roofs and window flower boxes look plucked out of a fairy tale. Sections of the fortified walls remain intact, and the baroque church’s blue-and-white clock tower is inverted in time (when it’s 3 p.m., the clock reads 9). A crumbling castle fortress rewards those who make the 30-minute hike up to it from Dürnstein with marvelous views of the Wachau valley.
3. Binn, Switzerland
Binn is located in a small, secluded Alpine valley at the base of zigzagging peaks sporting countless shades of green. Local residents uphold a pact made more than 50 years ago to resist the kind of overdevelopment that’s added posh ski resorts and multilane highways to much of southwestern Switzerland.
4. Budva, Montenegro
A legend recounts that Budva was founded by Cadmus the Phoenician, a hero exiled out of Thebes, Greece, finding a shelter in this place for himself and his wife Harmonia. Upon the fall of the Roman Empire and its division into east and west, the defensive barrier which separated the two powers happened to run across this area, subsequently making a lasting impact on the history and culture of this town. The metropolis of Montenegrin tourism thanks to the great number of beaches that make this a most desirable tourist destination. Apart from its natural beauty, its bay islands and beaches for example, Budva is rich in historic monuments.
5. Amarante, Portugal
The beautiful town of Amarante is set immaculately along the banks of the River Tâmega. This ancient settlement was founded as Turdetanos in 360 BC and went on to prosper under the Romans. Built in 1790, the town’s impressive bridge was the scene of heroic resistance in 1809 by the people of Amarante, who fought off French Marshall Soult’s advance for 14 days before his army advanced and burnt down their houses.
6. Sigulda, Latvia
The area is also famous for red sandstone caves with graffiti dating back to the 17th century. All of them have some sort of local legend about the slaughter of innocent Latvians at the hands of Russians or Poles.
7. Camargue, France
Eagles, hawks and harriers soar in the blue skies and muskrats swim along the little canals, often making unsuccessful attempts to cross the roads. Black bulls and white horses graze in the fields, and lines of horseback riders file into the brush to observe the nature first-hand. Cyclists peddle against the winds, along the roads or off on lanes forbidden to motor vehicles. Salt plains cover the southeastern corner, where the Grand Rhône flows into the sea by Salin-de-Giraud, and the center, surrounding the Etang de Vaccarès, is a huge zoological and botanical nature reserve teaming with wildlife. The Camargue elaborate frescoe covers only around 140,000 hectares, including wetlands, pastures, dunes and salt flats.
