And the number one prettiest village in the world? No surprises here: Cinque Terre in Italy came out on top. Technically a string of five Riviera villages, Cinque Terre is famed for its colourful houses teetering on cliffs and fishing boats bobbing in pretty harbours.

While "prettiness" is inherently subjective, the UN Tourism agency (formerly UNWTO) officially designated the "Best Tourist Villages" for 2026, highlighting destinations that excel in cultural preservation and aesthetic appeal. In Italy, Bellano, located on the eastern shore of Lake Como, and Asolo, known as the "City of a Hundred Horizons," are top contenders for the title. However, the Austrian village of Hallstatt remains the perennial gold standard for "prettiest village" due to its 16th-century Alpine houses reflected in a crystalline lake. In France, Saint-Émilion is celebrated for its medieval limestone architecture and rolling vineyards, while Eze provides a dramatic "eagle's nest" view over the Mediterranean. Each of these locations is recognized not just for visual beauty, but for maintaining a harmonious balance between local resident life and the global tourism that their scenery inevitably attracts.