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Ten of the most beautiful villages scattered around the world

As is obvious, the most crowded destinations during the holiday period are the big cities, places of art, or resorts such as the sea in summer and the mountains in winter. Yet, there are some destinations that are often forgotten, but which would in fact be the most attractive and also, not least, the cheapest, namely the villages.

Hamlets are small villages, often characteristic of the country in which they are located, where you can really immerse yourself in the local culture, get to know the food and traditions of a population in a way that you would not be able to do in big cities and tourist resorts.

Many also impress with the beauty and immensity of the surrounding landscape. Road Affair magazine has compiled a ranking of the most beautiful villages around the world. We offer you the top 10 places in this ranking.

Wikipedia.org/Getty Images
Ten of the most beautiful villages around the world
As is obvious, the most crowded destinations during the holiday period are the big cities, places of art, or resorts such as the sea in summer and the mountains in winter. Yet, there are some destinations that are often forgotten, but which would in fact be the most attractive and also, not least, the cheapest, namely the villages. Hamlets are small villages, often characteristic of the country in which they are located, where you can really immerse yourself in the local culture, get to know the food and traditions of a population in a way that you would not be able to do in big cities and tourist resorts. Many also impress with the beauty and immensity of the surrounding landscape. Road Affair magazine has compiled a ranking of the most beautiful villages around the world. We offer you the top 10 places in this ranking.
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Popeye Village (Malta)
The townscape of the Popeye Village, built by director Robert Altman for the film 'Popeye - The Sailor' in 1979, can be visited since May 2014 in Mellieha, Malta. In general, the entire small island, located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, is a little gem waiting to be discovered.
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Hallstatt (Austria)
Hallstatt, known for its picturesque beauty and location at the base of a mountain on Lake Hallstatter See, is struggling to cope with large influxes of tourists throughout the year. Hallstatt is particularly popular with Asian tourists and is recently attracting fans of the film Frozen. A Chinese mining company has even built a replica of Hallstatt as part of an apartment complex in Luoyang, China.
Alpe de Haute Provence - Wikipedia.org
Simiane La Rotonde (France)
This third place is a beautiful village located in Provence, a region near the French Riviera in the south of France. Provence is often taken by storm in the summertime for its incredible landscapes, food, wine and proximity to places on the French Riviera.
Luca Casartelli - Wikipedia.org
Vernazza, Cinque Terre (Italy)
The Cinque Terre are ancient fishing villages located along the coast of Liguria. Listed from west to east are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They are not among the cheapest places to visit in Italy, but especially in summer, the landscapes and the welcome will not disappoint. Of course, if you want to save money, it is not very recommended.
W. BUlach - Wikipedia.org
Ortahisar (Turkey)
In Central Anatolia, Cappadocia, lies this charming historical tourist village. It is located on the south-eastern edge of the Göreme National Park. It is a town completely carved into the rock. Over the centuries it has been used both as a defensive structure and as accommodation. Since 2013 it has been open to the public.
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Oia (Greece)
This place is now part of the municipality of the more famous Santorini, but was once an autonomous place. A typical Greek seaside landscape, it is located in the southern Aegean and not too many words are needed to describe the beauty of this place.
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Shirakawa-go (Japan)
A symbol of Japanese tradition, one can still see characteristic elements of the old imperial eras. The leafy house is the Wada House, the largest house in Shirakawa-go. Water is dumped on the traditional farmhouses of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on 9 November 2014 in Shirakawa, Japan. This annual drill is held to prevent fires.
xiquinhosilva - Wikipedia.org
Ait Ben-Haddou (Morocco)
Ait-Ben-Haddou originated as a fortified city, or ksar, along the caravan route between the Sahara Desert and the present-day city of Marrakech. It is located on a hillside along the Ouarzazate River. The ksar is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Christophe Meneboeuf - http://www.pixinn.net
Cua Van (Vietnam)
A major tourist attraction in Vietnam, the place is a constant coming and going of tourists of all kinds and from all over the world. The population that actually lives here, however, is mostly made up of fishermen who live their lives perpetually on the water.
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Alberobello (Italy)
It is located near Bari, Apulia, at the tip of the heel of the boot of the Italian peninsula. It is famous for its characteristic trulli, a building model of spontaneous architecture, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 6 December 1996.
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