15 of the Most Beautiful Towns in Italy

A list of only 15 beautiful towns in Italy?

How is that possible?

It’s not.

I think every town in Italy is gorgeous.

Actually, every town and village in Europe is beautiful.

But let’s stick with Italy.

I’m choosing towns that I have personal experience with so this might be better entitled “Lynne’s Favorite Italian Towns and Villages”.

Do you have your bucket list handy?

Good.

Because I think you’ll want to add some of these towns to that list.

Ready?

Let’s get this Italian party started!

Tuscany

Let’s start in the region of Tuscany where there is no shortage of beautiful towns.

I narrowed my list down to a few of my absolute favorites — which was difficult as there are lots of gorgeous towns and villages in this famous Italian region.

 

Montepulciano

This hill town near the Val d’Orcia is one of my favs and definitely one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

It’s not off the beaten track in any way.

However if you visit a bit off season it will be less busy.

What do I love about it?

I love all the the twisty, winding narrow streets.

I love how easy it is to find quiet spots.

And I love the awesome views.

Now this is a definite hill town so you will be walking uphill.

But there are plenty of spots to take a break — stop for a bite to eat, pop into a wine store for a wine tasting or watch an artisan at work in her shop.

Churches?

Yup.

Montepulciano has a few of those (this is Italy)!

Don’t miss spending some time in Piazza Grande or taking in the views of the Val d Orcia da Montepulciano near the church of Orfanotrofio Antoniano.

This is a beautiful town in Italy that has plenty to keep you occupied for a full day.

Better yet, stay a few nights as evenings are lovely here with fewer crowds.

Pop into Godimento di Vino for lunch or dinner. 

The food is delicious and they have an awesome wine cave!

I’m pretty sure I still haven’t fully explored all of this fabulous town so I’ll go back and dig deeper.

Whatever you do, don’t miss Montepulciano.

Volterra

You never forget your first and Volterra was my first true small town in Tuscany.

And I was awed by it.

Still am.

Views?

Check.

Narrow, winding cobblestone streets to get lost on?

Check.

Walled town with walls partially intact?

Check.

Gorgeous churches?

Check.

Good food?

Uh, hello…of course!

There are also some Roman ruins AND this is the home of artisans who use alabaster to make some gorgeous works of art.

As with Montepulciano, Volterra is not off the tourist track.

But this beautiful town in Italy is definitely worthy of some time.

Volterra is a hill town located southwest of Florence and northwest of Siena so it makes a great day trip from either city.

My advice is to stay in the town or nearby in an agriturismo such as Antico Borgo di Tignano.

Because the town quiets down in the evenings.

I promise — you’ll love this town!

Casole d’Elsa

When I stayed at Antico Borgo di Tignano I could see Casole d’Elsa perched up on the hill across the valley.

I hadn’t really heard of it and didn’t know much about it.

But I was curious so one day I drove over in the afternoon to have a wander about.

And, yes, I fell in love with this little village.

There are only about 3800 residents so the town is small.

However Casole d’Elsa is just so damn beautiful which is why it makes my most beautiful towns in Italy list.

There is a castle in the village that dates from the 1400’s that houses the municipal government.

You’ll also find the Arte Viva Gallery here.

This art gallery shows art work from children from all over the province.

Casole d’Elsa is definitely a haven for artists as the world-renowned Verrocchio Art Center is located here.

This art center offers fine art courses, painting holidays, sculpture courses, studios and accommodation.

And as you wander through town you’ll see sculptures.

This little village also happens to have a couple of beautiful churches — San Niccolò and Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta with Santa Maria being the bigger one with the bell tower.

So for a small town, Casole d’Elsa has a few sites to check out.

There aren’t a ton of shops or places to stay in town, but there are some good restaurants.

For me, the joy was wandering about — camera in hand — taking in the every day life and the beauty of this little hill town.

Oh, and the views are pretty damn amazing too!

Umbria

Tuscany’s neighbor, Umbria, has some stunning towns that definitely make this beautiful towns in Italy list.

If you haven’t been to Umbria, I highly recommend spending some time here.

While it is very similar to Tuscany is some ways, there are also some areas that are bit more mountainous so it can feel a bit more wild and rugged than Tuscany which feels a bit softer.

 

Bevagna

If I had to choose my favorite town in Umbria — at least so far — it would be Bevagna.

On my first visit to Umbria I was staying at Casale dei Frontini agriturismo near the hill town of Todi.

I had not heard of Bevagna and had some other towns on my list.

But my hosts told me multiple times that I should go to Bevagna.

Who am I to argue with an Italian?

So I went.

And, once again, I fell in love.

Here’s the good thing about Bevagna — it’s NOT a hill town.

It’s flat so walking here is a bit easier.

But that’s not what sold me on this charming town.

What I love is that it’s not as popular as other towns in Umbria so not as many tourists seem to visit.

So for me, it just feels so real.

In Bevagna I found every day Italian life.

Folks sitting at the cafes conversing with friends and neighbors.

Parents collecting their children at school. (I thought there was some event going on when I saw all these people. But, no, just parents picking up their kiddos!)

Women doing the daily shopping.

On both visits to Bevagna I wandered around on narrow cobblestone lanes, taking loads of photos and drinking in every day Italian life.

*Sigh*

Naturally there are some lovely churches to check out which I always recommend in Italy.

Chiesa San Michele Arcangelo, Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, Chiesa di San Silvestro and Chiesa di San Francesco.

Yup.

At least 4 churches in a town of about 5000.

I found some lovely shops run by local artisans as I wandered about Bevagna.

And there are loads of good choices for restaurants and cafes as well as an array of accommodation so you can stay right in town.

I think one of my favorite features of Bevagna is that it sits along the River Topino.

And as you enter from the west side you walk over a bridge with some lovely views of the town.

I just find it a bit different from all the hill towns that seem to be the norm in this part of Italy.

Bevagna is a refreshing change of pace.

Todi

As I mentioned above, on my 2 visits to Umbria I stayed in an agriturismo a few kilometers from the hill town of Todi.

Todi makes lots of beautiful towns in Italy lists.

And with good reason.

Piazza del Popolo, the main town square, is often used as a movie set.

It’s surrounded by the Duomo, the Palazzo del Capitano, the Palazzo del Priore and the Palazzo del Popolo — those last 3 are basically the equivalent of small palaces.

Piazza del Popolo is definitely the center of Todi where the locals gather.

It really is movie set worthy.

But be sure to wander about this hill town of 16,000 as there are so many nooks and crannies to explore — quiet alleyways and spots with views out to the Umbrian hills.

Want more churches?

Check out San Fortunato with its unfinished exterior inside the town walls and Santa Maria della Consolazione which is outside the walls and down the hill a bit.

I’ve not been to Santa Maria yet but hear it’s gorgeous.

You’ll find some fabulous restaurants and cafes here and a handful of places to lay your head.

I might recommend staying in an agriturismo out in the hills for a fun experience if you have a car.

Whatever you do, don’t miss Todi.

I think it will surprise you!

Orvieto

Orvieto is firmly on the tourist trail.

But it makes my beautiful towns in Italy because it is beautiful.

And, if you stay the night, then the beauty of Orvieto shines.

It can be a busy town during the day as it is not too far from Rome and does get groups coming from cruises.

They come to see the stunningly gorgeous Duomo (cathedral).

You can’t miss this site.

The other site I highly recommend is the underground cave network that dates back to Etruscan times.

A tour of this is a must.

Having been to this town twice, my favorite time was on my second visit when I had a lovely dinner then wandered about the town after.

Orvieto becomes peaceful in the evenings and it returns to the locals.

So my advice is don’t visit on a day trip but rather stay for a couple of nights.

There are a good array of accommodation in and around Orvieto.

I highly recommend B&B Casa Selita, just a short (albeit uphill) walk to town.

The views are fab and the hosts are warm and welcoming.

It’s so worth it!

Liguria

This is the region with the Italian Riviera, Genoa and Cinque Terre.

I’ve only been to Cinque Terre, but have to admit that I’d love to explore more of this Italian region.

There are some amazing, off the tourist track places here.

 

Vernazza

All 5 towns of Cinque Terre can be put on this list of beautiful towns in Italy.

But I have more experience with Vernazza and am kind of partial to it.

All 5 towns are really villages with under 1500 people living in them.

Vernazza has a population of about 840.

I love how this colorful village is perched in the hillside and has a promontory where you find a tower.

There’s a lovely harbor area and even a bit of a “beach”.

Beach by Italian standards!

All the towns of Cinque Terre are on the tourist trail.

But most travelers make a day trip here and don’t necessarily stay.

My recommendation is to stay a couple of night in Vernazza and enjoy a quieter village with a more local feel.

In busy season, you’ll still have a good amount of other travelers, but in quieter times — late April to early May or late September into early October — it will be more locals.

You’ll find individual rooms to rent versus more hotels and B&B’s with Airbnb having some good options.

There’s no doubt about it that Vernazza is one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

Piedmont

Back in 2014 as I planned a trip for myself to Italy to Tuscany, Umbria, Trentio-Alto Adige and the Veneto regions, a man I knew had some strong advice for me.

“Don’t go to Tuscany. Go to Piedmont!”

Now I know why.

After finally visiting this gorgeous region in the Northwest part of Italy in 2019, I get what Hugh was telling me.

And, yes, you should go to Piedmont.

Because you’ll find some of the most beautiful towns in Italy that rival those in Tuscany.

In fact, some may be even more beautiful.

 

Monforte

I love this town!

I say this because I have loads of images of it.

Seriously.

I went a little snap happy here — with good reason.

Technically known as Monforte d’Alba it is definitely one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

This town of about 2000 residents has some of the best views of the Piedmont countryside and beyond to the mountains.

It also has sites such as Oratorio di Sant’Agostino and San Bonifacio and the 18th Century Palazzo Scarampi.

The bell tower that is part of the Oratorio is another site to check out.

There is a wonderful natural amphitheater that is built on the slopes around the palazzo.

I found gorgeous doors, inviting restaurants and colorful buildings as I wandered about along with those stunning views.

My regret is that I was just here for a few hours and that I didn’t stop for a meal.

The restaurants look to serve up some delicious food.

I missed out on that.

While there aren’t a lot of places to stay in Monforte there are lots of choices just outside of town where you can lay your head in the peaceful vineyards.

*sigh*

This is such a gorgeous piece of Italy.

I can’t wait to go back!

La Morra

La Morra, a town with a population of 2600, sits firmly in the Barolo growing region just south of Alba.

So you’ll get some of the best wine Italy has to offer in this town.

La Morra is definitely a hill town with some wonderful views of the vineyards and the mountains beyond.

Because I was staying very close to La Morra I ended up here a few times — twice for dinner and one afternoon after my visit to the next town on my list, Serralunga.

It’s truly one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

La Morra has this fabulous piazza, Piazza Castello, that has awesome views to the surrounding landscape.

You can’t miss it.

Naturally, there are some other sites that you’ll want to check out.

You’ll find Chiesa di San Sebastiano, Torre Campanaria di La Morra and one of my favorites, Chiesa San Martino.

There are some excellent wine shops to do some wine tasting and to buy a bottle — or 2 or 3.

And there are some superb restaurants.

I had delicious meals at Osteria More e Macine and Uve Wine Bar the latter of which also has rooms.

Like Monforte, there are more choices for accommodation outside the town.

Yup.

Another beautiful town in Italy … in the vineyards!

Serralunga

So the above 2 towns are in an area of Piedmont known as the Langhe — which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its cultural significance (read: fabulous wines).

Serralunga sits up on a hill and is the diving point between the Langhe and the Alta Langhe which means the high Langhe.

Technically known as Serralunga d’Alba, this is the smallest of the 3 Piedmont entries with just 550 residents.

But once again you have amazing views to vineyards and snow-capped peaks.

And you have a charming, colorful village that also has this incredibly well-preserved castle — Castello di Serralunga d’Alba — as its star.

I was sooooo disappointed that I missed touring this site which is opened at varying days and times throughout the year.

Of course, I was there on a Wednesday and Wednesday is NOT one of the days it’s opened.

Epic fail!

However I did have a gorgeous day to wander about this awesome village and to take in some of the most stunning views in all of Piedmont.

Seriously, the views from Serralunga are some of the best ever.

While it’s small, there are a plethora of places to drink some wine (because it’s Italy and specifically Piedmont and more specifically the Langhe area of Piedmont) and grab a bite to eat.

And like the above 2 towns, there are more choices of accommodation outside of town.

I hate to use the term hidden gem, but I think Serralunga is a bit of a hidden gem.

Don’t miss it.

Lombardy

Lombardy is the home of Milan.

But it’s also home to a couple of Italy’s well-known and alluring lakes, namely Como and Iseo, with the East side of Maggiore and the West side of Garda also being in the region.

Lago di Como is one of the most famous of the lakes with Lago d’Iseo less popular but so so stunning.

Let’s start with Como.

 

Bellagio

Lago di Como is shaped like an upside down Y.

Bellagio sits at the intersection of the Y.

Sitting along the lake with mountains all around make this a beautiful town in Italy for sure.

Bellagio is colorful, filled with winding pedestrian lanes.

It is a bit posh.

And it’s definitely on the tourist track.

However I still think Bellagio is worthy of time because it’s such a fun town to wander about.

Plus it makes an ideal base to explore Lake Como because of its central location.

I highly recommend walking out to the point for views of the lake and mountains.

And I suggest walking to the eastern side of Bellagio that has a more local vibe to it.

I loved this piece of Bellagio that seemed to be more of a fishing village than tourist town.

Perhaps that’s what sticks with me and why it made this list of beautiful towns in Italy.

There are tons of places to stay and you can pay a lot.

Check out Hotel Bellagio for a lovely boutique hotel experience that won’t break the bank.

The location is superb and you get some awesome views.

Look for tucked away spots for good food.

Trattoria San Giacomo is a good bet.

If you visit a bit off season, it should be less busy and a bit more affordable.

Bellagio is truly gorgeous.

Pisogne

I fell in love with this town on the northern edge of Lago d’Iseo in 2019.

While I had absolutely shit for weather — it rained the entire day — I still thoroughly enjoyed my time in Pisogne.

It’s so charming.

Pisogne is a bit bigger than some of the other towns but the central area is concentrated so wandering about is easy enough.

With its lakeside location and path along Lake Iseo you can definitely enjoy some time along the shore.

But when you tuck into the center of town and wander about the cobblestone lanes, that’s where you find the magic.

And this is why I put it on this list of beautiful towns in Italy.

There are definitely some sites here as well with some churches to check out.

The church that completely blew me away is Chiesa di Santa Maria della Neve which is on the northeast part of the town.

This little church has frescos by Romanino who was a Renaissance painter — and quite a good one at that.

The frescos depict scenes from the Passion of Christ — or Jesus’ last days.

I’ll be honest, I had no idea these gorgeous works of art were in this church in this charming lakeside town, but I was completely wowed by them.

There is a good array of accommodation in town and just outside of town.

And there are lots of restaurants and cafes.

I was staying further south so can’t attest to accommodation or restaurants but this is Italy so good food is easy to come by.

Pisogne needs to be on your list.

Period.

Trentino-Alto Adige

This autonomous region of northern Italy is near and dear to me.

Specifically the Alto Adige portion which is also known as Südtirol.

This piece of Italy was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to WWI so it is more Germanic and less Italian.

But I love this region because it feels so diversely European.

And a couple of my favorite and some of the most beautiful towns in Italy are in this region.

 

Castelrotto/Kastelruth

I have stayed in this town 3 times.

And each time I swear I fall more and more in love with the town and the area surrounding it.

There’s no doubt that Kastelruth makes this list because it sits in a valley surrounded by mountains.

But it’s more than that.

As I dig deeper, I discover more — a good restaurant, a beautiful painting on the side of a building, a cool door.

Castelrotto makes a wonderful base for exploring Alpe di Siusi and Parco Naturale Sciliar-Catinaccio.

Alpe di Siusi — Seiser Alm in German — is a stunning high altitude meadow that you can’t miss.

What I love about the town of Kastelruth itself is that it has this charming small town square with the church and onion-domed bell tower at the center.

There are winding streets to wander where you stumble upon gorgeous paintings on the sides of the buildings or beautiful wooden doors.

The village is clean, tidy and more Germanic than Italian in many ways with half-timbered houses and flowers spilling out of window boxes.

Even though it’s a wee town, you’ll find loads of places to stay to fit your needs, budget and style of travel.

There are 2 supermarkets (small ones, but with plenty to offer) and just enough restaurant choices.

Liftstüberl is my favorite restaurant.

I can’t fully explain it, but I feel so at home here in Castelrotto.

After 3 weeks there last summer, I look forward to spending even more time there on my next visit.

San Vigilio di Marebbe

Another wee town in a valley surrounded by Dolomite peaks is San Vigilio di Marebbe.

It’s smaller than Castelrotto and a bit more Italian.

Located near Fanes-Sennes-Braies Dolomite Park, this is another beautiful town in Italy that you may not know about — unless you’re a regular reader of this blog.

Then you know I’ve been here a couple of times and love this village too.

Let’s face it, the location is the number one reason San Vigilio di Marebbe is on my beautiful towns in Italy list.

However I also love the town church which is quite lovely.

While San Vigilio doesn’t have the winding streets like Castelrotto, it’s the field in the middle of town that gives it a lot of charm.

There were cows grazing here on my first visit!

San Vigilio has a plethora of accommodation — from big hotels with spas and pools to small family-run guesthouses like Garni Erna.

There aren’t a lot of places to eat, but some of the bigger hotels have restaurants in them.

And if you have an apartment, there is a small supermarket in town to buy what you need.

My favorite place to stay is Hotel Olympia.

This small family run hotel has a huge spread for breakfast plus it has a restaurant with amazing food and service.

And the views from here?

Amazing!

Don’t miss this mountain village in the Dolomites.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

If you don’t know this region in northeastern Italy, I suggest looking it up.

Because there is a lot of gorgeousness here and it’s way under the radar.

I spent my first couple of nights here last June and I can tell you that I will go back.

Mountains, lakes, wee villages, delicious food, tasty wine and friendly locals.

And my final choice of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

 

Pesariis

OMG!

This is one of the cutest, most charming, picturesque villages I’ve ever been.

It is a tiny village of 180 residents in the Val Pesarina.

Yup.

Under 200 people.

But it’s so damn cute.

I truly felt like I had stepped back in time.

And Pesariis is about time as it has this intriguing clock making history.

You can follow a route around town and see different types of clocks.

It’s pretty cool.

There is a museum to round out your clock making experience that is worth the few euro to visit.

As you might imagine, there aren’t many places to stay or eat.

But there are a few.

I highly (!) recommend Sot La Napa for both — nice rooms and delicious meals.

Pesariis is one of beautiful towns in Italy because it is off the beaten track and it surprised me with its charm.

This, my friends, is a true hidden gem.

Are these the most beautiful towns in Italy?

As I said in the introduction, I think every town in Italy is beautiful.

These are my favorites that I’ve personally visited.

This list will change as I see more of this gorgeous country.

Want to learn more about Italy?

Then check out my guide — Location Inspiration Guide: A Journey Through Italy.

This guide is filled with lots of destinations in Italy that are a bit lesser known.

It’s a fabulous guide for planning your trip to Italy.

Please note that Wander Your Way is only recommending international travel to those who are vaccinated and feel comfortable doing so. While travel to Europe is getting easier, we are still not out of the woods with COVID.

If you do decide to travel internationally, please do your research or use a travel planning service such as Wander Your Way. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC.

And if you are ready to go soon, please contact Lynne for any assistance you may need.

 

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