Most Beautiful Alpine Villages to Visit
As a region, the Alps have a great deal to offer. During winter, you’ll be able to enjoy a week of skiing at one of a number of amazing resorts. During summer, there are chances to hike from peak to peak, and enjoy the spectacular views you’ll be presented with along the way.
But it isn’t just sports and natural beauty that make this part of the world worth visiting. Many of the villages you’ll find here have a beauty of their own to offer. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of them.
Alpine Villages to Visit
Ortisei, Italy
You’ll find several villages dotted throughout Val Gardena, but when it comes to beauty, it’s Ortisei that stands apart. It’s known for its iconic colourful buildings, and the Seceda Cable Car, which links the village itself with a number of gorgeous meadows and ski trails. Many of the locals speak Ladin rather than Italian, which might indicate how distinctive the region is. It’s among the best ski holidays Italy has to offer, and it’s well worth the cost of getting there.
Grindelwald, Switzerland
This Swiss village is synonymous with picture-postcard beauty. It’s to be found in the canton of Bern, and it’s easily reachable via a short train ride. The Junfraujoch is the local mountain saddle, where you’ll find Europe’s highest train station. From here, you can access a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and with it a series of awesome peaks and an amazing glacier.
Alpbach, Austria
Consistently rated among the most attractive villages anywhere in Europe, Alpbach is home to flower-filled balconies, traditional chalets, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a local commitment to preserving these things. During summer, you’ll be able to dip into the local lakes. It’s also worth paying a visit to nearby Rattenberg, which is renowned for the quality of the local glass-based art.
Corvara, Italy
What distinguishes this little Italian village, at the heart of the famous Dolomites, is the food. There are a number of amazing Michelin-starred options when it comes to dining. You’ll also be able to go hiking and climbing during summer. This is widely thought to be the birthplace of tourism within the Alta Badia region, too.
Megève, France
Much of the French Alps has been thoroughly modernised. But this has often come at the cost of beauty. Megève bucks the trend, with its cobbled streets, historic buildings, and horse-drawn carriages. There are a number of high-end restaurants to choose from, and Megève also holds the distinction of being home to the oldest golf course anywhere in the mountains. Despite its apparently deep sense of history, the village itself is barely a century old, having been established by the Rothschilds in the 1920s, as an answer to St. Mortitz, in Switzerland.
