Secret European Villages that you may never heard of
By: Troy

Telc, Czech Republic

Telc is a charming, rather sleepy town. It is certainly worth a stop if you are passing nearby, but there is not enough there to warrant more than a short stay unless you are particularly interested in history or architecture - it is the best preserved of all the Bohemian and Moravian Renaissance towns and the historical heart of the town was registered in 1992 on the UNESCO¨s List of World Cultural Heritage sites. It is astonishingly beautiful thanks to the surrounding fish-ponds that prevented the town spreading, thus preserving the perfect town square, built in the sixteenth century. There is also an interesting chateau from the same period.

Korcula, Croatia

There are a bevy of activities to engage in Korcula. If you are the relaxed traveler looking for a quiet getaway, it's possible to soak up the sun on some of Croatia's most beautiful beaches. Be mindful that the beaches in Korcula are quite liberal, and most residents and tourists will be fully nude. It is important to recognize that Croatia's beaches are quite rocky, so it is imperative to wear the correct footwear. The beaches on Korcula offer gorgeous views of the karstic coastal ranges. One can see the nearby coastal village of Orebic as well.

Schwarzenberg, Austria

Schwarzenberg is a village in the Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg, Austria, part of the district Bregenz. As of 2002 it has a population of 1,805. The village center is heritage-protected for its clapboard houses. Every year they celebrated the world-famous lied- and chamber-music-festival Schubertiade Schwarzenberg takes place, with performances of artists like Alfred Brendel, Emerson String Quartet, Michael Schade, Robert Holl, Angelika Kirchschlager, Thomas Quasthoff.

St.-Cirq-Lapopie, France

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a fabulous commune in the Lot department in south-western France. Its position, originally selected for defense, perched on a steep cliff 100 m above the river has helped make the town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the department, and the entire town is almost a museum. After it was "discovered" by the Post-Impressionist Henri Martin, it became popular with other artists and the home of the writer André Breton.

Cochem, Germany

Cochem is a charming town in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany, capital of the district Cochem-Zell. It is situated in the valley of the Mosel, at the foot of a hill surrounded by a feudal castle, the Reichsburg, dating from 1051. The town is surrounded by vineyards.

Giethoorn, Holland

Giethoorn used to be a carfree town known in the Netherlands as "Venice of the North" or "Venice of the Netherlands" It became famous, especially after 1958, when the Dutch film maker Bert Haanstra made his famous comedy "Fanfare" there. Therefore, Giethoorn is an internationally well-known tourist attraction in the Netherlands. In the old part of the village, there were no roads (nowadays there is a cycling path), and all transport was done by water over one of the many canals. The lakes in Giethoorn were formed by peat unearthing.

Bormio, Italy

Bormio is a charming town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Italian Alps. It currently has a population of 4,200. In addition to modern skiing facilities, the town is noted for the presence of a hot spring spa. The town is centred around the historic Piazza Cavour and Via Roma, a historic main trading point on the route from Venice to Switzerland. Bormio retains its unique medieval town centre, attracting many tourists, mainly Italian, from Milan and other cities.

Fjærland, Norway

Fjærland is a village in Sogndal municipality, along the Fjærlandfjord, in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The Fjærlandfjord is a branch of the Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway. Nearby are the glacier arms Bøyabreenand "Supelabreen" (a part of the Jostedalsbreen glacier) and the Norsk Bremuseum.

Fjaerland is also the Norwegian Book Town, with book shops situated in old cow sheds and pig stys, there are also book shops on the Ferry quay and in the Hotel Mundal. Historically, the only transportation to Fjærland has been by ferry. In 1986 a highway tunnel was opened to the village of Skei to the northwest. In 1994 another highway tunnel was opened to the southeast. These tunnels now constitute the best road from a large district of Norway's west coast toward the capital, Oslo.

Based on my very own experiences - source - edited - and more info