the Travel Enthusiast
- 08 Apr
Tudi in Travel Planning | 3 COMMENTSEurope’s Best Preserved Medieval Cities
Bruges at night
It is a common symptom among European travelers to get lost in the labyrinth of cobbled streets of some random historic city and get the impression that an invisible time machine has sent them back in time. The sensation is both scary and inspiring. But there are those towns and villages across old Europe where it feels like time has no other effects but to enhance their beauty – cities that have been so throughly preserved that sometimes you wonder how can personal computers and TV sets hide between those delicious moldy walls and washed-off plaster.
And the greatest thing about it is that you’ll find hundreds of such towns in Europe, many of them still undiscovered by the tourist hordes. Today’s post is a short list of the most popular and best preserved European cities:
Bruges, Belgium
The heavily ornamented facades of Venice have their corespondent in the more sober, yet equally charming Flemish houses spread along the canals of Bruges. Bruges’ elegant churches and incredibly well preserved buildings are perspiring history through all the pores. In case you find Bruges a little to crowded, just go freestyle and allow yourself to get lost among is narrow streets.
Toledo, Spain
The birth city of El Greco is only overshadowed by the gigantic walls of its Alcazar fortress. Medieval Toledo emerged from the clash of three different cultures: Christian, Jewish and Muslim. With many of its attractions dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, Toledo makes an excellent day trip from Madrid – don’t miss the chance to sample the traditional marzipan .
Rothenburg, Germany
The full name of this splendid Bavarian town is actually ‘Rothenburg ob der Tauber’, which literally means ‘red fortress on the Treuber (river)’. We owe the preservation of this picturesque medieval town to a visionary US general and a German commander from World War II, who, in their own ways, saved the town form an artillery attack.
Prague, Czech Republic
It’s hard to say which is the predominant architectural style in the city of Prague: this Eastern European gem seems to have them all – hundreds of kilometers of aged buildings, each with a story to tell. What makes Prague particularly appealing are its numerous hills and panorama points, that have ‘spare me some extra space on your storage card’ written all over them.
Rhodes, Greece
Judged by its impressive number of archaeological sites and ruins, Greece is a synonym for history itself. History books would list Rhodes as the beholder of one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World: the mythical statue of Helios, whose real time existence was infinitely shorter than the persistence of its legend. Today, the island ans all its serene villages are looking more like an open air museum, scattered between cypress trees and rocky hills.
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travel search by Travelgrove (get this widget)Obidos, Portugal
Terracotta roofs and whitewashed facades give the town of Obidos a rustic air. However, its old fortress has survived numerous attacks during its centuries of history. Once you step outside the city walls, fee free to enjoy the best of Portugal countryside: orchards, vineyards and old farmhouses guarded by Mediterranean Oak trees.
Trogir, Croatia
The little town of Trogir spreads over an entire island (which is itself a sample of Mediterranean culture). Although there aren’t any wold famous attractions in Trogir, the whole assemble of medieval churches, places and villas is just lovely.
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Comments on Europe’s Best Preserved Medieval Cities
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quinne wrote on February 22, 2013:I always wonder why Cracow(Poland) is never included in such lists:/
erato wrote on February 25, 2013:You are absolutely right, Krakow is amazing. Why it does not appear on all lists of the most beautiful medieval cities must be simply a matter of taste. There are numerous well preserved towns from the Middle Ages and authors simply prefer one above the other.
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Also in Croatia, you can’t forget Dubrovnik