Italy's most beautiful villages: These places are still insider tips

Breathtaking views of vineyards or the sea, a quiet piazza at the foot of a baroque church, colorful houses clinging to rocks: Italy has a secret – that of hidden beauties.

While most tourists crowd the beaches of the Adriatic, the Piazza San Marco in Venice, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum in Rome or the Cathedral of Florence, connoisseurs are drawn to other places.

Because they still exist: the relatively undiscovered towns and villages in Italy, spared from the tourist crowds. They're called borghi – and they're real insider tips. So: off to the provinces!

But wait a minute: What exactly are borghi? The term is often simply translated with the German word "dorf," but that doesn't do these little towns justice. They are much more: symbols of Italian culture with artistic and architectural value, representing the authenticity of Italy.

Borghi are villages that generally developed in the Middle Ages or Renaissance around a noble residence or castle. There are more than 1,000 of them spread across the country—from the Dolomites to Sicily.

Grottammare is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Source: IMAGO/Pond5 Images

The question of which village in Italy is actually the most beautiful isn't so easy to answer, given all the beautiful little towns. That's why the association "I borghi più belli d'Italia" (in English: The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) has compiled a long list that now includes 371 villages.

Calascibetta is a village in the Municipality of Enna on the island of Sicily and is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Source: imago images/Bepsimage

In December 2024, Splimbergo and Cividale del Friuli in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as Ceriana in the Armea Valley in the hinterland of Matuzia in Liguria, were included in the club of the “most beautiful villages”.

In November 2024, ten new additions made it onto the list: Rassa (Piedmont), Bagolino (Lombardy), Bertinoro (Emilia Romagna), Mulazzo (Tuscany), Ripatransone (Marche), Scheggino (Umbria), Capranica Prenestina (Lazio), Introdacqua (Abruzzo), Forza D'Agrò (Sicily), Gravina in Puglia (Apulia).

Bagolino is one of the latest additions to the club of the “most beautiful villages”.

Source: IMAGO/Depositphotos

To be included in the club of the “most beautiful villages,” a village must meet several criteria, including the integrity of the urban fabric, architectural harmony, livability of the place, and artistic and historical quality of public and private buildings.

The borghi are often located off the beaten track, making them real insider tips for travelers. Yet there's a problem: The villages are often suffering from rural exodus, shrinking in size, and thus increasing the risk of decay and neglect.

The village of Montechiarugolo is a real eye-catcher, especially because of the castle of the same name.

Source: Borgo dall'alto

To counteract this, tourists are being attracted, including with a new travel guide . Several hundred pages of it introduce the borghi (in Italian) and offer tips for restaurants and excursions.

There is also a tour operator that works exclusively with the association: Accommodations can be booked through the " Borghi Italia Tour Network " website, but the tour operator also offers organized tours through the regions. How about, for example, vineyard hopping in Piedmont, hiking and horseback riding in the Gran Sasso mountain range, or a visit to artisans in Sardinia – including a tour of the region's borghi?

Aosta Valley : Bard, Etroubles, Fontainemore

Piedmont : Barolo, Castagnole delle Lanze, Cella Monte, Chianale, Cocconato, Garbagna, Garessio, Guarene, Ingria, Mombaldone, Monforte d'Alba, Neive, Orta San Giulio, Ostana, Rassa, Ricetto di Candelo, Rosazza, Usseaux, Vogogna, Volpedo

Friuli-Venezia Giulia : Cividale del Friuli, Clauiano, Cordovado, Fagagna, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Palmanova, Poffabro, Polcenigo, Sappada Vecchia-Plodn, Sesto al Reghena, Spilimbergo, Strassoldo, Lace, Toppo, Valvasone Arzene, Venzone

Trentino : Bondone, Borgo Valsugana, Caldes, Canale, Castelrorro/Kastelruth, Chiusa – Klausen, Egna – Neumarkt, Glorenza – Glurns, Luserna, Mezzano, Ossana, Pieve Tesino, Rango, San Lorenzo in Banale, Sèn Jan di Fassa, Vipiteno – Vipiteno

Lombardy : Bagolino, Bellano, Bienno, Cassinetta di Lugagnano, Castellaro Lagusello, Castelponzone, Clusone, Cornello dei Tasso, Corenno Plinio, Fortunago, Gardone Riviera, Golferenzo, Gradella, Grazie, Gromo, Lovere, Maccagno Imperiale, Monte Isola, Morimondo, Pomponesco, Sabbioneta, San Benedetto Po, Soncino, Tremezzo, Tremosine sul Garda, Varzi, Zavattarello

Veneto : Arquà Petrarca, Asolo, Borghetto, Cison di Valmarino, Follina, Malcesine, Mel di Borgo Valbelluna, Montagnana, Portobuffolè, San Giorgio, Sottoguda

Liguria : Apricale, Badalucco, Brugnato, Campo Ligure, Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena, Celle Ligure, Cervo, Colletta, Deiva Marina, Diano Castello, Finalborgo, Framura, Laigueglia, Lingueglietta, Millesimo, Moneglia, Montemarcello, Noli, Perinaldo, Seborga, Taggia, Tellaro, Triora, Varese Ligure, Verezzi, Vernazza, Zuccarello

Emilia-Romagna : Bagno di Romagna, Bertinoro, Bobbio, Brisighella, Castell'Arquato, Compiano, Dozza, Fiumalbo, Gualtieri, Montechiarugolo, Montefiore Conca, Montegridolfo, San Giovanni in Marignano, San Leo, Verucchio, Vigoleno

Tuscany : Anghiari, Barga, Buonconvento, Campiglia Marittima, Capalbio, Casale Marittimo, Castelfranco di Sopra, Castiglione di Garfagnana, Cetona, Coreglia Antelminelli, Giglio Castello, Loro Ciuffenna, Lucignano, Montaione, Montefioralle, Montemerano, Montescucaio, Mulazzo, Palazzuolo sul Senio, Pitigliano, Poppi, Populonia, Porto Ercole, Raggiolo, San Casciano dei Bagni, San Donato in Poggio, Santa Fiora, Scarperia and San Piero, Sovana, Suvereto

Lazio : Amatrice, Atina, Bassano in Teverina, Boville Ernica, Capranica Prenestina, Castel di Tora, Castel Gandolfo, Castel San Pietro Romano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Castro dei Volsci, Civita di Bagnoregio, Collalto Sabino, Foglia, Gaeta Medievale, Greccio, Nemi, Orvinio, Percile, Pico, Ronciglione, San Felice Circeo, Sperlonga, Subiago, Sutri, Torre Alfina, Vitorchiano

Brands : Arcevia, Cingoli, Corinaldo, Esanatoglia, Fiorenzuola di Focara, Frontino, Gradara, Grottammare, Macerata Feltria, Mercatello sul Metauro, Mondavio, Mondolfo, Monte Grimano Terme, Montecassiano, Montecosaro, Montefabbri, Montefiore dell'Aso, Montelupone, Monteprandone, Moresco, Morro D'Alba, Offagna, Offida, Pergola, Petritoli, Ripatransone, San Ginesio, Sarnano, Sassoferrato, Servigliano, Treia, Visso

Umbria : Acquasparta, Allerona, Arrone, Bettona, Bevagna, Castiglione del Lago, Citerna, Corciano, Deruta, Giano dell'Umbria, Lugnano in Teverina, Massa Martana, Monte Castello di Vibio, Montecchio, Montefalco, Monteleone D'Orvieto, Monteleone di Spoleto, Montone, Nocera Umbra, Norcia, Paciano, Panicale, Passignano sul Trasimeno, Preci, San Gemini, Scheggino, Sellano, Spello, Stroncone, Torgiano, Trevi, Vallo di Nera

Abruzzo : Abbateggio, Anversa degli Abruzzi, Bugnara, Campli, Caramanico Terme, Casoli, Castel del Monte, Castelli, Città Cant'Angelo, Civitella del Trono, Crecchio, Guardiagrele, Introdacquea, Navelli, Opi, Pacentro, Palena, Penne, Pescocostanzo, Pettorano sul Gizio, Pietracamela, Pretoro, Rocca San Giovanni, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Scanno, Tagliacozzo, Villalago

Molise : Fornelli, Frosolone, Oratino, Sepino

Campania : Albori, Atrani, Castellabate, Conca dei Marini, Frigento, Furore, Gesualdo, Montesarchio, Monteverde, Nusco, Savignano Irpino, Summote, Zungoli

Calabria : Aieta, Altomonte, Badolato, Bova, Buonvicino, Caccuri, Civita, Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Gerace, Morano Calabro, Oriolo, Rocca Imperiale, Santa Severina, Stilo, Tropea

Basilicata : Acerenza, Castelmezzano, Guardia Perticara, Irsina, Maratea, Miglionico, Pietrapertosa, Venosa, Viggianello

Puglia : Alberona, Bovino, Cisternino, Gravina in Puglia, Locorotondo, Maruggio, Monte Sant'Angelo, Otranto, Pietramontecorvino, Presicce – Acquarica, Roseto Valfortore, Sammichele di bari, Specchia, Vico del Gargano

Gravina in Puglia is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It's no wonder, given the view of the old town from the bridge.

Source: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Sardinia : Atzara, Bosa, Carloforte, Castelsardo, La Maddalena, Lollove, Posada, Sadali, Tempio Pausania

Sicily : Agira, Buccheri, Calascibetta, Castelmola, Castiglione di Sicilia, Castroreale, Cefalù, Erice, Ferla, Forza D'Agrò, Gangi, Geraci Siculo, Militello in Val di Catania, Montalbano Elicona, Monterosso Almo, Novara di Sicilia, Palazzolo Acreide, Petralia Soprana, Salemi, Sambuca di Sicilia, San Marco D'Alunzio, Savoca, Sperlinga, Sutera, Troina

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