Who doesn’t love quaint towns?? If you are in Italy or traveling there anytime soon, this list is a keeper. You will feel blessed to be in a country with so many varied choices of charming towns. Although this list is not exhaustive, it certainly includes many of my favorites. I will keep adding more to this list as and when I can. If you have any favorites, feel free to share more small towns in Italy.
10 Charming Small Towns in Italy
Perugia:
Now I now that Perugia is not really a small town but it isn’t a big city as Rome either. I love the cosiness this town brings with it’s annual chocolate and jazz festivals. Perugia is still quite unknown to a first time Italy traveler so take a chance next time you are in Italy and visit it. This town has a medieval piazza that will give Game of Thrones a run for it’s money. I hope it never gets run down by mass tourism and selfie sellers.
Montegiove:
Deep in the green heart of Italy and quite close to Perugia is Montegiove-another small town with an ancient castle, a single Bar and a historic convent of La Scarzuola. Need I say more?? For more details check this. The small towns in Italy list gets more interesting no??
Gubbio:
Gubbio is a strange and charming town that belongs to the Pre Roman era. It has gothic architecture and a beautifully preserved Roman theatre at the entrance. Although slightly difficult to access as other towns in Umbria, there are regular buses to reach Gubbio from Perugia and the region of Marche. There is no train station.
Monteriggioni:
Tuscany has a special magic to it and there are countless towns in the region. Monteriggioni is one such town, off the beaten track from the usual towns of Pisa, Siena, Montepulciano, Volterra that most travelers visit. This Tuscan town is walled and has an old world feel with its small piazza.
Portovenere:
Liguria is filled with colored houses and a stunning expanse of the Ligurian sea. Now I know it is getting extremely popular because of the Cinque Terre, but travelers often overlook it’s neighbor Portovenere. This gem of a town is close to easy to reach by bus. It has a stupendous sea view, an old castle and history from the times of Lord Byron. Check here to know more.
Muggia:
This town deserves attention! Seriously! Only 30 minutes from the under appreciated city of Trieste, Muggia is precious. It has small yatches and Venetian architecture. The boats that clung to the harbor gave me an inkling of an Enid Blyton adventure.
Modica:
A town every chocolate lover must visit! Situated in the diverse region of Sicily that puts the rest of the country’s diversity into perspective, Modica is almost tourist free (as of May 2015). The locals are usually home by 8 p.m. so it’s fun to wander the streets by yourself.
Scicli:
Another small town in Italy that needs attention from is Scicli. It is so quaint and forlorn that you could cry! It has ancient cave dwellings and crude cliffs and you might not see women at all! Men hang out at the piazza as women stay confined to their homes to gossip and cook (so I am told).
Burano:
Probably everyone’s favorite because of its colorful vibe, Burano is only half an hour from Venice. It is famous for handmade lace and bussola (a kind of a biscuit). According to legend, the island was colored since many centuries for fishermen to find their way in the fog.
Locorotondo:
Perched on a hill top and filled with white lanes and maze like streets, Locorotondo will outsmart every other town you visit in Puglia. Make sure you have its local wine and visit the nearby olive groves and trulli homes in Alberobello. This small town in Italy will charm you!
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Most excellent, I’m saving these recommendations, I haven’t been to any of these yet – that is, any but Muggia which is a big surprise on this list. It lies on Slovenian-Italian border, has a Slovenian name ‘Milje’ and so far I’ve only passed it by. I’m glad that it made such an impression that you included it here!
Wow thank you 🙂 I totally fell in love with the quiet laid back Muggia. I know about the Slovenian name too and am sure you love it too.. hope you can visit these towns someday especially the ones in Umbria and Puglia <3
I hope so as well. And to one day reach Sicily! I can leave here my favourite Italian towns so far, not in specific order: Pitigliano, Sovana, Orvieto, Porto Ercole, Talamone, Lucca, Pienza, Tivoli, Volterra, Capalbio – because it’s my new home town. 🙂 I might make a post with my list. Thank you for the idea!
Most welcome, I’d love to know of more Tuscan gems as I have been to only 4-5 towns which are more famous and less offbeat. I love Fiesole too. Orveito is another favorite that I will be adding to a new list 😉
And I don’t know Fiesole. 🙂 Everything around and above Firenze is still waiting.
LOL
Lovely list. Checking out Talamone as I have heard of the rest
These are indeed beautiful…..I wish I could stay in any of these places……
Thanks a lot Steve .I hope you can visit there soon if not stay 🙂
I wish I could find some resident and who is single😉😉……then I can have the opportunity to live in such beautiful places….. BTW are you resident and single😜😜
I dont stay in Italy 🙂
Handy list for future travels. I’d also recommend Feltre, north of Belluno in the foothills of the Alps. One of my aunts married a man from there and I went to visit his family on my first overseas trip as a young backpacker with a Eurail Youthpass and not much of a clue. That was many many years ago but I am sure it is still a lovely town.
Grazie mille 🙂 Noted your suggestion and a great story to it too. love such recommendations from other travelers. Already have a huge Italy list 😉
amazing post with so many villages to discover! perfect! PedroL
Thanks so much Pedrol. Have you been to any of these?
unfortunatly no… but hope to visit it soon 🙂 cheers PedroL
A great list! Italy is so beautiful! I feel like I have to visit every single town here haha. Perugia is definitely my favourite in Umbria and I highly recommend Assisi too. 🙂
I have been to Assisi too and it is definitely very beautiful 🙂 Italy is full of these gems. I hope you can visit Perugia
I was there in October! I hope to come back next year!
How fun. I miss it <3
lovely! oh but there are many many more:)
Obviously there are. Which is why I also made a comment that this list is not exhaustive
🙂
Thanks for the list! We loved Locorotando! You are correct, this town surprised us with it’s beauty!
Thanks so much for enjoying it 🙂 Indeed. I too did.
A great list, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Fantastic post! I have only been to one of those — Monteriggioni. <3 Love that sweet little town. Benfatto, Cara!
Thanks so much cara :* it is a beautiful town. Grazie!
Reblogged this on The Sleeping Reading Beauty and commented:
Thank you Ishida for loving my Country so much. I need someone to remind me how beautiful Italy is 😊😊😊
Enjoy Ishita post and blog ♡♡♡
Dom
Aww Dom. Thanks a lot for the appreciation <3 that feels great! You should feel proud of it 🙂
Thanks for the reblog!
What a wonderful collection of photographs for a wonder grouping of towns to visit. I have followed your blog and will keep these in mind for my next visit.
Thanks so much 🙂 I hope you enjoy visiting these towns as much as I did!
Wasn’t it tough to whittle it down to ONLY ten? : )
Too tough cara and that’s why there is another list next month 😉
Great list!
Thanks so much 🙂
Yes Ishita. I am happiest in the small towns of Italy. I have been to a few on your list. Your photos are beautiful and very enticing
Thank you Lyn.. true… I want to go to several of those Tuscan gems near Lucca next.
If I am there at the same time we can enjoy a prosecco together 😊
That would be lovely!! I keep wondering when Italy will call me next 🙂
Yes me too
Thanks for this. So far, I’ve only been to, although we liked Lido almost as much, with it’s beach so close to Venice proper.
I went to lido too but only to the residential side not the beach. Its pretty! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I echo the others – how did you pick just 10! Wow – great discipline! I love that you’ve picked so many off the main tourism tracks. I’d like to add towns that some people may avoid because of the recent earthquake activity but hopefully will not permanently avoid like Norcia, Camerino, Tolentino, Cingoli, Sarnano, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno. The Le Marche region has been my biggest surprise and delight.
A great resource for visiting small towns that I’ve used when in a new region of Italy is http://www.borghipiubelliditalia.it/en/
Thanks for the lovely post, Ishita!
Haha! It was quite tough which I why I chose to make another list for next month 😉 thank you! I really want to visit le marche someday soon. Have heard of many gems in that area including the ones you mention. Thank you! Yes this is a great site indeed for off the beaten track
It’s so great that you chose these off-the-beaten-path destinations: in Italy we just have TO MUCH STUFF and lots of beautiful towns are sadly overlooked.
If you’re into medieval towns, I would suggest the walled cities of Cittadella and Montagnana (near Padua) or San Leo and Urbino (natal town of Raphael and seat of the Montefeltro family, in Le Marche). In the neighborhood there’s also Gradara, which is famous among Dante’s readers for Paolo and Francesca’s love story (they were put in the Inferno, if you’re familiar with La Divina Commedia).
Too many little jems to see in a lifetime, TOO MANY!!
Thank you Sara. I have so many of the towns you mentioned in my list of places to go too. Great country n So lucky for you to call Italy your country 🙂 I’m familiar with The Divine Comedy and will surely visit Le Marche someday soon. Xo
A great list Ishita, and a few there I haven’t visited so must put them on the list.Lots of lovely towns around Umbria, but Perugia is rather a large town or is it a city? We stayed in Spello last time, a gorgeous little place to add to the list.
Absolutely Francesca. I was a bit confused about Perugia being a town or a city but went ahead and added.. it’s very special to me since it was my first town abroad that I traveled solo. Spello for next time!
Perugia also has some great Italian courses for ‘stranieri’.A great city to study in.
Ah, lovely! I have been to a number of these, but got some more ideas now!
I am glad I could give some 😉 any more from your side? I have another list coming up next month.
Have you ever been to a strange little hamlet on the Piano Grande, Casteluccio?
Sadly no 🙁
Well, there’s very little to it, but it’s the isolation of the place… Here’s a post I did yonks ago… https://suejudd.com/2013/12/12/italy-less-trodden-part-3-casteluccio/
Oh thank you for sharing 🙂
😀
You had me at “Polignano al Mare”! What a beautiful town in the Puglian region. *sigh* I wish I was back there right now! 🙂
Haha I know what you mean. It is so so lovely.
Great post! Thanks! We have only been to two of them: Perugia and Locorotondo and loved both of them.
Thanks George 🙂 I know you love Puglia!
Awesome list Ishita!!! Gotta agree with all of these but Perugia was a real surprise!
Thanks a lot 🙂 haha. It is special to me because it is my first town as a solo traveler.
Ah you went to La Scarizola – we did not realise that we had to phone in advance, and then it was too late to go back……next time.
Is the ‘Piazza Grande’ photograph take at Gubbio? If so, I want to go.
You have me planning my next trip. I am very very busy at the moment, hence not a lot of activity on here.
Lindy
Yes that was in Gubbio its a great town 🙂 You must visit Scarzuola next time. I understand, I dream of Italy daily. I wish it was easier and less costly to fly 😉
These are beautiful pictures. That colorful city is awesome.
Thanks so much 🙂 Burano is a great little side trip from Venice
Wow babe. You know Italy in and out. Perugia attracts me the most or maybe since I heard so much from you 😍😍 Very well written
<3 thanks babe. I try but not just yet 😉 Thank u!
Fascinating list! It’s given me some new inspiration 🙂
I cancelled Portovenere last trip cos I stupidly had a heavy suitcase that got the better of me and the thought of getting from La Spezia that little bit further was daunting. So lovely to see your picture. I will be back. 🙂
Oh no 🙁 It is so beautiful maybe it is meant to be at the right time (give it at least 2 nights) 🙂 Thank you!
I wish I could’ve gone to these places! I did Cinque Terre though and that should be on the list, the villiages were amazing
https://alesiasaffordableadventures.wordpress.com
That is a great place indeed, so stunning. I wish I spent more time there. Thanks for the link 🙂
My Perugia <3
I am taking you have stayed in the place ??
I live there!
Molto bene
Great post! Amazing towns and beautiful pics, and Gubbio is on the list, it is less than 20km away from Costacciaro where my family (at least on my father’s side) hails from! Very cool!!
Thanks Tony. Gubbio is such an interesting town really .. Only a few months before you are finally there!
I cannot wait!
Great list and totally agree with the suggestions (love Monteriggioni😍)! 👍🏻 As far as Tuscany I would also add Certaldo (Fi): great little hilltop town, still very quiet, with stunning views of the countryside (including San Gimignano), excellent local restaurants, an amazing summer street art festival (Mercantia – absolutely a must do) and lots of interesting smaller events throughout the year! If you’ve not been, put it on the list for next time! 😉
Thanks so much 🙂 I haven’t yet. I think Tuscany gets its fair share of attention so il probably keep it to the last. Haha. But noted!
Thanks for sharing this list! I’ll definitely use it the next time I travel to Italy. I also found Pienza very charming and lovely, have you been?
Ciao Tanmaya. Unfortunately not yet 😉 I really want to see more of the Northern part of Tuscany such as the area of Lunigiana
Beautiful corners of Italy 🙂
Absolutely
This post is brilliant! There is so much more to Italy than just the main destinations!
Thanks a lot Eva. Grazie.. any towns from your side to add to the list?
Look into Volterra, Venosa and Bardonecchia and let me know what you think 😉
Volterra is already on the list. I will 😉 grazie!
Reblogged this on Make Italy Yours.
Thanks much
Grazie a te 🙂
definititly it are hidden gems! Thanks for sharing
Welcome 🙂 glad you enjoyed
We must have missed the delights of Muggia. We called in there on our way to Croatia and couldn’t wait to get out.
I would add Orvieto and Spello.
I haven’t been to Spello yet. In another list I’ve added Orvieto too i think
Little towns are always full of amazing little wonders! I’ll definitely be go to these the next time I’m in Italy *proceeds to like and bookmark this link for future reference* 🙂
Yay!! That is the best part.. Recently a fellow blogger who has been following me since years went to Muggia. It is one of these lists I made.
Ah I see! Please update me with any new ones you find 🙂
The list is in these posts I am currently writing 😉 But I will. Keep following!! xx