Random Beautiful Medieval Towns That Are Shockingly Well Preserved (12 items)

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  (#10) San Gimignano

  • Tuscany, Italy

  Also called the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano only serves as home to 13 of the 72 medieval structures that once proliferated its streets. San Gimignano, legendarily founded by the Romans in 63 BCE, grew as a destination for pilgrims traveling in and out of Rome during the Middle Ages. 

  Its proximity to Rome and autonomy as a city in 1199 brought wealth via nobles and merchants alike to San Gimignano. To demonstrate their status, wealthy families built towers, essentially entering into a competition for who could have the highest and most elaborate structure.

  Out of the more than 70 towers built, only 13 have withstood wars, seismic activity, new construction, and efforts to modernize the town.
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  (#8) Manarola

  • Province of La Spezia, Italy

  Composed of five towns, Cinque Terre sits along the coastline of the Italian Riviera. Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore each developed over centuries, with terraces built to accommodate grape, citrus, and olive cultivation alongside human residences.

  Access to Cinque Terre has always been limited, with footpaths serving as the easiest way in and out of the area since antiquity. As prominent fishing villages during the medieval period, the towns within Cinque Terre were visited by sea with increased frequency and, now, trains tunnel into the cliffs to offer additional ways in and out. 
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  (#5) Carcassonne

  • Languedoc-Roussillon, France

  Steeped in history that dates to the pre-Roman period, Carcassonne has served as a fortified settlement. The Cité de Carcassonne was held under the sovereignty of local viscounts until the Albigensian Crusade of the 13th century. Tasked with eliminating Cathars from the region, the crusaders efforts led to the Cité falling under royal possession in 1226.

  From the 14th to the 16th centuries, Carcassonne saw a wave of new building, especially under King Philip IV of France, and only lots its prominence during the 17th century. Almost demolished by the French government during the 19th century, the Cité de Carcassonne received a reprieve and was restored under the auspices of Viollet-le-Duc and Paul Boeswillwald.

  Currently, roughly 150 permanent residents live within the ancient city walls.
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  (#1) Rothenburg ob der Tauber

  • Bavaria, Germany

  Also known as Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or Red Fortress above the Tauber, Rothenburg overlooks the Tauber River. Inhabited during the prehistoric period, Rothenberg is best known for its medieval architecture.

  During the 11th and 12th centuries, Rothenburg gained military and political importance, ultimately becoming an imperial town during the late 1300s. Today, Rothenburg city hall building dates to roughly 1240 while half-timber and stone structures tracing back to the 14th century line its streets. 
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  (#7) York

  • North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

  York offers layers upon layers of history. Established by Romans, occupied by Anglo-Saxons, attacked by Vikings, and brought under Norman control by force, medieval York was a seat of political and religious power alike. Considered a second capital of sorts, York was increasingly fortified as conflicts with Scotland grew - resulting in the longest stretch of medieval city walls that still exist in England. 

  The York Minster, Gothic in style, sits atop the site of a wooden church built in 627. Cathedrals went up and down (on account of raids and unrest) through the 13th century when the modern building broke ground. Built over some 250 years, the York Minster features some of the most stunning medieval stained glass in existence.
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  (#2) Mont-Saint-Michel Served As A Pilgrimage Site And Is Not Accessible At High Tide 

  Located on a tidal island off the coast of Normandy, Mont-Saint-Michel was legendarily founded by Bishop Aubert of Avranches during the eighth century. Aubert claimed Archangel Michael urged him to build a church on the island, a structure that transitioned to a monastery by the end of the 19th century. The architecture of Mont-Saint-Michel reveals continued building through the 11th to the 16th centuries, blending Romanesque and Gothic styles.

  Mont-Saint-Michel's remoteness contributed to its holiness, while protecting it from threats from outsiders. Accessible via causeway, high tides present problems for visitors. When a so-called "supertide" developed in 2015, it completely cut off Mont-Saint-Michel from the rest of Europe. 

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