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

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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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  (#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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  (#3) Prague

  • Bohemia, Austria-Hungary

  As an important economic center during the Middle Ages, Prague served as a seat of power for the Kings of Bohemia by the 14th century. After Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV turned Prague into his imperial capital, the city expanded in size and importance alike. 

  As capital of Czechoslovakia, Prague was bombed during WWII - the city was occupied by the Third Reich until 1945 - much of the medieval architecture escaped destruction. Unlike other European capitals, however, Prague remains a centerpiece of Romanesque and Gothic structures. 
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  (#4) Dubrovnik

  • Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia

  Jutting out into the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik served as a prominent maritime power during the Middle Ages - in large part thanks to the walls, towers, and turrets that surround its infrastructure.

  Dubrovnik was occupied during the Roman era, although it didn't flourish until the seventh and eighth centuries under the auspices of the Byzantines. By the 12th century, Dubrovnik was a thriving commercial center, a distinction the city maintained until the 19th century.

  Dubrovnik's famed walls were the site of filming for Game of Thrones, with the entire city representing King's Landing. Those walls were built as Dubrovnik's prestige rose, constructed atop existing wooden fortifications.
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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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  (#6) Colmar

  • Haut-Rhin, France

  Once home to Romans, Colmar was first referenced in one of the chronicles detailing Charlemagne's Saxon wars during the eighth and ninth centuries. Colmar, located in northeast France, became a imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II in 1226. As a prominent city in the Alsace district, Colmar became part of the Décapole league in 1345, a group of 10 cities that banded together to protect their imperial rights.

  While the political and social history of Colmar took shape, so, too, did the unique architecture that remains very much in place. The canals that runs though Colmar offers views of half-timbered houses, narrow walkways, and cobblestone streets that earned the city the nickname "Little Venice." 
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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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  (#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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  (#9) Lacock

  • North Wiltshire, England

  Lacock, England, located in Wiltshire, traces its origins to the 13th century. As one of the standouts in Lacock, the Lacock Abbey served as Hogwarts for two of the Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

  Lacock Abbey was established in 1232 and later dissolved under King Henry VIII. As a private residence from the mid-16th century forward, Lacock Abbey escaped complete demolition and maintains cloisters that date to the 15th century.
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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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  (#11) Tallinn

  • Europe

  Now the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn is also the largest urban center in the country. Tallinn became a city in 1248 (called Reval), but was occupied for millennia prior to official charter.

  While being passed from Danish to German to Swedish possession, Tallinn emerged as an important merchant city on the Baltic Sea from the 13th to the 16th centuries. As a key component within the Hanseatic League, Tallinn grew in wealth and prestige, with numerous castles and churches built along its streets.

  Many of the merchant houses built within the city walls remain standing, offering a glimpse into the medieval period while serving modern functions.
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  (#12) Bruges

  • West Flanders, Belgium

  Bruges, established by Vikings during the ninth century, saw settlement as early as the Paleolithic period. By the 12th century, Bruges and its fellow Flemish cities began to dominate the cloth market, facilitating Bruges' placement as a warehouse location within the Hanseatic League during the 14th century. 

  Bruges developed into a wealthy, cosmopolitan city where Gothic art and architecture - much of which remains in tact - soon dominated the landscape. Bruges was also one of the cities that fostered the Flemish Primitive school of painting during the 15th century. 

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