Fri. Mar 21st, 2025
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Brtis love a holiday destination, especially when the flight time arent taking up half a day, we’ve picked out some of the best European holidays to ventures to that look like they belong in a fantasical movie

Switzerland
Skiing is a main attraction when visiting Switzerland in the winter (Image: Getty Images)

Neighbouring countries next to the UK have many hidden beauties that are waiting for Brits to travel to – most of which look so nice it’s as if it’s came out of a fairytale or belongs in a fantastical movie. For those who don’t need a hotspot location but something a bit quiter, here are the places for you.

Goreme in Turkey is one of the small unknown gems tucked away from the rest of the world. It’s famous for its cave buildings that twinkle at night, really bringing that magical and fantastical atmosphere to everyone who resides there. Many of the foundations of this town were built in as early as the 4th century compared to its magnificent cave churches which were built between the 10th and 12th century.

READ MORE: The UK train journey that’s ‘one of the most epic in the world’ and costs just £23

Night time, mountain and ancient buildings
Goreme is filled with lights on its buildings which shine at night (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Dubrovnik in Croatia is filled with large cliffs and limestone buildings and the coast is so magical that it doesn’t even need a special effect to look like it belongs in a fantasy world. It makes sense as to why the city was used as a location in the TV series Game of Thrones as the buildings were made in the 13th century. Despite the 1967 earthquake destroying most of its landscape, it remains a place that still holds some fantastical elements to explore.

One of the most historic medieval places in Germany is Rothenburg ob der Taber, a city with a population of around 11,300 people. Its streets are filled with coloured buildings and houses that can almost seem as if you’re in a children’s TV show. The city is in southern Germany and was established in AD 950, with Rothenburg Castle built 100 years later.

Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik was also used as a filming locating in the Game of Thrones series(Image: Getty Images)

Hamnoy in Norway is a winter gem that is not too far away from the UK. The village is surrounded by mountains covered in snow with wooden houses built on the cliffs with stilts. The village, near Norway’s Lofoten Islands, began as a fishing village over 1000 years ago. The area offers a range of different beauties with unforgettable things to do.

Winter activities are a must for tourists with things to join in on such as fishing, hiking, kayaking and being able to experience the Northern Lights. Locals offer private tours to have a full day of sight seeing or the area and nearby villages. The best chace of catching these lights is between late September and late March.

 the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, at Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland.
The northern lights can be seen in Norway(Image: PA)

Surrounded by mountains, Grindelwald in Switzerland has a real life ski resort that looks like it belongs in a Christmas movie. The resort was made towards the end of the 19th century and continues to be a small destination with local lodges, restaurants and pubs with fireplaces to snuggle up to.

The area offers snow activities for travellers such a winter hiking sledding, ice skating and ice climbing as well as snowshoeing, which is when you can walk alongside the mountains on special snowshoeing trails which are for both beginners and experienced hikers. In winter, the village is surrounded by snow as the area’s high altitude helps, meaning the snowy conditions. But in summer the slopes are transformed green for the bright grass where winter activities aren’t as popular.

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