We’re always on the hunt for beautiful, lesser known travel destinations so a month ago we teamed up with hotel.info to discover the best small towns in Europe and pit 52 of them in head-to-head voting battles. Each town was chosen for their picturesque qualities and we also scored each destination on hotel reviews, social signals and more, meaning that we could also crown a points winner using our Trump Card game. The competition really took off and after weeks of voting and plenty of lively discussion, we can finally reveal the winner of our competition in conjunction with hotel.info…
The winner of Europe’s Best Big-Time Small Destinations 2014 is Ribe, Denmark.
With over 22,000 votes cast, there was a very close battle between Obidos, Portugal and Ribe, Denmark, with the results going the way of the Danish town by 3,734 to 3,965.
We said: Denmark’s oldest town (dating back to the early 8th century), Ribe is a beautiful authentic slice of Danish life. Wander the old town, meandering through narrow cobblestone streets lined with crooked half-timbered houses, or explore the ancient Cathedral, before climbing the Commoner’s Tower to gaze over the rooftops.
- Ribe (52%, 3,965 Votes)
- Obidos (49%, 3,734 Votes)
Loading ...Our Trump Card scoring also resulted in Ronda, Spain coming out as the Points Winner, with a near perfect score in all six categories. Congratulations to the beautiful town of Ronda!
We said: One of Spain’s oldest towns also happens to be the most beautiful. Located in the province of Malaga, it’s popular with culture-seeking holiday-makers who are drawn to its romantic history – the city has attracted many famous writers and artists over the years including Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles and Alexandre Dumas. Although it’s arguably most famous for its dramatic views over the Serranía de Ronda mountains and for the deep El Tajo gorge where an 18th century bridge straddles the 100m chasm below.
Special congratulations also go to Portree, Scotland which was voted the best town from the UK entries.
We said: This little town on the Isle of Skye, in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides is a busy port and popular stop for tourists. Colourful painted cottages line the harbour, and ‘the king’s port’ is a great starting point for exploring this wonderful part of the world. With craft shops and art galleries, it’s also a cultural hub, and the Aros Centre is also home to a cinema and theatre.
Check out the full competition results here, and head over to hotel.info for their roundup too…
19 Comments
Sian
9 October, 2014 at 11:14 amPortree, Scotland is a well deserved winner of the best town in the UK. It looks so picturesque with the painted houses lining the harbour and sounds like a hidden treasure of Scotland, perfect for a great escape.
NZ Muse
28 February, 2014 at 12:23 amSeriously, I had no clue there were such colourful houses in Scotland. Awesome.
Becky Moore
3 March, 2014 at 6:03 pmPortree is so colourful, not surprised it won out of the UK entries!
Claire @ ZigZag On Earth
25 February, 2014 at 10:42 amThis picture of Portree, Scotland is simply wonderful. Colorful houses, water and trees… it looks so peaceful!
Interesting scoring system
Becky Moore
3 March, 2014 at 6:04 pmThanks Claire!
Cottage Escapes
13 January, 2015 at 10:01 amPeople often don’t realise how pretty Scotland can be! Love the picture of the coloured houses.
Freja Tange
22 February, 2014 at 10:56 amRibe rocks!!
Tiago
21 February, 2014 at 3:14 pmHow could Ribe won?? Óbidos is much more beautiful, with an awesome weather, a fabulous medieval castle wall!! 😀 You don’t know what you are missing 😉 VISIT ÓBIDOS!!
Tiana Kai
21 February, 2014 at 1:37 amOooh sign me up for Ribe!
Portree was so sweet and has such amazing restaurants! Anyway, I’m in love with anything on the Isle of Skye!
Becky Moore
3 March, 2014 at 6:04 pmThanks Tiana we have a special place in our hearts for the Isle of Skye too!
Bent Soegaard
20 February, 2014 at 11:06 pmLovely – as an old Ribe citizen me and my family are proud of this statement
because real life human beings lives and work ind this original city between our tourists and normal human life.
Looking forward for next many years among all people visiting my home town .
Yours Sincerely
Bent Soegaard
Lea
20 February, 2014 at 5:44 pmThats great:-) Ribe IS the best town ever, also to live in, not just visit;-) Im so proud of our little town i our little country;-)
Emma
20 February, 2014 at 3:28 pmLoved this competition! Would love to visit them all I love smaller destinations like this, especially in Europe 🙂
Scott
20 February, 2014 at 3:22 pmInteresting results, I must admit I haven’t heard much about Ribe but it looks nice. Ronda is a great place to visit and love how photogenic it is.
Catherine
20 February, 2014 at 10:59 amSome great photos here. The Isle of Sky looks so beautiful and colorful, almost magical!
Lauren Meshkin
20 February, 2014 at 7:57 amI absolutely loved Ronda when I toured Spain a few years ago. I’ll add the rest of these cities to my ever growing list 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Happy travels!
Mike
20 February, 2014 at 5:42 amSign me up for Portree, Scotland as I absolutely quaint, cozy little towns. Looks like some fairly mild weather, moist air, green…yep that will for me, Graham! 🙂
Karl
19 February, 2014 at 10:17 pmThat shot of Ronda, Spain is awesome! Def want to go there now,,,
Becky Moore
3 March, 2014 at 6:05 pmThanks Karl, Ronda is very special!