![]() While millions of tourists have come here to follow in the footsteps of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Notting Hill has managed to hold onto its charming character despite its fame. ![]() From Notting Hill and Little Venice to Highgate and Primrose Hill, here are our favourite pocket villages in London.Īchieving worldwide fame in 1999 thanks to the movie Notting Hill, this colourful area of west London is known for its pastel houses, high-end boutiques, elegant eateries and weekly antiques market. With pastel-coloured townhouses, rustic pubs, dreamy bookshops and verdant, flower-filled parks, these picturesque enclaves have all the charm of a British village just a couple of roads from some of the city’s busiest districts. Hidden amongst London’s most bustling neighbourhoods are quaint village-like pockets which bring the tranquillity of the countryside to the capital. For the best view of this cliché of Ticino charm, climb the 400 steps to the Chiesa di Madonna del Sasso, which dates from the 13th century.Around these beautiful villages in London, city life never looked more charming Built in the Lombard style familiar to those who have toured Milan, Morcote's arcaded houses, often clay-colored, open directly on the water, with everything set against a backdrop of vineyards and cypresses. Morcote: At the southernmost tip of the Ceresio peninsula, 11km (7 miles) south of Lugano, stands Switzerland's most idyllic village. The life of the town is centered on the main street, some sections of which are still paved with granite stones. Hikers, cross-country skiers, and mountain bikers are attracted to this little village. From the top of Gemstock, reached by cable car, you can see 600 alpine peaks. Gotthard highway and the road to Oberalp and Furka. The moody, melancholy look of the town has inspired such luminaries as Rilke, Goethe, and Rousseau.Īndermatt: At the crossroads of the Alps, in the Urseren Valley, this picture-postcard town lies at the junction of two alpine roads - the St. The town is dominated by the castles of Valère and Tourbillon, and, in its greater days, Sion's bishops were big players on the medieval stage. Sion: Although it's the small capital of the Valais, this old Roman town with a French-speaking population is often neglected by those rushing to sample the pleasures of Zermatt and Verbier. The village is best known for hosting the Ski World Cup, with the longest and one of the most dangerous downhill races in the world staged every January. The sunsets - over crags and waterfalls - are the most memorable we've ever seen in Switzerland. No cars are allowed in this idyllic village, and from its streets (cleared of snow even in winter) and hotel windows, magnificent panoramic views greet you at every turn. ![]() Wengen: On a sheltered terrace high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, this ski resort is one of the gems of the Bernese Oberland. As you wander its centuries-old streets, sampling pear bread and honey cakes while in pursuit of local embroidery, you'll know why Appenzell is called the most authentic of Swiss villages. ![]() People in other parts of Switzerland tend to call the locals "hillbillies," and for many Americans attracted to the quirky and the quaint, it evokes the Ozarks. Appenzell: Nowhere is folkloric Switzerland as well preserved as at the base of the green foothills of the Alpstein, where this old-fashioned country town still has cowmen in yellow breeches and scarlet waistcoats walking its streets.
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