Europe’s fairytale village that’s one of the continent’s prettiest destinations

Some of Europe’s prettiest villages look as though they’ve fallen right out of a book of fairytales.

The gorgeous village of Saint-Ursanne in Switzerland sits on the banks of the Doubs River and has incredibly well-preserved medieval buildings.

In 2023, it was named one of the world’s best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

Saint-Ursanne is one of Switzerland’s prettiest villages and it’s not hard to see why the beautiful spot made the list.

So what is there to do in Saint-Ursanne?

Described as the ‘pearl’ of Switzerland’s Jura region, Saint-Ursanne is surrounded by lush forest.

The Pont St Jean bridge is one of the only ways to access the village and its top-rated attraction on Tripadvisor.

A tourist wrote on the review platform: “The Pont St-Jean is one of the highlights giving a beautiful view of the old walls of the town and the Le Doub river.”

The Cloitre of St-Ursanne is a beautiful historic church with pretty cloistered walks to explore and dates back to the 13th century.

St-Ursanne is packed with antique boutiques and art galleries so keep an eye out for a souvenir.

The village’s medieval garden displays plants formerly used for medicinal purposes as well as vegetables.

While the pretty village has plenty of sights to explore, it’s also a great base for some of Switzerland’s outdoor activities.

Tourists can try canoeing, fishing or paragliding in the surrounding nature or go for a cycle in the forest.

The closest airport to Saint-Ursanne is Basel which is around an hour’s drive or train ride from the village.