The Best Picture-Postcard Small Towns

Dalkey (County Dublin): This charming south-coast suburb of Dublin enjoys both easy access to the city and freedom from its snarls and frenzy. It has a castle, an island, a mountaintop folly, and a few parks, all in ample miniature. With all the fine and simple restaurants and pubs and shops anyone needs for a brief visit or a long stay, Dalkey is a tempting town to settle into.

Carlingford (County Louth): What a pleasant surprise, up in lackluster Louth: A charming, tiny medieval village with castle ruins right on the bay, excellent eateries, and pedestrian-friendly lanes filled with colorful shops, cafes, and pubs.

Inistioge (County Kilkenny): Nestled in the Nore River Valley, cupped in the soft palm of rounded hills, this idyllic riverfront village with two spacious greens and a collection of pleasant cafes and pubs is among the most photographed Irish towns. It also attracts hosts of anglers, because fish invariably show good taste and love this place.

Kilkenny (County Kilkenny): Slightly larger than a small town but terribly picture-postcard nonetheless, Kilkenny may offer the best surviving Irish example of a medieval town. Its walls, the splendidly restored castle, and the renowned design center housed in the castle stables draw visitors from Ireland and abroad. Kilkenny, however, is no museum. Many regard it as perhaps the most attractive large town in Ireland.

Kinsale (County Cork): Kinsale's narrow streets all lead to the sea, dropping steeply from the hills that rim the beautiful harbor. This is undoubtedly one of Ireland's most picturesque towns, but the myriad visitors who crowd the streets every summer attest to the fact that the secret is out. The walk from Kinsale through Scilly to Charles Fort and Frower Point is breathtaking. Kinsale has the added benefit of being a foodie town, with no shortage of good restaurants.

Kenmare (County Kerry): If you're driving the Ring of Kerry, this is the most charming base camp you could wish for. Originally called Naidin (meaning "little nest" in Irish), Kenmare has a blessed location at the mouth of the River Roughty on Kenmare Bay, and is loaded to the gills with flower boxes, enchanting shops, and places to eat.

Adare (County Limerick): Like a perfect little medieval town plucked from a children's book, Adare is a bastion of thatched cottages, black-and-white timbered houses, lichen-covered churches, and romantic ruins, all strewn along the banks of the River Maigue. And it's got two of the best hotels and one of the best restaurants in Ireland, to boot.

Westport (County Mayo): It's never a surprise in Ireland when someone says Westport is his or her favorite town -- it's small and bursting. Someday it might explode into a city, but for now Westport remains a hyperactive town that somehow manages to be as friendly and welcoming as a village.

• Amsterdam
• Athens
• Barcelona
• Copenhagen
• Dublin
• Edinburgh
• Frankfurt
• Geneva
• Lisbon
• London
• Madrid
• Milan
• Munich
• Paris
• Prague
• Rome
• Shannon
• Venice
• Vienna
• Zurich