This town is known from 869, which make it young comparing to many ancient towns of Southern Europe, but this is a very respectable age at this latitude. Actually, it's one of the oldest towns in whole Scandinavia. Its cobblestoned streets and half-timbered houses remember the old times when Ribe was very important trading center. The town remains small, any of its corners is walkable from the main square, Torvet, in 10-15 minutes.
Ebeltoft is one of the tourist centres of Denmark, due to the natural beauty of the area, its old town center with cobble-stoned streets and centuries-old half-timbered houses, and - not least - many beaches. Also, Ebeltoft is home to one of the world's first glass museums and to the Fregatten Jylland, the longest wooden warship in the world. The town is popular with artisans, such as: glass workers, potters, painters, and jewelry designers Ebeltoft is also the home of the European Film College, which offers short and long courses in film making, especially for young people.
The town is situated along the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the "capital of Alsatian wine" (capitale des vins d'Alsace). The city is renowned for its well preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks and its museums, among which is the Unterlinden Museum. It is a perfect starting base for exploration of surrounding villages and wineries.
Bayonne's location close to the border, but also within the Basque Country straddling both France and Spain, gave it an often privileged position in commerce. The river Nive divides Bayonne into Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne, with five bridges between the two, both quarters still backed by Vauban's walls. The houses lining the Nive are examples of Basque architecture, with half-timbering and shutters in the national colours of red and green.
Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court. The town of Amboise is also only about 11 miles (18 km) away from the historic Château de Chenonceau, situated on the Cher River near the small village of Chenonceaux. The city is famous for the Clos Lucé manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived (and ultimately died) at the invitation of King Francis I of France, whose Château d'Amboise, which dominates the town, is located just 500 metres away. The narrow streets contain some good examples of timbered housing.
One of the best-kept secrets in Germany despite being a UNESCO-listed heritage site, Quedlinburg is seriously amazing. Its old town is almost completely half-timbered, and many buildings in the old castle district are very, very old: the Romanesque Church of St Servatius dates to 1129, has a 10th century crypt and has collection of early Bibles. The castle and the cathedral still dominate town's skyline in the same way they did for centuries. Quedlinburg is located in less populated area and a bit far from major tourist cities, so it's a great destination off the beaten track.
The area of Bad Wimpfen was settled since the Bronze age. Celts are believed to name the place as well as the river Neckar, on which the town stands. Bad Wimpfen consists of two parts - the older one situates on the coast of the river, and another (also containing the town centre) sits on the hill. As a town Bad Wimpfen is known since 13th century, and turbulent winds of history has blown through it. One of the bloodiest battles of Thirty Year's War took place near town in 1622, thus known as "Battle of Wimpfen". Nowadays, town enjoys peaceful times, being an attractive spa resort and offering its visitors an eye candy of numerous preserved (and beautifully renovated) historical buildings.