San Gimignano, with its skyline of medieval towers, has become a tour-bus stop: clogged alleyways, identical shops and queues for every view. If you are after the same emotion, perched stone villages, towers, walls and medieval silence, these alternatives offer the Tuscany and Europe of walled towns without the crush.
San Gimignano in high season: → the alternatives below are far quieter.
Among the hills of Magliano in Toscana, Pereta is a fortified medieval village where a few dozen inhabitants live in the hilly Maremma.
Almost deserted Jun 21, 2026
In the Valtiberina near Arezzo, Anghiari rises through medieval lanes and artisan workshops: a Tuscan village to discover on foot, at your own pace.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
On the Mani peninsula in Greece, Vathia gathers its stone towers on a wind-battered hill, among almost deserted olive groves and sea.
Almost deserted Jun 21, 2026
Among the mountains of Teruel, Albarracín enchants with its pink-ochre lanes and medieval walls: one of the most beautiful and silent villages in Spain.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
Fewer than a thousand people live inside Glorenza's medieval walls in Val Venosta. Alpine arcades, watchtowers and centuries that barely moved.
Very quiet Jun 23, 2026