Seven Beautiful European Towns of USA

It is possible to travel to Europe without leaving USA!!!

Okay, first of all I am so glad that the world is slowly getting ready to deal with COVID. Like me, I am sure a lot of you are super hopeful about being able to get on the road once vaccinated and shake off the cabin fever. And I know, it is still going to be months before international travel starts becoming a feasible option, people here in USA can still travel to some international-esque locations right here, in the US! Oh, also, this list isn’t just for people in the US, but also for all you guys out there!! Make a note of these beautiful places that would sort of let you travel to two countries at once! 

Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth, Washington

Just a couple of hours away from Seattle is this small town that will transport you to dreamy Bavarian hillside! Leavenworth is a beautiful piece of Germany tucked in the woodlands of North Cascades, acting as a mesmerizing gate to the famed in the (what?)  Enchantments of Washington. But the town itself holds the kind of magic you see in Disney movies! From the minute you enter the town, the colourful houses with the classic alpine wooden designs, painted with folksy art, fenced by the snowy peaks of the Cascades, you momentarily forget you are still in US and are transported to streets of maybe Rothenburg or Bayreuth (choose your favourite Bavarian town!).

Believe it or not, this town wasn’t always like this. Before 1960s, Leavenworth was just a small lumbering village. But it was revamped into an old school German village soon after Solvang in California (also a transformed town) gained a lot of popularity. Sure, the town adopted the touristy tradition of Oktoberfest and does shy away from the beer and pretzel label, but it offers so much more than this mawkish German touch.

Roaming amongst the painted walls, wooden balconies and tiered roofs makes you feel like Belle roaming around in a real-life German-French version of Villeneuve. A cup of hot cocoa and an apple strudel from The Gingerbread Factory gets you all nostalgic and a trip to the Nutcracker Museum makes you wonder about beauty in simplest things! If trying to understand the mechanics of almost 6000 nutcrackers leaves you puzzled and lost, Kris Kingl’s Christmas Market would take you right back to your childhood Christmas wonderland! And if you get tired by the hustle and bustle of the town, remember this is a gateway to the wondrous Enchantments – so you can head out on Alpine hikes like Colchuck Lake or Icicle Gorge.

Also, to add to charm of the place, Leavenworth is an year-round destination! In spring the town treats you with its version of Maifest with dances and parades and most trails around the town are bursting with colours thanks to wildflowers. The summer months are perfect for hiking and relaxing with locally produced ale while floating in the Wenatchee River. Autumn, though rainy, is perfect for all the leaf peepers and beer lovers and I have an entire article dedicated to Winter and Christmas Lighting Festival in Leavenworth! So, pick your time to visit Leavenworth, and travel to Europe without crossing the Atlantic! 

Vail, Colorado

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First of all, there are a ton of places in Colorado that would transport you to European Alpine villages, because a lot of them were modelled that way thanks to the ski resorts and ski towns that wanted to give that dreamy feels to all those who wished to hit the high slopes of Colorado Rockies. But if I had to pick one place, that comes the closest to transporting you to Swiss Alps or maybe Austrian highlands, it has to be Vail! Officially, Vail doesn’t mention being modelled around any particular European area, but after hearing from atleast a dozen people, and after visiting the place myself – I can safely say, this village looks like a mini version of Zermatt, Switzerland! 

Vail, comprising of the Vail Village and Lionshead is a small village which actually developed around the Vail Resort sometime around 1950s! The area always had small villages due to mining around Vail pass but the lively version we see today is all due to the effort of American Skier Pete Seibert who not only founded the Vail Ski resort but also made it the home of the first Gondola Lift of USA. This, along with the lure of surrounding White River National Forest, turned the place into a big tourist hub, and the development of the place began. In no time, it embraced the charms of Swiss Alpine Villages and gave it a Colorado touch, and today it is one of the most visited ski towns of the US!

With the wooden buildings and tiered balconies, painted shutters, flower planters in spring and summer and twinkling lights winters, you would always find a charming corner in this village to stand and stare! With world class ski trails, snowy wilderness to explore with snowmobiles and beautiful winter lightings, Vail often finds itself in the ‘places in US to be in during Christmas’ lists. But the village has its own plethora of fun lined up for you in summer – like river rafting, hiking the hills and meadows and enjoying flowers in world’s highest botanical garden, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. And in the heart of the village - a giant clock tower, central sculpture park and ice rink, that turns into a leisure park in summers, bustling bars and cafes along the creek, secluded parks and walks – it literally pampers you with options, be it any season. To be frank, Vail should definitely be in your Colorado wish list and if you are like me, you will fall in love with it!

Midway, Utah

- recommended by McKenna Hurd of One More Step Travels

Midway, Utah

From one Swiss town to another! Midway, Utah, locally known as “Utah’s Swiss Alps”, is a small town tucked away behind the Wasatch Front where most of Utah’s population lives. It’s about 45 minutes from Salt Lake City and 20 minutes from Park City—but it feels worlds apart.

Swiss settlers migrated to Midway in the 1860s-70s. They found it to be like their home in Switzerland: majestic mountain views on one side and a sprawling green valley on the other. Since then, the town has continued to be influenced by Swiss lifestyle and celebrates its heritage each Labor Day weekend with a Swiss Days festival.

Swiss Days is a hugely popular festival filled with Swiss costumes, music, dance, and food. Visitors can shop for local crafts, watch live entertainment, and enjoy the parade. The trip wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Heber Valley Milk & Artisan Cheese for a tasty local treat!

Beyond Swiss Days, there are many things to do in Midway, Utah during the winter, such as visiting the Midway Ice Castles, soaking in Homestead Crater, snowtubing at Soldier Hollow, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Wasatch Mountain State Park. The nearby Sundance Mountain Resort is a great location for downhill skiing and world-class dining. Staying in the Swiss-inspired Zermatt Resort is the perfect place to cozy up on a winter visit.

For summer visits, taking a trek into the mountains is the best way to enjoy the area, even just for an easy jaunt around Cascade Springs or Bridal Veil Falls. Don’t miss the scenic train ride that starts in Midway and winds through Provo Canyon. Beyond that, Midway is a great base for river rafting, boating, ziplining, and golfing. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors and a much cheaper alternative to traveling to Switzerland!

Helen, Georgia

Helen, Georgia

People in east coast, or planning to travel to east coast, don’t worry! You too have the chance to travel to Europe, well, sort of. About 2 hours north of Atlanta, is an Alpine town, that serves as the gateway to the Chattahoochee National Forest as well as Nantahala National Forest and is just an hour away from Smoky Mountains National park. This town is called Helen and is a beautiful Bavarian surprise Georgia has for you! 

Helen was yet another transformation project undertaken in the 1960s that aimed at breathing new life into a declining logging village. And boy, was it a success. The beauty of the Appalachians and the Unicoi wine trail already attracted a lot of people to the area. And with a beautiful bustling town that brought international festivals to the east and served as a quaint fun respite from the Hot-Atlanta sun, the area soon became the place to be in Georgia! And if you think the Bavarian makeover might have been just gimmicky, trust me it isn’t and to prove that it also has an official sister town in Bavaria – Füssen! Over time, the popularity of the place has faded a bit, but having been there I can tell you without a doubt, the place is still totally worth visiting.

To be frank, the woodlands alone are a reason to visit Helen but even if you are not a hiker and are looking for something charming, low key and relaxed – you should totally consider Helen. Enjoy a perfect meal at Heidelberg or Hofer's Bakery and Café, grab a sweet treat at Kopper's Kettle Fudge Shop or Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen and head to float in the Chattahoochee river. Once back make sure to treat yourself with coffee from Yonah Coffee Company before heading out to check The Alpine Church and Helen Central Plaza. Head out to Unicoi beach for a beautiful sunset and then retire for the day with a fun dinner at the Troll Tavern next to the river. And if visiting during fall (October and November), which is actually the best time to visit Helen, fall colors are an added bonus!

German Village, Ohio

- recommended by Rachel and Dana Reed of Traveling Found Love

German Village, Ohio

You can quickly guess which European country this cute little area resembles! German Village has a long history of German culture and influence. If you are looking for an authentic German feel and not a town that was revamped to fit ‘the feel’, German Village is the perfect place to visit.

German Village is a historic neighborhood located in Columbus, Ohio, just a few miles from downtown. As you walk through the streets and take in the atmosphere, you will immediately feel like you have entered Europe.

The area became heavily populated with German immigrants in the mid-1800’s. For early arrivers, this neighborhood was a little piece of Germany. Local businesses, schools, and churches quickly bloomed but the town still was waiting for its ‘time to shine moment’. With the birth of the German Village Society in 1960, the area began to become revitalized back to its original German roots. Today, it is a beautifully restored neighborhood filled with brick homes, brick-paved streets, eloquent gardens, unique shops, and delicious eateries. 

German Village is a year-round destination. The warm months bring gorgeous flowers, plants, and sunshine in the parks, while the colder months offer a more festive atmosphere with snow filled streets and holiday favorites, like the traditional ‘Village Lights.’

Here is our must-do list for German Village:

• Wander the neighborhood along the brick-paved streets. 
• Take a stroll through Schiller Park and stop by the Umbrella Girl fountain.
• Indulge in yourself with fantastic German cuisine at Schmidt’s.
• Get lost in the books at The Book Loft.
• Enjoy the peaceful and beautiful Frank Fetch Park.
• Grab a good ol’ German beer in the Brewery District. 
• Have a fine, fresh American breakfast or brunch at First Watch.

Alys Beach, Florida

- recommended by Tracy Hollinshead of Sunshine and Vine

Alys Beach, Florida

Oh, and no, USA has places that take you to Europe beyond the Alps and Alys Beach (pronounced Alice) is just one of those places! Alys Beach is located along the picturesque Highway 30A. This 24-mile stretch of road in the Florida panhandle is dotted with unique little beach communities. But Alys Beach is the most unique and would transport you Greece the minute you get there!

Steepled pillars and manicured palm trees welcome you into town. Narrow cobblestone streets guide you past cottages, restaurants, retail stores, artwork, a nature trail, and a sweet little park area.

Defining characteristics of Alys Beach homes include masonry roofs and walls, protecting against natural disasters. Stepped-style roofs allow for rainwater collection promoting the community’s commitment to sustainability. Other defining features include cozy courtyards, pools, and popped-out shutters.

Alys Beach is a fairly new community dating back to the 1970s when a plot of land was purchased by a family vacationing in the area. From there it became a strategically planned community with a blend of Bermudian architecture and Mediterranean design. Walking among the whitewashed homes and storefronts with the emerald coastal waters in the background, you will feel as if transported to the Greek Island of Santorini.

Don’t miss Caliza Restaurant. Here guests can enjoy happy hour or a locally-sourced dinner inside poolside cabanas.  

After being awed by Alys Beach architecture, culinary offerings, and retail shops, you can rent a bike and take a ride along miles of paved seaside pathways to explore surrounding beach towns.

You won’t find hotels or access to the shoreline in Alys Beach. But hotels and pristine white-sand beaches are nearby and plentiful. And the more well-known metro areas are not far away. Destin-Fort Walton Beach is about 40 miles to the northwest. And Panama City is about 25 miles to the southeast.

The month of April is a fantastic time to visit Alys Beach when spring break crowds have thinned down, and the weather has become consistently warm. Fall is a good time to visit as well as Labor Day most of the summer crowd has dispersed, the temperatures are beginning to cool down, and the Gulf waters are still warm for swimming. But there is truly no bad time to visit Alys Beach.

Solvang, California 

- recommended by Jyoti from Story at Every Corner 

Source - SUZUKI Hironobu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Known as the Danish capital of America, this charming town which means "sunny fields" in Danish, was the first officially planned and revamped European town of the US. Located just two hours north of Los Angeles and four hours south of San Francisco, Solvang is the perfect getaway to quench your European travel thirst! Solvang is nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara (which also feels like a version of Spain by the way) and easily accessible. 

The quaint little downtown Solvang will transport you to Denmark with its building styles, Danish bakeries, cafes and chocolatiers. And unlike a lot of places in this list, this town was actually founded by a group of Danes in 1911. But the revamping of the town happened sometime in 1940s when the local community decided to give the area a more authentic feel that would complement the then recently constructed Bethania Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was the first ‘Danish’ structure constructed in the town. The town with its new windmills and Scandinavian buildings along with a replica of Denmark’s famous Little mermaid soon attracted a lot of curious tourists and has never looked back!

With a walkable downtown, you can easily spend the day exploring Solvang on foot. Be sure to visit the town’s iconic windmill for those photo shoots that everyone raves about. While in Solvang check out the enormous Hans Christian Andersen Park and tour Mission Santa Ines. If you have a little more time, check out the gorgeous vineyards and tasting rooms or Gaviota State Beach. It is also a gateway to one of USA’s least visited National Parks – the Channel Island National Parks. All in all, Solvang is a lovely Danish town to spend a few days in California if you’re visiting the Golden state. It’s also a wonderful place to go as a local and escape to Europe, even if it’s just for a day. 

Vail Magic

And these are just a few of the many European towns and villages in the US! Holland in Michigan will transport you to Netherlands while St. Augustine, Florida still looks like an old school Spanish town; in Calistoga in Napa Valley, California you will feel like you are roaming in Tuscany, Roche Harbor in Washington will remind you of Greece, while Thornburg Village in Berkeley, California you will feel like you are in old Normandy, France. 

And then there are hidden gems like Roche Harbor in Washington

See!! There are plenty of international options, no matter where you are planning to travel domestically. But jokes apart, let’s give normalcy a chance this year. Let’s get vaccinated and travel!!!

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