The 19 most beautiful medieval castle towns in Europe.

Bouillon, Belgium Bouillon hides in the Belgian

Europe has approximately one castle for every twelve towns (don't fact-check us on that), so building a list of the most beautiful castle towns requires conviction and strong opinions held loosely. These are not castles sitting alone in fields waiting for tourists to photograph them through a chain-link fence. These are towns that grew up in the shadow of real fortifications, organized their streets inside their walls, named their pubs accordingly, and built entire identities on the understanding that the castle was always the main point.

Bouillon, Belgium Bouillon hides in the Belgian Ardennes, where a massive medieval fortress has watched over the Semois River for more than 1,000 years. Inside, you'll wind through three rocky peaks and is one of the oldest feudal structures in Belgium. There's even a well shaft that drops 65 metres deep into the main courtyard. The surrounding valley has steeply narrowing western trails and riverside walks. The village is less than two hours away from the French border and easy to escape from.

Here, you'll mix castle exploration with wandering through one of France's best-preserved medieval towns

Here, you'll mix castle exploration with wandering through one of France's best-preserved medieval towns. The tiny shops and architecture really do make you feel like you've slipped back to the time of knights and cloth merchants. 16. Bellinzona, Switzerland Three medieval castles watch over this Swiss town in the Ticino region. The fortresses sit on hillsides, their stone walls and towers giving the skyline a storybook look. Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro date from the 15th century. In 2000, UNESCO gave them World Heritage status.

If the castle looks familiar, well, it played Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Guided tours show you exactly where those scenes happened. The castle also popped up in Downton Abbey and other big productions. The town wraps around the castle with a market square and historic streets that are worth a stroll. Nearly 200,000 visitors come here each year for that blend of living history and a bit of movie magic.