Despite a tendency to spend long hours in bed due to insomnia, the author discovered unexpected positive aspects in this routine, which sometimes leads to discovering incredible online publications. The author is often interested in posts about travel and food, but remains cautious about the spread of fake news using artificial intelligence.
Recently, the author was struck by an Instagram post from the account @onlyfornatures, which claimed that some places are so beautiful they seem straight out of a fairy tale. This post listed locations such as the picturesque village of Hoysstatt in Austria, Shirakawa-go in Japan, charming Bibury in England, the tranquil canals of Giethoorn, the dramatic Reine in Norway, and the medieval Albarracín in Spain. The author verified this information and decided to present readers with six such villages that truly feel like a fairytale sanctuary.
Known as the 'Venice of the North,' Giethoorn is a stunning location, perfect for filming. This unique village in the Netherlands has no vehicular traffic; residents move exclusively along winding waterways and quiet pedestrian paths surrounded by charming thatched-roof farmhouses connected by 170 arched wooden bridges.
To fully immerse oneself in the atmosphere of this place, one can take a canal tour or rent an electric motorboat. For hiking enthusiasts, the central path Binnenpad offers beautiful views of historic houses and gardens. Additionally, exhibitions at the Giethoorn 't Olde Maat Uus Museum provide insight into 19th-century rural life. Located in the province of Overijssel, Giethoorn is about an hour and a half's drive from Amsterdam, or it can be reached by train to Steenwijk station and then taking bus 70.
Reine, a fishing village in the Lofoten archipelago in Norway, attracts attention for its beauty, which goes beyond the famous Northern Lights. This village is known for its red fishing cabins (rorbuer) and has a small population of only 300 people, situated on Moskenesøya island, high above the Arctic Circle.
It is highly recommended to hike Reinebringen, which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding islands and fjords via over 1500 stone steps. In addition to staying in a rorbu, visitors should see the scenic shores of Horsaid Beach and Bunes Beach. The season itself is an attraction, offering endless daylight and midnight sun in summer, and Arctic conditions, cod fishing, and the Northern Lights in winter.
The village can be reached via the scenic E10 road. The nearest bus station is in Moskenes, 9 km from the village, and offers routes from Bodø. If you prefer flying, regional airports include Leknes (1 hour away) and Svolvær (2 hours away).
Bibury, a picturesque village in Gloucestershire, is famous for its charming rural landscape, often featured in gripping detective stories. To understand why this place seems like a fairy tale, visitors can start their tour at Arlington Row—a famous line of honey-yellow 14th-century stone cottages that were originally used as wool storage sheds before being converted into residences for local weavers.
Another attraction is Bibury Trout Farm, established in 1902 and recognized as the oldest operating trout farm in England. Visitors should also see Rack Isle, a scenic wetland area along the Coln River, which serves as an untouched natural refuge for local fauna.
Located in the Cotswolds region, the best way to reach Bibury is by car via the B4425 road. However, it should be noted that parking spaces in the center of the village are limited due to its secluded nature.
This magnificent Alpine town in Upper Austria is known for its pastel-colored 16th-century houses, as well as the world's oldest salt mine and beautiful lake views. Located in the Salzkammergut region, Hoysstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A must-see is the historical salt mine. It is also recommended to climb the Hoysstatt Skywalk, an observation deck near the Rudolfsturm defensive tower, which offers breathtaking panoramas of the lake and mountains. To experience the authentic atmosphere of the local community, visiting the Market Square is advised. The itinerary can also include the Chernel House—a small chapel known to house over 1200 hand-painted human skulls.
From Salzburg, Hoysstatt can be reached by car in an hour and a half, or by combining train and ferry in 2.5–3 hours. If traveling from Vienna, either 3.5 hours by car or a four-hour journey by train and ferry will be required. As in some other mentioned locations, the main center of the village is not accessible by car.
Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Gifu Prefecture, is famous for its traditional thatched-roof houses. The location of this place in Japan is a major advantage. Its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site is particularly valuable, where the traditional Gassho-zukuri farmhouses are beautifully framed by a dramatic mountain landscape. In winter, covered in snow, this view looks like a dream.
Before traveling, it is crucial to familiarize oneself with local Japanese etiquette. The village is rich in history and architecture, which can be admired, for example, in the spacious attics historically used for raising silkworms to sustain the isolated community. The main tourist center is Ogimachi Quarter, where about 60 farmhouses remain. Most local restaurants and souvenir shops close at 4:30 PM. Rules must be observed: no smoking, no littering, and do not enter private property.
Although the village can be reached by bus from Takayama in 50 minutes, the author strongly recommends staying overnight in a local minshuku—a traditional family guesthouse, private accommodation, or bed and breakfast.
This exceptional medieval town, located high on a hill in the Teruel province of Aragon, Spain, is rich in Moorish history and famous for its striking pink-red houses overlooking a winding mountain landscape. It is truly breathtaking.
Several outstanding spots deserve attention, notably the iconic Casa de la Juliáneta, an ancient, charmingly crooked house with upper floors almost touching across a narrow alleyway. If you appreciate 16th-century architecture, you should visit the Cathedral of Albarracín, as well as the fortified walls—Islamic fortifications from the 10th–11th centuries—that ascend the rugged mountain slopes to the historic Torre del Andador. A walk through the Old Town, with its labyrinth of steep, narrow cobbled streets, will naturally allow one to feel the heart of the local population.
Access to the town is easier from nearby cities such as Valencia or Madrid.
Several ingredients are required to prepare pumpkin pancakes with brown sugar sauce. For the base, you will need 125g of cooked and pureed pumpkin, 113g of self-rising flour, 25g of powdered sugar or light brown sugar, one large egg, 60g of milk, half a teaspoon of mixed spice, and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Vegetable oil is also needed for frying.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Mix all the listed ingredients until you obtain a homogeneous batter. Fry the batter with a spoon until golden brown, which will take approximately 2–3 minutes. After that, remove the pancakes from the oil and let them drain on a kitchen towel.
To make the brown sugar sauce, place all components in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a light boil and maintain it in this state for 4–5 minutes, then remove it from the heat. The finished sauce is then poured over the pancakes.
The following ingredients are required to prepare mango sago: half a cup of sago, which must be soaked for two hours beforehand, 700 grams of diced mango (plus extra for garnish), 400 ml of coconut milk, 60 ml of condensed milk, the amount of which should be adjusted to taste, and 150 grams of coconut jelly, if used.
First, bring a large amount of water to a boil over high heat. Then, add the sago pearls to the boiling water and immediately reduce the heat to medium. Cook over medium heat for eight to ten minutes until the sago is almost completely transparent. After that, cover with a lid and turn off the heat, letting the sago rest for another 10 minutes until it becomes fully transparent. Drain the cooked sago through a fine sieve and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
In a blender, mix the mango, coconut milk, and condensed milk, blending until a uniform consistency is achieved. Pour the resulting mixture into a bowl and stir in the prepared sago pearls and coconut jelly. Then, place the dish in the refrigerator overnight, serving it chilled and garnished with pieces of mango.
The global tourism market has undergone significant changes over the past decade due to numerous factors, including the coronavirus pandemic, geopolitical events, military conflicts, and sanctions. In response to these challenges, several countries have begun actively investing in developing their tourism sectors, modernizing infrastructure, improving transport accessibility, and creating more comfortable conditions for visitors.
Against the backdrop of these global shifts, Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, has intensified its focus on tourism development. These countries are increasing investments, improving infrastructure, and actively promoting their tourism potential on the international stage, which is already yielding tangible results.
Although the tourism market in Central Asia is currently smaller compared to global scales, in 2025, the region demonstrated some of the highest growth rates across several key metrics. According to a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the total contribution of tourism to the GDP of Central Asia increased by 17.7% in the year. This significantly exceeds the figures for Northeast Asia (8.7%) and Southeast Asia (7.6%).
Central Asia has also taken leading positions in tourism employment growth: the number of jobs in the sector increased by 9.5% in a year, surpassing Sub-Saharan Africa (4.8%) and North Africa (4.6%). Even more impressive was the increase in Visitor Exports, which reached 26.4% growth in Central Asia in 2025, compared to 10.6% growth in Northeast Asia and 8.3% in Oceania.
Furthermore, the region entered the top three global destinations with the highest investment dynamism in tourism, where the volume of investments grew by 12.4% in one year.
As of 2025, the total contribution of the tourism sector to the economy of Central Asia reached $20.1 billion, accounting for 4.3% of the region's overall economy. It is worth noting that this figure was $15.8 billion in 2019, or 4.5% of the economy. Thus, over six years, the absolute economic contribution of tourism grew by 27.1%, although its share of the overall economy slightly decreased.
Experts predict that in 2026, the contribution of tourism could rise to $21.7 billion, and its share to 4.7%, indicating the growing importance of the sector to the region's economy.
The tourism industry plays a significant role in providing employment. In 2025, it provided about 1.7 million jobs in Central Asia, equivalent to 5.8% of total employment. Employment dynamics show that in 2019 there were 1.6 million jobs (6.0% of employment), and by 2026, 1.7 million jobs (5.9%) are projected, and by 2036, 2.2 million jobs (6.3%).
In 2025, the structure of total tourism expenditures in Central Asia was distributed as follows: 64.3% ($9.9 billion) went to international tourists, and 35.7% ($5.5 billion) went to domestic tourists. The main focus of the market is Leisure, accounting for 84.5% of expenditures, while Business travel made up 15.5%.
This creates favorable conditions for the development of mountain, ecological, cultural and historical, resort, wellness, gastronomic, and adventure tourism.
According to WTTC data for 2025, the main sources of tourists to Central Asia are Kazakhstan (29%), Uzbekistan (22%), Russia (20%), and Kyrgyzstan (19%). These four countries collectively accounted for 90% of inbound flows, indicating a predominantly regional nature of the tourism market. Among residents of Central Asia, the most popular destinations for leisure in 2025 were Uzbekistan (25%) and Kazakhstan (23%), followed by Kyrgyzstan (18%), Russia (16%), and Turkey (6%).
Historically, Uzbekistan held strong positions due to its rich cultural heritage. However, the situation is changing: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are actively strengthening their positions. In 2025, tourism's contribution to Kazakhstan's GDP was $9.3 billion, the highest figure among Central Asian countries, with a growth of 16.2%. It is predicted that in 2026, the growth rate in Kazakhstan (nearly 13%) will be higher than in Uzbekistan (3.6%) and Kyrgyzstan (5.4%).
In the U.S. News & World Report ranking in the 'Tourism and Culture' category, Kazakhstan ranked 73rd in 2025, improving its position by 11 points over three years and overtaking Uzbekistan by 7 positions.
Uzbekistan traditionally maintains high significance for tourism in the national economy: in 2019, it accounted for 5.2% of the economy, and in 2025, 6%, with a projected growth to 6.1% in 2026. Although Kazakhstan surpassed Uzbekistan in absolute GDP contribution in 2025, Uzbekistan retains the lead in terms of tourism's share in the economy.
