Piran was "developed by the Venetians, who conquered it in 1283". "It’s a beautiful mini Venice, with a stout belltower, frothy architecture, and fishing boats docked in the tiny harbor," wrote Julia Buckley, the author of the article.

She initially wrote that Paris, Rome and Barcelona are rightfully bucket list destinations, but "small towns are a dream, too, with all the beautiful architecture and much of the culture you’ll find in the big hitters, only with fewer crowds to share them with."

In addition to Piran, other prettiest small towns in Europe on the article’s list include Korčula in Croatia, Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Anghiari in Italy, Giethoorn in the Netherlands, Guimarães in Portugal, Roscoff in France, Nafplio in Greece, Kenmare in Ireland and Tarnów in Poland.