Bibury, a village in the Cotswolds, has been named the most beautiful village in the world for 2025 by Forbes. The list, titled Forbes' World's 50 Most Beautiful Villages 2025, places Bibury ahead of Hallstatt in Austria and Reine in Norway.
Described by Victorian poet and designer William Morris as “the most beautiful place in England,” Bibury is renowned for its honey-coloured Cotswold stone cottages lining the banks of the River Coln. The village’s Arlington Row, with its mossy roofs dating back to 14th-century weavers, is a particular highlight.
Author Lewis Nunn said the village “unfurls like a watercolour dream” and noted that “the River Coln murmurs gently here—weaving through golden buttercups and forget-me-nots, while plump ducks paddle lazily beneath canopies of willow.”
Visitors can explore historic St Mary’s Church, which dates from the 9th century with Norman additions and appears on British Christmas stamps. The Bibury Trout Farm, Britain’s oldest, offers fish feeding and fresh produce. Traditional tearooms serve high tea, while The Swan, a centuries-old inn, provides accommodation and dining by the river.
Bibury has also been recognised as one of Britain’s most romantic spots by Country Living, which noted that “romance abounds within this honey-hued area of the UK.”
