Britain is blessed with an abundance of picture postcard villages that attract visitors from all around the world.
Spending a few nights in a country hotel and exploring the unique British countryside is a perfect way to destress from work and everyday worries.
In recent years, more and more tourists are trying to sample and experience the slow village life as a respite from their busy lives.
One village in particular has proven to be a big hit with visitors, both domestic and foreign.
Bibury is a charming, traditional Cotswold village just a short drive from Cirencester.
In a list of the top nine most beautiful villages in the world compiled by visa2fly.com, it comes in fourth place and is the only British one included.
It has been described as “the most beautiful village in England” by poet and artist William Morris.
Perhaps its most famous landmark is Arlington Row, which is now owned by The National Trust.
Originally built in the 14th century as a monastic wool store, it was converted in the 17th century into a row of weavers’ cottages.
The cottages are now lived in by National Trust tenants, with no public access to the cottages or gardens, although one of them can be rented out as a holiday cottage.
Arlington Row is one of England’s most iconic and photographed sites and even appears n the inside cover of UK passports.
One of the village’s most striking architectural features is its church, St Mary’s.
The church is a a Grade 1 listed building with a Saxon gravestone set into the exterior, a superb Norman doorway and some fine medieval windows.
The village also boasts its own trout farm, one of the oldest in England and which covers almost 15 acres.
Here visitors can learn everything they ned to know about trout or event catch one for dinner.
The best time to visit Bibury is early in the morning (before 9am) and in the evenings, so as to avoid the inevitable crowds.
9. Ogimachi, Japan
8. Cua Van, Vietnam
7. Ait Ben-Haddou, Morocco
6. Cinque Terre, Italy
5. Hallstatt, Austria
4. Bibury, England
3. Giethoorn, Netherlands
2. Oia, Greece
1. Gordes, France.