Riomaggiore and Manarola, hilltop villages on Italy’s Ligurian
coast, opted for a similarly multicoloured approach, although
we can’t be sure of their motivation. “It might simply be an
expression of personality,” says Wright. “In these Mediterranean
towns, people are creatively adventurous and they have strong
and bright personalities. So they are supported and uplifted by
these colours, both physiologically and psychologically.”
But colourful towns are by no means limited to warm climates.
Longyearbyen, the largest settlement of Svalbard, has rows of
identikit wooden houses in bright colours. “Some years ago a
decision was made that the houses should be colourful to help
us through the dark period,” says Kjersti Ellen Norås of Svalbard
Tourism. “The colours chosen are all found in Svalbard nature,
among the flowers, the moss, the sun and the sky.”
“
It’s important that people who live in cold, dark climates get
some brightness in their lives,” adds Angela Wright. “Human
beings need colour like we need air.”
Norwegian flies to Pisa, Venice, Santorini, Longyearbyen and
Malaga. Book a hotel and a rental car at norwegian.com
Juzcar, Spain
A town of only 221, Juzcar was one of the famous “white towns” of
Andalucia, until Sony Pictures painted the place blue in a publicity stunt for
The Smurfs
3
D movie in the spring of 2011. In a referendum that December,
141
of the town’s inhabitants voted in favour of keeping the colour – with only
33
against. Visitor numbers had rocketed from 300 people a year, and the
town now hosts Smurf moonlight fun runs, painting competitions and even
Smurf-themed weddings.
Also famous for:
Fungi, which flourish in nearby woodlands each autumn.
Juzcar is one hour and 40 minutes’ drive from Malaga, which is served by
Norwegian from 12 destinations
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