Colorful seaside cottages, Heligoland, Germany

Overcast skies, treeless hills, and colorful seaside cottages give this island region a Nordic flavor even though it sits substantially south of Scandinavia. Here on the German archipelago of Heligoland, a community of about 1,300 people pack onto the main isle that, when you zoom out, appears sliced in half—while gently sloping hills define the side we're seeing, Heligoland's western edge features sheer cliffs plunging to the North Sea. Including the unpopulated eastern island of Düne, which serves as an airport, Heligoland is just 1.6 square miles in area, and a haven for those who love to hoof it: Save for a few emergency vehicles and bicycle-mounted police, Heligoland is a pedestrian-only zone completely free of wheeled vehicles.