A large part of the visual variety of towns and villages appearance in Europe is due to the colours of the local stones, or the absence of good building stones that's the reason why Toulouse is built of bricks, for instance:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/To...

or why some places have wooden churches:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Lac-du-d...

And other black volcanic stone ones:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Ca...

Or gleaming white castles:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Chambord...

Burgundy is known for its yellow stone, clearly visible here in Beaune:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Ho...

Or here near Solutré:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Solutr%C...