Unknown sights of the world. The most unusual places in the world. Kungur Ice Cave. Perm region
Unusual and fantastic, funny and intriguing sights that you have never seen before are constantly being born on our planet. What thoughts excite the imagination of talented artists and sculptors, architects and designers when they create their masterpieces. If you have a thirst for travel and learning new things in your blood, then it’s time to get acquainted with the best attractions created in recent decades.
1. Kelpies - giant heads of graceful horses (Falkirk, Scotland)
Fans of mysterious creatures will appreciate two colossal sculptures designed by Glasgow artist Andy Scott. He performed them in honor of the mythological werewolf horses, which are 10 times stronger than normal ones. These creatures are capable of turning into both people and black horses. If a careless rider saddles a forest spirit horse, he will throw him into Mountain Lake or a river.
The heads are as tall as a ten-story building and weigh 300 tons. They are made of stainless metal plates, reminiscent of the armor of knights. The heads serve as a gateway to Helix Park near the Forth Clyde Canal and appeared in 2013. Horses greet visitors to the eco-park, one with a joyful whinny, the other with submission and humility.
2. Space Cow (Stockholm, Sweden)
If you love animals, then the good-natured cow will make you smile and not pass by. The astronaut cow is one of the most unusual sculptures in Sweden. She appeared in 2004 before the elections and became a symbol of environmental protection of the country, like her friends, 100 more cows installed throughout the city. In an aerospace suit, she looks fun and funny. She floats in the air in a state of weightlessness. The flying cow resembles the carefree Skliss from the cartoon about Alice. Without exception, everyone is in a great mood.
3. Features of gravity for an elephant (Paris, France)
The elephant in the room causes amazement and admiration among visitors to Fontainebleau Castle in France. The largest animal on earth was made to balance on its trunk in the air by sculptor Daniel Firman. The airborne figure creates a powerful visual effect, demonstrating what an animal can do 18,000 km above the ground, defying the force of gravity. The sculpture was first installed in 2008 in France. Against the backdrop of the luxuriously decorated castle walls, the animal on its trunk looks unusual and funny.
4. Musical sculpture “Singing-Ringing Tree” (Burnley, UK)
A fabulous and extraordinary tree towers over the city of Burnley in the UK. Architects Anna Liu and Mike Tonkin created the sculpture in 2006. When the wind is strong, the fantastic and mysterious sounds that the tree makes transport visitors to the world of elves and gnomes. Numerous galvanized pipes are singing branches. Sometimes with a sharp wind the sounds are similar to the piercing whistle of the Nightingale the Robber, with a quiet and gentle blow to the whisper of Mother Nature. A tree always sings differently, in several octaves, depending on the strength and direction of the blowing air masses. Fascinating and sometimes chilling sounds are heard throughout the area. Professional musicians will hear organ music in these sounds, and lovers of legends will find themselves in Hellas and enjoy the singing of mythical sirens.
5. Harmless and friendly ghosts of the Scottish forest (Alloa, Scotland)
Sculptor Rob Mulholland turned a Scottish forest into a unique room of fear. Local residents have become accustomed to translucent human figures appearing and disappearing in the most unpredictable places. But for those who are here for the first time, it will seem creepy. Sculptures made of acrylic plexiglass, depending on the light, transmit the sun's rays differently, can become invisible or suddenly appear among trees and bushes. Sometimes ghosts may seem to silently float or move through the forest. Their diversity and play of shadows turn them into living beings. This place has become especially popular among those who like to tickle their nerves. Crowds of tourists come here to relax in nature and be a little afraid.
6. Egg. (Mumbai, India)
A smart home will not surprise anyone now, but in the shape of an egg it has become a truly masterpiece of Chinese scientists. The administrative building in the center of Mumbai, reminiscent of a mysterious planet, is made in the shape of an egg and is the main attraction of the city. The house is made according to an innovative project by a Chinese studio and is called “Cybertecture Egg”. There are solar panels and wind generators on the roof of the building, and on the balconies. internal gardens for blood pressure, pulse, weight and temperature.
7. Visual sculpture by Alexandra Reeves (Los Angeles, USA)
The visual glass sculpture of a young art student leaves a stunning impression on everyone who sees it in Los Angeles. 19 year old girl studying at Gnomon Visual Effects School. The pedestal became one of her most extraordinary projects among anatomical glass digital models. To make it, Alexandra also used glass, special resins and optically transparent plastics. The originality and uniqueness of the sculpture, the elegance and grace of the model, and its fantastic nature attract many connoisseurs to it.
8. Cactus House (Rotterdam, Holland)
Cozy and quaint house in Rotterdam has huge terraces and balconies with swimming pools. This is an ideal and comfortable accommodation for lovers of plant growing. The 19 floors are arranged like steps and spiral upward. The sun evenly illuminates all parts of the building and creates ideal conditions for green helpers.
9. Fantastic underwater sculpture park (Cancun, Mexico)
Everyone who sees this park is overwhelmed by a sense of supernaturalness and mystery; it seems as if you are entering a magical alien world. The refracted sunlight magnifies the figures and changes their shades, and it all looks fantastic and sometimes quite creepy.
The museum opened in 2009 in Mexico in the Cancun National Marine Park. It has become the world's largest underwater sculpture park. The unusual nature of the excursions, fantastic nature and mystery made this place one of the most visited in the world. More than 750 thousand people descend to a depth of 10 meters and enjoy the underwater kingdom. Five hundred silent and motionless inhabitants of the ocean have gathered in various compositions; they fascinate and do not let go.
The creator of the unique underwater kingdom is Briton Jason de Caires Taylor, a talented architect and sculptor, ecologist and diver.
You can see the underwater inhabitants on a glass-bottomed boat. But it’s much more interesting and exciting to go to the bottom with scuba gear, accompanied by a guide-instructor.
The main goal of the museum is to show the unity of man and water world, create an artificial reef from sculptures and preserve endangered corals of the deserted seabed. All sculptures are created from natural materials and will help preserve the inhabitants of the underwater kingdom.
The most ambitious composition, “Silent Evolution,” consists of 400 sculptors. These are people of different professions, babies and old people, rich and poor, people of different eras and from all continents. Each creation of the sculptor is a hidden message, a plea for help and the salvation of all living things. Here are some of the exhibits in this museum:
· “Flower of Hope” - a beautiful girl takes care of coral flowers, trying to restore them to their pristine beauty. This is the embodiment of the hope that man will become one with nature;
· “Collector of Lost Hopes” – a figure of a man uncorking bottles with notes that no one will ever read;
· “Man on Fire” – bright flaming corals gradually burn the man’s body, covering his chest and shoulders;
· “Vicissitudes” is one of the first compositions lowered under water. 26 children from different countries stand, holding hands tightly and protecting the fragile world.
10. Bright and cheerful sculpture toysDavid Gerstein (Israel)
In his works, the talented sculptor combined graphics and painting, architecture and sculpture. His works invariably lift the spirits of everyone who sees them. Their distinctive design, bright color palette and simplicity make them accessible to everyone. His figures enliven the streets and courtyards of Israel, decorate theaters and public buildings, and can be purchased at the exhibition for a private collection. David makes unique and unusual images from steel and paints them in all sorts of colors and shades, giving them a stunning look. If you see a cyclist of all colors of the rainbow in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, in Herzliya or the Negev, you will immediately guess who the author is. Bright red cats, athletes of various shades, have firmly settled in Israel and have become its attraction.
11. Power of Nature (Doha, Qatar)
The Italian Lorenzo Quinn encourages us to think about the forces of nature, to truly see its power and greatness. Numerous hurricanes and tornadoes that destroy the coasts of the islands prompted him to create similar works.
In the form of a representative of the fair sex, Mother Nature holds our planet tightly with a piece of matter. Similar works by artist Lorenzo Quinn are installed all over the world: in England and America, in Monaco and Singapore. The statues are a sacrifice to the Gods of the elements, designed to appease and reconcile the forces of nature and people. The sculpture reaches a height of two and a half meters and is made of metal and stone.
08/10/2015 at 01:51 pm · Johnny · 20 650
Top 10 most unusual monuments in the world
There are countless monuments in the world: famous and little-known, striking in their monumentality and miniature, ancient and modern, classical and avant-garde. But among them there are the most unusual monuments in the world, which are impossible to forget. The fashion for strange, funny and outlandish statues appeared at the end of the 20th century. Then, in many countries, unusual classical sculptures and structures, but monuments that go beyond the ordinary.
10.
Located in Gateshead, England
This is the most unusual and avant-garde monument in Great Britain. The sculpture depicting an angel spreading its wings was created in 1998 by muralist Antony Gormley, known for his extraordinary works far beyond the country's borders. This monument is the largest image of an angel ever created by people.
A 20-meter figure made entirely of steel with wings outstretched to meet all the winds greets tourists on a hilltop near the city of Gateshead in the north of England. The monument weighs 208 tons. Most of the weight falls on the concrete base, which goes deep into the ground. Winds in this part of the country can reach 160 km/h and the pile foundation of the statue must securely support the figure of the angel for 100 years.
The most remarkable thing about the monument is the wings, the span of which is almost as large as that of a Boeing 747. Their length is 54 meters. Outwardly, the Angel of the North most resembles a cyborg rather than a messenger of heaven. It is noteworthy that at first the inhabitants of Britain reacted ambiguously to the construction of the monument, but now it is considered one of the most unusual and interesting attractions in the north of the country.
9.
The sculpture of Charles La Trobe in Melbourne is the most unusual monument famous person in the world.
This is a classic example of a monument created in honor of Charles La Trobe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Victoria. His activities at one time were not appreciated by his contemporaries. Sculptor Dennis Oppenheim decided to correct this omission and perpetuated the memory of La Trobe. The monument is unusual in that it is placed on its head. According to the author's idea, it should have attracted more attention. Indeed, the unusual monument “on the contrary” quickly became popular and famous not only in its homeland, Australia, but throughout the world.
8.
The most unusual monument in the world, dedicated to the wanderer, is located on the coast Mediterranean Sea, on the shore of the Bay of Antibes. It represents an eight-meter figure of a man sitting on the ground, clasping his knees with his hands, and thoughtfully looking at the sea. The monument is created from several thousand metal Latin letters and creates a feeling of extraordinary lightness and tranquility.
This unusual monument appeared in 2007. The author is the sculptor Zhom Plans. He said about his masterpiece that the statue symbolizes freedom. As for the letters, this is the baggage of knowledge, feelings and problems that the “wanderer” is concerned with.
7.
Denmark can boast of the most unusual and somewhat shocking monument to Themis, and not an ordinary one, but an bureaucratic one. The sculptural group consists of an emaciated African man who carries the portly figure of the goddess Themis. According to the author, Jens Galschiot, it symbolizes modern industrial society.
6.
The traffic light tree, a famous London landmark, has long been one of the most unusual monuments in the world. 75 traffic lights decorate the 8-meter tree.
5. Table lamp
An amazing monument is located in the Swedish city of Malmo. This is a huge table lamp the size of a three-story house (5.8 meters). During the year it “travels” through the streets and squares of the city, and before Christmas it is installed on central square. The leg of the lamp is made in the form of a bench and any passerby can relax under the cozy light of the giant lampshade.
4.
A huge number of funny and interesting monuments are dedicated to animals. One of the most unusual monuments in the world, depicting a cat, is located in Maryland. The size of a person, the charming cat sits on a bench with his paw on its back and seems to invite passers-by to sit next to him.
3.
Robin White, a British artist, creates unusual aerial figures of fairy fairies from steel. First, the author makes the frame of the future sculpture from thick wire, and then creates the “flesh” of the fairy from thinner steel wire. Graceful wings air creatures- this is a chain-link mesh. Inside each figure the artist places an engraved stone - the heart of a fairy.
Most of the sculptures are located in Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire. Fairies are also commissioned from the artist for private collections - elegant figurines will decorate any garden or plot.
2.
This is one of the most unusual monuments in the world. More precisely, these are many sculptures united in the “Travelers” series. Their creator is the French artist Bruno Catalano. Due to their unusual structure, these monuments also have another name – “torn”. All of them depict travelers with a constant attribute in the form of a suitcase or bag. The peculiarity of the sculptures is the torn holes in the body, which give them a certain illusory and ghostly quality. In total, the author created about one hundred figures. They are in big cities and small villages, on international exhibitions, V shopping centers and everywhere fit harmoniously into the surrounding environment.
1.
First place, as the most unusual monument in the world, should be given to the sculpture of the Prince of Orange, mortally wounded during the siege of the city of Saint-Dizier in 1544. Before his death, Rene de Chalon bequeathed to depict him as he would look a few years after his death. The prince's will was fulfilled. The sculptor Ligier Richet showed extraordinary skill and precision in creating a statue that shows with amazing authenticity the anatomy of a half-decomposed body. The monument to René de Chalon is installed in one of the niches of the Bar-le-Duc temple and has amazed visitors with its realism for several centuries.
In terms of the number of unusual monuments, our country is far from ranking last place. We have a monument to happiness, a sculpture created in memory of the letter “e”, which is used less and less in writing, a monument to a stool, a wallet, an enema and a grater, a lamplighter, a student, a plumber, a shuttle worker and a beggar. Favorite literary and cartoon characters are also immortalized in sculpture: the kitten from Lizyukova Street, the postman Pechkin, the cat Behemoth and Koroviev.
What else to see:
Covadonga, Mdina, Pag, Kashubia or Salzkammergut - have you ever heard of these places?
Surely not. Meanwhile, these places are impressive and are located... in Europe, traveled far and wide!
Travelers all over the world love Europe. The Old World has something to offer even the most fastidious tourist, for example, in terms of architecture - so many medieval streets have not been preserved anywhere else. But Europe is especially good in terms of nature, it has everything - from snowy mountain peaks and smoking volcanoes to blue lakes and deep caves. Many of them are well-trodden by curious tourists, but there are some preserved that few people know about. They are not very popular, but believe me, they are really worth visiting, and for very little money.
The TOP of little-known attractions in Europe presented below is also interesting because these places are also suitable for budget holiday. It is compiled on the basis of a number of criteria, including the beauty of the area, popularity among tourists, the ability to pay cashless, cost of living and the level of infrastructure development.
ASTURIA AND COVADONGA MONASTERY, SPAIN
Asturias (Principality of Asturias) is a small mountainous autonomous region in northern Spain, located off the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Empty and amazing beautiful beaches with crystal clear water, almost a third of the region - nature reserves, most of which are under the protection of UNESCO.
Attractions
Among the main ones: Peaks of Europe National Park, Lakes Covadonga and Enol, and the Monastery of St. Vincent. The most visited place, however, is the sacred altar of the Virgin of Covadonga and the chapel with the image of the Virgin and the remains of Pelayo, the first king of Asturias. After his death, Pelayo was buried in a cave, and there is also a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Covadonga. The holy cave quickly became a place of pilgrimage.
Accommodation around €25 (approximate price for a double room in a 3 star hotel or guest house per night for one person), dinner approx. € 18 (average price for a dish in a restaurant).
How to get there
There are 16 different flights to Asturias Airport: the easiest ways to get here are from London, Barcelona and Madrid. 
MDINA AND ZEBBUG, MALTA
The city of Mdina is one of the most mysterious cities in Malta. The Maltese themselves call this place the “Silent City” - its population is now only about 300 people.
Attractions
Tourists usually come here to see the ancient main and Greek gates of Mdina, Cathedral named after St. Paul, built in the 17th century, as well as the Mdina dungeon, which is now a museum of torture instruments.
Accommodation in a guest house can be found for approx. €25
How to get there
By bus from Valletta Central Bus Station.
As for Zebbug, one of the oldest cities in Malta, the most interesting attraction here is the Church of St. Peter in Chains. The easiest way for tourists to get to the city is by car or bus - the city is only 6 km from international airport Malta. 
SALZKAMMERGUT, AUSTRIA
Historical region in Austria east of Salzburg. A truly picturesque lake district.
Attractions
In addition to the numerous crystal clear lakes (more than 70), tourists also visit this place for the tiny town of Hallstatt. The city, together with Lake Hallstättersee, the salt mines and the immediate surroundings, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
You should also definitely include the famous natural caves Dachstein and the cozy Ehernthal valley with its “glacier garden”.
Accommodation approx. €35, dinner approx. €25.
How to get there
Short trips around the Salzkammergut are best done from Salzburg or Linz. 
AZORES, PORTUGAL
Archipelago in Atlantic Ocean, consisting of 9 islands of volcanic origin. This is also where active volcano Pico (2351 m).
Attractions
San Miguel is the largest and most visited island of the archipelago. From the island's capital, Ponta Delgada, day trips to lakes, craters, hot springs and rocky shores are convenient. To the west is the largest volcanic crater in the Azores, Caldeira das Sete Cidades. Also on the island of San Miguel there are hot springs, and, accordingly, thermal hospitals are equipped. Sulfur caves can be seen on the island of Theseira.
How to get there
International airports in the Azores are located on three islands: Sao Miguel, Santa Maria and Faial. The most convenient flight option from Russia is a flight with a transfer at Lisbon airport at Joao Paulo II airport in Sao Miguel. 
PERAST, MONTENEGRO
An ancient tiny town on the shores of the Bay of Kotor on the Adriatic Sea. About 300 people live in Perast permanently. You can explore this place in just a few hours.
Attractions
Directly from the city embankment there is a picturesque view of the Bay of Kotor, the Church of Our Lady on the Cliff and the island of St. George. Tourists should also definitely climb the St. Nicholas Tower.
Accommodation approx. €15, dinner approx.€15
How to get there
For travelers, it will be most profitable to visit Perast and Kotor in one day by purchasing a group excursion around the Bay of Kotor for €25 per person. Or get here yourself by car or bus from Budva. 
LEDNICE-VALTICE, CZECH REPUBLIC
Landscape complex in the Czech Republic (Moravia), included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located 50 kilometers southeast of Brno, in a triangle where the borders of three neighboring countries- Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Attractions
People come here for the grandiose medieval Gothic castle of Lednice, which is part of the entire castle and park complex. The castles of Valtice and Lednice, in turn, are connected by luxurious seven-kilometer alleys, called the “Garden of Europe”. Wine tourism is also very developed in this region of the Czech Republic - there is a chance to bring real Moravian wine from here, little known in Russia, but very tasty and appreciated by gourmets.
Accommodation approx. €20, dinner approx. €10.
How to get there
The Lednice-Valtice complex can be easily visited within day excursion, coming here from Prague, Brno, Bratislava or Vienna. 
ISLAND OF PAG, CROATIA
A picturesque island stretching 60 km along the Adriatic coast. It is famous for its delicious page cheese and skillful lace, but not only for them.
Attractions
The city of Pag with the episcopal and princely palaces as examples of medieval town planning, and the ancient small town Novalja, which is now called the “Croatian Ibiza” because of its beaches and noisy discos. There are also unique places of unexplored origin, for example, the Pag Triangle - a large area of scorched earth, along which there are very clear and orderly markings.
Accommodation approx. €30, dinner approx. €13.
How to get there
The easiest way is to arrive here by ferry Prizna-Žiglen or by car. In the southwest of the island there is a road bridge connecting the island with the mainland. 
SAAREMAA ISLAND, ESTONIA
Fourth largest island Baltic Sea after the islands of Zealand, Funen and Gotland. Former name— Kuressaare, which means “land of storks.”
Attractions
The Kaali meteorite crater, formed about 3,500 years ago, the ruins of the Maasi castle, built by the master of the Livonian Order in 1345, windmills ( business card islands!) and a national park with 30 species of mammals (including gray seals) and more than 200 species of birds. The island can be called a real lake district - there are more than 80 lakes, most of which are located in the northwestern part of the island.
Accommodation approx. €23, dinner approx. €18.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to Saaremaa from Tallinn is by bus. Ferry crossing included in the ticket price. 
VOLOS AND PELION, GREECE
Volos is a small, quiet town by the sea that turns into a popular ski resort in winter.
Attractions
One of the most interesting places in Volos is Mount Pelion (Pelion) with traditional villages, serpentine roads and picturesque nature. According to legend, centaurs lived on Mount Pelion. The wisest of them, Chiron, was the teacher of Achilles and the famous Asclepius, who was engaged in healing and made the snake a symbol of medicine.
There is also a theater with a symphony orchestra, a promenade, a university and the Archaeological Museum of Volos, one of the ten best in Greece.
Accommodation approx. €25, dinner approx. €15.
How to get there
The most convenient way to get here is by bus or train from Athens or Thessaloniki. 
VELIKA PLANINA, SLOVENIA
An extremely popular destination with picturesque alpine grasses and flowers for weekend hikes, as well as a world famous ski resort.
Attractions
Magnificent view from the mountains to the valley, the city of Kamnik and its surroundings. To all lovers of active and family vacation provides opportunities for hiking and cycling, individual and group excursions into the mountains. The most popular attraction here is the shepherd's settlement, one of the few remaining settlements of its size and character in Europe.
Accommodation approx. €40, dinner approx. €15.
How to get there
The easiest way is by plane or train - Velika Planina is 44 kilometers from Ljubljana. 
KASHUBIA, POLAND
West Slavic ethnic territory of the Kashubians in northwestern Poland. There are no major tourist centers and no crowded events. But, nevertheless, among travelers with small children, lovers active rest and hiking, this place can be considered one of the most popular.
Attractions
It’s worth coming here for picturesque lakes and rivers, folded hills, valleys and gorges. Due to its unusual geological structure, part of the region is called Kashubian Switzerland. In summer you can swim in lakes, admire flocks of cranes, and in winter you can ride on alpine skiing. The best tourist centers in the region for traveling around the Kashubian lakes are the city of Kartuzy and the Chmielno resort.
Accommodation approx. €20, dinner approx. €12.
How to get there
The fastest way to get here is by bus or car from Gdansk. 
NAARDEN, NETHERLANDS
The star-shaped walled city is one of the few surviving Dutch bastions and the only fortress in Europe with unique double walls and moats.
Attractions
In fact, the entire city can be considered the main attraction. But tourists here should also look at the bell tower of the Great Church, the “Spanish House” and the fortress museum, where they will be curious to learn about the city’s past and defensive structures.
Accommodation approx. €60, dinner approx. €30.
How to get there
There are several options: by train from Amsterdam in 20 minutes, by bike from Vespa or by bus 101 from Amstel station in Amsterdam. 
CAPE KOLKA, LATVIA
Kolka (Kolkasrags) is the most pronounced cape on the Latvian coast, separating the open Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga.
Attractions.
During the bird migration period, you can see tens of thousands of birds here. Tourists here should visit the village of Kolka, where there is a Liv culture center and churches of three different denominations: Kolka Lutheran Church, Orthodox Church Christmas and Catholic Church Our Lady of the Star of the Sea. Also at the cape begins a journey around national park Slitere.
Accommodation approx. €20, dinner approx. €14.
How to get there
A bus runs from Riga to Kolka four to five times a day. The cost of a one-way ticket is about €7. 
DANUBE DELTA, ROMANIA
One of the largest and best preserved river deltas in Europe.
Attractions
The Danube Delta includes numerous ecosystems, which are home to a significant number of flora and fauna (93 species of fish, 350 species of birds). In 1998, the Danube delta region was formed on the territory of Romania and neighboring Ukraine. biosphere reserve, under the patronage of UNESCO. It is for this reason that many tourists come here. Also worth visiting here is the city of Tulcea, where there is the Agessus Fortress, the Historical and Archaeological Museum, the Danube Delta Natural History Museum and the Museum of Folk Art and Ethnography.
Accommodation approx. €15, dinner approx. €10.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to Tulcea is by plane from Constanta Airport. Or take a direct train from Bucharest to Tulcea station. 
BALATON UPLANDS, HUNGARY
Balaton itself can be considered the most important resort center in Hungary. People come here for beach and active recreation, as well as for treatment and wellness: there are many thermal and mineral healing springs around the lake.
Attractions
The key tourist destination here is National Park Balaton Upland at the northern edge of Lake Balaton. People only move through this volcanic landscape hiking trails. Famous places The park is the Tihany Peninsula, the basins of the Kali and Tapolca rivers, the Tapolca caves, the mountains of South Bakony and Kis-Balaton.
Accommodation approx. €20, dinner approx. €13.
How to get there
Lake Balaton is conveniently accessible from Budapest via a modern 115-kilometer highway (the journey takes about an hour and a half) or by rail. 
Based on materials:
Our world is a strange place. Just when we start to feel like we know everything about him, he suddenly shows us strange places or creepy rock formations. If you know where exactly to look, you can find equally unusual and mysterious places like the ones we'll talk about next:
10. Erotic Rock Valley
Türkiye
Far away in the arid and dusty plains of Anatolia lies one of Turkey's top attractions: Cappadocia. This place World Heritage UNESCO site that includes ancient stone dwellings, underground churches and Byzantine art. This place is quite possibly one of the major historical areas of the Middle East. It is therefore quite strange that this place is also home to a forest of huge stone dildos.
That's right. Thanks to a long history of geological upheaval, the rocks around the small town of Goreme have taken on various strange shapes. And the strangest of these forms can be found in (Love Valley). Rising skyward and topped with slightly conical protrusions at the top, the rocks look like Ron Jeremy's dignity on steroids. The whole valley is full of them - huge stone phalluses, stretching to the horizon as far as the eye can see. It is not surprising that this area is currently favorite place holiday for European guys from student organizations who come here to take funny and provocative photographs.
9. Devil's Bath
New Zealand
If you ask a child to draw a radioactive pool, he will definitely draw something like the Devil's Bath in New Zealand. This pool is a small lake in the Taupo Volcanic Zone near the city of Rotorua. The lake is filled with water that glows with a bright and unnatural green light.
Given that this is a volcanic area, you can probably guess what exactly makes the Bath glow with such an unnatural light. The lake rests on extensive sulfur deposits that flake off from the bottom and float to the surface, giving the water its distinctive hue. Because of this, the water in the lake always looks like radioactive slime. This process also causes the lake to smell very strongly. It gives off a strong smell of rotten eggs, which even guidebooks compare to the consequences of a giant hellish gas emission.
Devil's Bath is not the only lake on Earth that has such a rich green color. Lake Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai in Indonesia also looks like a secret dumping site for radioactive waste.
8. Desert Glass
Libya and Egypt
The last place on Earth you would expect to find anything is the Libyan Desert. This is the harshest place in the already inhospitable Sahara. Here you can expect to see only sand, rocks and nothing else. However, if you go to a special point in this desert and start digging in the sand, you can find the most mysterious artifact of this region: Libyan glass.
This glass, which is actually huge chunks of yellow silicon, was puzzling local residents for many centuries. The Aterians used it to make tools and weapons. The ancient Egyptians created intricate jewelry from it. In the 1930s, Western researchers stumbled upon this glass and set out to find out the history of the origin of this glass.
Today it is believed that glass appeared as a result of the fall of a meteorite or comet to Earth. During the collision, the sand was overheated to a temperature of 2,000 degrees Celsius and, accordingly, melted. We can only imagine what that glass looked like minutes after the collision.
7. “World Machine” by Franz Gsellmann (Franz Gsellmann’s Weltmaschine)
Austria
Photo: Roman Klementschitz
The World Machine, nestled in a small barn in Austria, may be one of the strangest projects in human history. Franz Gselmann has been creating this collection of moving, brightly colored, intersecting wheels and engines for 20 years and no one knows why.
In 1958, Gselmann, the son of a poor farmer with no training as an engineer or mechanic, saw a large model of the atom at the Brussels World Exposition. Completely fascinated by it, he purchased it instantly, returned to Austria, threw everything out of his barn and placed the model in the center. And then he started building.
Over the next twenty years, Gselmann secretly built his strange contraption around a model of the atom, adding bells, clocks, fans, conveyor belts, whistles, chains and even a xylophone. Plastic models of Joseph and Mary, an iron rooster, a spaceship, a small windmill, Christmas lights, a toy gondola, and a whole bunch of other things too ridiculous to mention also found their way into Gselmann's construction. He hid his creation from his family until it was almost completely finished. Then he died unexpectedly without telling anyone a word about why he built it.
There are currently many theories about why Gselmann dedicated best years of his life building his crazy car. Perhaps the most poetic of all is that he thought it would reveal the most intimate details of the human soul.
6. Deadly bubbles of Lake Abraham (Lake Abraham)
Canada
Created by human intervention in the 1970s and named in one of those terrible public naming contests, Canada's Lake Abraham doesn't exactly sound like a must-see destination. However, if you go there in winter, you will come face to face with one of the coolest and deadliest natural phenomena in America. Flammable bubbles of methane gas beneath the frozen surface of the lake bump against the ice, as if waiting for someone to light a spark and explode them.
Methane bubbles are released by bacteria that feed on decaying animals and plants. As a rule, these bubbles rise to the surface without anyone noticing them. But in winter they turn into white bubbles of gas suspended at different angles in the frozen water. The result is simply stunning towers of bubbles (as in the photo above), trapped under the surface of the lake, where anyone passing by can clearly see them. This annual show has led to Abraham Lake becoming one of the most popular photography destinations in Canada.
5. Lake Of Blood
Bolivia
Photo: Valdiney Pimenta
If the Bible was written in Bolivia, we would assume that the guy who wrote the section on the seas of blood visited Laguna Colorado. This alpine lake, which looks like the aftermath of a bloody Django Unchained shootout, appears to have only one ingredient: blood.
The lake is actually the habitat of a special type of red algae. In addition to the red sediment that rises from the bottom to the surface as the water moves, it is these algae that give the lake its color, reminiscent of horror films. The principle is very similar to that which is responsible for the bright and beautiful color of the Cano Cristales River in Colombia. However, unlike the river's algae, which bloom once a year, Laguna Colorado remains bright red year-round.
What's most interesting is that Bolivia is not the only country that has such brightly colored lakes. Lake Retba in Senegal has a bright bubblegum pink color caused by the excessively high concentration of salts in its waters.
4. Disco Mosque
Iran
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “mosque”? Most likely, you imagine something like the famous Blue Mosque located in Istanbul: a majestic place intended for pious reflection. This is why the Shah Cheragh Mausoleum Mosque, located in the Iranian city of Shiraz, is so unique. The Shah Cherakh Mausoleum looks like the inside of a disco ball.
The reason for creating such a colorful interior is in itself quite interesting story. In the early ninth century, two brothers were killed at this site during anti-Shiite persecution that spread throughout the region. Their deaths were more or less forgotten for the next 500 years, until Queen Tashi Khatun decided to build a mosque at their graves, turning them into a place of pilgrimage. She then ordered the mosque to be covered with glass to enhance its shine a thousand times.
3. Grandiose misty rainbows
All over the world
It goes without saying that a rainbow is simply a stunningly magnificent phenomenon. However, there are other types of rainbows in nature that look even more beautiful than the legendary double rainbow. Perhaps the rarest and most striking of these is the misty rainbow.
This type of rainbow only appears during fog. Rainbows of this kind are more like the ghost of an ordinary rainbow that was recently killed and whose spirit came after your soul. Often, misty rainbows seem unreal - they are pale, white, ethereal, like an illusion created from smoke.
They appear through exactly the same process that is responsible for the appearance of ordinary rainbows. The difference is that while regular rainbows are caused by light bouncing off large drops of water, misty rainbows are created by the refraction of light by incredibly tiny droplets of water. This causes them to appear pale and hazy, giving them a ghostly appearance.
2. Dead horse ride
State of Nevada
Sometimes there are such strange things on our Earth that there are practically not enough words to describe them. The Nevada Dead Horse Driver is one of those things.
A dead horse driver located next to a remote road leading out of the semi-abandoned town of Baker, Nevada is exactly what it seems. The skeleton of a horse sits comfortably behind the steering wheel of a rusty old car, and its hoof rests casually on the dashboard. It’s clear that this was done by people from a small and half-abandoned town who have too much free time. However, when you see it for the first time, it is simply impossible not to imagine a horse that has gone for a ride and just stopped to admire the view.
1. The bottom of the iceberg
Antarctica
You most likely know that we are only seeing the tip of the icebergs. Approximately 90 percent of their mass floats underwater and is never seen by humans. Unless, of course, they are lucky enough to be . “Lucky” is probably not a very good word, since the process of turning over an iceberg is very dangerous.
This usually only happens after it has broken off and fallen into the water, and gravity has not yet determined which end should be at the bottom. When a large iceberg capsizes, it produces as much energy as an atomic bomb upon explosion and can easily sink even the largest ocean-going ship. However, if you manage to survive all this, you will be in for a pleasant surprise, because the bottom of the iceberg can be very beautiful.
Without a layer of snow covering it, the underside of the iceberg may appear bright blue. This is because it absorbs light at the red end of the spectrum, meaning the ice itself is a brilliant blue color. The result will be something straight out of a science fiction movie, and like many of the hidden wonders in our world, it will be amazingly beautiful.
Our world cannot be called ordinary. Just when it seems to us that we have already seen everything and know everything, he gives us something amazing. We bring to your attention a selection of the most unusual and mysterious sights of cities on the planet.
The sexiest grave in Paris
Tourists flock to the Parisian Père Lachaise cemetery not only to visit the graves of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison.
There is also a no less visited grave of a certain Victor Noiret. The young man died a week before the wedding, and the inconsolable bride wanted to see a tombstone in the form of a reclining statue of her loved one with a characteristic bulge in the trouser area. Since then, the grave of Victor Noiret has become a place of pilgrimage for women: they say that if you rub the genital area of the monument and kiss the statue on the lips, your intimate life will improve within a year, a husband and, possibly, a child will appear.
Photo: stubb.livejournal.com
Monument to a Workaholic in Los Angeles
At the entrance to the Ernst & Young headquarters in Los Angeles, there is a monument to a man with a diplomat, whose head is embedded in the office building. The author of the statue warns workaholics about the danger of going to work and not seeing the beauty of the world around them. True, tourists are now taking pictures near the bronze sculpture, and office workers, contrary to warnings, are working in the offices of the building without sticking their heads out.
Photo: liveinternet.ru Sign “Forbidden to talk to strangers” in Moscow
An initiative group of citizens installed a sign stylized as a road sign on Patriarch's Ponds in Moscow. It does not carry any information for drivers, but only warns against talking with a stranger, following the admonitions of Mikhail Bulgakov in the novel “The Master and Margarita”: “Never talk to strangers.” Bulgakov's Woland, Behemoth and Koroviev are clearly visible in the silhouettes on the plaque. We advise you to take the warning seriously and enter into dialogues with foreign professors at Patriarch's Ponds with caution!
Photo: subscribe.ru Monument to rain in St. Petersburg
One has only to remember the city on the Neva, and you begin to shudder from the dampness. Poems and songs were dedicated to the rain of St. Petersburg - the unspoken symbol of the city. And now the St. Petersburg rain has its own monument! This is an umbrella behind a glass wall, on which the rain drums. There is no person under the umbrella - apparently, the thing was carried away by the equally famous St. Petersburg wind.
Photo: Monument to the Fab Four in Almaty
It is unlikely that the legendary Beatles visited Almaty at the height of their fame. But the city residents were not upset, but got themselves personal Beatles, immortalizing them in bronze. Tourists sit down on the bench where John Lennon sits all the time and happily take pictures hugging the bronze artist.
Photo: koktobe.com Monument to the artist in Astana
An informal symbol of the creative youth of Kazakhstan is a monument to a girl in jeans and a baseball cap who is painting a picture. If your muse has left you, sit on the artist's lap and ask for inspiration. Tourists write their wishes on the canvas, and this is not an act of vandalism: the magical sculpture closely monitors their fulfillment. The bronze artist is part of the “Citizens” sculptural series, commissioned by Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Photo: dixinews.kz Bottle Museum in Pattaya
It is better not to throw glass bottles on the beach, but to take them to a museum. For this purpose, a whole complex has been opened in Pattaya. Here, behind the bottle glass, real magic happens: multi-masted ships float, beautiful dolls bat their eyes, copies of paintings by great artists are visible. It's hard to believe that such fine work can be placed in a bottle - you have to see it with your own eyes!
The Dutch master Peter Bedele worked on each exhibit (and there are more than three hundred of them in the museum) for at least 15 hours. He has been working with bottles for 15 years! An exhibition of historical Coca-Cola labels will be a pleasant bonus.
Photo: terra-z.ru Monument to the white dog in Phuket
In memory of the victims of the 2004 tsunami, a large exhibition was held in Bangkok that same year. Most of the installations spoke about the grief of losing loved ones, and only one sculpture recalled the pets that died in the disaster.
Monument white dog, despite the huge demand from collectors, after the event they gave it to Phuket. Here the statue stands to this day on the city beach.
Photo: 3.bp.blogspot.com
"Gogol's" nose in Kyiv
The collegiate assessor Kovalev took his nose one night and went for a walk. After a lengthy search, he was captured by the gendarmes, so he gave up trying to escape using a false passport to Riga and went to Kyiv, to Andreevsky Descent. Where, however, he also fled - to Desyatinnaya Street. There, the character of the famous story now adorns the wall, and not alone, but together with a chic curled mustache.
Photo: wikipedia.org
Glass sculpture of runner Louis Spyridon in Athens
Athens is one of the richest cities in the world. Remembering it, you immediately think about the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the temples of Hephaestus and Zeus. But few people know that Athens also has more modern monuments. For example, a glass sculpture of runner Louis Spyridon, who became the first Greek to win the Olympic marathon.
Since the installation of the statue in Omonia Square, the Athens marathon courses have always passed through this place. And now - an unexpected fact from eyewitnesses: since the huge sculpture is made entirely of glass, in windy weather you can hear its melodic ringing.
Photo: greek.ru "Traffic Light Tree" in London
The intersection of Westferry Road and Marsh Wall in east London was rightfully considered one of the most boring places in the city: there were only residential buildings and office buildings around. Artist Pierre Vivant decided to rectify the situation and installed an 8-meter-high artificial tree at the intersection, which consists of 75 traffic lights! Although tree lights do not control traffic, they do cause drivers to involuntarily slow down on a busy stretch of road. And each signal is turned on according to its own schedule using a service that maintains real traffic lights. True, the intersection of Westferry Road and Marsh Wall did not please passers-by for very long: the traffic light tree has now been moved to Trafalgar Way.
Photo: planet-earth.ru There are countless strange and unusual sights in the world! They speak much better than the promoted locations about the character of the city and the mentality of its inhabitants. Go on a journey and find yours Amazing places in every corner of the planet!