When we think of European tourist hotspots, cities like London, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona come to mind.
Given the size of Europe and the number of countries
packed within, there are many unusual places that you can visit. We bring for you some of these.
Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
It's a natural reserve located near Bushmills, Northern Ireland. Giant's Causeway appears on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list due to the rare peculiar shapes formed by 40,000 basalt columns. There's a legend that these columns were created by a giant, but in reality, these were formed as a result of a volcanic eruption.
Green Lake, Austria
Grüner See, as called in German, has crystal clear emerald green water, which makes it one of the most stunning lakes in Europe. The unique thing about this lake is that it dries up entirely in the summers and becomes a park! The lake gets its water from the snowmelt from the Hochschwab Mountains and gets as deep as 12 meters. It was once a hotspot for scuba divers who would explore underwater park benches and trails.
Giethoorn, the Netherlands
Also called the Dutch Venice, the fairytale-like township of Giethoornis located in the Dutch province, of Overijssel. The place has literally no roads as the entire village is made of tiny islands intricately connected by canals and over 180 wooden bridges. You should not miss visiting Giethoorn 't Olde Maat Uus Museum, which depicts how life in Giethoorn used to be a few centuries ago.
Holy Trinity Monastery, Kalambaka, Greece
Built on so-called Meteora stones, this Eastern Orthodox monastery is one of the most peculiar monasteries you will ever see. The monastery is on a remote cliff that can only be accessed either by climbing the stairs or through a road laid on the adjacent cliff. You can also take a cable car across the gorge between the two cliffs. The "in the middle of the sky" location made monks believe that they would be closer to God.
Tinto River, Spain
This brick-red colored river flows past the city of Huelva, located in the southwest of Spain. You would wonder why the river is brick red. For centuries, mining for copper, gold, and other metals used to take place on the banks of the river. Due to this, a very high level of iron gradually liquefied in the river water, making it highly acidic and brick-red in color!
There are several other unusual places in Europe ready to be explored, such as Kjeragbolten in Norway, Calabria in Italy, and Tromso in Norway, to name a few.
