Jan 29, 2016

On the surface of our planet there are beautiful landscapes and unique landscapes that give rise to associations with other galaxies. website has prepared an overview of the most unusual places and invites you to admire the wondrous and bizarre imagination of nature.

Photo by Wolfgang Staudt

The grandiose and unearthly view of Niagara Falls will forever amaze your imagination. It is located on the border between the USA and Canada, in the state of New York. In general, this is a whole complex of powerful and rolling waterfalls, which include: “Horseshoe” (aka “Canadian”), “Veil” and “American”. It is surprising that with relatively small differences in height, all the springs are very wide, and the water beats with such force that its roar is deafening. That is why Niagara Falls It is considered one of the largest and noisiest on the entire planet. And this place is so picturesque that, having been here once, you will often remember it and share your impressions with friends.

This natural object located in Hawaii, Oahu island. In the local language, the staircase has a name somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese - “Haiku”. In essence, the stairway to heaven is a uniquely beautiful mountain path that runs right along the peaks small mountains. For the convenience of tourists, the amazing object is surrounded by railings. From the steps of this staircase there are simply breathtaking views of both the heavenly beauty and the valley. And the air seems to saturate, it is so clean, transparent and even tasty. This is one of the most magical and unusual places, worthy of Tolkien’s fairy tales about hobbits and light, almost weightless elves.

3. Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon in Arizona (USA) fully justifies its name, which is translated into Russian as “Great or Huge Canyon.” Its size is truly amazing. The very winding and unpredictable Colorado River runs through it, which with a powerful current makes its way through the limestone rock. The Grand Canyon is an amazing and historically very valuable place. It is in it that one can trace the stages of formation of the modern surface of our planet; There are 4 historical layers presented here. Not only is it fantastically beautiful, this place is invaluable for the development of sciences such as geology and history. It is for this reason that the Grand Canyon is included in the list world heritage UNESCO.


It turns out that to brag amazing places not only the USA and Hawaii can do this on the planet. In Belgium there is a beautiful forest with the sonorous name Hallerboss. He is very famous not only in his native country, but throughout the world. With what? Every spring, unusual forest flowers bloom here - bells. Or rather, they would be completely ordinary if not for their quantity. Every year the forest seems to be lined with a blue carpet, stunning in both its appearance and the subtle aroma in the air. That is why Hallerboss, which is located in south direction from Brussels (the border of Flanders and Wallonia) is popularly called the “Blue Forest”.


Of course, stunning and unusual places are formed not only on the surface, but also in the most hidden depths of our planet. One of them is the huge Son Doong Cave, which can be found right in the center of Vietnam. To do this, you need to take a walk through the Phong Nha-Kebang National Park, which is located near the border with Laos. The size of this natural object is truly amazing. No wonder the cave was recognized as the largest on the entire planet. Unexplored views open here, and the highest vaults provide scope for the most colorful fantasies. Here are just some data: the height is about 200 meters, the width is about 150, and the length has not yet been fully studied, but approximately 5 km. There are places to take a walk.

6. Valley Monument

Based on the name, you might think that we're talking about about something man-made, created by artists or sculptors, but our review includes unusual places on Earth, created exclusively by nature itself. Likewise, Monument Valley, which is again located in the state of Arizona, USA, is amazing precisely because man did not take part in its creation at all. The upper layer of the Colorado Plateau in this particular place once consisted of very soft and unstable rocks of sedimentary origin. Over time, they were completely destroyed, and small rock fragments remained in the valley, which are now called monuments, or monuments. Only now they were set by history itself and built by the hands of nature. Some rocks even have names, for example Three Sisters, Mitten (Western and Eastern), etc.

It would seem that there is nothing more majestic and silent than endless sands to the very horizon. However, deserts can also be amazing in their beauty. In New Mexico (USA) there is a valley called Tularosa. It is already beautiful in itself, but there are also more unusual places here. This is the White Desert. It is so nicknamed because the sands are not golden yellow, but glossy white. It may feel like you're in the middle of a hot winter. The Indians gave the desert a very romantic name - Porcelain, but among tourists it is better known as the White Sands Desert. Due to its natural beauty, this place received the status of a US National Monument, and due to the composition of the dunes, it received the title of the largest gypsum deposit on the planet.

8. National Park in Australia


Another place of amazing beauty in its mesmerizing beauty is the Australian Port Campbell Park, which you can visit in the state of Victoria. Just drive 190km southwest from Melbourne and you'll find yourself in a pristine piece of Paradise. It’s especially striking here coastline parka. It is all lined with rocks of various, sometimes very bizarre, shapes. In addition, it was here that grandiose shipwrecks occurred more than once. And the memory of them is preserved in the names of the mountain fragments - “The Twelve Apostles”, “London Arch”. In Port Campbell you can also visit the beautiful Thundering Cave.


South America is also famous for its unusual places, which you simply must visit. One of them is the Dragon Falls, which flows its waters in Venezuela. It is an object of national importance and in itself is very loved by tourists. Education is entirely the work of Mother Nature. By the way, the Dragon shares one valley with no less famous waterfall– Angel, who is considered the tallest on the planet. Both of these places fascinate with their majestic beauty. They are carefully guarded and preserved in order to continue to delight, delight and surprise.


The city of San Francisco, which is located on west coast The USA is on the lips of many. But few people know that it is located on the hills left over from the times of the Gold Rush. Most of them are monuments of historical significance, others are simply beautiful, and still others offer fantastic views. It is not known for certain how many hills are located here, but they say at least fifty. The objects are very popular among tourists. First of all, because they are unusual, there is nothing like this anywhere else on earth. And secondly, many offer stunning views of the city. One of these hills is Twin Peaks, which offers a panoramic view of the entire central part of San Francisco.


A river of extraordinary beauty flows through Slovenia and Italy. It meanders between the mountains, sometimes expanding, sometimes narrowing to the size of a fast stream. The path of Sochi, or, in Italian, Isonzo, runs through incredibly beautiful places, but this is not the only reason why it is famous throughout the world. The color of the river waters is stunning: bright turquoise, blinding in the sun. And surprisingly, throughout Socha does not change it, remaining pale blue. The famous Slovenian Alps, lush vegetation in the valley and unique color make the Isonzo one of the most extraordinary places on the planet.


One of the most famous natural monuments in the world is the waterfall with the victorious name Victoria, which is located in South Africa. If you want to visit such unusual places, then you need to come to the border between the African states of Zimbabwe and Zambia, to the Zambezi River. It is here that the most important attraction of the entire continent, the waterfall named after Queen Victoria, makes noise, roars, and throws down tons of water. Its width is almost 2 km and its height is more than 120 m. Local name more poetic - “Roaring smoke”. Due to its impressive size, this natural monument unique, there are no others like it in the whole world.


On our planet there is also a real entrance to the underworld. It is called “Thor's Well” and is located in Oregon (USA). It looks like a huge funnel into which whole tons of water fall noisily. These places are famous for their gorgeous sunsets, which are impossible to forget. An amazing well, formed by nature itself, gives endless spaces for different fairy tales and beliefs. In fact, it is an almost perfectly round hole, 5 m in diameter, located in the high tide zone near Cape Perpetua.

14. Himalayas – mountains with history


The Himalayas are translated from Sanskrit as “the abode of snow,” and for good reason. It’s true that it’s always snowy, sky-high and fabulous here. A chain of mountain ranges and peaks stretches across India and Tibet, as well as Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan. These are very picturesque and unforgettable places that every climber should definitely conquer! The Himalayas are famous for both their unearthly beauty and their famous beauty, about which there are many legends, poems and songs. In general, it is here that there are more than 10 mountains, the peaks of which exceed 8 km, the average for Himalayan mountains– 6 km above sea level. This is a world altitude record.

Australia, surrounded on all sides by oceans, is famous for its coral reefs, but the Great Barrier is a different story. It is huge in size, but more than that, it is truly a living, constantly developing organism, beautiful in its uniqueness. It is recognized throughout the world as the largest, and here are just a few figures to prove it: the length is about 2,500 km along the northeastern Australian coast, the number of individual reefs is almost 3,000, and the formed coral islands of various sizes - 900. The view of this landscape produces such impressions that it is impossible to compare with anything else.


Iceland is a beautiful northern country, any mention of which immediately brings to mind a picture of geysers. But there are other places here that are no less unusual and beautiful. Glacial lake Jökulsárlón is one of them. Not only is this reservoir formed by glacial waters, which is why it is crystal clear and terribly cold. Also, the whole area around is simply fantastic. It seems as if you were on another planet. Lumps clear ice rise straight out of the water, crawling on top of each other and forming a truly beautiful landscape worthy of the Snow Queen herself. Counts natural miracle countries.

And finally, the time has come to travel to the Alps - the oldest and most picturesque mountain ranges on Earth. This is where it was located famous mountain Matterhorn, the snow-white miracle of the Alps. Where can you see it with your own eyes? Not far from the resorts of Switzerland Zermatt and Italy Breuil-Cervinia. If you translate the name into Russian, you will get something like a “meadow peak,” that is, a peak abundantly overgrown with vegetation. The mountain is considered one of the highest and most difficult (in terms of mountaineering) in the world, its height is 4478 m. The valley around is very picturesque.


Japan has many amazing landscapes, but one of the most stunning is the blue one. Biei Pond(O. Hokkaido). It overflowed at the foot of the no less picturesque Mount Tokachi, and if you go strictly southeast from the town of Biei, you can certainly see this natural object. The pond is unique for its extraordinary color. The gentle, blue tint of the waters makes the heart skip a beat in true admiration for the creation of nature. This color is not always constant, and under certain weather conditions it can become either more transparent or darker.

Amazing even the most sophisticated imagination. The Ural National Park Taganay is one of these. This is the west of the Chelyabinsk region, not far from the ancient town of Zlatoust. This area was awarded the title of national treasure relatively recently, in 1991. The places here are unique in that they have preserved the most valuable natural areas– mountain tundra and meadows, with their unusual vegetation and fauna. In addition, only here you can find pristine moss swamps and relict forests that keep the secrets of entire millennia.

Oh, this is perhaps the most unusual place in the world. The island is located in the Indian Ocean, not far from Somalia. In essence, it is even an archipelago consisting of 4 parts. Three islands are inhabited, but one is not, and this is the most interesting one. It was here, under the most severe selection conditions (sandy soil, climate like in a desert), that unique vegetation survived, the representatives of which cannot be found anywhere else. And indeed it is. If you want to see bizarre plants and animals that are not found anywhere else on the planet, then you should visit this uninhabited, and therefore even more mysterious and amazing, island. It is also here that the rarest and most beautiful type of pearl – black – is mined.

Text: Maria Nikitina

My personal rating of unusual places on our planet. We are not talking about beauty, although many of the places considered are not without this quality, namely, unusualness and even strangeness. This list includes places that, upon stumbling upon when searching on the Internet, it was difficult to resist exclaiming: “Wow! And this exists on our planet!”

The places are sorted in ascending order of “Wow factor”, that is, starting with the simply interesting, continuing with the unusual, and ending with very strange, even fantastic, unearthly landscapes (although this gradation is very arbitrary).

Unusual places on our planet.

Let's start with a trip to the "Edge of the World"..

It is located near the town of Skagen in Denmark, as the locals called the junction of the North and Baltic seas:
This is the confluence of two currents of different composition and density, which for some reason do not mix, but form a clear boundary. It turns out beautiful and mysterious, but in my opinion it looks more like something like “The Border Between Worlds” rather than “The End of the World.”

Entrance to the underwater kingdom.

This is the “Great Blue Hole”, which is located in the Caribbean Sea near the Yucatan Peninsula. Its diameter is 305 meters, depth is about 120-140 m:
Once upon a time this hole in the bottom Atlantic Ocean was an ordinary “land” cave, whose “roof” collapsed, and then it was flooded by the rising waters of the world’s oceans after the end of the Ice Age. This is the largest hole of its kind on our planet. After Jacques Cousteau featured it in his film, it became the world's most popular diving spot.

Inverted sky.

Natural mirror with an area of ​​10 thousand square meters. m.
This dry lake in Bolivia, it is called “Salt Marsh of Uyuni”. This fantastic effect of a giant mirror occurs during the rainy season, when water covers the surface of the salt marsh with a thin layer. The rest of the time the lake looks like this:

Crooked forest.

Forest with crooked trees in Poland.
This forest was planted in the 30s of the last century. Almost all of its 400 trees have a synchronized bend in one direction. There is no exact scientific explanation for this phenomenon, but the most plausible version sounds like this:

..As you know, in ancient times, furniture with smooth curves and crooked legs was in fashion. In general, curved wooden parts were used everywhere, for example, sleigh runners, parts of boats, ships, etc. Usually, wood was bent already during the production process, but here, in the area of ​​​​the Polish village of Gryfino, we see the result of an experiment in the production of pre-curved wood

But, second World War prevented this ambitious commercial project from being realized - the village was destroyed, the young “slender” pines were abandoned. But now, in Poland, which is rather poor in attractions, there is such a strange forest, protected by the state as a nature reserve.

Valley of love.

These rocks definitely resemble something... hence the name of the valley, which is located in Cappadocia (Turkey). But not only the Valley of Love, but the rest of Cappadocia is a place with a very unusual “mushroom-shaped topography”.
This relief is a consequence powerful eruptions, which took place here in prehistoric times, after which wind and water took over, which together over millions of years created these pillars with caps.
Then, several thousand years ago, people got to work and created cave dwellings and entire cave-underground cities here, going down to a depth of 80 meters.

In total, there are about 40 cave cities in Cappadocia, which were once home to up to 30,000 people.

Scuba diving in the park.

Agree, it’s a very unusual place for diving - swimming among alleys, benches and trees:
There is such a park in Austria. It is located near the clean mountain lake, and most of the year it is an ordinary park. But in the summer, when the snow in the mountains melts, the water level in the lake rises by several meters, turning the surrounding area into an attraction for divers.


I think that scuba divers swimming in this lake experience very strange sensations, it’s probably similar to flying in zero gravity or in a dream, because instead of the usual deep landscape they see an ordinary park under water.

Another proof of the wisdom of nature. Look at the beauty she turned an ordinary trash bin into:

50 years ago there was a large waste dump on this site on the shores of the Gulf of California. But somewhere in the 60s it was forbidden to throw out garbage here, the main trash was taken out, but the broken glass remained... And nature, as usual, worked a miracle!

Welcome to glass beach in California!

Island of Happiness.

This is how the name of the island is translated , more precisely an archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean, several hundred kilometers from the coasts of Somalia and Yemen. The unusualness of this island is that for several million years it has been isolated from the rest of the earth, thanks to which many ancient plants and animals have been preserved here in their original form.

Once here, you will be transported into the Earth's past approximately 10-20 million years. Everything here is the same as it was then, only dinosaurs are missing:



Let's continue the review..

It turns out there is such a miracle on our Earth! This country is located more precisely the city in China.

This place was created to attract tourists. “Little people” live here, put on performances for tourists, and generally make money from tourists as best they can. Therefore, many Chinese dwarfs have a chance to find work and shelter in "The Land of Lilliputians."

Arizona, 240 km from the famous Grand Canyon. Fantastic, surreal beauty, especially when the rays of the sun fall inside during the day:
or the moon at night:
The place where Antelope Canyon is located belongs to the Navajo Indians, so to get here you need to negotiate with them ($) and hire a guide.

If you decide to go there, be careful in rainy weather - even if it rains somewhere nearby, the canyon can fill with water very quickly and almost silently. Thus, in 1997, 11 tourists died here.

Wave.

The Arizona Wave is another natural wonder:

They say nature is the best artist, in this case we see her works in the style of “surrealism”.

This place, like Antelope Canyon, is located not far from the Grand Canyon Park. The surface of the “Wave”, despite the fact that it was formed under the influence of rain and wind over millions of years, is quite fragile in places, so large crowds of tourists are not allowed here. The maximum is 20 people per day, and tickets here are drawn like a lottery, so seeing this beauty with your own eyes is not easy.

But you can see a photo or video:

These colorful rocks are located in the geological park of the Chinese province of Gansu, and there are no other hills of the same type anywhere else in the world.

Hundreds of millions of years ago this area was the bottom of the sea. But, as often happened in those geologically active times, the sea became dry land, and the silt deposits dried out and oxidized. Naturally, it could not have happened without the participation of water and wind, which washed and blew out various layers of sedimentary rocks of different colors and shades.

Now it is a unique place of its kind that attracts tourists from all over the world. Convenient paths and viewing platforms have been built for them. Another interesting fact is that the famous Silk Road once ran through this area.

The strangest place in the world.

This may be a very loud headline, but if not this strange place, then what!?!

Of course, these toys were never alive, but judging by the eerie impression that discarded dolls hanging on trees make, this definition is quite suitable for this place:

The Island of the Dolls is located in Mexico, not far from Mexico City, among the canals of Xochimilco overgrown with reeds and bushes. Of course, there is a legend that explains what happened here:

In the middle of the last century, a man named Don Julian Santana Barrera lived in these places. He was of a gloomy disposition, liked to drink a fair amount, and was not entirely in good spirits, which is why those around him disliked him. At some point, he completely went crazy, and it happened on religious grounds. He annoyed his neighbors so much with his delusional sermons that they began to periodically beat him.

Because of all this, Don Julian decided to get away from the bustle of the world, chose a wild island among the canals of Xochimilco, began to grow vegetables there and catch fish for lunch. He was alone desert island, just like Robinson Crusoe. Rejected by society, he felt overwhelming loneliness and hatred for the whole world.

One day, Don Julian found a doll on the island. He knew that not long ago a girl drowned somewhere nearby - most likely it was her doll! As a religious man, Don Julian believed that the girl’s soul still wanders here without finding peace, and for his personal safety he needs to somehow win her over. Since then, occasionally visiting the city, he collected discarded dolls from garbage dumps and brought them to the island as a gift to the spirit of the dead girl.

..As the years passed, there were more and more dolls, and Don Julian became more and more out of his mind - the mania for collecting dolls took possession of his consciousness completely. He became obsessed with dolls; they completely replaced society and human communication for him. Now he was not alone - he lived a full life surrounded by friends, girlfriends, neighbors, acquaintances... and enemies. He treated his friends in a friendly manner - he looked after them, shared shelter with them, and they kept him company on long dull evenings.

But Don Julian did not have many friends; for the most part he was surrounded by enemies. And Don Julian Santana Barrera was cruel to his enemies! He carried out executions on them like a medieval inquisitor dealing with heretics, and then hung them from the “corpses” on trees, mainly around the perimeter of the island, in order to frighten evil spirits and uninvited guests.

This is how this strange and mysterious man, Robinson Crusoe of the 20th century, lived on his island. But one day, when his nephew, the only living person who occasionally visited him and brought him food, once again sailed to the island, Don Julian was no longer here. It looks like he drowned in the canal, just like the girl whose doll became the first resident "Islands of Dead Dolls"

Here is such a legend... I apologize if I got creepy at the end of the post. I fantasized a little based on what I found on the Internet about this strange island... just to make it more interesting.

On our planet, along with modern, technologically and industrially developed megacities, there are many places created by ancient masters or nature itself.

Each such attraction has its own legend and, naturally, is silent about a lot of things. Mysterious places raise a huge number of questions among scientists and confuse them anomalous phenomena and the unknown.

1. Devils Tower, USA

The so-called Devil's Tower is actually a natural rock of amazingly regular shape and consists of columns with sharp corners. This is true mysterious place, which, according to research, is more than 200 million years old, is located in the USA, in the territory of the modern state of Wyoming.


In size, the Devil's Tower is several times larger than the Cheops Pyramid and from the outside resembles a man-made structure. Thanks to its unrealistic size and unnaturally correct configuration, the rock has become the object of attention of many scientists, and local residents claim that Satan himself built it.


2. Cahokia Mounds, USA

Cahokia or Cahokia is an abandoned Indian city, the ruins of which are located near Illinois, USA. This place is reminiscent of how ancient civilizations lived, and its complex structure proves that this area was inhabited by a highly developed people 1500 years ago. Old City It is striking in its scale; a network of terraces and 30-meter earthen mounds, as well as a huge solar calendar, have been preserved on its territory.


It is still unknown why a society of almost 40 thousand people left their settlement, and which Indian tribes are direct descendants of the Cahokians. Despite this, the Cahokia Mounds are a favorite place for many tourists who come here in the hope of unraveling the mystery. ancient city.


3. Chawinda, Mexico

This mystical place, according to Aboriginal beliefs, is the center of intersection of reality and other worlds. That is why incredible things happen here that are difficult for modern people to understand.


Chawinda is of interest to many treasure hunters, because according to legend, this area hides unprecedented wealth. Unfortunately, no one has yet managed to find the treasure. Would-be treasure hunters often attribute their failures to otherworldly forces.


4. Newgrange, Ireland

Newgrange is the oldest building on the territory of modern Ireland, it is already about 5 thousand years old. It is believed that this long corridor with a transverse room is a grave, but scientists have not yet been able to determine for whom.


It is still unknown how ancient people were able to build such a perfect structure, which for five thousand years was not only lucky enough to survive, maintaining its primitive appearance, but also to remain completely waterproof.


5. Pyramids of Yonaguni, Japan

Mysterious underwater pyramids near the western Japanese island Yonaguni causes a lot of controversy among modern archaeologists and surveyors. The main question is whether the structures are a natural phenomenon, or whether they were created by the hand of an ancient man.


In the course of numerous studies, it was possible to establish that the age of the Yonaguni pyramids is more than 10 thousand years. Therefore, if the Yonagun monuments created mysterious civilizations unknown to us, then the history of mankind should be rewritten.

Mysterious civilization. Underwater cities of Yonaguni

6. Geoglyphs of Nazca, Peru

The Nazca geoglyphs in Peru are one of the most mysterious places on the planet. They were discovered in the middle of the last century and are still actively discussed by scientists who cannot say unambiguously what the ancient people wanted to express with these giant drawings of animals and for what purpose were they used?


Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to ask the creators, but scientists offer 2 main versions: some, leaning towards the cosmic theory of the origin of geoglyphs, believe that they are landmarks for alien ships, others claim that they are giant lunar calendars. Anyway, rock paintings Nazca is proof of the existence of an ancient and mysterious civilization on the territory of modern Peru, which lived here long before the famous Incas and was distinguished by a high level of development.


7. Black Bamboo Hollow, China

Black Bamboo Hollow or Heizhu is perhaps the most terrible place on Earth. Locals They nicknamed it the Valley of Death, and they don’t even want to get close to it for any money. Just the memory of the ravine fills them with great horror.


They say that children and pets disappear here without a trace, and there is a lot of documentary evidence of this. Scientists have been interested in the hollow of black bamboo for decades, who managed to prove that the valley in Chinese province Sichuan is an anomalous area with a harsh climate and rapidly changing weather conditions, which together provoke soil subsidence, which, according to scientists, is the cause of missing people.


8. Giant's Causeway, Ireland

The Giant's Causeway, or Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is an amazing coastal area formed many centuries ago as a result of a volcanic eruption. It consists of approximately 40 thousand basalt columns that look like giant steps.


The natural attraction is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This place deserves admiration, which is why more than one thousand tourists from all over the world visit it every year.


9. Goseck Circle, Germany

The Goseck Circle is an ancient Neolithic structure in the German district of Burgenlandkreis. The circle was accidentally discovered in the early 90s of the last century while surveying the area from an airplane.


The original appearance of the building was restored only after complete reconstruction. Scientists have little doubt that the Goseck Circle was used for astronomical observations and calendaring. This proves that our ancestors also studied cosmic bodies, their movements and kept track of time.


10. Moai monuments on Easter Island

Easter Island is famous all over the world thanks to giant statues Moai located throughout its territory. Each such megalithic figure is a large monument created by the masters of an ancient civilization in the crater of the local volcano Rano Raraku.


In total, about 1,000 remains of such man-made monuments were discovered on the island. Most have already gone under water.


Today, the vast majority of the statues are once again placed on platforms facing the ocean, from where they continue to greet visitors to the island and remind of the former power of the ancient people who inhabited these spaces.

Easter Island - Moai Message

11. Georgia Tablets, USA

The Georgia Tablets are 20-ton polished granite slabs with inscriptions in eight of the world's most famous languages. The inscriptions represent commandments for future generations on how to rebuild civilization after a global cataclysm. The monument was erected in 1979, the customer is listed in the documents under the name Robert C. Christian.


The height of the monumental structure is just over six meters, and the slabs are oriented towards the four sides of the world and have holes. In one of them you can see the North Star at any time of the year, in the second - the Sun during the solstice and equinox. Several years ago, the monument was vandalized and was damaged by paint, which has not yet been removed.


12. Rishat (Eye of the Sahara). Mauritania

In the territory of modern Mauritania, the largest desert in the world hides an amazing a natural phenomenon Proterozoic period, whose name is Richat or Eye of the Sahara.


This object has incredible huge size(up to 50 kilometers in diameter), so it can be seen even from space. The structure consists of several ellipsoidal rings formed by sedimentary rocks and sandstones about 500 million years ago.


13. “Gateway to Hell” – Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan

The Darvaza gas crater is located in the Turkmen Karakum desert, appearance resembling a gate to hell. This fire pit, about 60 meters in diameter and up to 20 meters deep, is the result of excavations carried out here during the Soviet Union.


During such geological research, a group of scientists discovered an underground cavern with natural gas, which almost led to the death of a huge number of people. Therefore, the management decided to set fire to the gas so that it would not threaten local residents. But the fire, which was supposed to burn for no more than 5 days, is still burning, bringing fear to everyone who approaches it.


Brave people are ready to take selfies at the Gates of Hell

14. Arkaim, Russia

Arkaim is an ancient settlement, reminiscent of ancient civilizations, which was discovered several decades ago in the vicinity of Chelyabinsk. It is believed that this landmark of Russia is the birthplace of the ancient Aryans, who gave rise to European, Persian and Indian civilizations.


Arkaim is not only a unique architectural monument with thousand years of history, but also a place of concentration of healing energy flows that can save a person from any disease.


15. Stonehenge, England

English Stonehenge is a real place of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world. It attracts with its mystery, legends and mystical beginnings. Stonehenge represents megalithic structure up to one hundred meters in diameter, which is located on Salisbury Plain.

Descriptions and photographs of unusual, mysterious and amazing places on our planet.

Semuc Champey (the name from the Mayan language translates as “where the river is hidden under the stones”) is the most beautiful natural attraction in Guatemala, formed by the Caabon River, passing through a 300-meter limestone bridge (of natural origin) and forming several natural pools with a depth of 1 to 3 meters. You can swim in these pools, and if you sit on a stone and put your feet in the water, then in just a few seconds you will begin to receive free massage and peeling from the small fish that live in these reservoirs. This is an extremely pleasant feeling, I liked it even more than directly swimming in a pond.

Semuc Champey is located in the deep jungle and remained unknown for a long time until it was accidentally discovered in the mid-50s of the last century. In 1999, the President of Guatemala declared Semuc Champey a natural monument.

Semuk Champey. View from observation deck

Mount Kailash is located in the highland valley of Tibet in southwest China. This sacred land is full of mysteries and mysticism. It is here that pilgrims from all over the world come to perform kora - ritual circumambulation around Kailash.

Prohodna is the highest cave in Bulgaria. It is located 2 km from the village of Karlukovo in the valley of the Iskar River and is part of the Iskar-Panega geopark. This amazing karst cave is a natural rock bridge 262 meters long and 15 to 25 meters wide. It has two entrances, Big and Small, between which there is a path.
The height of the arch of the large entrance is 45 meters: this is a favorite place for fans of extreme jumps. In addition, the cave is very popular among rock climbers. In the vicinity of Prohodny there are sports routes which are considered one of the most difficult in Bulgaria.
The main feature of Prohodna is two through holes in the rock shaped like human eyes. Locals call them "God's Eyes" and sometimes "Devil's Eyes." These “windows” provide natural light in the cave and captivate tourists with their amazing symmetry. But the “Eyes of God” make a special impression in rainy weather, when real tears seem to flow from them.

National Park Bryce Canyon is located in the state of Utah (USA). This amazing natural site is known throughout the world for its beauty and unique marine geology. It is a gigantic amphitheater of rocky peaks varied in structure.

New Zealand - wonderful country proud of her picturesque landscapes. However, its main attractions are not only on the surface - it is just as beautiful underground. Proof of this is the famous Waitomo district, which lies on one of the most large islands states. It is famous for its impressive limestone caves, which are amazing in themselves, but what makes them even more special are the numerous fireflies that choose these underground labyrinths as their home. Thousands of tiny insects emit phosphorescent light, creating surreal light installations.

The picturesque island community of Burano in the northern lagoon Italian city Venice can rightfully be called one of the most colorful places on planet Earth. In addition to its skilled lace-makers, it is famous for its bright, colorful buildings. Interestingly, each building is assigned a specific color, permission for which homeowners receive from local authorities. The condition of cartoon houses and the saturation of the shade are carefully monitored, if necessary, refreshing the lost brightness of their appearance. According to legend, it was the bright colors of the facades that from ancient times showed Buran fishermen the way home.

The small village, located on one of the 400 Shengxi Islands located east of the Chinese province of Zhejiang, has been abandoned by people for decades, but every year it increasingly attracts the attention of tourists. After the town, famous for its fishing, was abandoned by people who found more convenient ways to make money on the mainland, it began to disappear under the onslaught of local vegetation, turning into a kingdom of greenery. Plants are slowly consuming dilapidated stone buildings, demonstrating the power of nature and creating a truly fantastic spectacle. Quiet picturesque area east coast China did not become a comfortable place for humans to live, but it quickly became a cozy home for local flora and fauna. The transformation of the city is especially impressive considering the fact that residents only left it in the early 90s, and empty houses and broken windows are already completely merging with thriving greenery. So abandoned locality It is gradually turning from ruins into a green jungle, which has already become a famous local landmark.

In cold Iceland, a land of snow, ice and unique natural attractions, there is always something to see and admire. Its main assets are represented by powerful fjords, volcanoes, waterfalls and, of course, glaciers, striking in their scale and beauty. In their depths, as if in the castle of the Snow Queen, something even more magnificent lurks - ice caves. The most amazing of them are concentrated in the southern part of the giant Vatnajokull glacier, which has the status of the largest in Europe and the third largest in the whole globe after the glaciers of Antarctica and Greenland. Its area is 8133 km², which is 8% of the entire territory of the island. The ice thickness is on average 400 meters, and the maximum reaches 1000 meters. Vatnajökull is part of the largest national park in Europe of the same name.

In Yosemite national park California has an impressive natural landmark called Horsetail Fall. For this unusual name lies an ordinary seasonal waterfall, in winter and in early spring cascading with east side mountain range El Capitan. The most interesting things begin to happen in these parts at the end of February. For just a few days a year, park visitors have the opportunity to see a rare phenomenon - the transformation of an ordinary water flow into a fiery waterfall reminiscent of lava erupting from a volcano. Actually this one natural phenomenon- a visual illusion, the secret of which is hidden in the reflection of the rays of the setting sun at a certain angle and under favorable weather conditions. The luminary, blazing with fiery reflections in the water flowing from the mountain, creates truly apocalyptic landscapes. The unusual effect lasts only a few minutes, but travelers and hunters for unique footage regularly gather near Mount El Capitan in order to see and capture the stunning illusion.

Blue Fields is an unusual photo project, similar to a beautiful fantasy of an artist, authored by Scottish photographer Simon Butterworth. The bodies of water in western Australia captured by aerial photography look very surreal, as if these are not photographs at all, but watercolor paintings depicting abstract patterns. In fact, the pictures show ordinary artificial ponds from which a concentrated salt solution evaporates, leaving a harvest of salt. The salt fields reflecting the blue sky were captured by a photographer from an airplane at an altitude of about 1,500 meters near the abandoned town of Useless Loop, in Shark Bay, the westernmost point of mainland Australia.

Goats are known for their acrobatic skills and ability to maintain balance on sheer cliffs. However, their amazing abilities do not end there - in the kingdom of Morocco you can see an even more unusual sight: dozens of horned animals comfortably nest in the trees, like a flock of birds. They climb to the highest branches, like skilled tightrope walkers, where they engage in measured eating of green leaves and fruits.

As night falls, the beaches of some islands in the Maldives archipelago erupt with millions of glowing neon dots, as if the starry sky is falling onto the shore Indian Ocean. The surreal picture does not appear through magic, but as a result of the life activity of microscopic organisms called bioluminescent phytoplankton. Blue glow is most common in the Maldives from around July to February, especially during the new moon, when the darkness of the sky helps microorganisms glow as brightly as possible. The amazing effect of bioluminescence can be seen in any of the atolls of the state, but the most enchanting “star” surf occurs on the island of Vaadhoo.

The world is full of wonderful places, the beauty of which seems unreal. If you want to visit unusual place, here is a list with photos of the 10 most amazing places in the world. They have to be seen to be believed that they actually exist.

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

60 million years ago, a volcano erupted here, throwing out a huge amount of hot basalt. As it cooled, it formed the bizarre shapes that can be seen today on the northern coast of Ireland. The Giant's Causeway is 37,000 columns of almost perfect shape, around which many legends are woven. One of them says that giants walked here, building a pavement for themselves.

Pamukkale, Türkiye


Pamukkale or “Palace of Cotton” is located in the southwest of Turkey and is mesmerizing at first sight. A tour here includes a visit to the ancient ruins of Hierapolis and the ancient city built around it. And one more thing: nothing compares to the local sunset, when the water smoothly flows over the white travertine terraces, wrapped in the pink shades of the last rays of the sun.

Socotra Island, Yemen


This isolated island has a unique and fascinating biodiversity. The most interesting and unique species include: Cucumber tree, Dorsthenia gigantea, Desert rose and Dragon tree, with their twisted trunks.

Tianzi Mountains, China


These oddly shaped limestone mountains can be seen in the northeast of Hunan Province. They are covered with rich vegetation and are constantly hidden in fog. The funicular will take curious tourists to the village of Huangshi, from where you can explore the data along walking trails amazing mountains, whose name translates as “son of Heaven.”

Spotted Lake, Canada


Protected by the culture of the Okanagan Indians, this lake is known, if nothing else, for its quaint landscape. In summer, the lake's water evaporates, leaving quaint miniature pools of various colors. Interestingly, the water in the lake is saturated with the world's highest concentration of magnesium, calcium and sodium sulfate, as well as silver and titanium. To fully admire it, you need to go to Highway 3, which is near the city of Osoyoos, in Canada, not far from the US border.

Thor's Well, USA


Thor's Well is an amazing creation of nature located at Cape Perpetua in the US state of Oregon. When the tide comes in, the water that flows into it creates a magical landscape. This fascinating natural phenomenon can be seen from the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Visitor Center.

Lake Hillier, Australia


Fourth place in the ranking is occupied by Lake Hiller, which is located on Middle Island in southwestern Australia. It is noteworthy that the water in the lake is dark pink. all year round and does not change even when taken into a separate container. Scientists claim that the reason is the incredible salinity of the water and the presence of the unique algae Dunaliella salina and other bacteria. In any case, one thing catches your eye: an unusual, even fantastic, landscape.

Hand in the desert, Chile


Chocolate Hills, Philippines


The Chocolate Hills are 1,268 to 1,776 conical hills 30–100 m high, scattered over an area of ​​50 square kilometers across the island of Bohol. They are covered with green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season when the leaves dry out and fall off, hence their name.

Fly Geyser, USA


Fly Geyser was created by accident in 1916 when a well was drilled and accidentally hit a geothermal pocket. However, it was not until 1964 that water began to penetrate the surface. Today, the geyser constantly erupts three water jets of delightful colors a meter and a half in height, increasing by several centimeters every year.

Share on social media networks