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Strange Places & Geography

104 curious, true stories.

Illustration of a snowy Arctic town with colorful housesStrange Places & GeographyThis Arctic Town Supposedly Bans Dying. The Real Rule Is Even StrangerIllustration of a desert landscape with dunesStrange Places & GeographySaudi Arabia Is One of the World's Biggest Countries, Yet It Has No Permanent RiversA café floor with a line of white crosses marking the border between two countriesStrange Places & GeographyIn This Town, the Border Runs Through Houses, and Diners Once Swapped Tables to Stay OpenIllustration of a snowy volcanic peak in EcuadorStrange Places & GeographyEverest Is the Tallest Mountain. But This Peak in Ecuador Sits Farther From Earth's Core
Illustration of a map of Alaska with its long chain of Aleutian IslandsStrange Places & GeographyAlaska Is the Westernmost State. By One Measure, It's Also the EasternmostIllustration of a horse-drawn carriage on a quiet street on Mackinac IslandStrange Places & GeographyThis Michigan Island Banned Cars Over 125 Years Ago, and the Reason Was the Horses
Illustration of a small town sign standing beside an empty prairie roadStrange Places & GeographyThis Nebraska Town Has One Resident. She Runs the Bar, the Library, and City HallIllustration of a quiet small-town street with houses on both sides and a painted yellow center lineStrange Places & GeographyOn This Quiet Street, Neighbors Across the Road Live in a Different Country
Illustration of St. Peter's Basilica dome at sunsetStrange Places & GeographyThe World's Smallest Country Would Fit Inside Central Park Nearly Eight Times OverA welcome sign for Truth or Consequences on a sunny desert road in New MexicoStrange Places & GeographyIn 1950, a New Mexico Town Renamed Itself for a Game Show. It Never Went BackIllustration of ancient stone tunnels and rooms carved deep undergroundStrange Places & GeographyA Man Knocked Down a Wall in His Basement and Found a City for 20,000 PeopleIllustration of a snowy town under the polar nightStrange Places & GeographyIn America's Northernmost Town, the Sun Sets in November and Stays Gone Until January
Illustration of a Hawaiian beach with palm trees at sunsetStrange Places & GeographyHawaii Hasn't Changed Its Clocks for Daylight Saving Since 1945. The Sun Explains WhyIllustration of the Four Corners Monument, a round granite marker with four states' seals in a desert landscapeStrange Places & GeographyThere's One Spot in America Where You Can Be in Four States at the Same TimeIllustration of thatched-roof houses beside a calm canal with small boats in a Dutch villageStrange Places & GeographyThis Storybook Dutch Village Was Built Without Roads. Locals Got Around a Different WayIllustration of the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul spanning the strait at sunsetStrange Places & GeographyIn Istanbul, Commuters Cross From Europe to Asia Every Morning. It Takes One Bridge
A small town street lined with buildings covered in large painted muralsStrange Places & GeographyWhen Its Mill Shut Down, a Small Logging Town Grabbed Paintbrushes Instead of Giving UpIllustration of an empty two-lane desert highway stretching toward distant Nevada mountainsStrange Places & GeographyA Magazine Called This Highway America's Loneliest Road. Nevada Turned It Into a PrizeIllustration of San Marino's medieval towers perched atop a rocky mountain above the Italian countrysideStrange Places & GeographyThis Mountaintop Country Sits Entirely Inside Italy. Lincoln Was an Honorary CitizenIllustration of Venice canals lined with old palaces and gondolas gliding on the waterStrange Places & GeographyVenice Seems to Float on Its Lagoon. What Holds It Up Is Hidden in the Mud Below
Illustration of a rainy green townStrange Places & GeographyOne Hawaiian Mountaintop Gets Rain on About 335 Days a Year. The Wettest Town Is ElsewhereA small, tree-covered island in a calm river with a stone border marker on its shoreStrange Places & GeographyThis Tiny River Island Belongs to France for Half the Year and Spain for the Other HalfIllustration of a remote coastline in TasmaniaStrange Places & GeographyOn a Windy Tip of Tasmania, Scientists Have Been Bottling the Air Since 1978Illustration of a hotel built from ice and snow glowing with blue lights at nightStrange Places & GeographyThis Swedish Hotel Melts Into a River Every Spring, and Guests Keep Coming Back
Illustration of weathered wooden buildings in an empty Old West ghost townStrange Places & GeographyThis California Gold Town Was Simply Left Behind, Goods Still Sitting on the ShelvesIllustration of a small Eiffel Tower replica topped with a red cowboy hatStrange Places & GeographyTexas Has an Eiffel Tower in a Cowboy Hat. How Many Parises It Has May Surprise YouIllustration of a tiny footbridge linking two small wooded islands on a riverStrange Places & GeographyThis Tiny Bridge Flies Two Countries' Flags. It Never Actually Crosses a BorderIllustration of many small rabbits gathered on a grassy island hillside overlooking a calm blue seaStrange Places & GeographyThousands of Friendly Rabbits Roam This Tiny Japanese Island. Its Past Is Far Darker
Illustration of Michigan's Great Lakes seen from aboveStrange Places & GeographyAsk Someone From Michigan Where They Live and They Might Just Hold Up Their HandA quiet, well-kept wealthy village with tidy houses and neat tree-lined streetsStrange Places & GeographyThis Village Calls Itself the Richest in China. The Fine Print Tells a Different StoryIllustration of a very steep residential street lined with houses in New ZealandStrange Places & GeographyThe World's Steepest Street Was Steep by Mistake, Thanks to Planners Far AwayIllustration of the U.S. Capitol at sunsetStrange Places & GeographyNearly 700,000 People Live in the Nation's Capital, Yet It Isn't Part of Any State
Illustration of elderly people chatting in a sunny Mediterranean villageStrange Places & GeographyThe Famous Blue Zones Where People Live to 100 Are Facing Some Tough QuestionsIllustration of a cheerful small town decorated for Christmas with a Santa statue, lights, and a candy shopStrange Places & GeographyThis Indiana Town Got Its Famous Name by Accident, and It's Been Christmas Ever SinceIllustration of glittering white road lines reflecting car headlights on a dark highwayStrange Places & GeographyThose Road Lines Glitter in Your Headlights for a Reason. They're Full of Tiny Glass BeadsIllustration of an aerial view of many blue lakes scattered among green Minnesota forestsStrange Places & GeographyMinnesota Calls Itself the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The Real Number Is Even Bigger
Houses and doorways carved into a rocky hillside, stacked up the slope of a ravineStrange Places & GeographyPeople Have Lived in These Hillside Caves Since the Stone Age. Today Some Are HotelsIllustration of rows of bicycles parked along a canal in a Dutch cityStrange Places & GeographyAmsterdam Is Famous for Having More Bikes Than People. The Real Count Is CloserIllustration of the Great Pyramid of Giza rising above the desert sands under a clear blue skyStrange Places & GeographyFor Over 3,700 Years, Nothing People Built Stood Taller Than This Egyptian TombIllustration of a wide river making a sharp looping bend around a patch of farmlandStrange Places & GeographyA Piece of Kentucky Can't Be Reached by Road Without Leaving Kentucky. Blame a River
Illustration of a plane crossing a roadStrange Places & GeographyFor Decades, Drivers at This Airport Had to Stop and Wait Every Time a Plane LandedA white lighthouse standing on a rocky Michigan shoreline beside a blue Great LakeStrange Places & GeographyThe State With the Most Lighthouses Doesn't Touch an Ocean at AllIllustration of old houses being relocatedStrange Places & GeographyThis Whole Town Packed Up Its Houses and Moved. A Brand-New Lake Was ComingIllustration of a flat Florida landscape with palm trees under a wide skyStrange Places & GeographyFlorida's Highest Point Is Just 345 Feet Tall. The Reason Lies Deep Under the Sand
Illustration of a glowing midnight sun low over a Norwegian fjord and mountainsStrange Places & GeographyIn Parts of Norway, Summer Brings Weeks When the Sun Simply Refuses to Go DownIllustration of a bright underground shopping corridor lined with storesStrange Places & GeographyMontreal Has a Second City Below the Streets. Half a Million People a Day Use It in WinterIllustration of a giant ball of twine under an open-air gazebo in a small Kansas townStrange Places & GeographyA Kansas Town of 457 People Has Spent Decades Growing a Ball of Twine. It Weighs TonsIllustration of a tiny desert town with a few old buildings beside an empty highway stretching toward distant mountainsStrange Places & GeographyA Magazine Called This Nevada Highway America's Loneliest. Locals Turned It Into a Prize
Illustration of a road sign with an extremely long place nameStrange Places & GeographyA Modest Hill in New Zealand Has an 85-Letter Name. It Tells a Whole Love StoryA red wooden covered bridge over a creek surrounded by bright autumn treesStrange Places & GeographyAmerica Once Had About 14,000 Covered Bridges. One State Still Holds More Than 200Illustration of a desert town welcome sign under a bright blue New Mexico skyStrange Places & GeographyA New Mexico Town Gave Up Its Name for a Radio Show, and Never Looked BackIllustration of an ancient stone roadStrange Places & GeographyBuses Still Rumble Down a Road the Romans Started Building 2,300 Years Ago
Illustration of the winding brick road of Lombard Street lined with flowersStrange Places & GeographySan Francisco's Famous Crooked Street Isn't the Only Contender for the TitleIllustration of a round medieval town with red roofs and a church tower nestled inside a huge, gently rimmed craterStrange Places & GeographyThis Medieval Town Sits Inside a Giant Crater, and Its Walls Hide Millions of DiamondsIllustration of a white lighthouse on a rocky Maine coastline at sunsetStrange Places & GeographyMaine Is the Only State With a One-Syllable Name, and Nobody Is Sure Where It Came FromIllustration of the sun rising over a quiet tropical coast with palm treesStrange Places & GeographyThe Island Famous for Seeing the World's First Sunrise Has Nobody Living on It
Large stone moai statues standing on a grassy slope of Easter IslandStrange Places & GeographyThey're Famous as Easter Island's Giant Stone Heads. Dig a Little and You Find BodiesIllustration of two shades of blue ocean water meeting in a visible line off a sandy pointStrange Places & GeographyTwo Seas Meet in a Sharp Line You Can See From the Beach. But the Mystery Isn't RealIllustration of black and white dairy cows grazing beside a classic red barn in green countrysideStrange Places & GeographyWisconsin Didn't Start Out as Dairy Country. A Failing Crop Changed EverythingIllustration of a perfectly straight desert road running to the horizon under a bright skyStrange Places & GeographyOne Desert Highway Runs About 150 Miles Without a Single Bend. It Began as a King's Road
Illustration of an old Mexico City cathedralStrange Places & GeographyParts of Mexico City Have Sunk About 30 Feet, and the Ground Is Still DroppingA quirky small-town street in Roswell with alien-themed signs and green alien decorationsStrange Places & GeographyIn 1947, the Army Announced It Had Found a Flying Disc. The Next Day, the Story ChangedIllustration of an abandoned saloon in a desertStrange Places & GeographyNorth America's Ghost Town Champion Isn't Nevada or Texas. It's Not Even in the U.S.Illustration of a red, white, and blue swallowtail-shaped flag waving in the windStrange Places & GeographyOhio Has the Only State Flag That Isn't a Rectangle, and It Even Has a Folding Law
Illustration of a quiet Arctic archipelago with colorful houses beneath snowy mountainsStrange Places & GeographyPeople Say There's an Arctic Town Where You're Not Allowed to Die. The Truth Is StrangerIllustration of crowds of pedestrians crossing a busy Tokyo intersectionStrange Places & GeographyUp to 3,000 People Cross This Tokyo Intersection at Once. The Idea Began in North AmericaIllustration of a winding country road in Vermont lined with bright autumn treesStrange Places & GeographyDrive Across Vermont and Something Is Missing From the Roadside. It Has Been Since 1974Illustration of a rocky mountain slope with a long tongue of loose earth and rocks flowing down a valleyStrange Places & GeographyMountains Don't Walk. But This Slope in Colorado Has Been Crawling for 300 Years
Illustration of an ancient Japanese pond gardenStrange Places & GeographyThis Quiet Kyoto Pond Garden Is Over 1,200 Years Old. Emperors Once Partied HereA northern European city with brick buildings lining canals crossed by many small bridgesStrange Places & GeographyThis City Has More Bridges Than London, Amsterdam, and Venice Put TogetherIllustration of a long flat prairie strip under a wide open skyStrange Places & GeographyFor 40 Years, Oklahoma's Panhandle Belonged to No State at All. Here's WhyIllustration of a beach covered in sea glassStrange Places & GeographyThis Sparkling California Beach Was Once the Town Dump. The Ocean Did the Rest
Illustration of narrow blue-painted alleys and doorways in a Moroccan mountain townStrange Places & GeographyMorocco's Famous Blue City Is a Stunner. Nobody Agrees Why It Was Painted That WayIllustration of a dark green pine forest seen from above, with a patch of yellow autumn trees forming a geometric patternStrange Places & GeographyFor Decades, a German Pine Forest Hid a Secret That Could Only Be Seen From the AirIllustration of a quiet small-town main street in Vermont with brick storefronts and autumn treesStrange Places & GeographyOne U.S. State Capital Has No McDonald's and No Starbucks. It's the Smallest of Them AllIllustration of a bright pink lake surrounded by green trees beside a deep blue oceanStrange Places & GeographyThis Australian Lake Sits Beside the Ocean and Is Bubble-Gum Pink. Tiny Life Is to Thank
A small mountain village with white houses on the green, steep slopes of La GomeraStrange Places & GeographyOn This Spanish Island, People Can Send a Message Across a Valley Without Saying a WordIllustration of a traditional Japanese inn beside steaming hot spring pools in the mountainsStrange Places & GeographyThis Japanese Inn Opened in the Year 705 and One Family Ran It for 52 GenerationsIllustration of a desert sunset glowing behind tall saguaro cactus silhouettesStrange Places & GeographyMost of Arizona Hasn't Sprung Forward Since 1968. The Desert Heat Explains a LotIllustration of whitewashed houses tucked beneath a huge overhanging rock ledgeStrange Places & GeographyIn This Spanish Town, Some Homes Don't Need a Roof. A Mountain of Rock Does the Job
Illustration of a green tunnel of trees over railway tracksStrange Places & GeographyIn a Quiet Corner of Ukraine, a Working Railway Runs Through a Living Tunnel of TreesDozens of small rocky islands scattered across a calm blue northern seaStrange Places & GeographyThe Country With the Most Islands Isn't a Tropical Paradise. It's in Chilly ScandinaviaIllustration of a clock tower in a small townStrange Places & GeographyA Border Runs Down This City's Main Street. Keeping Every Clock in Sync Took Some DoingIllustration of a long suspension bridge silhouetted against a dusky skyStrange Places & GeographyIn 2020, San Franciscans Heard an Eerie Hum on Windy Days. It Was Their Famous Bridge
Aerial illustration of the Mississippi River delta branching into the Gulf of MexicoStrange Places & GeographyThe Mississippi Wants to Change Course, and Floodgates Have Held It Back Since 1963Illustration of wooden houses on stilts above calm water with small boatsStrange Places & GeographyTen Thousand People Live Above a River in Brunei. Their Water Village Is Centuries OldIllustration of an old-fashioned map of the Hawaiian Islands with a compass roseStrange Places & GeographyMany States Have Ruler-Straight Edges. One State's Borders Are Nothing but ShorelineIllustration of a small cottage with walls made of layered newspaper pages tucked among treesStrange Places & GeographyA Massachusetts Man Built His Walls From Newspaper in 1922. They're Still Standing
Illustration of a small fishing village in a steep-sided fjordStrange Places & GeographyThis Tiny Fishing Village Sits at the End of a Fjord. No Road Has Ever Reached ItA narrow causeway road stretching across the sea as the tide washes over itStrange Places & GeographyTwice Every Day, the Sea Swallows This French Road. Drivers Have to Time It Just RightIllustration of a small green volcanic island rising from the Atlantic OceanStrange Places & GeographyNo Airport, a Six-Day Boat Ride, and About 220 Neighbors: Life on Earth's Loneliest IslandIllustration of a holiday-themed town signStrange Places & GeographyAn Indiana Town Got Its Post Office Application Sent Back. Its New Name Became Famous
Illustration of a city skyline across a wide river at sunset, with a long bridge connecting the two shoresStrange Places & GeographyIn Detroit, You Have to Head South to Reach Canada. A Bend in the River Explains ItIllustration of two fluffy guinea pigs sitting side by side on a soft carpetStrange Places & GeographyIn Switzerland, You Can't Keep Just One Guinea Pig. There's Even a Rental ServiceIllustration of a snowy historic town with a starStrange Places & GeographyThis Pennsylvania Town Was Named on Christmas Eve, and a Giant Star Still Shines Over ItA colorful Key West street lined with pastel houses, palm trees, and a Conch Republic flagStrange Places & GeographyIn 1982, Key West Declared War on the United States. It Surrendered One Minute Later
Illustration of brightly colored houses along a canalStrange Places & GeographyOn This Italian Island, You Can't Just Paint Your House Any Color You LikeIllustration of a rugged Alaskan coastline with rocky cliffs and evergreen forestsStrange Places & GeographyOne State Has More Coastline Than All the Other 49 States Put TogetherIllustration of a small white church with a tall tower on a tiny island in a green alpine lakeStrange Places & GeographyAt This Island Church, Grooms Carry Their Brides Up 99 Steps, and She Must Stay SilentIllustration of the Colorado State Capitol's front steps under a golden domeStrange Places & GeographyDenver's Capitol Has Three Mile-High Markers on Its Steps. They Don't Agree
Illustration of a vivid turquoise crater lake surrounded by trees and steep green wallsStrange Places & GeographyEvery November, a Lake in an Old Volcano Turns a Brilliant Turquoise Almost OvernightIllustration of a narrow city street lined on both sides with crowded bookshelves and stacks of old booksStrange Places & GeographyThis Street Isn't a Library, Yet It Holds More Books Than Most Libraries Ever WillIllustration of a giant Christmas store in MichiganStrange Places & GeographyA Michigan Town of 5,000 Is Home to a Christmas Store Bigger Than Five Football FieldsA snowy street in North Pole, Alaska, with a candy-cane striped street sign and lightsStrange Places & GeographyAlaska's North Pole Is 1,700 Miles From the Real One. It Got the Name for a Reason