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10 Unique Towns Around the World That Look Almost Unreal

Some places are beautiful. Some places are historic. And then there are places that make you stop and think: people actually live here?

Updated for 2026 Weird places worth knowing Not your usual city-break list

From floating fishing villages and underground desert homes to blue-painted towns, Arctic mining settlements, and canal villages where cars are almost useless, the world still has plenty of places that feel completely different from the usual travel checklist.

These are not always the easiest places to visit. Some are remote, some are touristy, and some require serious planning. But all of them have one thing in common: they are genuinely unforgettable.

In this article

10. Giethoorn, Netherlands 9. Ko Panyi, Thailand 8. Barentsburg, Svalbard 7. Auroville, India 6. Tiébélé, Burkina Faso 5. Alberobello, Italy 4. Matmata, Tunisia 3. Júzcar, Spain 2. Slab City, USA 1. Coober Pedy, Australia

Canals instead of traffic

Giethoorn

Netherlands

Number 10

Giethoorn is one of those places that looks like someone designed a Dutch fairytale and forgot to add traffic.

This village in Overijssel is famous for its canals, wooden bridges, thatched-roof farmhouses, and peaceful waterways. In the historic center, cars are not the main character. You move around by foot, bicycle, or small boat.

It can get very busy in summer, especially during day-trip hours, but early morning or late afternoon still gives you that postcard feeling: quiet canals, ducks gliding past, and little bridges connecting picture-perfect homes.

Dino tip: Do not rush it as a quick photo stop. Rent a quiet electric boat, go early, and avoid peak weekends if you want the magic without the crowd.

A village built above the sea

Ko Panyi

Thailand

Number 9

Ko Panyi, also known as Koh Panyee, is a fishing village in Phang Nga Bay built partly on stilts above the water.

The setting is incredible: limestone cliffs behind you, the Andaman Sea underneath you, and a full community living above the waves. The village has homes, restaurants, shops, a mosque, a school, and one of the most unusual football pitches in the world.

Most travelers visit Ko Panyi on a day trip from Phuket or Krabi, often combined with James Bond Island. It is touristy in parts, yes, but still fascinating when you look beyond the souvenir stalls.

Dino tip: Go with curiosity, not just for photos. This is not a theme park. It is a real community.

Arctic mining town energy

Barentsburg

Svalbard, Norway

Number 8

Barentsburg is one of the strangest settlements you can visit in Europe, if you can even call it Europe in the normal sense.

Located on Norway's remote Svalbard archipelago, this Arctic mining town sits between mainland Norway and the North Pole. There are no roads connecting it to Longyearbyen, so access is usually by boat in summer or snowmobile in winter.

Barentsburg is under Norwegian sovereignty, but it has a strong Russian mining-town identity, with Soviet-style architecture, Russian signage, and a Lenin bust still standing in the town center.

In winter, the polar night brings weeks without sunlight. In summer, the midnight sun makes time feel completely fake. Either way, Barentsburg feels less like a normal town and more like a geopolitical time capsule at the edge of the world.

Dino tip: This is not a casual wander-around-alone destination. Book with a proper local operator and respect Arctic safety rules.

India's experimental township

Auroville

India

Number 7

Auroville is not a typical town. It is an experimental township near Puducherry created around the idea of human unity, sustainable living, and international community.

Founded in 1968, Auroville has grown into a multicultural place with residents from many nationalities. The most famous landmark is the Matrimandir, a golden spherical structure used for silent concentration.

But Auroville is not only about one building. The wider experiment includes eco-projects, alternative education, community living, workshops, and a slower way of thinking about modern life.

Dino tip: Visit respectfully. Auroville is not a resort attraction. It is a living community with its own rules and rhythm.

Painted earth architecture

Tiébélé

Burkina Faso

Number 6

Tiébélé is one of the most visually striking villages in West Africa.

The Royal Court of Tiébélé is known for its beautifully decorated earthen buildings, covered with symbolic geometric patterns created using traditional techniques. These designs are not just decoration. They reflect the culture, identity, and social organization of the Kasena people.

In recent years, Tiébélé has gained more international attention because of its cultural importance and unique architecture. It is one of those places that shows how much beauty can exist far away from the usual tourist routes.

Important travel note: Burkina Faso is currently not a simple travel destination. Check official government travel advice before considering any trip.

Dino tip: Keep Tiébélé on your cultural inspiration list, but be realistic. Some places are amazing, but timing and safety matter.

Italy's fairytale rooftops

Alberobello

Italy

Number 5

Alberobello looks like a village designed by someone who loved fairytales, stonework, and cone-shaped rooftops.

This small town in Puglia is famous for its trulli, traditional limestone houses with conical roofs built using dry-stone construction. Walking through the old streets feels like stepping into a completely different version of Italy.

The town is popular, and yes, some parts are very touristy. But it is still unique. There are not many places in Europe where an entire historic center feels so instantly recognizable.

Dino tip: Stay overnight if you can. Day-trippers leave, the streets calm down, and Alberobello becomes much more atmospheric.

Underground desert living

Matmata

Tunisia

Number 4

Matmata is famous for its underground homes, traditional troglodyte dwellings carved into the earth to escape the heat of southern Tunisia.

From the outside, you might see very little. Then suddenly you look down into a sunken courtyard and realize there is an entire home built into the ground, with rooms cut into the surrounding walls. It is practical desert architecture, not just a visual trick.

Matmata also became famous because Hotel Sidi Driss was used as Luke Skywalker's home in the original Star Wars film. For movie fans, that alone makes it a bucket-list stop. For everyone else, the real highlight is the architecture and the way people adapted to one of the harshest climates in North Africa.

Dino tip: Do not visit only for Star Wars. The real story here is older, smarter, and much more interesting than a film set.

Spain's blue village

Júzcar

Spain

Number 3

Júzcar used to be a classic whitewashed Andalusian village. Then, in 2011, everything changed.

The town was painted blue as part of a movie promotion for The Smurfs. What was supposed to be temporary became permanent when locals saw how much tourism it brought. Today, Júzcar is better described as Spain's Blue Village.

The result is still wonderfully strange: blue houses scattered across the hills of Málaga province, surrounded by mountain scenery and walking trails. It is quirky, fun, and a little ridiculous in the best possible way.

Dino tip: Combine it with Ronda or the white villages of Andalusia. Júzcar alone is a short visit, but the surrounding region is beautiful.

Off-grid desert weirdness

Slab City

California, USA

Number 2

Slab City is not polished, not easy to define, and definitely not for everyone.

Located in the California desert near the Salton Sea, it is an off-grid community built on the remains of an old military base. There is limited access to normal services like electricity, fresh water, and sewage systems, so people rely on solar panels, water tanks, generators, and their own systems.

It is often called the last free place in America, but that phrase can make it sound more romantic than it really is. Slab City is creative, chaotic, harsh, artistic, and vulnerable all at once.

Nearby, you will find Salvation Mountain, a huge colorful folk-art installation, and East Jesus, an experimental art space made from reclaimed materials.

Dino tip: Go during cooler months, bring water, be respectful, and remember that people live there. This is not just a weird backdrop for Instagram.

Australia's underground town

Coober Pedy

Australia

Number 1

Coober Pedy may be the most unusual town on this list.

Located in the South Australian Outback, it is famous as the opal capital of the world and for the fact that many homes, hotels, churches, and shops are built underground.

Why underground? Simple: the desert heat is brutal. Living below the surface keeps temperatures more stable and makes everyday life much more comfortable.

The landscape around Coober Pedy looks almost lunar: red dust, mining mounds, endless open space, and strange entrances leading into underground rooms. It is remote, surreal, and completely unlike the Australia most visitors imagine.

This is not beach-town Australia. This is Mad Max energy, opal mines, desert survival, and underground living.

Dino tip: If you want a trip that feels properly different, Coober Pedy delivers. Just plan carefully because distances in the Outback are no joke.

Final Dino Thought

The best travel memories do not always come from the most famous places. Sometimes they come from towns that make you ask: why is everything blue, why are the houses underground, why is there a football pitch floating on water, and why is there a Russian mining town in the Arctic?

That is the magic of these places. They remind you that the world is still weird, creative, complicated, and full of surprises.

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