Interesting corners of the planet. Curonian Spit, Kaliningrad region

National park "Plitvice Lakes" was founded in 1949. It is the largest national park in Croatia and also the oldest park in Southeast Europe. More than a million visitors flock here to admire the beauty of the park. There are many waterfalls, caves and lakes here. The area is home to over 100 bird species. Most of the park is made up of beech and fir. The park is incredibly beautiful in winter, when the waterfalls freeze and everything is covered with white snow.

Fingal's Cave, Scotland

Named after a hero from an 18th century epic poem, Fingal's Cave has numerous geometric columns reminiscent of Giant's Causeway in Ireland. The cave is formed from hexagonally connected basalt columns created by solidified lava. This sea cave is located on Staffa Island, which is part of Scotland. A high arched roof enhances the sound of the ocean. Although even small boats cannot enter the cave, many local companies offer excursions around the area.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

The bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin South China Sea... It includes over 3000 islands, as well as rocks, caves and cliffs, making it one of the most extraordinary places in the world. The bay is an extraordinary example of limestone erosion. The name Halong means "where the dragon descended into the sea." Due to its vertical nature, the archipelago is sparsely populated. Most of the islands are negligible, however, the largest have their own inland lakes. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Red Beach, Panjin, China

This place is perhaps far from the traditional understanding of the beach. Instead of endless sandy expanses, we see algae called sueda. Most Years these algae are green, however, with the onset of autumn they acquire a dark, cherry-red color. Besides its quirky coloring, Red Beach is home to over 260 bird and 399 animal species. This makes it one of the most complex ecosystems in the world. It is also the largest swamp and wetland on earth.

Giants trail, Northern Ireland

Located next to the Atlantic Ocean, the Giant's Causeway or the Giant's Trail, as it is also called, is one of the strangest natural wonders. It has about 40,000 columns, most of which have six faces. These columns look remarkably like a honeycomb. It took almost 60 million years to create this place from cooled magma. Scientists believe that it took its final form about 15,000 years ago after the last ice age.

Thermal springs, Pamukkale, Turkey

Take a trip across the Aegean Sea and near the Menderes River you will find beautiful thermal springs... For centuries, people have bathed in these hot, mineral-rich waters. Pools and frozen waterfalls form multi-level cliffs. In spring, the water is rich in calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate. The flow in Pamukkale occurs at a speed of 400 liters per second and this flow forms new small circular pools all the time.

Hvitserkur, Iceland

Some are sure that this rock has the appearance of a dinosaur, others say that it is a dragon, and still others claim that it is a monster. In any case, this natural formation is of human interest. Every year thousands of people travel to the north of the Watnsne Peninsula to see this "dinosaur at the watering hole". The rock has three holes and was reinforced with concrete to prevent further erosion. Even in photographs, viewers can see the bird droppings that gave the rock its name. Translated from Icelandic, the word Hvitserkur means a white shirt.

Antelope Canyon, USA

This canyon is the most visited in the US Southwest. One look at the sleek, orange-red walls enthralls people. Antelope Canyon was formed by a flash flood. Due to the torrential rains, it changes its shape to this day. While scientists are not sure when people discovered this cave, however, local Navajo tribes claim that this surreal canyon has always been a part of their history.

Throughout its existence, humanity is constantly studying environment... People conquer peaks, descend to the bottom of the ocean, explore forests and deserts in search of answers to the questions: what, where, when? Over time, there are fewer and fewer places on the planet where no man's foot has stepped, but many mysteries - natural and historical - remain unsolved today. Consider the most unusual places on Earth.

Bermuda Triangle

In the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast North America, there is a place in the shape of a triangle, the peaks of which lie in Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. This area is called the Bermuda Triangle. It is known for its anomalies and the many unexplained disappearances of ships and aircraft. And many disappeared without a trace ...

Accidental eyewitnesses to the sinking of the ship in 1986 said that the water literally fell under it, instantly absorbing it into the abyss. The most famous disappearance in the air is the death in 1945 of five US military aircraft, which were conducting a training flight over the zone. Bermuda Triangle... They were in touch with the center and suddenly simply disappeared from the radar, the connection was interrupted. The wreckage of the aircraft was found under water 60 years later, but the cause of their death was never established.

Scientists note that there are often storms in this zone, whirlpools and magnetic storms occur, and sometimes a column of water erupts over the ocean. Brave theoretical physicists put forward versions of time tunnels and transitions to another dimension. But there is no scientific explanation for the mystery of the periodic disappearance of physical objects in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Bermuda Triangle.

Devil's cemetery in the Krasnoyarsk Territory

Another unexplained mystery comes from Russia. In the deep taiga, in Siberia, in the basin of the Kova River, there is an unusual place - a huge round glade with a diameter of 250 meters. No trees, grass or mushrooms grow here. Any living creature - an animal or a person who gets into this clearing - perishes within an hour.

There were daredevils who, for the purpose of the experiment, briefly and under supervision entered this lost place. They said that they were overwhelmed by a feeling of anxiety, which grew into inexplicable fear, the stomach began to ache badly, then the head.

It is very curious that the corpses of animals killed at the Devil's Cemetery decompose abnormally slowly. It is also reliably established that the clock stops here, and the heartbeat slows down to 40 beats per minute. Locals flatly refuse to approach the dead meadow closer than 2-3 km.

Study of one of the most mysterious places spent many years on the planet, but only in 1984 it became known that there were classified materials of the USSR Academy of Sciences with the results of the study of this geopathogenic zone.

Stone forest in China

There is nothing mystical about this place. Just Shilin, or stone forest, is a stunning place created exclusively by nature about 270 million years ago. Thousands of high boulders support the sky, among them trees grow and flowers smell fragrant, the shores of the Moon Lake spread out and the Dieshiu waterfall is rustling. Stunningly beautiful landscapes around!

Stone forest - a natural labyrinth with very intricate moves. It is very easy to get lost here without a knowledgeable guide.

The place is shrouded in many beautiful legends about military valor, about love and loyalty.

Unusual places are created not only by nature, but also by history. Just 100 km from Rome is the strange city of Civita di Bagnoregio. Almost 400 years ago, for some unknown reason, all the inhabitants left it at the same time. Incomprehensible riddle of history. Over dead city the endless blue sky spreads, indifferently looking at the walls of houses, which are gradually collapsing under the scorching sun.

The city is located in a place inaccessible for tourists, which is why it has been perfectly preserved to this day. Narrow streets and medieval buildings, untouched by civilization, evoke a strange feeling of timelessness ...

Valleys can easily top the list of amazing places on the planet. There has been no rainfall for 2 million years, so this is the driest desert on Earth. The huge bare territory is not covered with ice and occupies 8 thousand square kilometers. There are no vegetation and animals here, since there is no life without water. Strong winds blow in the valley at a breakneck speed of 320 km / h, which is an absolute record. The frozen lake Don Juan Pond is very salty. Here, an inexplicable phenomenon occurs periodically - Bloody waterfall... The ground is colored red in certain places.

But all these mysterious and surprising realities recede before the fact that the climate of the Dry Valleys is almost identical to the conditions on Mars. This was the reason why NASA included the Valleys in the list of especially valuable and highly protected areas.

Off the coast of Somalia in Indian Ocean lies the small island of Socotra. This is the most isolated place on the planet. It is thanks to the solitude that nature has been preserved here in its original form. The way it was on Earth 20 million years ago. Only the dinosaurs are missing.

Almost all island plants and animals are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else on Earth. Dragon's Blood tree, cucumber tree, rocky Desert Rose - fantastic flora that creates the feeling of being on another planet, which is enhanced by the view of snow-white deserted beaches stretching for many hundreds of kilometers.

This is a unique place untouched by civilization, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Another natural wonder is in Poland. Some of the trees in this forest grow strangely bent at right angles. It is impossible to get lost in this forest, because all trees are bent strictly to the north. Scientists note another oddity: pines in this place do not grow higher than 12-15 meters. There is no scientific explanation for this phenomenon. Neither version stands up to scrutiny.

Old-timers say that over a hundred years ago a witch lived here, who enchanted the forest to protect it from being cut down. Of course, this is a fairy tale, but for over 100 years not a single tree has been cut down in this forest ... It is also strange that this place is absolutely silent. Like a theatrical scenery, the trees stand in a deep silence without the singing of birds and chirping of grasshoppers.

Denmark is home to another of the most amazing places on the planet. This is the junction of the North and Baltic seas... What's so surprising about that? And the fact that the line of confluence of the seas is clearly visible. It’s incomprehensible, but the water at the border does not mix! This does not happen, but this is a fact that contradicts all the laws of physics.

Tourists who actively travel to the End of the World are very fond of visiting the junction of two worlds.

Tanganyika is the longest lake on the planet

This amazing lake conceals many mysteries in its depths, which are beyond the reach of scientists in the 21st century. Here are just some unfathomable facts:

• Tanganyika is the only freshwater body of water inhabited by marine inhabitants;
• life boils only in the upper layer of water, 200 m thick, the entire thickness below and to the bottom is a gloomy lifeless burial ground;
• layers of lake water do not mix. How is this possible? However, there is no vertical water circulation in Tanganyika.

The big mystery of the lake is that the reservoir is very poor in nutrients, but, despite the small food reserves, a huge number of fish are concentrated here. What does she eat? By air?

Not all the unique places of our planet are listed in the article. One should remember the amazing Marble and Sabelny Caves, Easter Island and Stonehenge, a sulfur lake in Italy and the most beautiful river of Karelia, underwater temples off the coast of Japan and the catacombs of Paris made of human bones.

Both nature and history will never cease to amaze our imagination.

There are a huge number of places and attractions in the world that you want to visit. All of them are something special and attract the attention of thousands of tourists every year. When planning your next trip, take a look at this list and, perhaps, a visit to one of these amazing places will leave a lasting impression on you.

1)
A large castro funnel located in the center of Lighthouse Reef, an atoll within the Belize barrier reef... The diameter of this natural miracle is 305 meters, and it goes 120 meters deep. Blue hole annually attracts a huge number of divers from all over the world.

2) "Wave" in Arizona, USA

In the state of Arizona in the United States, there are rocks covered with bizarre layered patterns that give this place an unearthly appearance. located close to major settlements, therefore, has gained great popularity among tourists.

These hills, called chocolate hills, are located on Bohol Island in the Philippines. There are more than 1200 such hills covered with greenery in this area.

This place in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, nicknamed the Gateway to Hell, was formed after an unsuccessful drilling in search of gas. While drilling in 1971, all equipment, including the drilling rig, fell into the formed crater, which was filled with gas. To avoid accidents and poisoning, it was decided to set fire to this gas and since then, it has continued to burn for over 40 years.

In the Chinese province of Hunan, they became the prototype for the fantastic landscapes from the movie "Avatar". More than 3,000 thousand sandy mountains rise to a height of 800 meters and are of great interest to tourists, especially after the success of Cameron's film.

One of the most affordable amazing places on the planet, many russian tourists have already visited there, since Pamukkale is located just a few hours from the popular Turkish resort - Antalya. Pamukkale, which means "Cotton Castle", is a snow-white terrace filled with water from mineral springs... It is believed that the water in these terraces has healing properties.

7) Antelope Canyon, USA

Antelope Canyon (Antelope Canyon) is located in the southwestern United States, 240 kilometers from. Wind and water have done a great job over many thousands of years, resulting in this amazing canyon of red and red flowers.

Did you know that the most active volcano is in Antarctica? Erebus volcano (Ice Towers of Mount Erebus) was discovered on January 28, 1841 by an English expedition led by polar explorer Sir James Clark Ross on the ships "Erebus" and "Terror". The height of this volcano is 3794 meters, which makes it one of the most high points Antarctica. There is a large lava lake inside the volcano.

9) Kasha-Katuwe-Tent Rocks monument, USA

This national monument is located in the state of New Mexico, 60 kilometers from the city of Santa Fe and was formed due to the deposition of volcanic rocks.

10) Ischigualasto Natural Park, Argentina

This park, also called The Valley of the Moon, is located in the province of San Juan in Argentina. Not the most popular place among tourists, as it is located far from the main tourist routesbut this is where NASA tried out its rovers. The landscape of this place looks alien.

11) Saline de Uyuni, Bolivia

Salt Lake (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia is located near Lake Titicaca - this is one of the most amazing and photogenic places on our planet. Everything in this area is saturated with salt, it is everywhere, but the most amazing sight occurs when it rains and everything is covered with a thin layer of water, the ideal surface of which turns into a mirror.

12) Danxia Landform, China

It may seem that this incredible landscape is just the result of the work of Photoshop, but this is a real geological object formed due to the overlap of sandstone and other mineral rocks. This natural site is located in the Chinese province of Gansu. In 2010, Danxia Landscape was inscribed on the UNESKO World Heritage List.

13) Crystal cave giants (Crystal Cave of the Giants), Mexico

This cave with the world's largest crystals was found recently in 2000 near the city of Chihuahua in Mexico. These giants are up to 15 meters long and 1.5 meters wide and are composed of zinc-silver-lead salts. The cave has a special climate (almost 60 degrees Celsius and 100% humidity), in which a person cannot spend more than 5-10 minutes.

14) Dry Valleys, Antarctica

The dry valley is the territory of three oasis-valleys (Victoria, Wright, Taylor) in Antarctica to the west of McMurdo Strait. Hurricane winds, lack of precipitation, low temperatures created in this place unique climate... Rare lakes have long turned into ice wells, which, according to some scientists, are home to unknown microorganisms.

15) Socotra Island, Yemen

Socotra is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 4 islands, located off the coast of Somalia. These islands have preserved a unique plant and animal life, many of which can only be found here. The archipelago's symbol is the endemic dragon tree.

16) Giants Causeway, Ireland

More than 40,000 basalt columns form a path that leads to the foot of the volcano, thanks to the eruption of which these amazing columns arose. The Giants Trail is one of Northern Ireland's most popular tourist attractions.

17) Kliluk, the Spotted Lake, Canada

Local indigenous Indians consider this lake sacred. The water of this lake has bright colors, as it is saturated with sodium sulfates, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. In the hot season, the water in the lake dries up and many small puddles are formed, which have different colors, depending on which element of the periodic table prevails in them.

18) Pulpit or Preikestolen, Norway

Preikestolen Rock - a favorite place for photographers and just tourists, is a huge cliff-cliff with a flat area of \u200b\u200b25 by 25 meters. The height of the cliff is 604 meters and a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape opens from its top. Preikestolen Cliff is one of the most popular attractions in Norway.

19) Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes are the main attraction of Croatia. There are 16 large and several small lakes, about 20 mysterious caves and 120 waterfalls. In this place you can find many species of plants and animals, which are unique and are found only in the Plitvice Lakes region, therefore they are strictly protected by UNESKO.

20) Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia, or "The Land of Beautiful Horses" - unique placelocated in the Goreme Valley in Turkey. Cappadocia is practically the whole world, which is hidden in caves of volcanic origin, there are houses, monasteries, unique multi-tiered underground cities and much more, all this appeared before our era. This unique place is rightfully popular with tourists coming to Turkey.

21) Yellowstone National Park, USA

Yellowstone National Park - unique natural Parkknown all over the world. The most famous and most visited national park in the United States. Yellowstone is included in the UNESKO World Heritage List. This park is located on the territory of three states at once: Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Yellowstone is famous for its unique geological features: geysers, geothermal springs and the largest dormant volcano on the entire continent - Caldera.

22) Tunnel of love in the city of Klevan, Ukraine

This tunnel of trees envelops the railway tracks that run near the town of Klevan. Because of its amazing beauty and romance, this place has been nicknamed the Tunnel of Love. In the summer, when the tunnel is in its prime, newlyweds love to come here, taking a photo against its background is considered a good sign.

23) Corinth Canal, Greece

It is impossible to believe that this channel was created by human hands. The construction of the Corinth Canal began during the reign of Emperor Nero in 67 BC, and ended only in 1893. This unique creation of human hands connects the Saronic Gulf Aegean and the Corinthian Gulf of the Ionian Sea. The Corinth Canal is 8 meters deep and 24 meters wide.

One of the most beautiful places in Chile is Lago General Carrera, which contains Marble caves... This unique natural cave is entirely composed of multi-colored marble (pink and blue), there are more than 5000 million tons of it.

25) Monsanto village, Portugal

This small Portuguese town is built among huge stone boulders, many of which serve as homes for local residents. The town of Monsanto almost entirely consists of one-story buildings, which are separated by narrow streets, getting here, you can feel like in the Middle Ages.

The views of this icy canyon in Greenland are mesmerizing, its deep blue water is attractive and you can get lost in the many artfully made ice arches. This canyon is the largest on the island and is home to bowhead whales, seals and walruses.

27) Skaftafell, Iceland

Skaftafell Park is Iceland's natural wonder, home to the Jökulsarlon ice caves.

28) Multnomah Falls, USA

29) Seljalandfoss waterfall, Iceland

This temple, carved into the rocks, truly deserves the title of one of the wonders of the world. Construction of this city began before our era, and is currently included in the UNESKO World Heritage List.

32) Riomaggiore town, Italy

A small town in Italy, where houses are piled up on rocks right at the edge of the sea. Cars are prohibited in Riomaggiore.

33) Loy Krathong Festival, Thailand

A festival is held annually in Thailand, the unchanging tradition of which is the launch of sky lanterns. It is an amazing sight when thousands of luminous lights rise into the sky at the same time is simply mesmerizing. If you are in Thailand in November, do not miss this festival.

34) Mount Roraima, Venezuela

The height of Mount Roraima is 2723 meters, and the summit plateau has an area of \u200b\u200b35 square kilometers... The accounts of the expedition to the area of \u200b\u200bthe mountain inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write The Lost World.

35) Etretat, Normandy, France

It is impossible to list in one place all the interesting places on the planet, because each place is unique in its own way and deserves attention, but we tried to collect a lot interesting places, which you should pay attention to when going on your next trip.

The world is a strange, wonderful and sometimes frightening place. We present to you the most unusual places on Earth, which are the result of a whim of Mother Nature or the work of human hands.

The spotted lake has long been revered by the Okanagan Indians, and it's easy to see why they consider it sacred. In summer, part of the lake's water evaporates, which is why small colored mineral spots are formed, on which you can even walk. This lake contains the largest amount of various minerals in the world.

This is the world's largest "salt pan". And when a thin film of water collects on the surface of a dried salt lake, it becomes the world's largest natural mirror.

Looking for the most strange places in the world? How about this terrifying lake? Animals that die in it turn into statues through calcification. The presence of huge volumes of sodium bicarbonate ensures that all organisms that have died in the lake turn into mummies.

The next in the ranking of the strangest places on the planet is the bridge, which is famous for its unique constructive accuracy. The bridge itself and its reflection merge into a perfect circle, regardless of the viewing angle.

Sixty million years ago, an erupting volcano "spawned" from its bowels a mass of molten basalt, which then solidified and shrank in volume. As it cooled, cracks appeared in it, which can be seen today. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has about 37,000 polygonal columns, and they are perfectly geometric. According to local legend, they were created by the legendary hero Finn McCool, who was preparing to fight the giant Goll.

A surreal sight - drenched in the sun dead forest in a dry oasis surrounded by rusty orange giant sand dunes. The lack of water forces the roots of trees to creep out, right onto the sand, in search of the slightest droplets of moisture. This is a real struggle for life!

At an altitude of 776 meters in the Alps lies a lovely beautiful place, in the center of which there is a small lake. But in April, the park, which at first glance looks like, is dramatically transformed. Powerful streams of water that roll down the slopes of the mountains fill the gorge with clean water. And beneath it, benches, flower beds, bridges, lawns, trees and bushes disappear. It turns out a real underwater park with a depth of 2 to 20 meters. Well, divers need somewhere to rest too.

The remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in the southwest of Turkey. This is Pamukkale (Cotton Palace), around which are the ancient ruins of Hierapolis, once a great city. Water cascades from natural sources, rich in calcium bicarbonate, flow down the white travertine terraces and form stunning thermal pools with snow-white surfaces, which have no analogues in the world.

On one of the sites of the industrial railroad near the Ukrainian village of Klevan there is a green tunnel formed by woven branches of trees and bushes. It seems that it was created as a decoration for some beautiful fairy tale.

There is a belief that if a couple of lovers pass through this tunnel and make a wish, then it will certainly come true.

11. Lake Hillier, Western Australia

This wonderful lake was discovered in 1802. Its deep pink color is preserved all year round, which, according to some scientists, is due to the high salinity of the water in combination with the presence of salty species of algae known as Dunaliella brackish and pink bacteria - halobacteria.

In the waters of the Thames and Mersey, the remains of naval forts built to contain German air raids during World War II stand on stilts.

After the war, a group of pirate radio operators chose the forts, and in 1967 they were expelled from there by retired Colonel Paddy Roy Bates. Having occupied one of the forts - Rafs Tower - he proclaimed the creation of his own independent state called the Principality of Sealand. And so that everything was "grown-up" Bates took the name Roy I Bates, developed a constitution and came up with the national symbols of Sealand. He moved his family and friends to the platform, after which a judicial confrontation between the "self-proclaimed king of lemurs", that is, the newly-minted prince, with the British government began. And the result was not in favor of the government.

As a result, Sealand successfully existed until 2006, and then due to a short circuit in the generator and the resulting fire, the principality burned to the ground. The restoration would have taken a huge amount, and its owner decided to put the miniature state up for sale. Nobody bought it yet.

And the rest of the forts had a less intense and bright fate. They look like an army of rusty but merciless robots decided to launch an invasion from the sea and then stopped on their way.

Siberia has one of the most unusual places on the planet. It is known as the "Seven Giants" and "Mansi Dummies". These huge stone pillars of weathering with a height of 30 to 42 meters are located west of the Urals, on the Man-Pupu-ner mountain. They were created not by human hands, but by ice and snow over the years.

Legend has it that the monoliths were once giant brothers, and Torev (Bear) was their leader. Hearing about the beauty of the daughter of the Mansi leader, the giants went to war against the tribe in order to seize the beauty by force. But the good spirits gave the leader's son a magic weapon - a fiery sword and shield, with which he turned giants into stone. Dying, one of them threw aside a tambourine, which also turned to stone and turned into the top of the Koyp ("Drum").

Lakes, as a rule, do not have a giant "drain" that sucks water into some kind of cavernous invisible drain. However, the artificial lake of Berries is special.

When heavy rains create an excessive pressure of water, a hole appears in the water surface of the lake, creating a fantastically beautiful and strange sinkhole, which you hardly want to fall into.

The unique design of the spillway, officially known as the "glory hole", allows an excess of 1370 cubic meters of water to pass through in one second. The depth of the drain is 21 meters.

Since 1990, a man named Ra Paulette took a shovel and a pickaxe and walked into the desert in New Mexico to make from the pliable sandy mountains fabulous beauty caves. The caves, which he digs by hand, include underground galleries decorated with intricate designs. They come to the mind of the creator right during the work.

"Is this Antarctic glacier bleeding?" This is a perfectly reasonable question when looking at the Taylor Glacier, east of the Ross Ice Shelf. A red liquid flows down it, staining the ice in its path, but there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. The red matter is highly saline, microbial water that has accumulated under a glacier for millions of years. As the water reaches the surface, it is saturated with oxygen, resulting in a rusty waterfall worthy of entering the top 20 strangest places on Earth.

For most people, death is a terrible and sad event. However, some believe that remembering people who have gone to another world should be done with a smile, not with tears.

An example of a non-standard approach to death is the cemetery located in the Romanian village of Sepynca. Each of the 800 multi-colored tombstones is marked with a funny anecdote from the life of a person buried under it, and, often, contains details of his death, accompanied by a funny illustration.

The colors of the wooden tombstones have a certain meaning.

• Green has become a symbol of life.
• Black has traditionally represented death.
• Yellow is a symbol of fertility.
• Red symbolized passion.

And blue was originally the dominant color chosen by the artist Stan Jon Patras - the author of the first "cheerful" tombstone.

Fragmented epigraphs and vibrant colors make this cemetery one of the most extraordinary places in the world.

These beautiful travertine terraces in northern Iran are incredible a natural phenomenon, which formed at an altitude of 1840 meters above sea level for thousands of years. Travertine is a type of limestone formed from calcium sludge in running water.

The unusual reddish color of the terraces is due to the high content of iron oxide in one of the springs.

Animal figures and geometric designs engraved on the Nazca plateau in Peru are one of the greatest mysteries South America... Who created them and why? Scientists have no answer, only guesses.

Images are clearly distinguishable only from the air or from observation towerlocated next to the highway. The outline of each of these geoglyphs (some of them up to 200 m long) is drawn using a single continuous line.

This island, separated more than six million years ago from mainland Africa, looks like a sci-fi movie set. Socotra's incredible and unique biodiversity means there are plants and trees not found anywhere else in the world. The ancient and twisted dragon tree and mushroom tree look especially strange.

There is a joke that in fact the world is ruled by cats. Well, in every joke, as you know, there is only a fraction of a joke. The seals managed to capture one island.

A short ferry ride from the east coast of Japan takes you to Tashiro Island, home to about 100 people and many, many cats.

Originally, cat breeding on the island was encouraged as the locals made silk and mice were a natural enemy of silkworms. Local fishermen believed that the fuzzies brought them good luck, and the island even has a cat temple, as well as a newly built cat-shaped hollow (tourist attraction). It goes without saying that dogs are not allowed on the island.

Unbelievable and strange places of the planet on video

Jan 29, 2016

On the surface of our planet there are beautiful landscapes and unique landscapes giving rise to associations with other galaxies. website prepared an overview of the most unusual places and invites you to admire the wondrous and bizarre fantasy 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 United States 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 is considered one of the largest and noisiest on the entire planet. And in terms of scenic beauty, this place is so beautiful that, having visited it once, you will often remember it and share your impressions with your friends.

This natural site is 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 trail 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, simply mesmerizing views of both heavenly beauty and the valley open up. And the air seems to saturate, it is so clean, transparent and as if even delicious. This is one of the most magical and unusual places, worthy of Tolkien's tales of 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 "The Great, or Giant Canyon." Its size is really amazing. A very winding and unpredictable river Colorado passes along it, which, with a powerful current, makes its way through the limestone rock. The Grand Canyon is an amazing and historically very valuable site. It is in it that you can trace the stages of the formation of the modern surface of our planet; 4 historical layers are 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 listed world heritage UNESCO.

Turns out to boast amazing places on the planet, not only the United States and Hawaii can. In Belgium there is a beautiful forest with the sonorous name Hallerboss. He is very famous not only in his home country, but all over the world. With what? Every spring unusual forest flowers - bells - bloom here. Rather, they would be completely ordinary, if not for their number. Every year the pine forest seems to be lined with a blue carpet, stunning both in its appearance and subtle aroma in the air. That is why Hallerboss, which stretches to the south from Brussels (the border of Flanders and Wallonia), is popularly called "Blue Bor".

Of course, stunning and unusual places are formed not only on the surface, but also in the most secret depths of our planet. One of them is the huge Song Dong Cave, which can be found right in the center of Vietnam. To do this, you need to walk along National Park Fongnya Kebang, which is located near the border with Laos. The size of this natural site is truly amazing. No wonder the cave was recognized as the largest on the entire planet. Here unexplored views open up, and the highest vaults give space for the most colorful fantasies. Here are just some data: the height is about 200 meters, the width is about 150, and the length is still not fully understood, but about 5 km. There is where to walk.

6. Valley Monument

If you rely on the name, you might think that we are talking about something man-made, created by artists or sculptors, but our review includes unusual places on Earth, created exclusively by nature itself. So the Valley of Monuments, which is again in the state of Arizona, USA, is shocking precisely by the fact that a person 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 cliffs remained in the valley, which are now called monuments, or monuments. Only now are they 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 are also amazing in their beauty. In New Mexico (USA) there is a valley called Tularosa. It is already beautiful in itself, but there are more unusual places here. This is the White Desert. It is so named because the sands are not golden yellow, but glossy white. It may seem that you are in 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 has received the status National monument USA, and because of the composition of the dunes - the title of the largest gypsum deposit on the planet.

8. National park in Australia

Another amazing place for its mesmerizing beauty is the Australian Port Campbell Park, which can be visited in the state of Victoria. Just drive 190 km southwest of Melbourne, and you will find yourself in a pristine piece of Paradise. Here it is especially striking coastline parka. It is all lined with rocks of various, sometimes very bizarre, shapes. In addition, it was here that grandiose shipwrecks took place more than once. And the memory of them is kept in the names of the mountain fragments - "The Twelve Apostles", "London Arch". The beautiful Thundering Cave can also be visited outside Port Campbell.

South America is also famous for its unusual placesthat you just need to visit. One of them is the Dragon Falls, pouring its waters in Venezuela. It is an object of national importance and itself is very popular among tourists. Education is entirely the work of Mother Nature. By the way, the Dragon shares one valley with at least famous waterfall - Angel, which is considered the tallest on the planet. Both of these places are mesmerizing with their majestic beauty. They are carefully guarded and looked after in order to continue to delight, delight and surprise.

The city of San Francisco, which is located on west coast USA, on the hearing of many. But few people know that it is located in the hills left over from the days of the Gold Rush. Most of them are monuments of historical importance, others are simply beautiful, and the third offer fantastic views. It is not known for certain how many hills are located here, but, they say, no less than fifty. The facilities are very popular with tourists. First of all, because they are unusual, nowhere else on earth is there such a thing. And secondly, many offer a breathtaking view of the city. One of these hills is Twin Peaks, which offers a panoramic view of the entire central part of San Francisco.

On the territory of Slovenia and Italy, there is a river of extraordinary beauty. It winds meandering between the mountains, now expanding, now narrowing to the size of a fast stream. The path of Sochi, or, in Italian, Isonzo, runs through incredibly beautiful places, but not only for this reason it is famous all over the world. The color of the river is shocking: bright turquoise, dazzling in the sun. And surprisingly, throughout the entire length of Soča does not change it, and remains soft blue. The famous Slovenian Alps, the lush vegetation in the valley and the unique color make the Isonzo one of the most extraordinary places planets.

One of the most famous natural monuments in the world is the victorious name Victoria Falls, which is located in South Africa... If you want to visit such unusual places, then you must 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 a noise, growls, and throws tons of water. Its width is almost 2 km, and its height is over 120 m. The local name is more poetic - "Thundering smoke". Due to its impressive size, this natural monument unique, there are no more such in the whole world.

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

14. Himalayas - mountains with history

The Himalayas are translated from Sanskrit as "the abode of the snows", and not without reason. It is true that it is always snowy, transcendental 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, which every climber must conquer! The Himalayas are famous for their unearthly beauty and famous, about which there are many legends, poems and songs. In general, it is here that more than 10 mountains are located, the peaks of which exceed 8 km, while the average indicators 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 another story. It is huge in size, but what is more, it is a truly living, constantly evolving organism, beautiful in its uniqueness. All over the world it is recognized as the largest, and here are just a few numbers to prove: the length is about 2500 km along the northeastern Australian coast, the number of individual reefs is almost 3000, and coral islands various sizes - 900. The view of this landscape makes such impressions that it is impossible to compare with anything.

Iceland is beautiful northern country, at any mention of which a picture of geysers immediately appears in the mind. But there are other places here, no less unusual and beautiful. Glacial Lake Jokulsarlon is one such. Not only is this reservoir formed by glacial waters, which is why it is crystal clear and terribly cold. The whole area around is also fantastic. It seems as if he was 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. Is considered natural miracle country.

And finally, it's time to travel to the Alps - the most ancient and most picturesque mountain ranges on the ground. It is here that the the most famous mountain Matterhorn, the white wonder 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 get about 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.

There are many amazing landscapes in Japan, but one of the most stunning is the blue Biei Pond (Hokkaido). It spilled at the foot no less picturesque mountain Tokachi, and if you go from the town of Biei strictly to the southeast, then you can certainly see this natural object. The pond is unique for its extraordinary color. The delicate, blue tint of the waters makes the heart freeze in true admiration for the creation of nature. This color is not always constant, and under certain weather conditions it can either become more transparent or darken.

Striking even the most sophisticated imagination. The Ural National Park Taganay is one of those. 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 its unusual flora and fauna. In addition, only here you can find pristine moss bogs and relic forests that have kept secrets for thousands of years.

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

Text: Maria Nikitina