Are you thinking about where to go in Switzerland? Switzerland has beautiful scenery and a small population. The city and the country always look comfortable and quiet, and have a rural charm. There are many medieval buildings in the city, and Gothic and Baroque buildings are particularly eye-catching.
On the Swiss side of the Alps, it is a paradise for skiers. Geneva, Lucerne, Basel, Zurich, Jungfrau, are some of the best places to visit in Switzerland as each place is nostalgic. When you walk through idyllic mountains - dotted with lakes and upholstered green meadows dotted with colorful flowers - riding a luxurious high-speed train, you know that Switzerland has to be among the best countries in the world to visit.
Several Swiss cities have tram networks. And on top of all of that, there are passenger boats crossing many of Switzerland's picturesque lakes. Many train routes are outstandingly scenic. There are mountain passes, deep valleys, rivers, high viaducts, glacier, forests and charming settlements to enjoy from your train.
Swiss public transport fares are expensive. Numerous travel passes provide for more affordable visit. These passes offer complete flexibility, allowing you to travel as you please.
It has one of the best financial systems in the world, pristine cities, modern infrastructure, good job opportunities and a good location in the center of Europe. Among many other things you have an excellent place to live. In fact, many of the Spaniards who left Spain in the 50s and 60s of the last century went to try their luck in Switzerland and remain there (and their descendants).
Despite being in the heart of Europe, Switzerland has always held onto their own unique customs and culture. From yodeling to Alpine horn playing, Switzerland has a distinct identity which is all its own. This country is dominated by its Alpine mountain range, with the imposing Matterhorn having tempted climbers for generations.
Switzerland has a variety of landscapes and not just the Alps. You can enjoy some great Lakes, vineyards, citylife, snow capped mountains, mountains with lush green terrain, excellent hiking trails, forests, waterfalls. So, prioritize.
Of course, Switzerland is also famous for its clocks and watches, and it seems like everything runs on time here. As a solo traveler in Europe you can set your own agenda. Make sure to soak up as much of the atmosphere as you can on your visit. Winter is the best time to travel to Switzerland.
Here in this Switzerland travel guide and blog, you can find some unique places to visit in Switzerland and fun things to do this winter.
Geneva is in the southwest corner of Switzerland, and the largest lake in Switzerland is in its north, also known by its name - Lake Geneva. Geneva is a modern city, but the main attractions are concentrated on the shores of Lake Geneva, which can be visited on foot. The United Nations European headquarters is also here, so it is not only a Swiss city but also a city of the world and is one of the best city to visit in Switzerland.
Take a trip to Gruyères, where you will find the incredible H.R. Giger museum. This is no ordinary museum. The creator of the monsters from the Alien movies having designed this place in trademark Gothic style.
Fribourg is built on a canyon wall and the Poo line connects upper Fribourg with lower Fribourg and it is powered by human waste. The passenger cars has sewage tanks in them. The tanks are filled with sewage on top, released and then pulls an sewage-empty passenger car to the top as they descend.
At the bottom, the sewage tank is emptied into a sewer and the car becomes lighter than the passenger car at top that is currently being filled so it ascends and halfway up it meets the passenger car going down.
In the ultimate twist of gourmet mac and cheese, conchiglie pasta is baked in a mixture of Gruyère Surchoix, aged Emmental Swiss, Parmigiano Reggiano imported from Italy, and White Cheddar imported from New Zealand.
So if you’re not a Switzerland virgin and have already been to places like Lucerne, Interlaken, and Lauterbrunnen, then this one’s for you! Montreux for starters was the place where Queen’s (yes the iconic band) last album was created. In addition to its beautiful landscape, Montreux is also known for its jazz festival that takes place in July!
Enjoy riding the Golden Pass panoramic train. Reservation isn't compulsory, just that you cannot sit on a reserved seat. On weekdays the train is usually not crowded. Hence you will get a lot of unreserved seats. You can head off to Montreux, the Swiss riviera, explore the nearby vineyards, and then take this panoramic train from Montreux to Zweisimmen.
The train passes through some picturesque valleys and towns like Saanen, Gstaad. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Montreux has a natural romantic atmosphere and is one of the best places in Switzerland. The Chillon Castle on the lake is a model of the Swiss castle. You can boat on the lake, or stroll through the town's old buildings, and breathe its romantic atmosphere.
The mild climate, plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures also create a good environment for a road trip to Montreux.
PS: Other fabulous options in Switzerland are St. Moritz, Gstaad and Verbier!
Located above 3,100 meters, the Brienzer Rothorn is a peak collection, and you can walk through the sculptures surrounding Zermatt and take the Alpine world within one visit. Brienzer Rothorn is famous for adventurers who want challenging hikes and see the Alpine peaks.
You can go through the trails and paraglide if you're going to take your experience to the next level. Unique with adventures, you can take the skiing pistes and get to enjoy fun activities.
Among all those small towns in Europe where jazz rhymes with summer, Ascona is usually the first and the best place in Switzerland. And your postcard is enviable. Imagine this cocktail: Lake Maggiore, summery mountains, good music, festive atmosphere but without lag and that intergenerational cultural halo that surrounds this musical genre.
Oh! And a last incentive: the scenes that are mounted in Locarno and that invite to visit, also, this city.
Lugano is the largest city in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, and it also has the casual, romantic and warm Italian atmosphere. The southernmost city in bohemian Switzerland has some colourful markets of the world, unique antique shops, a small park by the lake and the best places to tent in Switzerland. There are no unique attractions in the mountains and lakes, staggered alleys, and the whole city is a famous painting.
The Luzern lake, fresco-adorned historic houses, art gallery, the old town are all amazing places for a leisurely walk. Mt. Rigi is one of the best short trips from Luzern. It has hiking trails, breathtaking views of the snowy mountain tops, adventure sports and is accessible through the most ancient Cogwheel train in Europe.
Take the SOB train from Wädenswil which goes via Biberbrugg for some of the enchanting views! Explore the city, take a boat ride in lake Lucerne and head off to Mt. Rigi to get the Swiss Alps feeling. If skiing is not the main purpose of your visit to Switzerland, presumably you are coming to enjoy the architecture of the Middle Ages and the laid-back idyllic scenery.
You can see beautiful fields, charming country roads, magnificent snow-capped mountains, old towns. The HTMi, Hotel and Tourism Management Institute is located in the small town of Somberg in the Canton of Lucerne.
Zurich enjoys the reputation of being the richest city in Europe, European millionaire city and financial center. Not only that, but the environment, the architecture, the culture, the atmosphere of life here exudes a unique charm. There are mountains and lakes, and there are lights and hustle and bustle.
Zurich's city center, the toboggan runs for the playful and has spa with outdoor hot tubs for relaxation. Top it with a day trip to Grindelwald and Interlaken, a mix of spectacular scenery and shops with handcrafts.
This city is beautiful and full of life, but at the same time very calming. There isn’t much noise or anything in particular that could disturb your inner peace. Midnight walk around city is definitely a must. But the real beauty of the place is when you are standing at one of the bridges that are made on river Rhine and watching the sun going down.
Basel is located at the junction of the Rhine Bay and Germany and France. It is the most important transportation hub connecting France, Germany and Switzerland. The highways of the three countries meet here. The city retains the characteristics of the German-speaking city, and the combination of modern and classical is perfect and very orderly. And here is the birthplace of King Federer.
It's a cute little city which is not too crowded or too lonely either. When Fasnacht parade is around the corner, whole of the city gets decorated around the same theme. Big handmade masks features at every shop.
The capital of Switzerland, Bern is a beautiful and gorgeous city packed with top-notch museums, churches, and historical wonders. You can start your journey from visiting the Bern’s world heritage status Old Town full of arcades and fountains while the cultural-lovers can head to the Bern's Fine Arts Museum, the Historical Museum, Albert Einstein Museum, the Paul Klee Centre, and the Natural History Museum.
For some religious touches, the city has the famous Bernmunster cathedral with a 330-foot bell tower. The city is also a great place to stop by for its wide range of restaurants offering delicious cuisine, shopping, and several popular festivals including the Gurtenfestival and Bern Jazz Festival.
Bern is in the Bernese Oberland, surrounded by the Swiss Alps and the Aare Rive. The most visited beach of Switzerland is Aare Beach. That is a very, very long but rather narrow beach, approximately it runs between Thun near the Bernese Alps all the way down to the town of Aarau, some 120 km altogether.
The areas around Bern are the most popular, it is very common for people from Bern to take an afternoon swim at fabled “Marzili Bath” right below the Federal Building, where the Swiss Parliament is housed. Another hotspot is near Olten, where people spend their weekends - or an entire summer holiday on the beach there.
In summer, it has a tropical aspect to it, with lots of small islands and inlets, with small, sandy areas and others that are more gravelly. Lots of thick underbrush, tall trees, noisy birds and - no monkeys and parrots just yet! On August 1st, Swiss Independence Day - folks fire their fireworks and it is actually tough to still find a spot.
In Olten itself, people actually climb the railroad bridge to jump into the river to swim downriver towards the public swimming pools near the Old Center to get out. On a good day, you can see dozens of swimmers in the river all day long. You need to know what you are doing though. The river is still swift and powerful with dangerous currents around bridge supports. Despite its depth of some 10 feet or more there are no boats or barges to worry about.
The capital looks least like a capital. In the streets and alleys of the city, you can feel the warmth of the country and the elegance of the nobles. There are many street springs in the streets of the city of Bern. So Bern is also known as the spring city.
Ride the nostalgic two-person chairlift up the mountain from the village. The chairlift has wooden seats and grey canvass curtain attached to the side that is used to protect you from cold crosswind, rain or snow. The chairs, not mounted conventionally straight, are mounted sideways on the cable so on you have a wonderful wide view of the mountains on your journey.
On a chilly day, you can grab a classic Swiss wool blanket before boarding and drape it across your legs. Just getting to the top of the mountain is a joyful experience in itself. In winter you can go up the lake for snowy walks and race down the steep 3.5 km sled run (Tobogganing) back to the village.
Oeschinensee can be found in the Bernese Alpine village of Kandersteg, Switzerland. The lake is a magical retreat away from everyday life. Lake Blausee is a romantic and pretty forest lake of an intensely blue colour which gives it the name: Blue Lake. A paved path leads from the gift shop at the entrance down to the lake through a thick forest. Quickly, the striking blue lake appears and and will amaze you you with its beauty.
There is a five-lift small family friendly ski area in Kandersteg. In summer, you can fulfill your need for speed on the Rodelbahn. It is a fun 750 m long Summer Sled Run down the side of the mountain. Once the snow melts the hiking trails open and offer a slower pace of fun to take in all the fresh air high in the mountains. Adventurous hikers can climb high above the lake on one of the many trails and visit one of the Swiss Mountain huts.
The lake is always a magnet for a full day’s fun. There is a lodge alongside the lake (Berghotel Oeschinensee) where it’s possible to spend the night. In winter, you can have coffee and apple strudel on the open outdoor deck overlooking the snow-covered lake. With backpacks filled with food and wood hike to the back side of the lake where you can have a BBQ picnic on an open fire.
You have to pack in your own wood if you want a fire. On the back side of the lake is a small, but tall, icy cold glacier water waterfall that is possible to stand under and let the water soak you like a rain shower. At the hotel go down to the dock and rent row boat to experience the alpine views from a whole new angle.
Ride the railway (car train) through the mountain tunnel to the valley on the other side. You can head south to visit Zermatt or go glacier hiking at Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn or travel further south to Italy. In winter you can go over the next valley to go skiing in one of the best places to ski in Switzerland.
You can go through the lauterbrunnen valley, Gimmelwald, Murren with a magnificent view of Jungfrau without spending anything extra. Interlaken, the important stop of the Swiss Golden Pass train, connecting Lake Brienz with Lake Thun, is an important gateway to the Jungfrau and Schilthorn, with the best natural scenery in Switzerland.
With turquoise blue waters, mountainous peaks of permanent snow and a fresh breeze on the face, Interlaken is guarded by Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and is one of the beautiful places to visit in Switzerland. The first is the best known, with famous mountains such as the Niesen or the Harder Kulm and the views of the powerful and well-known Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch.
A water trip through the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz will take you through bucolic fishing ports and castles full of history. Be it the Mediterranean air on Lake Thun or the journey through the transparent glacial waters on Lake Brienz.
Close by are the Giessbach waterfalls, which are truly impressive and can be accessed from below through a walkway. They are in a forest where there is a luxury hotel that has its own zipper to the lake. It is a paradise for skiers, and with the wildflowers in the best mountains to visit in summer, it is the best time to hike in Switzerland.
Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is 13 km by car. The funicular is in the middle of the town of Lauterbrunnen, but you have to park in a paid parking lot at the end of the village, where the waterfall is located. Lauterbrunnen valley is one of the most spectacular of all the Alps and a landscape dominated by vertical walls of mountains and waterfalls of meltwater.
Lauterbrunnen is also known as the valley of the 72 waterfalls. One of the most impressive is the Staubbach Falls, which with almost 300 meters high, becomes the second highest freefall waterfall in Switzerland, and one of the highest in Europe. In summer, the warm winds disperse the water in all directions causing it to spray.
If you are craving for some snow capped mountains then you can visit either Mt. Titlis or the Jungfraujoch. With the Swiss pass you will get some discount in the extra money that you have to pay. Visiting Jungfraujoch is much more expensive that Mt. Titlis. Watch out some YouTube videos to choose.
Take a cog railway that go up to Wengen. From this village you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley. Take a cable car to the Männlichen. The Männlichen peak, at 2,343 meters, is an excellent viewpoint between the valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald.
From there, a mountain trail starts up to Kleine Scheidegg, a walk that allows you to see an excellent view of the Bernese Alps, always guarded by the majestic peaks of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, the three highest heights in Switzerland. Kleine Scheidegg is the starting point of the cog railway that goes up to the Jungfraujoch and is also one of the places in Switzerland to enjoy alpine horn playing or alphorn.
Nearby, the glacial waters of Trümmelbach Falls traverse the crevices of the mountains beyond the viewing platforms. A cable car runs from the village of Stechelberg to the Schilthorn mountain, from where you can see the Bernese Alps and is an easy road trip in Switzerland.
Take a cable car up to Grütschalp. Breathing the alpine air and overlooking the highest peaks in Europe, is something that would not change even for a meal in the best restaurant in Switzerland. Consider visiting the town of Murren. To get there from Grütschalp there are 2 options by train or by taking a pleasant 1-hour walk on flat terrain.
With a tradition that goes back more than 150 years, Switzerland is one of the most elegant and complete ski destinations in the world. Its great variety of stations, makes Switzerland an ideal destination for all types of skiers. Among the best ski destinations in Switzerland, it is undoubtedly Nendaz that together with Verbier, Veysonnaz and Thyon form the mega station 4 Vallées, one of the largest ski areas in the world of connected tracks with more than 400 km of slopes.
Nendaz is quite the opposite of the renowned Verbier, one of the most cosmopolitan destinations in the world ski. The neighboring station overflows fame and when from the Col des Mines or Les Ruinettes you can see its overcrowded slopes, you choose to continue on the outskirts, or return to the quiet and familiar Nendaz slopes, rather than having to battle with the mass of skiers.
Nendaz, the secluded station is part of Les 4 Vallées, the largest ski domain in the Swiss country, where it competes with the cosmopolitan Verbier. Here, on the other hand, tranquility and family tracks prevail. The quietest corner of the largest Swiss ski area hangs high in the Rhone Valley. To get to its domain, you have to take the precise bus that departs from the Sion station, where you can get to a railway.
Nightfall and a constellation of lights scatter the rigorously untouched slopes. They point to the position of Anzère, Crans Montana, Les Diablerets, Leukerbad, Ovronnaz and other ski centers that the traveler cannot identify. Next to Nendaz are Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Tzoumaz and Verbier. Nendaz is made up of two cores: Nendaz resort and Siviez.
Perhaps the most recommended is the long descent that joins the Mont-Fort, which starts at the same roof of the station, and continues along the rugged slope of Mont-Gelé to Tortin.
Beautiful Village along with the magical Lake Sarnen, Obwalden is a place where you can just relax and see the beauty of nature with lots of colors.
On the Swiss side of the Alps, it is a paradise for skiers. Geneva, Lucerne, Basel, Zurich, Jungfrau, are some of the best places to visit in Switzerland as each place is nostalgic. When you walk through idyllic mountains - dotted with lakes and upholstered green meadows dotted with colorful flowers - riding a luxurious high-speed train, you know that Switzerland has to be among the best countries in the world to visit.
Several Swiss cities have tram networks. And on top of all of that, there are passenger boats crossing many of Switzerland's picturesque lakes. Many train routes are outstandingly scenic. There are mountain passes, deep valleys, rivers, high viaducts, glacier, forests and charming settlements to enjoy from your train.
Swiss public transport fares are expensive. Numerous travel passes provide for more affordable visit. These passes offer complete flexibility, allowing you to travel as you please.
It has one of the best financial systems in the world, pristine cities, modern infrastructure, good job opportunities and a good location in the center of Europe. Among many other things you have an excellent place to live. In fact, many of the Spaniards who left Spain in the 50s and 60s of the last century went to try their luck in Switzerland and remain there (and their descendants).
Despite being in the heart of Europe, Switzerland has always held onto their own unique customs and culture. From yodeling to Alpine horn playing, Switzerland has a distinct identity which is all its own. This country is dominated by its Alpine mountain range, with the imposing Matterhorn having tempted climbers for generations.
Switzerland has a variety of landscapes and not just the Alps. You can enjoy some great Lakes, vineyards, citylife, snow capped mountains, mountains with lush green terrain, excellent hiking trails, forests, waterfalls. So, prioritize.
Of course, Switzerland is also famous for its clocks and watches, and it seems like everything runs on time here. As a solo traveler in Europe you can set your own agenda. Make sure to soak up as much of the atmosphere as you can on your visit. Winter is the best time to travel to Switzerland.
Here in this Switzerland travel guide and blog, you can find some unique places to visit in Switzerland and fun things to do this winter.
1. Geneva
Geneva is in the southwest corner of Switzerland, and the largest lake in Switzerland is in its north, also known by its name - Lake Geneva. Geneva is a modern city, but the main attractions are concentrated on the shores of Lake Geneva, which can be visited on foot. The United Nations European headquarters is also here, so it is not only a Swiss city but also a city of the world and is one of the best city to visit in Switzerland.
2. Gruyères
Take a trip to Gruyères, where you will find the incredible H.R. Giger museum. This is no ordinary museum. The creator of the monsters from the Alien movies having designed this place in trademark Gothic style.
Fribourg is built on a canyon wall and the Poo line connects upper Fribourg with lower Fribourg and it is powered by human waste. The passenger cars has sewage tanks in them. The tanks are filled with sewage on top, released and then pulls an sewage-empty passenger car to the top as they descend.
At the bottom, the sewage tank is emptied into a sewer and the car becomes lighter than the passenger car at top that is currently being filled so it ascends and halfway up it meets the passenger car going down.
In the ultimate twist of gourmet mac and cheese, conchiglie pasta is baked in a mixture of Gruyère Surchoix, aged Emmental Swiss, Parmigiano Reggiano imported from Italy, and White Cheddar imported from New Zealand.
3. Montreux
So if you’re not a Switzerland virgin and have already been to places like Lucerne, Interlaken, and Lauterbrunnen, then this one’s for you! Montreux for starters was the place where Queen’s (yes the iconic band) last album was created. In addition to its beautiful landscape, Montreux is also known for its jazz festival that takes place in July!
Enjoy riding the Golden Pass panoramic train. Reservation isn't compulsory, just that you cannot sit on a reserved seat. On weekdays the train is usually not crowded. Hence you will get a lot of unreserved seats. You can head off to Montreux, the Swiss riviera, explore the nearby vineyards, and then take this panoramic train from Montreux to Zweisimmen.
The train passes through some picturesque valleys and towns like Saanen, Gstaad. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Montreux has a natural romantic atmosphere and is one of the best places in Switzerland. The Chillon Castle on the lake is a model of the Swiss castle. You can boat on the lake, or stroll through the town's old buildings, and breathe its romantic atmosphere.
The mild climate, plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures also create a good environment for a road trip to Montreux.
PS: Other fabulous options in Switzerland are St. Moritz, Gstaad and Verbier!
4. Brienz
Located above 3,100 meters, the Brienzer Rothorn is a peak collection, and you can walk through the sculptures surrounding Zermatt and take the Alpine world within one visit. Brienzer Rothorn is famous for adventurers who want challenging hikes and see the Alpine peaks.
You can go through the trails and paraglide if you're going to take your experience to the next level. Unique with adventures, you can take the skiing pistes and get to enjoy fun activities.
5. Ascona
Among all those small towns in Europe where jazz rhymes with summer, Ascona is usually the first and the best place in Switzerland. And your postcard is enviable. Imagine this cocktail: Lake Maggiore, summery mountains, good music, festive atmosphere but without lag and that intergenerational cultural halo that surrounds this musical genre.
Oh! And a last incentive: the scenes that are mounted in Locarno and that invite to visit, also, this city.
6. Lugano
Lugano is the largest city in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, and it also has the casual, romantic and warm Italian atmosphere. The southernmost city in bohemian Switzerland has some colourful markets of the world, unique antique shops, a small park by the lake and the best places to tent in Switzerland. There are no unique attractions in the mountains and lakes, staggered alleys, and the whole city is a famous painting.
7. Lucerne
The Luzern lake, fresco-adorned historic houses, art gallery, the old town are all amazing places for a leisurely walk. Mt. Rigi is one of the best short trips from Luzern. It has hiking trails, breathtaking views of the snowy mountain tops, adventure sports and is accessible through the most ancient Cogwheel train in Europe.
Take the SOB train from Wädenswil which goes via Biberbrugg for some of the enchanting views! Explore the city, take a boat ride in lake Lucerne and head off to Mt. Rigi to get the Swiss Alps feeling. If skiing is not the main purpose of your visit to Switzerland, presumably you are coming to enjoy the architecture of the Middle Ages and the laid-back idyllic scenery.
You can see beautiful fields, charming country roads, magnificent snow-capped mountains, old towns. The HTMi, Hotel and Tourism Management Institute is located in the small town of Somberg in the Canton of Lucerne.
8. Zurich
Zurich enjoys the reputation of being the richest city in Europe, European millionaire city and financial center. Not only that, but the environment, the architecture, the culture, the atmosphere of life here exudes a unique charm. There are mountains and lakes, and there are lights and hustle and bustle.
Zurich's city center, the toboggan runs for the playful and has spa with outdoor hot tubs for relaxation. Top it with a day trip to Grindelwald and Interlaken, a mix of spectacular scenery and shops with handcrafts.
9. Basel
This city is beautiful and full of life, but at the same time very calming. There isn’t much noise or anything in particular that could disturb your inner peace. Midnight walk around city is definitely a must. But the real beauty of the place is when you are standing at one of the bridges that are made on river Rhine and watching the sun going down.
Basel is located at the junction of the Rhine Bay and Germany and France. It is the most important transportation hub connecting France, Germany and Switzerland. The highways of the three countries meet here. The city retains the characteristics of the German-speaking city, and the combination of modern and classical is perfect and very orderly. And here is the birthplace of King Federer.
It's a cute little city which is not too crowded or too lonely either. When Fasnacht parade is around the corner, whole of the city gets decorated around the same theme. Big handmade masks features at every shop.
10. Bern
The capital of Switzerland, Bern is a beautiful and gorgeous city packed with top-notch museums, churches, and historical wonders. You can start your journey from visiting the Bern’s world heritage status Old Town full of arcades and fountains while the cultural-lovers can head to the Bern's Fine Arts Museum, the Historical Museum, Albert Einstein Museum, the Paul Klee Centre, and the Natural History Museum.
For some religious touches, the city has the famous Bernmunster cathedral with a 330-foot bell tower. The city is also a great place to stop by for its wide range of restaurants offering delicious cuisine, shopping, and several popular festivals including the Gurtenfestival and Bern Jazz Festival.
Bern is in the Bernese Oberland, surrounded by the Swiss Alps and the Aare Rive. The most visited beach of Switzerland is Aare Beach. That is a very, very long but rather narrow beach, approximately it runs between Thun near the Bernese Alps all the way down to the town of Aarau, some 120 km altogether.
The areas around Bern are the most popular, it is very common for people from Bern to take an afternoon swim at fabled “Marzili Bath” right below the Federal Building, where the Swiss Parliament is housed. Another hotspot is near Olten, where people spend their weekends - or an entire summer holiday on the beach there.
In summer, it has a tropical aspect to it, with lots of small islands and inlets, with small, sandy areas and others that are more gravelly. Lots of thick underbrush, tall trees, noisy birds and - no monkeys and parrots just yet! On August 1st, Swiss Independence Day - folks fire their fireworks and it is actually tough to still find a spot.
In Olten itself, people actually climb the railroad bridge to jump into the river to swim downriver towards the public swimming pools near the Old Center to get out. On a good day, you can see dozens of swimmers in the river all day long. You need to know what you are doing though. The river is still swift and powerful with dangerous currents around bridge supports. Despite its depth of some 10 feet or more there are no boats or barges to worry about.
The capital looks least like a capital. In the streets and alleys of the city, you can feel the warmth of the country and the elegance of the nobles. There are many street springs in the streets of the city of Bern. So Bern is also known as the spring city.
Ride the nostalgic two-person chairlift up the mountain from the village. The chairlift has wooden seats and grey canvass curtain attached to the side that is used to protect you from cold crosswind, rain or snow. The chairs, not mounted conventionally straight, are mounted sideways on the cable so on you have a wonderful wide view of the mountains on your journey.
On a chilly day, you can grab a classic Swiss wool blanket before boarding and drape it across your legs. Just getting to the top of the mountain is a joyful experience in itself. In winter you can go up the lake for snowy walks and race down the steep 3.5 km sled run (Tobogganing) back to the village.
11. Kandersteg
Oeschinensee can be found in the Bernese Alpine village of Kandersteg, Switzerland. The lake is a magical retreat away from everyday life. Lake Blausee is a romantic and pretty forest lake of an intensely blue colour which gives it the name: Blue Lake. A paved path leads from the gift shop at the entrance down to the lake through a thick forest. Quickly, the striking blue lake appears and and will amaze you you with its beauty.
There is a five-lift small family friendly ski area in Kandersteg. In summer, you can fulfill your need for speed on the Rodelbahn. It is a fun 750 m long Summer Sled Run down the side of the mountain. Once the snow melts the hiking trails open and offer a slower pace of fun to take in all the fresh air high in the mountains. Adventurous hikers can climb high above the lake on one of the many trails and visit one of the Swiss Mountain huts.
The lake is always a magnet for a full day’s fun. There is a lodge alongside the lake (Berghotel Oeschinensee) where it’s possible to spend the night. In winter, you can have coffee and apple strudel on the open outdoor deck overlooking the snow-covered lake. With backpacks filled with food and wood hike to the back side of the lake where you can have a BBQ picnic on an open fire.
You have to pack in your own wood if you want a fire. On the back side of the lake is a small, but tall, icy cold glacier water waterfall that is possible to stand under and let the water soak you like a rain shower. At the hotel go down to the dock and rent row boat to experience the alpine views from a whole new angle.
Ride the railway (car train) through the mountain tunnel to the valley on the other side. You can head south to visit Zermatt or go glacier hiking at Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn or travel further south to Italy. In winter you can go over the next valley to go skiing in one of the best places to ski in Switzerland.
12. Interlaken
You can go through the lauterbrunnen valley, Gimmelwald, Murren with a magnificent view of Jungfrau without spending anything extra. Interlaken, the important stop of the Swiss Golden Pass train, connecting Lake Brienz with Lake Thun, is an important gateway to the Jungfrau and Schilthorn, with the best natural scenery in Switzerland.
With turquoise blue waters, mountainous peaks of permanent snow and a fresh breeze on the face, Interlaken is guarded by Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and is one of the beautiful places to visit in Switzerland. The first is the best known, with famous mountains such as the Niesen or the Harder Kulm and the views of the powerful and well-known Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch.
13. Thun
A water trip through the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz will take you through bucolic fishing ports and castles full of history. Be it the Mediterranean air on Lake Thun or the journey through the transparent glacial waters on Lake Brienz.
Close by are the Giessbach waterfalls, which are truly impressive and can be accessed from below through a walkway. They are in a forest where there is a luxury hotel that has its own zipper to the lake. It is a paradise for skiers, and with the wildflowers in the best mountains to visit in summer, it is the best time to hike in Switzerland.
14. Lauterbrunnen
Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is 13 km by car. The funicular is in the middle of the town of Lauterbrunnen, but you have to park in a paid parking lot at the end of the village, where the waterfall is located. Lauterbrunnen valley is one of the most spectacular of all the Alps and a landscape dominated by vertical walls of mountains and waterfalls of meltwater.
Lauterbrunnen is also known as the valley of the 72 waterfalls. One of the most impressive is the Staubbach Falls, which with almost 300 meters high, becomes the second highest freefall waterfall in Switzerland, and one of the highest in Europe. In summer, the warm winds disperse the water in all directions causing it to spray.
15. Wengen
If you are craving for some snow capped mountains then you can visit either Mt. Titlis or the Jungfraujoch. With the Swiss pass you will get some discount in the extra money that you have to pay. Visiting Jungfraujoch is much more expensive that Mt. Titlis. Watch out some YouTube videos to choose.
Take a cog railway that go up to Wengen. From this village you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley. Take a cable car to the Männlichen. The Männlichen peak, at 2,343 meters, is an excellent viewpoint between the valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald.
From there, a mountain trail starts up to Kleine Scheidegg, a walk that allows you to see an excellent view of the Bernese Alps, always guarded by the majestic peaks of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, the three highest heights in Switzerland. Kleine Scheidegg is the starting point of the cog railway that goes up to the Jungfraujoch and is also one of the places in Switzerland to enjoy alpine horn playing or alphorn.
Nearby, the glacial waters of Trümmelbach Falls traverse the crevices of the mountains beyond the viewing platforms. A cable car runs from the village of Stechelberg to the Schilthorn mountain, from where you can see the Bernese Alps and is an easy road trip in Switzerland.
Take a cable car up to Grütschalp. Breathing the alpine air and overlooking the highest peaks in Europe, is something that would not change even for a meal in the best restaurant in Switzerland. Consider visiting the town of Murren. To get there from Grütschalp there are 2 options by train or by taking a pleasant 1-hour walk on flat terrain.
16. Verbier
With a tradition that goes back more than 150 years, Switzerland is one of the most elegant and complete ski destinations in the world. Its great variety of stations, makes Switzerland an ideal destination for all types of skiers. Among the best ski destinations in Switzerland, it is undoubtedly Nendaz that together with Verbier, Veysonnaz and Thyon form the mega station 4 Vallées, one of the largest ski areas in the world of connected tracks with more than 400 km of slopes.
Nendaz is quite the opposite of the renowned Verbier, one of the most cosmopolitan destinations in the world ski. The neighboring station overflows fame and when from the Col des Mines or Les Ruinettes you can see its overcrowded slopes, you choose to continue on the outskirts, or return to the quiet and familiar Nendaz slopes, rather than having to battle with the mass of skiers.
Nendaz, the secluded station is part of Les 4 Vallées, the largest ski domain in the Swiss country, where it competes with the cosmopolitan Verbier. Here, on the other hand, tranquility and family tracks prevail. The quietest corner of the largest Swiss ski area hangs high in the Rhone Valley. To get to its domain, you have to take the precise bus that departs from the Sion station, where you can get to a railway.
Nightfall and a constellation of lights scatter the rigorously untouched slopes. They point to the position of Anzère, Crans Montana, Les Diablerets, Leukerbad, Ovronnaz and other ski centers that the traveler cannot identify. Next to Nendaz are Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Tzoumaz and Verbier. Nendaz is made up of two cores: Nendaz resort and Siviez.
Perhaps the most recommended is the long descent that joins the Mont-Fort, which starts at the same roof of the station, and continues along the rugged slope of Mont-Gelé to Tortin.
17. Engelberg
Beautiful Village along with the magical Lake Sarnen, Obwalden is a place where you can just relax and see the beauty of nature with lots of colors.
It is not always easy to maintain good eating habits while traveling. You rarely have the time or utensils to cook at home. At the campsite, or between two hotels, the priority is rarely to make good food, so we end up improvising and giving in to the ease of ordering pizzas. And yet, there are solutions to eat well on a trip and without spending too much!
Here are some tips and ideas on how to make travel recipes easy and quick to prepare healthy make ahead meals for road trips.
Sunday road trip sandwiches with smoked salmon and fromage frais. This Sunday evening sandwich recipe could perfectly well be done on holiday for the good reason that it is only the assembly kitchen and that it does not require any material or preliminary preparation. Just choose a smoked salmon of good quality (Red or organic label is much better). You can serve it for an aperitif or prepare several for a quick lunch.
It's fast and tasty and is one of the best meals for traveling in the car! This dish requires few utensils and preparation time. In other words, it is perfect when your priority is not to cook, when you are traveling for example? You will need a large zucchini, an egg, 1/2 tablespoon of flour, two cloves of garlic, a little parsley and dill.
Chop garlic and herbs and mix them with the egg in a bowl. Stir everything gently. Grate the zucchini and add the result to the mixture. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Preheat a saucepan, add a little vegetable oil and add a tablespoon of the zucchini mixture. Fry everything until it is golden brown. You have your first donut! Repeat until the bowl is empty.
This gourmet road trip food is a delicious and original starter, for lunch and dinner! You just need black olives, hummus, bread and green pepper. Spread the hummus over the bread then add the green pepper and olives previously pitted. Dare a pinch of thyme on the urge you said.
This picnic food for the car can be enjoyed as a starter, but also as a meal on the run. You will only need three ingredients: canned tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. You cook everything together and you end up with this succulent dish!
Marinate the chicken with mustard, honey, green chilly, salt, pepper and garlic. Keep the marinated chicken aside for 5 to 7 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken and throw in some vegetables of your choice and let it cook for 4–5 minutes. Add herbs of your choice at the time of serving.
Not your usual sandwiches, this one packs a fruity and crunchy zest to your choice of bread sandwich. Spread some cream cheese (or a hung-curd spread) on your choice of bread. Top with some crunchy chopped walnuts and pear slices. You could add some sprouts or arugula for a bit of texture! A healthy, fruity and green lunch on your hands in a jiffy!
Scoop the muskmelon into a round shape and put them into a mixing bowl. Add some mint leaves with some ginger. Squeeze a lemon on it. Add some salt to taste. Put this in the fridge for a little bit (depends on how cold you want it) the cooler the better.
Hamburger isn’t steak. If you’re using the right beef, 80/20 ground chuck, dryness shouldn’t be an issue, unless you’re really well done-ing it. Seriously, get 80/20 ground beef. That’s 80% lean to fat. 20% fat is a significant amount, more than a steak. You don’t need your burger to be rare or mid rare and still be juicy.
Technique plays a big part in cooking a burger properly. Start with a 7oz patty. They cook up nicely. A burger ring helps you to make perfectly proportioned patties, which cook evenly. Once you’ve got your patties, drop them on the grill and season them generously with salt and pepper, about 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper.
Now wait about 2 minutes. With your spatula, pick up the burger and give it a quarter turn, put it back on the grill and leave it alone. Wait another 2 minutes. Now pick up the burger and flip it over. Don’t touch it, let it cook for three minutes. Again, pick it up, quarter turn, put it down and wait three more minutes.
Season it again with salt and pepper, pull it off of the grill and enjoy. It should be a perfect medium. If you want less red in the center, just add a minute to each step of the cooking process.
Salt the meat. Add some black pepper if you must. Handle the meat as little as possible. Do not mash it into a pulp or knead it. Make patties of uniform thickness, a bit larger than the bun. A half-inch thick patty is a good size, but you can go thinner if you like. Heat up a well-seasoned cast iron skillet to medium-high on stovetop.
When it’s fully heated, place the patties in and do not mess with them until they are ready to flip — you are going to flip these burgers exactly once. Do not try to move them before you are ready to flip them. DO NOT SMASH THE PATTIES DOWN WITH A SPATULA! Or any other object. All you’re going to do is squeeze the juice out of your burger, drying it out, and increase the odds that the patty will stick in the pan.
You’ll know the burgers are ready to flip when the juices rise along the outer edge of the top of the patty. There will be a ring of still-murky juices that forms all the way around the burger’s edge. When you see that, it’s time to flip! Cook until the juice runs clear. All you have to do is give the patties a little pressure with the corner of the spatula and the juice will rise up and run off, just a bit.
If it’s red or cloudy, not ready yet. When it’s clear, your burger is done! Add a slice of American cheese to each burger just before you’re ready to remove them from the skillet. The momentary heat from the pan will drop the edges of the slice down around the patty, and the heat from the burger will melt it nicely.
Bread is a very personal choice. Find a bun you really like, or one that’s just like your favorite diner, and use that. Toast, grill, or not, depending on preference. As for condiments, the classic American burger have ketchup and dill pickle chips on the lower bun, mustard on the top bun, and raw onion slices, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes on top of the burger. But you can mix it up however you want.
The bread base (what you call the crust) should be made with a very simple and well-hydrated bread dough, made with only a mixture of durum and regular wheat flours, neither too thin nor bleached. This kind of flour has more proteins and fibers (even though it’s not whole wheat) than all-purpose flour.
The bread should also include water, yeast or sourdough, and a pinch of salt, and should be fermented for 24 hours for a perfect raise, with good flavor and to make it easy to digest. It should be topped with excellent quality crushed tomatoes, a little fresh mozzarella, or better, fiordilatte, and a light drizzle of extravirgin olive oil, and baked for just a few minutes at the highest temperature possible.
This creates a light, tasty and not greasy pizza. For an even healthier meal you may consider swapping the tomato sauce for a mixture of bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes, all diced or cut in thin slices and sautéed with extravirgin olive oil and a garlic clove. Distribute this mixture on the pizza, topping with a few bits of fresh mozzarella, and bake.
Par bake your crust. Moisture is the enemy of a crispy crust. Baking a pizza in a pizza pan traps moisture between the pan and crust. The top of the crust will be crispy but the bottom will be bready, like a focaccia. To make it more pizza parlor like, you’ve got to par bake the crust. First, preheat your oven at its highest temperature.
Spin your crust and fit it into a pizza pan or a cookie sheet. Square pizzas are the trend right now, so don’t run out and buy a round pizza pan if you’ve already got a good square baking pan. Make sure to brush some oil onto the pan as well as the top crust. Now dock the dough with a fork. Docking means to poke it all over the center with a fork to prevent the center of the crust from rising.
You want the edges to rise but the center to stay flat, otherwise your toppings will slide to the edges. Now bake the crust until it has set. When I mean set, I mean for about five to eight minutes, or until it has cooked, but before it turns brown. You’re looking for something like those par-baked crusts you buy in the grocery store.
Pull it from the oven and let it cool until you can handle it comfortably. Now build your pizza on the par baked crust. Use whatever sauce, cheese and toppings you like. Once your pizza is topped, put it into the oven directly on the oven rack. You don’t want to bake it on the pan. The pan traps moisture, remember, and won’t give you a crispy crust.
Baking it directly on the rack will allow the bottom of the crust to get brown and crispy, like pizza baked in a real pizza oven. It shouldn’t take more than eight to ten minutes to get the crust nicely browned and the toppings heated through. You will probably need to spin it half way through as well.
Pancetta is essentially a really well cured ham, and it’s almost a lot like bacon. When put onto the pizza from the start, all that lovely fat would liquify and the meat itself would caramelize and crisp. That crispy sweet and salty taste is absolutely delicious. That meat plus the high temps are just going to make your pizza sing!
There is no single, definitive, way to make one, each is crafted differently, but the basic principle is: Line the bottom of the bowl with cheap cake (there are things called trifle sponges but sliced fruit cake does just as well). Saturate with sweet sherry. Top with jelly. Perhaps one to compliment the trifle taste, but it doesn’t really matter. You can add tinned fruit salad, or fresh fruit, to the jelly.
Or you can wait until it is set, and then add a layer of fruit salad. if you do this, add some more sherry. Carry on adding layers. The top layer should be whipped fresh cream. This can sometimes be decorated with halved cherries or hundreds and thousands. People whip sherry or even Irish cream into the whipped cream.
A good shepherd's pie starts with good mashed potatoes. Take 2–3 lbs of russet potatoes, peel them and cut them into 1″ cubes, cover with water in a pot, add a tbsp of salt and bring them to boil, turn it down to medium and let them boil until soft, about 10 mins. Melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter, set it aside, add an egg to 1/2 cup of milk, whisk it up.
Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot. Mash them up with a potato masher, add the egg/milk mixture, the melted butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover them and set them aside. Chop an onion nice and fine, peel and chop 2–3 carrots
Set aside 2 tbsp of tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp minced fresh thyme (1/2 tsp if you’re using dried thyme) 2 tbsp flour, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and a cup of frozen peas. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in the skillet, add the onion and carrots with 3/4 tsp of salt and cook until softened, about 5 mins.
Add 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef. Break up the ground beef. Cook until it’s brown, 8–10 mins. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a min. Stir in the flour and cook for another min. Drop the Worcestershire in the broth, slowly stir that in, scraping up any browned bits, bring it up to a nice simmer. Stirring occasionally, simmer it for about 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and stir in the frozen peas.
Take the mashed potatoes, put them in a gallon size zip lock bag and cut off a corner of the bag, squeeze the potatoes in a spiral pattern on top of the mixture, nice and even, then flatten with a spoon. Take a fork and make a pattern of ridges on the top of the potatoes. Put an oven rack on the top shelf of the oven so you’ll have about 6″ from the top element, turn the broiler on high.
Put the skillet under the broiler until the top is nice and browned and crusty, about 5-10 mins.
Finely chop coriander or parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint leaves and a cucumber. Boil water, add wheat dalia (bulgur) to the boiling water and stir. Turn heat off, cover and let stand 25 minutes. Fluff bulgur with a fork and then allow to cool to room temperature. Mix all these ingredients and add a pinch of salt, lemon juice and pepper powder. Pour olive oil. Mix again lightly. Eat this alone or with bread.
For Biscuits:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix 250 g soft flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder and 5 g salt. Grate 90 g unsalted butter into the flour mixture and cut with a fork or pastry cutter until the butter is in pieces like small peas.
Pour in 200 g buttermilk and mix with a fork until all flour is wetted. You want a tacky dough but if it sticks to your fingers add a little flour.
Add liquid if the dough is stiff. There’s a wide range that will work well. Don’t over mix and don’t knead. Tip dough on to a floured counter and pat flat to 1/2 inch thickness. Fold in half and flatten again. Fold and flatten 2 more times and cut out round biscuits from 1.5” to 2” in diameter. Press all the way to the counter and only twist the cutter then.
Arrange the biscuits spaced 1/2” apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes turning half way. They should be lightly browned and 210 F internally.
For Gravy:
Make a roux with 30 g butter and 20 g flour and cook on medium heat whisking continuously until a very light brown or blond color shows. Pour 230 g cold milk in while whisking and whisk continuously until thickened. Add milk if too thick or reduce if too thin.
A faster meat dish is petto di pollo al latte e limone. This also require a bit more skill in my opinion just because the preparation is so fast that it does not allow for mistakes. Get some thinly sliced skinless and boneless chicken breast (it works with turkey as well). Lightly dust them with flour. Heat a large pan, melt some butter, add a couple sage leaves, and lightly brown the chicken on both sides.
Now pour in enough milk to cover the chicken halfway (the slices should be a bit crowded in the pan) and the juice of one lemon or of a couple of limes. Add salt and pepper and simmer until the milk has turned into a dense sauce (even denser than in the pic) that looks a bit coagulated, it’s not creamy and silky. Serve sprinkled with some chopped parsley if you want, with a couple vegetable sides.
Super easy. It’s cooked in sahan, which is a traditional copper pan. The most essential ingredient is the cheese, you need some of the local cheeses from the Black Sea region like the Trabzon village cheese, or string cheese. First, melt the butter in the sahan. Don’t let it burn though. Then add the cornmeal and stir it gently with a wooden spoon.
Make sure the colour turns golden brown, so that you can add a cup of water. Bring it to a boil. Once it boils, add the cheese (grated) and stir the mixture until the cheese melts and forms a smooth structure with the cornflour. Let it cook until the cheese becomes stringy, you can stir the mixture occasionally.
Here are some tips and ideas on how to make travel recipes easy and quick to prepare healthy make ahead meals for road trips.
1. Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cream Cheese
Sunday road trip sandwiches with smoked salmon and fromage frais. This Sunday evening sandwich recipe could perfectly well be done on holiday for the good reason that it is only the assembly kitchen and that it does not require any material or preliminary preparation. Just choose a smoked salmon of good quality (Red or organic label is much better). You can serve it for an aperitif or prepare several for a quick lunch.
2. Zucchini Fritters
It's fast and tasty and is one of the best meals for traveling in the car! This dish requires few utensils and preparation time. In other words, it is perfect when your priority is not to cook, when you are traveling for example? You will need a large zucchini, an egg, 1/2 tablespoon of flour, two cloves of garlic, a little parsley and dill.
Chop garlic and herbs and mix them with the egg in a bowl. Stir everything gently. Grate the zucchini and add the result to the mixture. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Preheat a saucepan, add a little vegetable oil and add a tablespoon of the zucchini mixture. Fry everything until it is golden brown. You have your first donut! Repeat until the bowl is empty.
3. Hummus Crostini
This gourmet road trip food is a delicious and original starter, for lunch and dinner! You just need black olives, hummus, bread and green pepper. Spread the hummus over the bread then add the green pepper and olives previously pitted. Dare a pinch of thyme on the urge you said.
4. Stuffed Aubergine Ratatouille
This picnic food for the car can be enjoyed as a starter, but also as a meal on the run. You will only need three ingredients: canned tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. You cook everything together and you end up with this succulent dish!
5. Pan-Seared Chicken
Marinate the chicken with mustard, honey, green chilly, salt, pepper and garlic. Keep the marinated chicken aside for 5 to 7 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken and throw in some vegetables of your choice and let it cook for 4–5 minutes. Add herbs of your choice at the time of serving.
6. Pear-Walnut Sandwich
Not your usual sandwiches, this one packs a fruity and crunchy zest to your choice of bread sandwich. Spread some cream cheese (or a hung-curd spread) on your choice of bread. Top with some crunchy chopped walnuts and pear slices. You could add some sprouts or arugula for a bit of texture! A healthy, fruity and green lunch on your hands in a jiffy!
7. Muskmelon salad
Scoop the muskmelon into a round shape and put them into a mixing bowl. Add some mint leaves with some ginger. Squeeze a lemon on it. Add some salt to taste. Put this in the fridge for a little bit (depends on how cold you want it) the cooler the better.
8. Burger
Hamburger isn’t steak. If you’re using the right beef, 80/20 ground chuck, dryness shouldn’t be an issue, unless you’re really well done-ing it. Seriously, get 80/20 ground beef. That’s 80% lean to fat. 20% fat is a significant amount, more than a steak. You don’t need your burger to be rare or mid rare and still be juicy.
Technique plays a big part in cooking a burger properly. Start with a 7oz patty. They cook up nicely. A burger ring helps you to make perfectly proportioned patties, which cook evenly. Once you’ve got your patties, drop them on the grill and season them generously with salt and pepper, about 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper.
Now wait about 2 minutes. With your spatula, pick up the burger and give it a quarter turn, put it back on the grill and leave it alone. Wait another 2 minutes. Now pick up the burger and flip it over. Don’t touch it, let it cook for three minutes. Again, pick it up, quarter turn, put it down and wait three more minutes.
Season it again with salt and pepper, pull it off of the grill and enjoy. It should be a perfect medium. If you want less red in the center, just add a minute to each step of the cooking process.
Salt the meat. Add some black pepper if you must. Handle the meat as little as possible. Do not mash it into a pulp or knead it. Make patties of uniform thickness, a bit larger than the bun. A half-inch thick patty is a good size, but you can go thinner if you like. Heat up a well-seasoned cast iron skillet to medium-high on stovetop.
When it’s fully heated, place the patties in and do not mess with them until they are ready to flip — you are going to flip these burgers exactly once. Do not try to move them before you are ready to flip them. DO NOT SMASH THE PATTIES DOWN WITH A SPATULA! Or any other object. All you’re going to do is squeeze the juice out of your burger, drying it out, and increase the odds that the patty will stick in the pan.
You’ll know the burgers are ready to flip when the juices rise along the outer edge of the top of the patty. There will be a ring of still-murky juices that forms all the way around the burger’s edge. When you see that, it’s time to flip! Cook until the juice runs clear. All you have to do is give the patties a little pressure with the corner of the spatula and the juice will rise up and run off, just a bit.
If it’s red or cloudy, not ready yet. When it’s clear, your burger is done! Add a slice of American cheese to each burger just before you’re ready to remove them from the skillet. The momentary heat from the pan will drop the edges of the slice down around the patty, and the heat from the burger will melt it nicely.
Bread is a very personal choice. Find a bun you really like, or one that’s just like your favorite diner, and use that. Toast, grill, or not, depending on preference. As for condiments, the classic American burger have ketchup and dill pickle chips on the lower bun, mustard on the top bun, and raw onion slices, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes on top of the burger. But you can mix it up however you want.
9. Pizza
The bread base (what you call the crust) should be made with a very simple and well-hydrated bread dough, made with only a mixture of durum and regular wheat flours, neither too thin nor bleached. This kind of flour has more proteins and fibers (even though it’s not whole wheat) than all-purpose flour.
The bread should also include water, yeast or sourdough, and a pinch of salt, and should be fermented for 24 hours for a perfect raise, with good flavor and to make it easy to digest. It should be topped with excellent quality crushed tomatoes, a little fresh mozzarella, or better, fiordilatte, and a light drizzle of extravirgin olive oil, and baked for just a few minutes at the highest temperature possible.
This creates a light, tasty and not greasy pizza. For an even healthier meal you may consider swapping the tomato sauce for a mixture of bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes, all diced or cut in thin slices and sautéed with extravirgin olive oil and a garlic clove. Distribute this mixture on the pizza, topping with a few bits of fresh mozzarella, and bake.
Par bake your crust. Moisture is the enemy of a crispy crust. Baking a pizza in a pizza pan traps moisture between the pan and crust. The top of the crust will be crispy but the bottom will be bready, like a focaccia. To make it more pizza parlor like, you’ve got to par bake the crust. First, preheat your oven at its highest temperature.
Spin your crust and fit it into a pizza pan or a cookie sheet. Square pizzas are the trend right now, so don’t run out and buy a round pizza pan if you’ve already got a good square baking pan. Make sure to brush some oil onto the pan as well as the top crust. Now dock the dough with a fork. Docking means to poke it all over the center with a fork to prevent the center of the crust from rising.
You want the edges to rise but the center to stay flat, otherwise your toppings will slide to the edges. Now bake the crust until it has set. When I mean set, I mean for about five to eight minutes, or until it has cooked, but before it turns brown. You’re looking for something like those par-baked crusts you buy in the grocery store.
Pull it from the oven and let it cool until you can handle it comfortably. Now build your pizza on the par baked crust. Use whatever sauce, cheese and toppings you like. Once your pizza is topped, put it into the oven directly on the oven rack. You don’t want to bake it on the pan. The pan traps moisture, remember, and won’t give you a crispy crust.
Baking it directly on the rack will allow the bottom of the crust to get brown and crispy, like pizza baked in a real pizza oven. It shouldn’t take more than eight to ten minutes to get the crust nicely browned and the toppings heated through. You will probably need to spin it half way through as well.
Pancetta is essentially a really well cured ham, and it’s almost a lot like bacon. When put onto the pizza from the start, all that lovely fat would liquify and the meat itself would caramelize and crisp. That crispy sweet and salty taste is absolutely delicious. That meat plus the high temps are just going to make your pizza sing!
10. Sherry Trifle
There is no single, definitive, way to make one, each is crafted differently, but the basic principle is: Line the bottom of the bowl with cheap cake (there are things called trifle sponges but sliced fruit cake does just as well). Saturate with sweet sherry. Top with jelly. Perhaps one to compliment the trifle taste, but it doesn’t really matter. You can add tinned fruit salad, or fresh fruit, to the jelly.
Or you can wait until it is set, and then add a layer of fruit salad. if you do this, add some more sherry. Carry on adding layers. The top layer should be whipped fresh cream. This can sometimes be decorated with halved cherries or hundreds and thousands. People whip sherry or even Irish cream into the whipped cream.
11. Shepherd’s pie
A good shepherd's pie starts with good mashed potatoes. Take 2–3 lbs of russet potatoes, peel them and cut them into 1″ cubes, cover with water in a pot, add a tbsp of salt and bring them to boil, turn it down to medium and let them boil until soft, about 10 mins. Melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter, set it aside, add an egg to 1/2 cup of milk, whisk it up.
Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot. Mash them up with a potato masher, add the egg/milk mixture, the melted butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover them and set them aside. Chop an onion nice and fine, peel and chop 2–3 carrots
Set aside 2 tbsp of tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp minced fresh thyme (1/2 tsp if you’re using dried thyme) 2 tbsp flour, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and a cup of frozen peas. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in the skillet, add the onion and carrots with 3/4 tsp of salt and cook until softened, about 5 mins.
Add 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef. Break up the ground beef. Cook until it’s brown, 8–10 mins. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a min. Stir in the flour and cook for another min. Drop the Worcestershire in the broth, slowly stir that in, scraping up any browned bits, bring it up to a nice simmer. Stirring occasionally, simmer it for about 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and stir in the frozen peas.
Take the mashed potatoes, put them in a gallon size zip lock bag and cut off a corner of the bag, squeeze the potatoes in a spiral pattern on top of the mixture, nice and even, then flatten with a spoon. Take a fork and make a pattern of ridges on the top of the potatoes. Put an oven rack on the top shelf of the oven so you’ll have about 6″ from the top element, turn the broiler on high.
Put the skillet under the broiler until the top is nice and browned and crusty, about 5-10 mins.
12. Tabbouleh
Finely chop coriander or parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint leaves and a cucumber. Boil water, add wheat dalia (bulgur) to the boiling water and stir. Turn heat off, cover and let stand 25 minutes. Fluff bulgur with a fork and then allow to cool to room temperature. Mix all these ingredients and add a pinch of salt, lemon juice and pepper powder. Pour olive oil. Mix again lightly. Eat this alone or with bread.
13. Biscuits and Gravy
For Biscuits:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix 250 g soft flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder and 5 g salt. Grate 90 g unsalted butter into the flour mixture and cut with a fork or pastry cutter until the butter is in pieces like small peas.
Pour in 200 g buttermilk and mix with a fork until all flour is wetted. You want a tacky dough but if it sticks to your fingers add a little flour.
Add liquid if the dough is stiff. There’s a wide range that will work well. Don’t over mix and don’t knead. Tip dough on to a floured counter and pat flat to 1/2 inch thickness. Fold in half and flatten again. Fold and flatten 2 more times and cut out round biscuits from 1.5” to 2” in diameter. Press all the way to the counter and only twist the cutter then.
Arrange the biscuits spaced 1/2” apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes turning half way. They should be lightly browned and 210 F internally.
For Gravy:
Make a roux with 30 g butter and 20 g flour and cook on medium heat whisking continuously until a very light brown or blond color shows. Pour 230 g cold milk in while whisking and whisk continuously until thickened. Add milk if too thick or reduce if too thin.
14. Petto di pollo al latte
A faster meat dish is petto di pollo al latte e limone. This also require a bit more skill in my opinion just because the preparation is so fast that it does not allow for mistakes. Get some thinly sliced skinless and boneless chicken breast (it works with turkey as well). Lightly dust them with flour. Heat a large pan, melt some butter, add a couple sage leaves, and lightly brown the chicken on both sides.
Now pour in enough milk to cover the chicken halfway (the slices should be a bit crowded in the pan) and the juice of one lemon or of a couple of limes. Add salt and pepper and simmer until the milk has turned into a dense sauce (even denser than in the pic) that looks a bit coagulated, it’s not creamy and silky. Serve sprinkled with some chopped parsley if you want, with a couple vegetable sides.
15. Kuymak
Super easy. It’s cooked in sahan, which is a traditional copper pan. The most essential ingredient is the cheese, you need some of the local cheeses from the Black Sea region like the Trabzon village cheese, or string cheese. First, melt the butter in the sahan. Don’t let it burn though. Then add the cornmeal and stir it gently with a wooden spoon.
Make sure the colour turns golden brown, so that you can add a cup of water. Bring it to a boil. Once it boils, add the cheese (grated) and stir the mixture until the cheese melts and forms a smooth structure with the cornflour. Let it cook until the cheese becomes stringy, you can stir the mixture occasionally.
We are here to share with you interesting facts regarding strangest natural places on earth. The new stories with a mysterious theme. Thus they have turned our lives to a different angle. These mysterious stories would take you to the place itself. You will enjoy feeling your presence there. If we look, the whole world is full of bizarre and strange places like Namibian Coast, Tunnel of Love etc.
Somewhere there are flowing waterfalls and somewhere there are mysterious lakes like Grand Prismatic Spring, a lake full of chemical compositions and there is a Lake Hillier, a pink lake. Traveling is the important part of humans life, it helps us to connect with strangers to learn new languages and cultures about that place and also feel the adventure and enjoyment of that place.
While traveling you also get a lot of ideas which you can implement in your life, one reason why people love to travel is to make their adventurous and make a lot of memories out of that trip so that he will remember his whole life. It’s fun to plan vacations, thinking of all of the really great places you can go for a visit.
The world is filled with spectacular views and exotic locations. With modern airfare, we can travel anywhere in the world in less than a day (usually) and see all sorts of sites. You can enjoy everything from the scorching desert, to the wet and hot tropics, to the northern evergreen forests, to the icy and snowy north (or icy south!).
We can climb unbelievably tall mountain peaks or swim very deep under the ocean. We can visit the North Pole or the South Pole, the Saharan Desert, or Death Valley and everything in between. The world is an open book waiting to be explored, filled with interesting people, new cultures, interesting new foods and flavors, and new flora and fauna for us to discover.
But some places just aren’t meant to be explored by humans or outsiders. There are tons of places all over the world that, no matter who you are or how much money or influence you have, you will just never be able to visit them. Ever. These no-go places range from the scary to the secretive, the wild to the even wilder.
Many people love to travel to very dangerous tourist places which are either difficult to reach or want to make the trip adventurous. Today we will talk about such tourist places which are dangerous but at the same time are also adventurous and worth visiting that place.
Whether it’s for security, preservation, protection, science, or even for your own safety, here are some of the best mysterious places in the world.
It may be owned by Norway, but the most remote island in the world is halfway between South Africa and Antarctica! It’s arguably the most difficult place in the world to visit, and fewer than 100 people have ever set foot here.
Also called the Devil’s Triangle, the well-known Bermuda Triangle, located in the Sargasso Sea of the North Atlantic also makes it to the list of weird places. All of us know how mysterious ships and aircraft have disappeared from the region. All these disappearances have happened in a way that cannot be explained by equipment failure, human error or natural disasters.
According to folklore, it is an activity by extraterrestrial beings. This region is the part of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Many ships and planes disappeared in this strange region over the centuries. In the 20th century, the mysterious behavior of the Bermuda Triangle came into the attention of the public.
The Bermuda Triangle mystery has been around for hundreds of years, and gone largely unexplained. There’s some pretty wacky theories about what causes the disappearances out there. Huge underwater gas explosions could explain the disappearances. Because of landslides under the surface of the earth, the wide bed of gas could be unlocked, reducing the density of water dramatically. Due to extremely low density water, ships suddenly sink to the bottom. The combustible gas could also blow aircraft to pieces.
The most notable theory of the Bermuda Triangle, electronic fog is a meteorological phenomenon which sticks to an aircraft or a ship. It's said that the fog causes equipment on aircraft and ships to malfunction - such as spinning of compasses. New studies show types of clouds which can cause 170 mph+ winds or air bombs enough to cause severe turbulence or massive waves.
The Nazca area is made up of strange lines which lie between the Pacific coast of Southern Peru and the Andean foothills. These peculiar lines are in the form of animals and birds. These mysterious lines was named as Nazca lines, and these lines are still a mystery. Some of the theories explain that these lines and drawings was made by hidden extraterrestrial beings like Aliens.
Some of the arguments demonstrate that the Peruvian desert was used as an Astro port by spacecraft thousands of years ago. These lines give a picture of some science fiction novel. This region has not experienced rain for ten thousand years in addition to the incomprehensible lines, but there is a scientific reason behind the rain.
The Peru government has taken steps to avoid spoiling these Nazca lines. Walking and driving over the place is banned except by special permission. The tourists can see the enigma through the roadside observation tower.
Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a tall temple in the capital of Kerala, and the mother of all supernatural sites. This gold plated glory is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the principal centers of worship of Vaishnava religion, for followers of Vishnu. For a long time, this temple was controlled by a Trust headed by Travancore royal family.
The secrets doors of the temple is made of iron and its wealth is more than the GDP of some countries. There is vault B which is also known as Bharatakkon Kallara which remains unopened. The mystery of Vault B is an accurate example of some things that cannot get solved. It has deep rooted belief that Devas and Sages got devoted to Balarama who resides in Kallara B.
There is a snake on the Vault B which indicates the danger to whosoever will open it. Around 100 years ago, the chamber authorities of the temple tried to open the door, and they heard the sounds of gushing ocean waves behind the door.
The mystery of Ram Setu Floating Stone of Rameshwaram is still going on for many years. Though scientists have validated the magic of these loose stones, even then people do not believe this explanation. The discussions over the loose rock have to led to various discoveries.
According to scientists, this floating stone bridge is a natural bridge which was formed by limestones, but Hindu mythology says that this bridge was made by Lord Rama and his Vanara Sena. This bridge was walkable until 1480 AD. However, according to scientific studies, there are some volcanic rocks which float in the water.
According to science, these loose stones can be the pumice stones because these stones can float in the water. These pumice stones is made up of a hardened form of lava which comes out when a volcanic eruption takes place. Some of these stones are found on the coastal site of Rameswaram. These stones may look like they are made up of corals.
When everything was examined, it was found that these stones were neither a coral not were they floating pumice stones.
This uninhabited island halfway between Hawaii and Australia was obtained by the United States in 1856. It has it’s own time zone, only shared by its neighbor Baker Island, only four hours earlier than California despite its remote location. Only employees of the US Fish and Wildlife Service are allowed to visit once every two years, making the long and slow boat trip from Hawaii!
So yes, it would be very unusual if you included this on a vacation, or even obtained permission to visit. There is evidence of a civilization that lived here as far back as 1000 BC. It was designated as a landing site for Amelia Earhart, and US forces were attacked here by the Japanese the day after the Pearl Harbor siege.
This uninhabited island is a grueling multi-day boat ride from Hawaii. Only a handful of US government workers are allowed to visit.
Socotra is a part of Yemen, a fascinating Arab nation. Socotra definitely has to be one of the most interesting islands in the world. In the middle of the Indian ocean at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, where the continents of Africa and Asia approach each other, lies a small archipelago consisting of four islands. This is the Socotra Archipelago, also known as the most alien place on Earth.
Lets begin with the name Socotra. There are different theories about the origin of the name Socotra. The more common one is that the name is derived from the ancient Sanskrit language, meaning the Island of Bliss. This theory makes the origin of it’s name quite interesting as India is over a thousand miles away from Socotra.
The Island of Socotra is actually not of volcanic origin. Rather it was once a part of the continental body before breaking apart. It was once part of the Gondwana continent before breaking apart during the Miocene epoch. That is what ended up making this island so interesting.
That means that for over 5 million years, the plant and animal life on this island (once the same as the main body) evolved completely isolated from the continent under very different conditions. This resulted in the creation of some of the most interesting and bizarre plants and animals that you will ever see.
Over one third of the plant life found on this island is found nowhere else on the entire planet. The mix of geographical isolation and extreme climate conditions have resulted in the formation of truly alien life on this very island. Lets begin with the plant that Socotra is known best for. The Dracaena cinnabari or more commonly known as the Dragon Blood Tree.
The reason this plant has such a cool name is because of the red sap produced by this tree. When the tree is wounded, its sap leaks out almost as if the tree itself is bleeding. A dried form of the sap was sought after in the ancient world, as people believed it to have magical properties. They believed it to be the blood of dragons. It was commonly used in ritual, alchemy and miracle potions.
As the world modernized, the resin of this tree was used for different reasons. It was used as a dye and in medicine. The Arabs, Greeks, Romans used it in medicine for various things. Even today it, the locals use the various parts of this tree for many different reasons. Some of these being medical purposes, for abortions and as a dye.
It’s no surprise that there is an interesting origin story behind this fascinating tree. According to the story, god made a new world surrounded by a endless ocean on all sides. The new world was extremely beautiful and filled with all sorts of wonderful plants and animals. The god then made a king of this new world, the dragon. A power and frightening creature on the outside but kind, wise and calm on the inside.
God left the world in the care of this dragon and returned after countless year. Only to found the world burned down and all beauty destroyed. All forms of life were extinguished save the dragon, still sleeping atop the mountain peacefully. He blamed the dragon for destroying this paradise and turned him into a tree to make it suffer. Now every time the tree is cut, the dragon bleeds. This is it’s eternal punishment.
It should be pretty clear why Socotra is such an interesting island. An island that looks partly from the pre-historic times and partly like it is on an alien planet.
Well-known Dragon’s Blood Trees and 700 other species attract hundreds of people to the Socotra every year. It is an attraction that is weird but worth visiting.
The smallest island divided by actual agreement and not a current dispute between two nations is Koiluoto. It’s area is only 0.03 km2. However, it is unihabited and off limits to both Russians and Finns.
There are many places in the US where weapons, vehicles, aircraft, and high-end tech are tested, and Groom Lake is one of them. The reason it is noticed is because it tests aircraft in the airspace around the base (the area of airspace is categorized as Area 51! It's literally next to Area 50, and Area 52). In the past, UFOs were seen crashed there.
Nearly 100 kilometres north of Las Vegas, Area 51 has always been the center of much speculation; the top secret facility is located in the Nevada desert and has been an Air Force facility for many years. Tons of conspiracy theorists claim this base houses proof that aliens exist. The mostly-declassified building has been instead used to test spy planes and other secret Air Force tech.
Despite the release of information based on the Freedom of Information Act about Area 51, people still believe shady dealings are happening there in the desert.
This is one of the most isolated places on earth with the nearest country to this overseas British territory being South Africa. Amazingly, this island has a population of about 250. The locals speak English, but have also invented their own dialect with words derived from English, Afrikaans, Dutch, Italian, and Irish reflective of their various places of origin.
There is no airstrip of any kind here, meaning the only way of travelling in and out from Tristan is by a boat, six-day trip from Cape Town in South Africa, nine times a year. In case you wanna move and settle there it is virtually impossible to do it. Why? It’s because you need approval of every permanent citizen in Tristan.
Fly for numerous hours to Johannesburg. Stay overnight, and catch your next flight to Cape Town. Stay overnight. Wake up early. Take a taxi down to the port. Look out for a blue and white ship. Show your ticket and step aboard. Welcome to your new home for the next week.
Lying at an extraordinary 2432 km from Cape Town, having to spend 6 days getting to an island is quite an experience. It is the most remote settlement in the world. Its residents (Tristaners) all live in the official settlement Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, or as it is known locally, The Settlement.
Saint Helena Island, where Napoleon lived the last years of his life in exile is 1200 miles west of the border between Angola and Namibia. Soulful people, with a dry coast, steep hills, and a wet interior. Its a small island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean between Africa and South America and the oldest resident on the island is 125 years old, called Johnathan and is a tortoise from Madagascar. The island also has the worlds longest continuous staircase called Jacobs ladder.
Ascension Island, about 8 degrees south of the Equator, and 1000 miles from the African Coast is where they planned to land the Space Shuttle in case of emergency. This is a hot desert island, albeit with a small rain forest at the summit - a nice place to hike.
The small, sleepy and tightly-knit community that is made up entirely of convicted sex offenders and their families. Located near the city of Pahokee in Florida, it is home to 200 people. It is deliberately placed in a very isolated location in the poorest part of Palm Beach County so they remain out of public view and under the radar. Makes sense since nobody will bother them and disturb the peace.
Miracle Village does not accept violent offenders, serial offenders, or pedophiles since there are children present within the village. The place is so popular with ex-offenders convicted of these particular crimes, it receives over 20 applications for residency a week.
The death zone is an altitude of 8,000 metres above sea level where there is not enough available oxygen for humans to breathe. Most of the 200+ climbers who have died on Mount Everest have died in the death zone. Sane humans shouldn’t go there yet they do. They do it in high enough numbers that there are traffic jam issues at the top of Everest! People spend thousands of dollars to risk their lives to stand on the roof of the world.
North Sentinel Island is a small, inhabited island located in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. It is a beautiful island. North Sentinel Island is the home to the Sentinelese, people who violently reject any contact or approaches from the outside world and remain virtually untouched by modern civilization. It’s one of the Andaman Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal.
The island is part of India, and the Indian authorities recognize the islanders’ right to be left alone and restrict themselves to remote monitoring and also don’t prosecute the Sentinelese for killing unwanted visitors. The Sentinelese have repeatedly attacked approaching vessels. This resulted in the deaths of fishermen and missionaries. They don’t want outsiders there. Leave the Sentinelese people alone like a good sane person.
Lake Nyos is a crater lake in Cameroon on the flank of an active volcano. At first glance this lake looks like any other lake out there. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, it would seem like an ideal tourist attraction. But there are some dark secrets that lie beneath that make it the most dangerous lake in the world.
No, there aren’t any documented monsters that lie beneath the surface nor do the lake’s water conditions render the lake too dangerous to swim in. Nope, the lake is safe to swim on most days except the very rare occasions when … well, the lake literally explodes and kills all life surrounding it. Sounds strange, right? Well, here is the reason.
It’s one of only three known lakes which experience what’s called a lake overturn where dissolved carbon dioxide suddenly erupts from deep lake waters and forms a deadly gas cloud capable of suffocating all living things including humans, wildlife and even insects.
Because the carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it descends and pushes oxygen away, suffocating everything within the cloud. Two eruptions in the 1980s killed over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock leaving it an eerie and completely lifeless area before the carbon dioxide dispersed. Why do sane people avoid it? Because the gas levels are rising again and the natural wall holding the lake back is weakening.
Wrangel Island is a geographic Cassandra. Russia has many islands with sordid pasts and dire warnings. For example, the USSR opened its first gulag on the Solovetsky Islands - and the prison there is still one of the most chilling places to visit in the world. On Severny Island, the Soviets detonated the most powerful nuclear explosion in history (the Tsar Bomba) - leading to abnormal levels of radiation that endure till today.
But Wrangel Island in the Siberian sea is different. It is another sort of warning, a hidden one, dug deep beneath layers of absolute beauty. Tucked away as it is in the Arctic North, lost between Russia and Alaska, Wrangel Island is one of the northern most pieces of land in the world - and as such is both frighteningly cold and horribly inaccessible.
To give you an idea of just how remote it is: the main way on and off the island is by helicopter. Very few people can claim to have ever seen this island, let alone set foot on its shores. Unsurprisingly, wildlife has absolutely thrived there. Name any animal with Arctic in the name, and this island has it. Arctic foxes, geese, owls, hares and terns - they’re all here.
It is a sanctuary that has allowed populations of endangered species to recover and grow. Wrangel Island even hosts the largest number of polar bears in the world. So many cubs grew up on Wrangel that it gained the moniker of the world’s polar bear maternity ward. Groups of over a hundred bears feasting together on prey have routinely been spotted on the isle.
But being a wildlife sanctuary is actually an integral part of Wrangel Island’s history. In fact, the island was also home to the very last giant woolly mammoths. While the mammoths had completely disappeared from the mainland some 6,000 years ago, a small pocket actually continued to thrive on Wrangel for another 1,600 YEARS!
The island, in a way, protected them. Its position kept it cold despite the waning Ice Age, and its isolation kept humans at bay. There, the very last of these woolly mastodons peacefully traveled across their kingdom of icy plains and snowy peaks. The small population meant that the woolly mammoths quickly began to feel the effects of in-breeding. Genetic defects proliferated. Their genome melted down and numbers dwindled.
So bad were the genetic flaws that the first researchers who discovered the mammoths’ remains thought they had found a sub-species of dwarves. Of course, today, there are no more woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island. You can still find mammoth tusks and other bones strewn throughout the island. This island and its history, just like Cassandra, merely serves as a prophecy that no-one heeds.
Niihau island is located in USA and is part of the great Hawaiian Islands. The island was bought by a super-rich Robinson family who made it their own private property and limited outside access. They did this to preserve the rich culture of that small part of land as well as its wildlife, flora and fauna.
They only offer limited access to the tourists in the form of half day helicopter trips to the beach to see its beauty. There is no accommodation available and tourists are not at all allowed to meet the people who are residing there. The population there is about 200 people who live happily in their rich culture and are isolated from the rest of the world.
They don't have electricity, shopping malls, hospitals but they have their own small world. They have made that island their home by true means.
This is a meadow in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It was first discovered in 1918-1920, during cattle grazing - cows entered a meadow and died immediately. Dogs that ran into the meadow behind cows also died. Initially, the meadow was quite large. It was surrounded by dead and dry trees. Now the meadow has decreased in size.
The main version of the appearance of the meadow is that a fall of fragment of the Tunguska meteorite (1908), fell here, pierced the soil layers and drilled a layer with gas reserves (radon, or other gas). This place is a gas field. Gas began to rise up and kill all living things. Attempts to find evidence of this theory were a failure.
The Devil's Cemetery was investigated twice in the 1920s and in the 1980s. A less popular version of the origin of the meadow is the anomaly of the magnetic field. Now the deadly power of this meadow is practically a thing of the past, but the locals still do not risk using it. The meadow is a very inaccessible tourist attraction.
In one of the longest conflicts of the last two centuries, since 1972 Canada and Denmark have been gripped in a titanic struggle over which country owns this extraordinary pearl in the sea. Resplendent with an absolute lack of native flora and fauna, visited by uncounted thousands of visiting sea lice each year; this is Hans Island.
Almost half a century ago Canada and Denmark thought they could peacefully negotiate a border between Canada’s arctic archipelago and Greenland. Since that time the military might of each country has been pitted against each other. The Danish come, raise their flag and leave a bottle of schnapps to mark their claim.
In return the Canadians come and haul down the Danish flag and raise the Canadian flag, leaving a bottle of Canadian whiskey in place of the schnapps. Perhaps one day the great Whiskey War will be concluded. Perhaps one day Canadians and Danes can sit down together and drink together in harmony.
Locally known as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania, this forest is filled with strange looking trees with spiral growths, along with a strange atmosphere in general. Along with this, many paranormal sightings and incidents are reported here, including ghosts, ectoplasms, and other strange sightings including otherworldly sounds.
In the 1960s and 70s, photographs of UFO sightings, along with strange lights surged, causing the forest to become well renown as the creepy place it is. Now these could simply be urban legends, but there’s a part of the forest that’s particularly creepy. In the center of this terror stricken area, there’s a clearing deep within the trees, almost a perfect circle, where trees are unable to grow.
Scientists have collected soil samples and are unable to logically deduce as to why trees are unable to grow. Perhaps it’s a portal to another dimension, or just any old clearing, we may not know. Either way, there’s a certain dynamic about this forest that undoubtedly unsettles people, as many avoid it at all costs.
The crooked forest is located outside the Nowe czarnowo area in Western Pomerania in Poland. The pine branches in this forest are crooked, but whether its bending is man-made or natural is still unknown. The Crooked Forest in Poland is a great mystery on this earth. The strange forest was presumably planted in the 1930s by the people living there summing up approximately 400 trees.
They are bent 90 degrees just above its base with a curve going upright after 4 to 9 feet of growing sideways. These trees bend to the north and form a specific ‘J’ shape. Three experts who were called to examine the forest claimed that they were damaged almost 10 years after being planted. There are no other explanations for why the forest is crooked.
Drunken Forest in Shilovsky district, Ryazan Oblast, Russia is known for its weirdly twisted trees. The trees form patterns of rings, hearts and spirals. Many of them are bent to the ground. It is caused by larvae of Rhyacionia buoliana that feed only on pine. Local scientists claim geomagnetic radiation emanating from the earth causes trunk deformations.
It’s in the Atlantic. More people have been to the moon than this island. The UK claims it but the other countries don’t recognize that claim. Seeing as nobody has really heard of the island, and nobody is really fighting over it, you can see how much everyone cares. Interestingly though, they did find a new snail species living at the island. Outside of that. It’s a pretty crap island to get stranded on if you are a human.
The gateway to the region is Khrabrovo Airport. It looks nondescript only on the outside. Inside, there’s a cafe, a kiosk and three shops with overpriced amber souvenirs.
Now people can easily travel to almost any corner of the world today in a very short period of time. However, numerous places still take days to travel because of their remoteness. One such group of islands are the sub-antarctic Kerguelen Islands, a group of islands administered by France some 3300 km (2100 mi) south of Madagascar.
Since the islands do not have an airstrip, all travel to and from must be by ship. Visitors can look forward to a windswept, cold climate and solitude with only 45–100 permanent military and scientists.
Many islands ban or limit travel due to military use, conservation efforts, or danger to travelers. Brazil’s Snake Island can only be accessed with the cooperation of the Brazillian Navy. The island is home to two-to-five snakes per square meter. These snakes are not your friendly garden snakes, but some of the most venomous and fatal snakes in the whole world.
Also known as Ilha da Queimada Grande, Snake Island is a small island off the coast of Peruibe in Brazil. This tiny island looks innocuous enough, but it is illegal to approach the island. You’ll find one snake per square meter on the island, and each one of those snakes have venom so deadly that one bite will melt all of the flesh from your bones before you can even think of getting help.
The snake, called the golden lancehead, is also endangered, which means the Brazilian government just wants to leave them alone. That means no one except for scientific crews can set foot on the island. Travelers can enjoy the island’s beauty from afar and visit many zoos with a safe sampling of some snake species in nearby Sao Paulo.
Bikini Atoll is one of the beautiful islands in the world. The United States had tested nuclear weapons between 1946 to 1958 on this island on the sea, underwater, in the air and in the reef itself which made this place hazardous to the people who were living on this island but the Government later shifted the people to another place with some handsome amount.
The island of Jan Mayen lies in the far north of the Atlantic Ocean and belongs to Norway. It has about 15 inhabitants, mainly meteorologists, who live in a hamlet called Olonkinbyen. The island is dominated by the Beerenberg volcano. It is a designated nature reserve.
Visiting Jan Mayen is a bit tricky, because you basically need to get there on your own yacht or arrive on an Arctic cruise liner. Olonkinbyen has no accommodation and camping on the island is not allowed, which means that you have to spend the night on your boat and make sure you bring all necessary supplies.
Jan Mayen actually has a ‘museum’, which is probably one of the least visited museums in the world. This ‘museum’ looks like a closet with two shelves. And no, I have not been there either, though I am still hoping.
Surtsey Island is a result of a volcanic event that spanned over five years, leaving a brand new island in the middle of the ocean near Iceland. So, the United Nations decided to put a ban on traveling there so that the scientific community would have a way to study natural progression of evolution and ecological succession without human interference.
Only a couple of scientists are allowed to visit, and they are under strict rules on what they can do while there. The untainted island shows scientists migration patterns and how plants and animal colonize new places.
Surtsey is the first volcanic island under creation to be the top story on TV news around the world. The great pictures of the violent eruptions made good TV, still remembered in most of the world. As a volcanic island, Surtsey is not special. Such islands have appeared and disappeared through the years both before and after TV and the internet was invented.
Most new islands do not get global TV coverage, except maybe the new island Anak Krakatoa being under constant scrutinization.
Mormons have long been obsessed with genealogy, and they began putting all of their collected information on microfilm in the 1930s. In a desperate attempt to keep the information safe, they carved out a bomb shelter in the side of a mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. They carved out the rock and hit water, giving them a way to make a self-sustaining bunker where precious genealogical records could be kept of every family in the US.
This totally-not-creepy obsession has lead them to collect three billion pages of information, and 100,000 rolls of microfilm, all of which they have begun to digitize. The vault is off limits to nearly everyone, though the genealogical information is available online for free.
Very little information exists about Metro-2; it was a secret project started in Stalin’s Russia. The secret location is believed to be a series of tunnels supposedly connecting major buildings. These tunnels all live underneath the subway system. There are tons of crazy rumors surrounding Metro-2.
Everything from genetic testing, giant rats, and secret families living in the subterranean tunnels have been whispered about. There was even a rumor that Stalin’s cryogenically frozen body is stored there. No one knows if the tunnels actually exist.
The Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant is a small building in Ethiopia, believed to house the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the container for the Ten Commandments, given to Moses by God on stone tablets, and the Ark is said to contain them and have its own mystical power. There is one monk allowed in the building, and he is there for life, set to make sure the relic remains safe and untouched.
Although a few other lucky humans got to enter the building to fix a roof leak, the Ark is still supposedly inside, and no one is allowed to enter.
The name of the archives is a little bit of a misnomer. The archives aren’t secret, but they are private. The archives, or Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum, have been closed to outsiders for centuries. Some of the oldest surviving pieces of paper are housed in this 52-mile long pile of archives, and having people walk in and out without anyone checking them would be disastrous to the papers inside.
However, if you have a list of accreditation, you might be able to peek at two or three things a day. But jokes on you; some of the books and papers aren’t sorted right and some aren’t cataloged at all. The main archives you can't get to those which are not yet 75 years of age. Lists are accessible for individuals who need to check whether a report exists in the documents.
The bunker, located between Loudoun and Clarke Counties in Virginia, is super secret, super secure, and no one is allowed in. The facility is designed to house a war room and monitor intelligence, and is off limits to everyone. However, some of the plans and images have been released to the public because of the Freedom of Information Act.
Home to some of the oldest human artworks still in existence, the Lascaux are a collection of caves in France. The paintings depict early humans, animals, shapes, and handprints that are roughly 17,000 years old. They were open to the public until 1963, when the keepers noticed that the constant stream of visitors was wearing away some of the irreplaceable artwork and bringing in foreign contaminates that threatened the works.
The caves are now kept under strict supervision, and only limited people can go inside. They made an exception for one documentary filmmaker, but have denied entry to almost everyone else besides a few historians.
The Darvaza Crater located at Derwaze in Turkmenistan is known as The Door To Hell or Gates Of Hell. In the middle of Karakum Desert. It is a 100 foot deep crater that is said to be the largest gas reserve in the world. A group of Soviet Geologists went in search of oil in the Karakum desert where they found the crater and thought it was a good place to drill.
Shortly after they started drilling the crater collapsed and emitted dangerous gases. To stop the dangerous gases the geologists used a common technique of Flaring and set the crater on fire. They had no idea of the amount of gas trapped in it and assumed it was going to burn off in a few weeks. The fire still burns due to the heavy emissions of methane from the crater.
Kamchatka Peninsula is located in the Russian Far East and is the largest peninsula in Russia. There are more than 100 volcanoes, of which 29 are active volcanoes. "Kamchatka" means "extremely distant place" in Russian. But there is another place on the Kamchatka Peninsula called the "animal grave" valley. Why? Because animals close to this valley will have strange deaths.
This death valley is at the foot of the Kronotsky volcano. The valley is filled with bones of various animals, including birds, foxes, and bears.
The Australian Marine Scientific Research Team discovered that the Sandy Island marked on the map did not exist, and a mass of objects of unknown shape appeared on previous satellite images, but in fact the water depth here reached 1400 meters.
Strategically situated 800 miles from the North Pole on the Norwegian island of Svalbard is the Global Seed Vault, an imposing facility that houses more than 5,000 species of seeds from around the world including even plants native to North Korea. The vault is intended to be a back-up plan to re-seed the world in case of global devastation.
How secure is it? Well, the facility itself is protected by an ice-covered steel door that requires only a simple key to enter, but getting to the remote Arctic island is a security measure in and of itself (not to mention scaling the mountain to get to the door). How safe is the treasure inside? The seeds themselves are strategically located so they would survive most missile blasts, earthquakes, or rising ocean water.
Only the government holds access to this place. Even the countries that lend the seeds aren't allowed to enter.
Thousands of birds have flown to their deaths by throwing themselves off a cliff in a small town named Jatinga in India. This bizarre Bermuda Triangle of fowl death remains largely unexplained, despite studies by India’s most prestigious ornithologists. This happens after the monsoon season in dark moonless nights in the month of September-October.
These species of birds in Jatinga suddenly become disturbed after 6 pm. Strangely becoming disoriented, the birds plunge toward the torches and lights of the cities.
The exact location of this place is not known. But the instructions to reach this place is written in some Buddhist texts. They say that this place is in another dimension and influence the real world in subtle ways when needed. This place mysteriously camouflages itself hiding from site and mapping technologies.
It holds and protects spiritual teachings of all religions. Only enlightened saints can find this place. Consciousness always remains alive in this enigmatic land as no death occurs there. So basically the theory that the enlightened saints can live up to so many years merges into this land.
Well, these mysterious stories have turned us to think exceptionally about these strangest places on earth. Now visit these most mysterious places on earth.
Somewhere there are flowing waterfalls and somewhere there are mysterious lakes like Grand Prismatic Spring, a lake full of chemical compositions and there is a Lake Hillier, a pink lake. Traveling is the important part of humans life, it helps us to connect with strangers to learn new languages and cultures about that place and also feel the adventure and enjoyment of that place.
While traveling you also get a lot of ideas which you can implement in your life, one reason why people love to travel is to make their adventurous and make a lot of memories out of that trip so that he will remember his whole life. It’s fun to plan vacations, thinking of all of the really great places you can go for a visit.
The world is filled with spectacular views and exotic locations. With modern airfare, we can travel anywhere in the world in less than a day (usually) and see all sorts of sites. You can enjoy everything from the scorching desert, to the wet and hot tropics, to the northern evergreen forests, to the icy and snowy north (or icy south!).
We can climb unbelievably tall mountain peaks or swim very deep under the ocean. We can visit the North Pole or the South Pole, the Saharan Desert, or Death Valley and everything in between. The world is an open book waiting to be explored, filled with interesting people, new cultures, interesting new foods and flavors, and new flora and fauna for us to discover.
But some places just aren’t meant to be explored by humans or outsiders. There are tons of places all over the world that, no matter who you are or how much money or influence you have, you will just never be able to visit them. Ever. These no-go places range from the scary to the secretive, the wild to the even wilder.
Many people love to travel to very dangerous tourist places which are either difficult to reach or want to make the trip adventurous. Today we will talk about such tourist places which are dangerous but at the same time are also adventurous and worth visiting that place.
Whether it’s for security, preservation, protection, science, or even for your own safety, here are some of the best mysterious places in the world.
1. Bouvet Island
It may be owned by Norway, but the most remote island in the world is halfway between South Africa and Antarctica! It’s arguably the most difficult place in the world to visit, and fewer than 100 people have ever set foot here.
2. Bermuda Triangle
Also called the Devil’s Triangle, the well-known Bermuda Triangle, located in the Sargasso Sea of the North Atlantic also makes it to the list of weird places. All of us know how mysterious ships and aircraft have disappeared from the region. All these disappearances have happened in a way that cannot be explained by equipment failure, human error or natural disasters.
According to folklore, it is an activity by extraterrestrial beings. This region is the part of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Many ships and planes disappeared in this strange region over the centuries. In the 20th century, the mysterious behavior of the Bermuda Triangle came into the attention of the public.
The Bermuda Triangle mystery has been around for hundreds of years, and gone largely unexplained. There’s some pretty wacky theories about what causes the disappearances out there. Huge underwater gas explosions could explain the disappearances. Because of landslides under the surface of the earth, the wide bed of gas could be unlocked, reducing the density of water dramatically. Due to extremely low density water, ships suddenly sink to the bottom. The combustible gas could also blow aircraft to pieces.
The most notable theory of the Bermuda Triangle, electronic fog is a meteorological phenomenon which sticks to an aircraft or a ship. It's said that the fog causes equipment on aircraft and ships to malfunction - such as spinning of compasses. New studies show types of clouds which can cause 170 mph+ winds or air bombs enough to cause severe turbulence or massive waves.
3. Nazca lines
The Nazca area is made up of strange lines which lie between the Pacific coast of Southern Peru and the Andean foothills. These peculiar lines are in the form of animals and birds. These mysterious lines was named as Nazca lines, and these lines are still a mystery. Some of the theories explain that these lines and drawings was made by hidden extraterrestrial beings like Aliens.
Some of the arguments demonstrate that the Peruvian desert was used as an Astro port by spacecraft thousands of years ago. These lines give a picture of some science fiction novel. This region has not experienced rain for ten thousand years in addition to the incomprehensible lines, but there is a scientific reason behind the rain.
The Peru government has taken steps to avoid spoiling these Nazca lines. Walking and driving over the place is banned except by special permission. The tourists can see the enigma through the roadside observation tower.
4. Padmanabhaswamy temple
Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a tall temple in the capital of Kerala, and the mother of all supernatural sites. This gold plated glory is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the principal centers of worship of Vaishnava religion, for followers of Vishnu. For a long time, this temple was controlled by a Trust headed by Travancore royal family.
The secrets doors of the temple is made of iron and its wealth is more than the GDP of some countries. There is vault B which is also known as Bharatakkon Kallara which remains unopened. The mystery of Vault B is an accurate example of some things that cannot get solved. It has deep rooted belief that Devas and Sages got devoted to Balarama who resides in Kallara B.
There is a snake on the Vault B which indicates the danger to whosoever will open it. Around 100 years ago, the chamber authorities of the temple tried to open the door, and they heard the sounds of gushing ocean waves behind the door.
5. Ram Setu Floating Stone
The mystery of Ram Setu Floating Stone of Rameshwaram is still going on for many years. Though scientists have validated the magic of these loose stones, even then people do not believe this explanation. The discussions over the loose rock have to led to various discoveries.
According to scientists, this floating stone bridge is a natural bridge which was formed by limestones, but Hindu mythology says that this bridge was made by Lord Rama and his Vanara Sena. This bridge was walkable until 1480 AD. However, according to scientific studies, there are some volcanic rocks which float in the water.
According to science, these loose stones can be the pumice stones because these stones can float in the water. These pumice stones is made up of a hardened form of lava which comes out when a volcanic eruption takes place. Some of these stones are found on the coastal site of Rameswaram. These stones may look like they are made up of corals.
When everything was examined, it was found that these stones were neither a coral not were they floating pumice stones.
6. Howland Island
This uninhabited island halfway between Hawaii and Australia was obtained by the United States in 1856. It has it’s own time zone, only shared by its neighbor Baker Island, only four hours earlier than California despite its remote location. Only employees of the US Fish and Wildlife Service are allowed to visit once every two years, making the long and slow boat trip from Hawaii!
So yes, it would be very unusual if you included this on a vacation, or even obtained permission to visit. There is evidence of a civilization that lived here as far back as 1000 BC. It was designated as a landing site for Amelia Earhart, and US forces were attacked here by the Japanese the day after the Pearl Harbor siege.
7. Baker Island
This uninhabited island is a grueling multi-day boat ride from Hawaii. Only a handful of US government workers are allowed to visit.
8. Dragon Blood Tree, Socotra
Socotra is a part of Yemen, a fascinating Arab nation. Socotra definitely has to be one of the most interesting islands in the world. In the middle of the Indian ocean at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, where the continents of Africa and Asia approach each other, lies a small archipelago consisting of four islands. This is the Socotra Archipelago, also known as the most alien place on Earth.
Lets begin with the name Socotra. There are different theories about the origin of the name Socotra. The more common one is that the name is derived from the ancient Sanskrit language, meaning the Island of Bliss. This theory makes the origin of it’s name quite interesting as India is over a thousand miles away from Socotra.
The Island of Socotra is actually not of volcanic origin. Rather it was once a part of the continental body before breaking apart. It was once part of the Gondwana continent before breaking apart during the Miocene epoch. That is what ended up making this island so interesting.
That means that for over 5 million years, the plant and animal life on this island (once the same as the main body) evolved completely isolated from the continent under very different conditions. This resulted in the creation of some of the most interesting and bizarre plants and animals that you will ever see.
Over one third of the plant life found on this island is found nowhere else on the entire planet. The mix of geographical isolation and extreme climate conditions have resulted in the formation of truly alien life on this very island. Lets begin with the plant that Socotra is known best for. The Dracaena cinnabari or more commonly known as the Dragon Blood Tree.
The reason this plant has such a cool name is because of the red sap produced by this tree. When the tree is wounded, its sap leaks out almost as if the tree itself is bleeding. A dried form of the sap was sought after in the ancient world, as people believed it to have magical properties. They believed it to be the blood of dragons. It was commonly used in ritual, alchemy and miracle potions.
As the world modernized, the resin of this tree was used for different reasons. It was used as a dye and in medicine. The Arabs, Greeks, Romans used it in medicine for various things. Even today it, the locals use the various parts of this tree for many different reasons. Some of these being medical purposes, for abortions and as a dye.
It’s no surprise that there is an interesting origin story behind this fascinating tree. According to the story, god made a new world surrounded by a endless ocean on all sides. The new world was extremely beautiful and filled with all sorts of wonderful plants and animals. The god then made a king of this new world, the dragon. A power and frightening creature on the outside but kind, wise and calm on the inside.
God left the world in the care of this dragon and returned after countless year. Only to found the world burned down and all beauty destroyed. All forms of life were extinguished save the dragon, still sleeping atop the mountain peacefully. He blamed the dragon for destroying this paradise and turned him into a tree to make it suffer. Now every time the tree is cut, the dragon bleeds. This is it’s eternal punishment.
It should be pretty clear why Socotra is such an interesting island. An island that looks partly from the pre-historic times and partly like it is on an alien planet.
Well-known Dragon’s Blood Trees and 700 other species attract hundreds of people to the Socotra every year. It is an attraction that is weird but worth visiting.
9. Koiluoto
The smallest island divided by actual agreement and not a current dispute between two nations is Koiluoto. It’s area is only 0.03 km2. However, it is unihabited and off limits to both Russians and Finns.
10. Area 51, Nevada, USA
There are many places in the US where weapons, vehicles, aircraft, and high-end tech are tested, and Groom Lake is one of them. The reason it is noticed is because it tests aircraft in the airspace around the base (the area of airspace is categorized as Area 51! It's literally next to Area 50, and Area 52). In the past, UFOs were seen crashed there.
Nearly 100 kilometres north of Las Vegas, Area 51 has always been the center of much speculation; the top secret facility is located in the Nevada desert and has been an Air Force facility for many years. Tons of conspiracy theorists claim this base houses proof that aliens exist. The mostly-declassified building has been instead used to test spy planes and other secret Air Force tech.
Despite the release of information based on the Freedom of Information Act about Area 51, people still believe shady dealings are happening there in the desert.
11. Tristan da Cunha
This is one of the most isolated places on earth with the nearest country to this overseas British territory being South Africa. Amazingly, this island has a population of about 250. The locals speak English, but have also invented their own dialect with words derived from English, Afrikaans, Dutch, Italian, and Irish reflective of their various places of origin.
There is no airstrip of any kind here, meaning the only way of travelling in and out from Tristan is by a boat, six-day trip from Cape Town in South Africa, nine times a year. In case you wanna move and settle there it is virtually impossible to do it. Why? It’s because you need approval of every permanent citizen in Tristan.
Fly for numerous hours to Johannesburg. Stay overnight, and catch your next flight to Cape Town. Stay overnight. Wake up early. Take a taxi down to the port. Look out for a blue and white ship. Show your ticket and step aboard. Welcome to your new home for the next week.
Lying at an extraordinary 2432 km from Cape Town, having to spend 6 days getting to an island is quite an experience. It is the most remote settlement in the world. Its residents (Tristaners) all live in the official settlement Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, or as it is known locally, The Settlement.
Saint Helena Island, where Napoleon lived the last years of his life in exile is 1200 miles west of the border between Angola and Namibia. Soulful people, with a dry coast, steep hills, and a wet interior. Its a small island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean between Africa and South America and the oldest resident on the island is 125 years old, called Johnathan and is a tortoise from Madagascar. The island also has the worlds longest continuous staircase called Jacobs ladder.
Ascension Island, about 8 degrees south of the Equator, and 1000 miles from the African Coast is where they planned to land the Space Shuttle in case of emergency. This is a hot desert island, albeit with a small rain forest at the summit - a nice place to hike.
12. Miracle Village, USA
The small, sleepy and tightly-knit community that is made up entirely of convicted sex offenders and their families. Located near the city of Pahokee in Florida, it is home to 200 people. It is deliberately placed in a very isolated location in the poorest part of Palm Beach County so they remain out of public view and under the radar. Makes sense since nobody will bother them and disturb the peace.
Miracle Village does not accept violent offenders, serial offenders, or pedophiles since there are children present within the village. The place is so popular with ex-offenders convicted of these particular crimes, it receives over 20 applications for residency a week.
13. Death Zone, Mount Everest
The death zone is an altitude of 8,000 metres above sea level where there is not enough available oxygen for humans to breathe. Most of the 200+ climbers who have died on Mount Everest have died in the death zone. Sane humans shouldn’t go there yet they do. They do it in high enough numbers that there are traffic jam issues at the top of Everest! People spend thousands of dollars to risk their lives to stand on the roof of the world.
14. North Sentinel Island, India
North Sentinel Island is a small, inhabited island located in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. It is a beautiful island. North Sentinel Island is the home to the Sentinelese, people who violently reject any contact or approaches from the outside world and remain virtually untouched by modern civilization. It’s one of the Andaman Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal.
The island is part of India, and the Indian authorities recognize the islanders’ right to be left alone and restrict themselves to remote monitoring and also don’t prosecute the Sentinelese for killing unwanted visitors. The Sentinelese have repeatedly attacked approaching vessels. This resulted in the deaths of fishermen and missionaries. They don’t want outsiders there. Leave the Sentinelese people alone like a good sane person.
15. Lake Nyos, Cameroon
Lake Nyos is a crater lake in Cameroon on the flank of an active volcano. At first glance this lake looks like any other lake out there. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, it would seem like an ideal tourist attraction. But there are some dark secrets that lie beneath that make it the most dangerous lake in the world.
No, there aren’t any documented monsters that lie beneath the surface nor do the lake’s water conditions render the lake too dangerous to swim in. Nope, the lake is safe to swim on most days except the very rare occasions when … well, the lake literally explodes and kills all life surrounding it. Sounds strange, right? Well, here is the reason.
It’s one of only three known lakes which experience what’s called a lake overturn where dissolved carbon dioxide suddenly erupts from deep lake waters and forms a deadly gas cloud capable of suffocating all living things including humans, wildlife and even insects.
Because the carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it descends and pushes oxygen away, suffocating everything within the cloud. Two eruptions in the 1980s killed over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock leaving it an eerie and completely lifeless area before the carbon dioxide dispersed. Why do sane people avoid it? Because the gas levels are rising again and the natural wall holding the lake back is weakening.
16. Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island is a geographic Cassandra. Russia has many islands with sordid pasts and dire warnings. For example, the USSR opened its first gulag on the Solovetsky Islands - and the prison there is still one of the most chilling places to visit in the world. On Severny Island, the Soviets detonated the most powerful nuclear explosion in history (the Tsar Bomba) - leading to abnormal levels of radiation that endure till today.
But Wrangel Island in the Siberian sea is different. It is another sort of warning, a hidden one, dug deep beneath layers of absolute beauty. Tucked away as it is in the Arctic North, lost between Russia and Alaska, Wrangel Island is one of the northern most pieces of land in the world - and as such is both frighteningly cold and horribly inaccessible.
To give you an idea of just how remote it is: the main way on and off the island is by helicopter. Very few people can claim to have ever seen this island, let alone set foot on its shores. Unsurprisingly, wildlife has absolutely thrived there. Name any animal with Arctic in the name, and this island has it. Arctic foxes, geese, owls, hares and terns - they’re all here.
It is a sanctuary that has allowed populations of endangered species to recover and grow. Wrangel Island even hosts the largest number of polar bears in the world. So many cubs grew up on Wrangel that it gained the moniker of the world’s polar bear maternity ward. Groups of over a hundred bears feasting together on prey have routinely been spotted on the isle.
But being a wildlife sanctuary is actually an integral part of Wrangel Island’s history. In fact, the island was also home to the very last giant woolly mammoths. While the mammoths had completely disappeared from the mainland some 6,000 years ago, a small pocket actually continued to thrive on Wrangel for another 1,600 YEARS!
The island, in a way, protected them. Its position kept it cold despite the waning Ice Age, and its isolation kept humans at bay. There, the very last of these woolly mastodons peacefully traveled across their kingdom of icy plains and snowy peaks. The small population meant that the woolly mammoths quickly began to feel the effects of in-breeding. Genetic defects proliferated. Their genome melted down and numbers dwindled.
So bad were the genetic flaws that the first researchers who discovered the mammoths’ remains thought they had found a sub-species of dwarves. Of course, today, there are no more woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island. You can still find mammoth tusks and other bones strewn throughout the island. This island and its history, just like Cassandra, merely serves as a prophecy that no-one heeds.
17. Niihau Island, Hawaii
Niihau island is located in USA and is part of the great Hawaiian Islands. The island was bought by a super-rich Robinson family who made it their own private property and limited outside access. They did this to preserve the rich culture of that small part of land as well as its wildlife, flora and fauna.
They only offer limited access to the tourists in the form of half day helicopter trips to the beach to see its beauty. There is no accommodation available and tourists are not at all allowed to meet the people who are residing there. The population there is about 200 people who live happily in their rich culture and are isolated from the rest of the world.
They don't have electricity, shopping malls, hospitals but they have their own small world. They have made that island their home by true means.
18. Devil's Cemetery, Russia
This is a meadow in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It was first discovered in 1918-1920, during cattle grazing - cows entered a meadow and died immediately. Dogs that ran into the meadow behind cows also died. Initially, the meadow was quite large. It was surrounded by dead and dry trees. Now the meadow has decreased in size.
The main version of the appearance of the meadow is that a fall of fragment of the Tunguska meteorite (1908), fell here, pierced the soil layers and drilled a layer with gas reserves (radon, or other gas). This place is a gas field. Gas began to rise up and kill all living things. Attempts to find evidence of this theory were a failure.
The Devil's Cemetery was investigated twice in the 1920s and in the 1980s. A less popular version of the origin of the meadow is the anomaly of the magnetic field. Now the deadly power of this meadow is practically a thing of the past, but the locals still do not risk using it. The meadow is a very inaccessible tourist attraction.
19. Hans Island
In one of the longest conflicts of the last two centuries, since 1972 Canada and Denmark have been gripped in a titanic struggle over which country owns this extraordinary pearl in the sea. Resplendent with an absolute lack of native flora and fauna, visited by uncounted thousands of visiting sea lice each year; this is Hans Island.
Almost half a century ago Canada and Denmark thought they could peacefully negotiate a border between Canada’s arctic archipelago and Greenland. Since that time the military might of each country has been pitted against each other. The Danish come, raise their flag and leave a bottle of schnapps to mark their claim.
In return the Canadians come and haul down the Danish flag and raise the Canadian flag, leaving a bottle of Canadian whiskey in place of the schnapps. Perhaps one day the great Whiskey War will be concluded. Perhaps one day Canadians and Danes can sit down together and drink together in harmony.
20. Hoia Forest, Romania
Locally known as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania, this forest is filled with strange looking trees with spiral growths, along with a strange atmosphere in general. Along with this, many paranormal sightings and incidents are reported here, including ghosts, ectoplasms, and other strange sightings including otherworldly sounds.
In the 1960s and 70s, photographs of UFO sightings, along with strange lights surged, causing the forest to become well renown as the creepy place it is. Now these could simply be urban legends, but there’s a part of the forest that’s particularly creepy. In the center of this terror stricken area, there’s a clearing deep within the trees, almost a perfect circle, where trees are unable to grow.
Scientists have collected soil samples and are unable to logically deduce as to why trees are unable to grow. Perhaps it’s a portal to another dimension, or just any old clearing, we may not know. Either way, there’s a certain dynamic about this forest that undoubtedly unsettles people, as many avoid it at all costs.
21. Crooked Forest, Poland
The crooked forest is located outside the Nowe czarnowo area in Western Pomerania in Poland. The pine branches in this forest are crooked, but whether its bending is man-made or natural is still unknown. The Crooked Forest in Poland is a great mystery on this earth. The strange forest was presumably planted in the 1930s by the people living there summing up approximately 400 trees.
They are bent 90 degrees just above its base with a curve going upright after 4 to 9 feet of growing sideways. These trees bend to the north and form a specific ‘J’ shape. Three experts who were called to examine the forest claimed that they were damaged almost 10 years after being planted. There are no other explanations for why the forest is crooked.
22. Drunken Forest, Russia
Drunken Forest in Shilovsky district, Ryazan Oblast, Russia is known for its weirdly twisted trees. The trees form patterns of rings, hearts and spirals. Many of them are bent to the ground. It is caused by larvae of Rhyacionia buoliana that feed only on pine. Local scientists claim geomagnetic radiation emanating from the earth causes trunk deformations.
23. Rockall
It’s in the Atlantic. More people have been to the moon than this island. The UK claims it but the other countries don’t recognize that claim. Seeing as nobody has really heard of the island, and nobody is really fighting over it, you can see how much everyone cares. Interestingly though, they did find a new snail species living at the island. Outside of that. It’s a pretty crap island to get stranded on if you are a human.
24. Kaliningrad
The gateway to the region is Khrabrovo Airport. It looks nondescript only on the outside. Inside, there’s a cafe, a kiosk and three shops with overpriced amber souvenirs.
25. Kerguelen Islands
Now people can easily travel to almost any corner of the world today in a very short period of time. However, numerous places still take days to travel because of their remoteness. One such group of islands are the sub-antarctic Kerguelen Islands, a group of islands administered by France some 3300 km (2100 mi) south of Madagascar.
Since the islands do not have an airstrip, all travel to and from must be by ship. Visitors can look forward to a windswept, cold climate and solitude with only 45–100 permanent military and scientists.
26. Snake Island, Brazil
Many islands ban or limit travel due to military use, conservation efforts, or danger to travelers. Brazil’s Snake Island can only be accessed with the cooperation of the Brazillian Navy. The island is home to two-to-five snakes per square meter. These snakes are not your friendly garden snakes, but some of the most venomous and fatal snakes in the whole world.
Also known as Ilha da Queimada Grande, Snake Island is a small island off the coast of Peruibe in Brazil. This tiny island looks innocuous enough, but it is illegal to approach the island. You’ll find one snake per square meter on the island, and each one of those snakes have venom so deadly that one bite will melt all of the flesh from your bones before you can even think of getting help.
The snake, called the golden lancehead, is also endangered, which means the Brazilian government just wants to leave them alone. That means no one except for scientific crews can set foot on the island. Travelers can enjoy the island’s beauty from afar and visit many zoos with a safe sampling of some snake species in nearby Sao Paulo.
27. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands
Bikini Atoll is one of the beautiful islands in the world. The United States had tested nuclear weapons between 1946 to 1958 on this island on the sea, underwater, in the air and in the reef itself which made this place hazardous to the people who were living on this island but the Government later shifted the people to another place with some handsome amount.
28. Jan Mayen, Norway
The island of Jan Mayen lies in the far north of the Atlantic Ocean and belongs to Norway. It has about 15 inhabitants, mainly meteorologists, who live in a hamlet called Olonkinbyen. The island is dominated by the Beerenberg volcano. It is a designated nature reserve.
Visiting Jan Mayen is a bit tricky, because you basically need to get there on your own yacht or arrive on an Arctic cruise liner. Olonkinbyen has no accommodation and camping on the island is not allowed, which means that you have to spend the night on your boat and make sure you bring all necessary supplies.
Jan Mayen actually has a ‘museum’, which is probably one of the least visited museums in the world. This ‘museum’ looks like a closet with two shelves. And no, I have not been there either, though I am still hoping.
29. Surtsey, Iceland
Surtsey Island is a result of a volcanic event that spanned over five years, leaving a brand new island in the middle of the ocean near Iceland. So, the United Nations decided to put a ban on traveling there so that the scientific community would have a way to study natural progression of evolution and ecological succession without human interference.
Only a couple of scientists are allowed to visit, and they are under strict rules on what they can do while there. The untainted island shows scientists migration patterns and how plants and animal colonize new places.
Surtsey is the first volcanic island under creation to be the top story on TV news around the world. The great pictures of the violent eruptions made good TV, still remembered in most of the world. As a volcanic island, Surtsey is not special. Such islands have appeared and disappeared through the years both before and after TV and the internet was invented.
Most new islands do not get global TV coverage, except maybe the new island Anak Krakatoa being under constant scrutinization.
30. Granite Mountain Records Vault, Utah
Mormons have long been obsessed with genealogy, and they began putting all of their collected information on microfilm in the 1930s. In a desperate attempt to keep the information safe, they carved out a bomb shelter in the side of a mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. They carved out the rock and hit water, giving them a way to make a self-sustaining bunker where precious genealogical records could be kept of every family in the US.
This totally-not-creepy obsession has lead them to collect three billion pages of information, and 100,000 rolls of microfilm, all of which they have begun to digitize. The vault is off limits to nearly everyone, though the genealogical information is available online for free.
31. Metro-2, Moscow
Very little information exists about Metro-2; it was a secret project started in Stalin’s Russia. The secret location is believed to be a series of tunnels supposedly connecting major buildings. These tunnels all live underneath the subway system. There are tons of crazy rumors surrounding Metro-2.
Everything from genetic testing, giant rats, and secret families living in the subterranean tunnels have been whispered about. There was even a rumor that Stalin’s cryogenically frozen body is stored there. No one knows if the tunnels actually exist.
32. Ark of the Covenant, Ethiopia
The Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant is a small building in Ethiopia, believed to house the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the container for the Ten Commandments, given to Moses by God on stone tablets, and the Ark is said to contain them and have its own mystical power. There is one monk allowed in the building, and he is there for life, set to make sure the relic remains safe and untouched.
Although a few other lucky humans got to enter the building to fix a roof leak, the Ark is still supposedly inside, and no one is allowed to enter.
33. Vatican Apostolic Archive, Vatican City
The name of the archives is a little bit of a misnomer. The archives aren’t secret, but they are private. The archives, or Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum, have been closed to outsiders for centuries. Some of the oldest surviving pieces of paper are housed in this 52-mile long pile of archives, and having people walk in and out without anyone checking them would be disastrous to the papers inside.
However, if you have a list of accreditation, you might be able to peek at two or three things a day. But jokes on you; some of the books and papers aren’t sorted right and some aren’t cataloged at all. The main archives you can't get to those which are not yet 75 years of age. Lists are accessible for individuals who need to check whether a report exists in the documents.
34. Mount Weather, Virginia
The bunker, located between Loudoun and Clarke Counties in Virginia, is super secret, super secure, and no one is allowed in. The facility is designed to house a war room and monitor intelligence, and is off limits to everyone. However, some of the plans and images have been released to the public because of the Freedom of Information Act.
35. Lascaux, France
Home to some of the oldest human artworks still in existence, the Lascaux are a collection of caves in France. The paintings depict early humans, animals, shapes, and handprints that are roughly 17,000 years old. They were open to the public until 1963, when the keepers noticed that the constant stream of visitors was wearing away some of the irreplaceable artwork and bringing in foreign contaminates that threatened the works.
The caves are now kept under strict supervision, and only limited people can go inside. They made an exception for one documentary filmmaker, but have denied entry to almost everyone else besides a few historians.
36. Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan
The Darvaza Crater located at Derwaze in Turkmenistan is known as The Door To Hell or Gates Of Hell. In the middle of Karakum Desert. It is a 100 foot deep crater that is said to be the largest gas reserve in the world. A group of Soviet Geologists went in search of oil in the Karakum desert where they found the crater and thought it was a good place to drill.
Shortly after they started drilling the crater collapsed and emitted dangerous gases. To stop the dangerous gases the geologists used a common technique of Flaring and set the crater on fire. They had no idea of the amount of gas trapped in it and assumed it was going to burn off in a few weeks. The fire still burns due to the heavy emissions of methane from the crater.
37. Valley of Death, Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula is located in the Russian Far East and is the largest peninsula in Russia. There are more than 100 volcanoes, of which 29 are active volcanoes. "Kamchatka" means "extremely distant place" in Russian. But there is another place on the Kamchatka Peninsula called the "animal grave" valley. Why? Because animals close to this valley will have strange deaths.
This death valley is at the foot of the Kronotsky volcano. The valley is filled with bones of various animals, including birds, foxes, and bears.
38. Sandy Island, New Caledonia
The Australian Marine Scientific Research Team discovered that the Sandy Island marked on the map did not exist, and a mass of objects of unknown shape appeared on previous satellite images, but in fact the water depth here reached 1400 meters.
39. Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Strategically situated 800 miles from the North Pole on the Norwegian island of Svalbard is the Global Seed Vault, an imposing facility that houses more than 5,000 species of seeds from around the world including even plants native to North Korea. The vault is intended to be a back-up plan to re-seed the world in case of global devastation.
How secure is it? Well, the facility itself is protected by an ice-covered steel door that requires only a simple key to enter, but getting to the remote Arctic island is a security measure in and of itself (not to mention scaling the mountain to get to the door). How safe is the treasure inside? The seeds themselves are strategically located so they would survive most missile blasts, earthquakes, or rising ocean water.
Only the government holds access to this place. Even the countries that lend the seeds aren't allowed to enter.
40. Jatinga, India
Thousands of birds have flown to their deaths by throwing themselves off a cliff in a small town named Jatinga in India. This bizarre Bermuda Triangle of fowl death remains largely unexplained, despite studies by India’s most prestigious ornithologists. This happens after the monsoon season in dark moonless nights in the month of September-October.
These species of birds in Jatinga suddenly become disturbed after 6 pm. Strangely becoming disoriented, the birds plunge toward the torches and lights of the cities.
41. Gyanganj, Himalayas
The exact location of this place is not known. But the instructions to reach this place is written in some Buddhist texts. They say that this place is in another dimension and influence the real world in subtle ways when needed. This place mysteriously camouflages itself hiding from site and mapping technologies.
It holds and protects spiritual teachings of all religions. Only enlightened saints can find this place. Consciousness always remains alive in this enigmatic land as no death occurs there. So basically the theory that the enlightened saints can live up to so many years merges into this land.
Well, these mysterious stories have turned us to think exceptionally about these strangest places on earth. Now visit these most mysterious places on earth.
Kolkata is the city of joy with vivid food aromas and Kaleidoscopic lights. Kolkata, the city that rests on the east bank of Hooghly river is a place where culture resides in heart and soul. Calcutta is the second-largest city in India, after New Delhi. That's right! Not Mumbai, not Hyderabad, not even Chennai! Kolkata is one of the four metropolitan cities in the country that provides home to people from various classes in its heart.
Kolkata is most popular in the country for its peculiar sweets and fish and rice. A hub of culture, birthplace of famous Bengali sweets like Rasgulla and Sandesh – Kolkata with its tram lines running across the old city in the north and the modernity in the south is a bundle of joy. Kolkata is a culturally rich city with eccentric colonial architecture.
Back in the day, Calcutta used to be British India's capital city and it was the Empire's second most important city after London. Kolkata served as the capital of British Raj in India for about 140 years as the traders, East India Company had its headquarters located in the city with most of its operations carrying out from the Calcutta port, the oldest functioning port in the country today.
Kolkata is a perfect place for a family vacation or a solo trip who adore culture, good food, and historic architecture. For art lovers, Kolkata is a paradise with numerous art galleries and cultural festivals that portray various kinds of arts like sculpturing, paintings, poetry recitations and more. Kolkata has everything that a culture lover could ask for.
Being one of the metropolitan cities, Kolkata has a lot to offer to its citizens and tourists. A city where the language is as sweet as Rosogolla; the tourism never fails to give everything it owns. Known as the City of Joy, Kolkata is known for being the city with a soul! Calcutta had other nicknames besides City of Joy? For instance, it is also called the City of Palaces, and the cultural capital of India. Now doesn't it make you want to pack your stuff and head over?
Here are the best places to visit and things to do in Kolkata:
Howrah Bridge is the roadway commute between the city of Kolkata and Howrah and is one of the world's largest cantilever bridge. An iconic piece of infrastructure in the city that is an old-world charm. The bridge is constructed using the suspended span technology that depicts modern architecture techniques for the later stages of the Industrial Revolution in India.
The bridge is 705 meters in length that serve as one of the busiest connections between Kolkata and Howrah. The Howrah Bridge is an iconic infrastructure as it resembles the city of Kolkata in pop culture. A must-visit in Kolkata.
Victoria Memorial is a monument in Kolkata and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata with girlfriend. The construction took approximately 15 years using white marble. The monument was built in the memory of Queen Victoria which now serves as a museum and tourist attraction.
The design of this gigantic monument is Indo-Saracenic which consists of elements and inspirations from Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architecture. Every year thousands of tourists visit this museum to observe the collection of rich cultural history that still holds the old-world charm.
A significant monument designed by architect Luke Thomas in 1777, Writers’ Building used to serve as a workplace for the writers of East India Co. Limited, hence, the name. Currently, this monument serves as the secretariat building of the State Government of West Bengal. Writers’ Building is built on the Lal Dighi, a waterfront covering the lakes entire northern stretch.
The design of the monument was influenced by various styles which include Roman, Greek, British and Indian. The building stretches on the 128-foot long veranda which provides a wide serene of Lal Dighi. A sheer pleasure to visit this place, nature, man-made beauty, and peace of mind, everything can be experienced to the fullest.
Among best places to travel in Kolkata, a museum built in 1814 by English during the British Raj, is a famous tourist spot in the City of Joy. Indian Museum or Imperial Museum is the largest and oldest museum in India. This museum holds the widest collection of rare antics, arms, ammunition, armours and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies and iconic Mughal paintings as well.
With a collection of over 100,000 antiques and artifacts, a good, 3-4 hours tour is required in this museum.
Fun Fact – Indian Museum is the largest museum in the Asia – Pacific region.
Being a metropolitan city, there are many fun-filled activities in the city on a wider scale. There are numerous activities to enjoy locally.
Going by seating capacity, the Eden Gardens Cricket Ground is the third largest cricket stadium in the world.
The botanical garden of Kolkata has been the house of the world’s largest tree: An enormous banyan tree whose circumference is more than 330 meters! Now that's a lot of shade on a hot and humid summer day! The Great Banyan Tree in the Botanical Garden is the largest tree in the world in terms of area covered.
In terms of frequency of trains originating or passing through, Howrah station is the busiest station in India. It also has biggest station complex and is the second oldest railway station in India.
Calcutta's Alipur Zoo, or the Kolkata Zoo is India's oldest zoo!
Calcutta might not have been the city of princes, but the Calcutta Polo Club is the oldest one in the world!
The Royal Calcutta Golf Club is the first ever golf club to be set up outside the United Kingdom!
When talking about cricket, there’s one fact which even many cricket buffs do not know. Founded in 1792, the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club is the second oldest cricket club in the world after MCC: the Mecca of Cricket. Well, when it comes to sports, Calcuttans are crazy about their football!
Founded in 1898, did you know the Calcutta Football League is the oldest football tournament in the country, and the second oldest in the world?
In terms of seating, Salt Lake Stadium is the second largest football stadium in the world with a staggering capacity of 120,000.
Did you know the Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is the largest planetarium in Asia, and the second largest in the world? Well, for first timers, visit the planetarium and experience any one of their daily shows. The enormity of the screen will blow you away!
The Kidderpore Port is the oldest port in India besides being the only riverine port in the country. Besides, the replica of the Hooghly River Port is the only representative of India at the Asian Cities Sector in the Metropolitan Museum (MET), New York.
Academy of Fine Arts is a cultural spot in the heart of the city, where various types of cultural and artists portray their work with flair. A must-visit for all the art lovers. Academy of Fine Arts screens cinema, displays dramas, local and international painters, poets and more. A show not to miss as it is one of the unique places to visit in Kolkata.
Kolkata is a shopping hub. With various industries having its feet planted on the streets and various markets, the options are limitless. New Market is a bazaar which is equivalent to Crawford Market in Mumbai and Karol Bagh in Delhi. Every bit of all the tiny products produced in the world is available in these markets. The quality of the product depends on the shop and the goodwill the name has in the market.
Being a local market and not an industry, this market favours the businessman’s name or surname over the business name. Gariahat is another delight to shop at with clothes available for as cheap as a hundred bucks.
The Kolkata Metro is India’s first underground Metro railway. Kolkata Metro is an excellent ride to save your time, to avoid traffic jams it's a comfortable and safe journey also. Nowadays it's extended to the North Noapara and to the South five to six stoppage more after Tollygunge.
Kolkata is the only city in the country which has a fully operational tram service. A lost gem in the wide field of commute and transportation. The tram services are quite frequent and give an air of nostalgia.
If you have time and want to feel the original essence of Calcutta, then tram ride is a must. However, the speed is slow compared to other forms of transportation in the city.
Kolkata still runs on hand-driven rickshaw where a muscular man, pulls the rickshaw with maximum 2 passengers. The rickshaw is useful only for short distances. This experience can be tried when in Kolkata.
Prinsep Ghat is situated on the banks of the Hooghly river and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata for couples. A beautiful serene which is an eye-catcher for all the tourists in Kolkata. Prinsep Ghat was built in 1841. The European styled, Palladian porch gives a serene unlike any other. Prinsep Ghat offers an old-world boating experience, a rower rows the boat while singing soulful melodies of yesteryears. An experience worth gathering.
Prinsep Ghat offers an old-school boating experience where you sit back and relax whilst the rower drives the boat through the beautiful Hooghly River. A must-try soothing experience at the time of sunset and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata with friends.
One can say what Colaba Causeway is to Mumbai, Park Street is to Kolkata, shopping, food, and entertainment, this locality has everything locked under its belt. A thoroughfare covering all the aspects a tourist requires in the open air and is one of the places to visit in Kolkata at night.
Park Street in Kolkata is the hub of food and entertainment; with a vivid choice for different food items and restaurant styles. Park Street has a huge concentration of eating out places where the youth is attracted to along with their parents. There are specifically two eateries which are must-try Barbeque Nation and Peter Cat.
Yes, Barbeque Nation is a restaurant that is available across the entire country. The thing that makes this one a special is the typical Bengali flavours infused in the food along with a modern twist to it. Whereas Peter Cat is a casual-dining in Park Street Area of Kolkata that serves delicious North-Indian and Continental cuisines.
Kolkata is a book lover’s paradise. In fact, College Street is widely referred to as the second largest second-hand book market in the world where, if you search properly, you’ll be able to find the first edition of even the rarest of the rare books! Regarding College Street, there’s a saying that if you didn’t find a book in College Street, that book probably never existed!
It is the place to find any book in this world, with hundreds of book shops. The lane is heaven for book lovers and readers and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata for youngsters. The dealers don't just sell new books, but also purchase old ones and resell them, making each and every piece of paper a treasure.
Kolkata is a place where things to eat has its own place in the people's heart as well as streets with numerous restaurants with private rooms. Kolkata is famous for traditional Bengali food which majorly consists of fish and rice. This cuisine can be found in many places across the city. Well, fish and rasgulla are the one of the favorite food of the people.
But it isn't necessary that everyone likes eating fish, some are interested in Kosher Mangso too. Also the Ilish maach is just awesome. One of the most interesting fact in Bengali Vegetarian food is that majority of them are made without onions and garlic. Aloo dom is a spicy curry of potatoes and is a perfect combination with korai shutir kochuri.
Luchi and aloo chorchori with lightly spiced potatoes is a Sunday affair. Potol Dolma is stuffed pointed gourd stuffed with chhena, nuts, potatoes and spices, in a gravy made in ghee. Cholar dal prepared with Bengal gram and coconut is a perfect combination in any get together and is also served with Luchi or Kachuri or Radhaballavi.
Alu posto is a potato curry with poppy seeds. Bengalis love affair with poppy seeds is versatile. Rice with Alu Posto is perfect for a warm, humid summer day to keep the body cool. Jhinge posto is a ridge gourd curry with poppy seeds. Phulkopir dalna is cauliflower curry with potatoes and is a Bengali favourite item for cool winter months. It is served with roti, rice, Pulao etc.
Dhokar Dalna is prepared with steamed Bengal gram, and are chunky pieces in rich gravy. Peper dalna is a light papaya gravy with chunky pieces eaten with rice, roti, paratha etc. Pepe ghonto is a dry, grated, green papaya curry with little grains of rice. It's an everyday item fit for breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Chanar kofta is cottage cheese balls in rich gravy and is a must have with pulao. Echorer torkari is a raw Jackfruit curry. Echorer Dalna or raw jackfruit curry is also a top favourite, sumptuous dish. Radha ballavi is specially served in parties and occasions with Aloo dom.
The key taste profile of Bengali food is a complex yet delicate mix of bitter, sweet, and pungent. The dish that represents this profile in its entirety is - shukto. Traditionally, shukto is the starter to an elaborate Bengali meal, to cleanse the palate. It's little bitter due to bitter gourd. It also has other vegetables like drumsticks, brinjal, raw banana, potatoes and other seasonal vegetables and cooked in very little oil and spices.
Kanchkolar kofta is prepared with raw banana for cooking is a different variety than that for eating. Its a dumpling made with spices, boiled raw banana and potatoes. It's a rich gravy eaten traditionally with rice. It's also served in feasts.
Mochar ghonto is prepared with banana flowers and are made into dry curry with very little oil and spices. Labra is morning breakfast sabzi with ruti in many households and tastes divine with Khichuri. Sona muger Khichuri with moong dal is eaten with ghee and fries like brinjal and potatoes and is an item reserved for a rainy day.
Kumro chechki is made with ripe pumpkin and very little oil and spices. It's a common item to be eaten with rice, paratha, roti. Sim Paturi is prepared with broad beans wrapped in banana leaf with spices and mustard oil. It's pan fried in gas oven. Bandhakopir torkari is cabbage curry with peas with a hint of spice.
Pui Shak is added in a light curry with Malabar Spinach made with dal dumplings and vegetables. Kolmi shak or water spinach is a vegetable that grows in watery areas in Eastern States and North Eastern States of India. A Kolmi shak stir fry is a summer dish cooked with little oil, a clove of garlic and dry chilli. Bottle gourd leaves strew or lau shak curry is an everyday food in summer very little prepared with oil and spices.
Lau pata bata is very tasty and very few people know exactly how to make it. Thankuni pata bata or Indian Penny wort or Thankuni is an invasive species of herb found densely in Eastern and North Eastern States of India. It's eaten as a paste and has little minty flavour. People love Data Chorchori or drumsticks curry with mustard paste along with some other vegetables like potatoes, tomato, pumpkin etc.
Ash groud curry better known as chalkumror torkari is an everyday curry best to eat with rice or roti. Bengali tomato chutney is made with reasonable amount of dates and raisins. The list is endless.
Now comes Biryani. Though Hyderabadi Biryani maybe tasty and popular, but the Kolkata Biryani is pure love. The essence is the aloo present in the biryani and they also offer gravy along with the biryani.
The beauty of the city is the variety of street foods available at a pocket friendly price and satisfies your taste buds. From veg to Non veg, from familiar gully to high streets you will find a plethora of street foods.
Some of the other popular things to eat in Kolkata amongst bongs are Rolls at Kusum Rolls, biryani at Arsalan, phuchka (Bengali name for panipuri), club kachori and kullad wali chai (tea served in a clay cup) that can be found at various locations. Dim toast and baapuji cake is one of the most preferred breakfast of the people.
Commonly known as golgappa in other states, Kolkata has its own uniqueness. Here it is not gol gappa, it is Phuchka. With smashed aloo masala inside the crunchy maida ball and tok-jol (lemon and tamarind water) it is irresistible to have one. You atleast need a dozen to stop.
You can find most of the office-goers, college students and locals having chop and muri. Chop (deep fried veggies with besan) which is available as beguni, aloor chop, vegetable chop, dimer devil are like heavenly combination with puffed rice (muri).
How can one miss sweets when you are in Kolkata? Every gully has a sweet shop and everyone has to offer unique and tastiest sweets starting from 5 Rs to 20 Rs each.
Also not only rasgulla but pantua and sondesh are also awesome. The variety of sweets and their prices are also lower than most of the states. Along with Rosogolla, Kolkata also homes the sweetest delicacy named Sandesh. The best Sandesh is available at Girish Chandra and Nakur Chandra sweet shops, being one of the oldest Halwais in Kolkata, they have mastered the art of Sandesh and other Bengali sweets.
During winters, a specialty marks the board, Gurer Sandesh which has liquid jaggery as its core.
Do not miss out on the Calcutta Meetha Pan, a mouth freshener that has its roots dug deep in the soil of Kolkata. As it’s a local specialty, it can be found at every corner.
Luchi and Cholar Dal: Cholar Dal is Bengali breakfast dish. Bengal gram lentils cooked in coconut and spices that is served with hot and fluffy luchi.
Jhalmuri and Tea: Jhalmuri is a street snack in Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, made of puffed rice and an assortment of spices, vegetables, chanachur and bhujia. Often had with tea for breakfast.
Roll: You can find any type of roll from the simple egg roll to chicken roll. The cheapest is usually the vegetable roll and the most expensive is double egg, double chicken roll. The spices are customisable, free of charge of course.
Momo: Momos are the lifeline of northeastern India. They range from simple steamed veg momos to the Afghani Tandoori ones. Whichever you choose, each one will be able to delight you to the maximum. Chicken momo is usually the most in demand, but who can forget the soup?
Nariyal ke laddu refers to Narkoler Naru. Simple and delicious, this dish is a winter season must have for Bengali households.
Taler Bora or Palm Fruit fritter is another legendary Bengali sweet. Made with pulp of ripe Palm, Coconut, Jaggery, Wheat Flour, Rice Flour and Kalonji, this heavenly deep fried sweet dish is relished by young and old alike.
Shor Bhaja is so uncommon, that even in Bengali community it is not that well known. This mouth melting sweet is made by collecting and layering the Malai or fat from top of hot milk, then pressing, shaping and dipping in flavoured syrup.
Pati Shapta looks suspiciously like a Dosa, but tastes nothing like it. Another winter season speciality, the entire family looks forward to the ceremonious making of this Rice Batter roll with Coconut and Jaggery filling.
The best time to visit Kolkata is during the festive season. Kolkata is considered as the cultural capital of the country, where major festivals are celebrated with intense devotion and heartfulness. Major festivals celebrated are Durga Puja and Christmas in Kolkata. Durga Puja in Kolkata is the most vividly celebrated festival in Kolkata, the streets are filled with people, lights are always shining bright and the eateries are open throughout the night.
The countdown begins 100 days prior to the festival and Pujo Shopping is a must for locals. Mahasashti, Mahasaptami, Mahaasthami and Mahanavmi are most awaited days for people. The best thing to do during Durga Puja is to go pandal hopping to experience various themes and fascinating decors.
Also Saraswati Puja is a Bengali Valentines Day. One can see the community members dressed in traditional dresses.
Among the best places to visit in kolkata during Christmas, midnight mass at the St. Peter's Church is a must-go. A week-long carnival is set up on the roadside at Par Street.
One of the most unusual places on the list, yet the perfect location to sip on a cup of tea. This tea-spot is located inside a crossword on Park Street. The electric feeling of sipping on different flavours of tea while sitting in the middle of a room full of books is the happiest place in the world.
After the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair, Kolkata Book fair is recognized as the world’s largest conglomeration of books! Besides, it’s one of a kind and Asia’s largest book fair—it is also the most-attended book fair in the world! It is also the world's largest non trade Book fair! It's usually around the month of January and goes on for a week to 10 days!
The weather around February is pleasantly cold with moderately sunny mornings and cozy cool nights. Take a walk around the historic parts of the city, go on food tours and photography tours in Kolkata and discover the city of joy.
There are infinite hotels and motels in Kolkata. However, if you are planning to travel during the festive season, it is highly recommended to pre-book.
These were the basic details about Kolkata, for more, you actually need to get up from your chair, book the tickets and travel. See the rest for yourself.
Kolkata is most popular in the country for its peculiar sweets and fish and rice. A hub of culture, birthplace of famous Bengali sweets like Rasgulla and Sandesh – Kolkata with its tram lines running across the old city in the north and the modernity in the south is a bundle of joy. Kolkata is a culturally rich city with eccentric colonial architecture.
Back in the day, Calcutta used to be British India's capital city and it was the Empire's second most important city after London. Kolkata served as the capital of British Raj in India for about 140 years as the traders, East India Company had its headquarters located in the city with most of its operations carrying out from the Calcutta port, the oldest functioning port in the country today.
Kolkata is a perfect place for a family vacation or a solo trip who adore culture, good food, and historic architecture. For art lovers, Kolkata is a paradise with numerous art galleries and cultural festivals that portray various kinds of arts like sculpturing, paintings, poetry recitations and more. Kolkata has everything that a culture lover could ask for.
Being one of the metropolitan cities, Kolkata has a lot to offer to its citizens and tourists. A city where the language is as sweet as Rosogolla; the tourism never fails to give everything it owns. Known as the City of Joy, Kolkata is known for being the city with a soul! Calcutta had other nicknames besides City of Joy? For instance, it is also called the City of Palaces, and the cultural capital of India. Now doesn't it make you want to pack your stuff and head over?
Here are the best places to visit and things to do in Kolkata:
1. Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge is the roadway commute between the city of Kolkata and Howrah and is one of the world's largest cantilever bridge. An iconic piece of infrastructure in the city that is an old-world charm. The bridge is constructed using the suspended span technology that depicts modern architecture techniques for the later stages of the Industrial Revolution in India.
The bridge is 705 meters in length that serve as one of the busiest connections between Kolkata and Howrah. The Howrah Bridge is an iconic infrastructure as it resembles the city of Kolkata in pop culture. A must-visit in Kolkata.
2. Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial is a monument in Kolkata and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata with girlfriend. The construction took approximately 15 years using white marble. The monument was built in the memory of Queen Victoria which now serves as a museum and tourist attraction.
The design of this gigantic monument is Indo-Saracenic which consists of elements and inspirations from Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architecture. Every year thousands of tourists visit this museum to observe the collection of rich cultural history that still holds the old-world charm.
3. Writers' Building
A significant monument designed by architect Luke Thomas in 1777, Writers’ Building used to serve as a workplace for the writers of East India Co. Limited, hence, the name. Currently, this monument serves as the secretariat building of the State Government of West Bengal. Writers’ Building is built on the Lal Dighi, a waterfront covering the lakes entire northern stretch.
The design of the monument was influenced by various styles which include Roman, Greek, British and Indian. The building stretches on the 128-foot long veranda which provides a wide serene of Lal Dighi. A sheer pleasure to visit this place, nature, man-made beauty, and peace of mind, everything can be experienced to the fullest.
4. Indian Museum
Among best places to travel in Kolkata, a museum built in 1814 by English during the British Raj, is a famous tourist spot in the City of Joy. Indian Museum or Imperial Museum is the largest and oldest museum in India. This museum holds the widest collection of rare antics, arms, ammunition, armours and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies and iconic Mughal paintings as well.
With a collection of over 100,000 antiques and artifacts, a good, 3-4 hours tour is required in this museum.
Fun Fact – Indian Museum is the largest museum in the Asia – Pacific region.
Being a metropolitan city, there are many fun-filled activities in the city on a wider scale. There are numerous activities to enjoy locally.
5. Eden Gardens
Going by seating capacity, the Eden Gardens Cricket Ground is the third largest cricket stadium in the world.
6. Botanical Garden
The botanical garden of Kolkata has been the house of the world’s largest tree: An enormous banyan tree whose circumference is more than 330 meters! Now that's a lot of shade on a hot and humid summer day! The Great Banyan Tree in the Botanical Garden is the largest tree in the world in terms of area covered.
7. Howrah Station
In terms of frequency of trains originating or passing through, Howrah station is the busiest station in India. It also has biggest station complex and is the second oldest railway station in India.
8. Alipur Zoo
Calcutta's Alipur Zoo, or the Kolkata Zoo is India's oldest zoo!
9. Calcutta Polo Club
Calcutta might not have been the city of princes, but the Calcutta Polo Club is the oldest one in the world!
10. Royal Calcutta Golf Club
The Royal Calcutta Golf Club is the first ever golf club to be set up outside the United Kingdom!
11. Calcutta Cricket and Football Club
When talking about cricket, there’s one fact which even many cricket buffs do not know. Founded in 1792, the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club is the second oldest cricket club in the world after MCC: the Mecca of Cricket. Well, when it comes to sports, Calcuttans are crazy about their football!
Founded in 1898, did you know the Calcutta Football League is the oldest football tournament in the country, and the second oldest in the world?
12. Salt Lake Stadium
In terms of seating, Salt Lake Stadium is the second largest football stadium in the world with a staggering capacity of 120,000.
13. Birla Planetarium
Did you know the Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is the largest planetarium in Asia, and the second largest in the world? Well, for first timers, visit the planetarium and experience any one of their daily shows. The enormity of the screen will blow you away!
14. Kolkata Port
The Kidderpore Port is the oldest port in India besides being the only riverine port in the country. Besides, the replica of the Hooghly River Port is the only representative of India at the Asian Cities Sector in the Metropolitan Museum (MET), New York.
15. Visit Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata
Academy of Fine Arts is a cultural spot in the heart of the city, where various types of cultural and artists portray their work with flair. A must-visit for all the art lovers. Academy of Fine Arts screens cinema, displays dramas, local and international painters, poets and more. A show not to miss as it is one of the unique places to visit in Kolkata.
16. Shopping in New Market in Kolkata
Kolkata is a shopping hub. With various industries having its feet planted on the streets and various markets, the options are limitless. New Market is a bazaar which is equivalent to Crawford Market in Mumbai and Karol Bagh in Delhi. Every bit of all the tiny products produced in the world is available in these markets. The quality of the product depends on the shop and the goodwill the name has in the market.
Being a local market and not an industry, this market favours the businessman’s name or surname over the business name. Gariahat is another delight to shop at with clothes available for as cheap as a hundred bucks.
17. Kolkata Metro
The Kolkata Metro is India’s first underground Metro railway. Kolkata Metro is an excellent ride to save your time, to avoid traffic jams it's a comfortable and safe journey also. Nowadays it's extended to the North Noapara and to the South five to six stoppage more after Tollygunge.
18. Tram ride in Kolkata
Kolkata is the only city in the country which has a fully operational tram service. A lost gem in the wide field of commute and transportation. The tram services are quite frequent and give an air of nostalgia.
If you have time and want to feel the original essence of Calcutta, then tram ride is a must. However, the speed is slow compared to other forms of transportation in the city.
19. Board the Hand-Driven Rickshaw in Kolkata
Kolkata still runs on hand-driven rickshaw where a muscular man, pulls the rickshaw with maximum 2 passengers. The rickshaw is useful only for short distances. This experience can be tried when in Kolkata.
20. Boating at Prinsep Ghat in Kolkata
Prinsep Ghat is situated on the banks of the Hooghly river and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata for couples. A beautiful serene which is an eye-catcher for all the tourists in Kolkata. Prinsep Ghat was built in 1841. The European styled, Palladian porch gives a serene unlike any other. Prinsep Ghat offers an old-world boating experience, a rower rows the boat while singing soulful melodies of yesteryears. An experience worth gathering.
Prinsep Ghat offers an old-school boating experience where you sit back and relax whilst the rower drives the boat through the beautiful Hooghly River. A must-try soothing experience at the time of sunset and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata with friends.
21. Party at Park Street in Kolkata
One can say what Colaba Causeway is to Mumbai, Park Street is to Kolkata, shopping, food, and entertainment, this locality has everything locked under its belt. A thoroughfare covering all the aspects a tourist requires in the open air and is one of the places to visit in Kolkata at night.
Park Street in Kolkata is the hub of food and entertainment; with a vivid choice for different food items and restaurant styles. Park Street has a huge concentration of eating out places where the youth is attracted to along with their parents. There are specifically two eateries which are must-try Barbeque Nation and Peter Cat.
Yes, Barbeque Nation is a restaurant that is available across the entire country. The thing that makes this one a special is the typical Bengali flavours infused in the food along with a modern twist to it. Whereas Peter Cat is a casual-dining in Park Street Area of Kolkata that serves delicious North-Indian and Continental cuisines.
22. Buy books in College Street in Kolkata
Kolkata is a book lover’s paradise. In fact, College Street is widely referred to as the second largest second-hand book market in the world where, if you search properly, you’ll be able to find the first edition of even the rarest of the rare books! Regarding College Street, there’s a saying that if you didn’t find a book in College Street, that book probably never existed!
It is the place to find any book in this world, with hundreds of book shops. The lane is heaven for book lovers and readers and is one of the best places to visit in Kolkata for youngsters. The dealers don't just sell new books, but also purchase old ones and resell them, making each and every piece of paper a treasure.
23. Food in Kolkata
Kolkata is a place where things to eat has its own place in the people's heart as well as streets with numerous restaurants with private rooms. Kolkata is famous for traditional Bengali food which majorly consists of fish and rice. This cuisine can be found in many places across the city. Well, fish and rasgulla are the one of the favorite food of the people.
But it isn't necessary that everyone likes eating fish, some are interested in Kosher Mangso too. Also the Ilish maach is just awesome. One of the most interesting fact in Bengali Vegetarian food is that majority of them are made without onions and garlic. Aloo dom is a spicy curry of potatoes and is a perfect combination with korai shutir kochuri.
Luchi and aloo chorchori with lightly spiced potatoes is a Sunday affair. Potol Dolma is stuffed pointed gourd stuffed with chhena, nuts, potatoes and spices, in a gravy made in ghee. Cholar dal prepared with Bengal gram and coconut is a perfect combination in any get together and is also served with Luchi or Kachuri or Radhaballavi.
Alu posto is a potato curry with poppy seeds. Bengalis love affair with poppy seeds is versatile. Rice with Alu Posto is perfect for a warm, humid summer day to keep the body cool. Jhinge posto is a ridge gourd curry with poppy seeds. Phulkopir dalna is cauliflower curry with potatoes and is a Bengali favourite item for cool winter months. It is served with roti, rice, Pulao etc.
Dhokar Dalna is prepared with steamed Bengal gram, and are chunky pieces in rich gravy. Peper dalna is a light papaya gravy with chunky pieces eaten with rice, roti, paratha etc. Pepe ghonto is a dry, grated, green papaya curry with little grains of rice. It's an everyday item fit for breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Chanar kofta is cottage cheese balls in rich gravy and is a must have with pulao. Echorer torkari is a raw Jackfruit curry. Echorer Dalna or raw jackfruit curry is also a top favourite, sumptuous dish. Radha ballavi is specially served in parties and occasions with Aloo dom.
The key taste profile of Bengali food is a complex yet delicate mix of bitter, sweet, and pungent. The dish that represents this profile in its entirety is - shukto. Traditionally, shukto is the starter to an elaborate Bengali meal, to cleanse the palate. It's little bitter due to bitter gourd. It also has other vegetables like drumsticks, brinjal, raw banana, potatoes and other seasonal vegetables and cooked in very little oil and spices.
Kanchkolar kofta is prepared with raw banana for cooking is a different variety than that for eating. Its a dumpling made with spices, boiled raw banana and potatoes. It's a rich gravy eaten traditionally with rice. It's also served in feasts.
Mochar ghonto is prepared with banana flowers and are made into dry curry with very little oil and spices. Labra is morning breakfast sabzi with ruti in many households and tastes divine with Khichuri. Sona muger Khichuri with moong dal is eaten with ghee and fries like brinjal and potatoes and is an item reserved for a rainy day.
Kumro chechki is made with ripe pumpkin and very little oil and spices. It's a common item to be eaten with rice, paratha, roti. Sim Paturi is prepared with broad beans wrapped in banana leaf with spices and mustard oil. It's pan fried in gas oven. Bandhakopir torkari is cabbage curry with peas with a hint of spice.
Pui Shak is added in a light curry with Malabar Spinach made with dal dumplings and vegetables. Kolmi shak or water spinach is a vegetable that grows in watery areas in Eastern States and North Eastern States of India. A Kolmi shak stir fry is a summer dish cooked with little oil, a clove of garlic and dry chilli. Bottle gourd leaves strew or lau shak curry is an everyday food in summer very little prepared with oil and spices.
Lau pata bata is very tasty and very few people know exactly how to make it. Thankuni pata bata or Indian Penny wort or Thankuni is an invasive species of herb found densely in Eastern and North Eastern States of India. It's eaten as a paste and has little minty flavour. People love Data Chorchori or drumsticks curry with mustard paste along with some other vegetables like potatoes, tomato, pumpkin etc.
Ash groud curry better known as chalkumror torkari is an everyday curry best to eat with rice or roti. Bengali tomato chutney is made with reasonable amount of dates and raisins. The list is endless.
Now comes Biryani. Though Hyderabadi Biryani maybe tasty and popular, but the Kolkata Biryani is pure love. The essence is the aloo present in the biryani and they also offer gravy along with the biryani.
The beauty of the city is the variety of street foods available at a pocket friendly price and satisfies your taste buds. From veg to Non veg, from familiar gully to high streets you will find a plethora of street foods.
Some of the other popular things to eat in Kolkata amongst bongs are Rolls at Kusum Rolls, biryani at Arsalan, phuchka (Bengali name for panipuri), club kachori and kullad wali chai (tea served in a clay cup) that can be found at various locations. Dim toast and baapuji cake is one of the most preferred breakfast of the people.
Commonly known as golgappa in other states, Kolkata has its own uniqueness. Here it is not gol gappa, it is Phuchka. With smashed aloo masala inside the crunchy maida ball and tok-jol (lemon and tamarind water) it is irresistible to have one. You atleast need a dozen to stop.
You can find most of the office-goers, college students and locals having chop and muri. Chop (deep fried veggies with besan) which is available as beguni, aloor chop, vegetable chop, dimer devil are like heavenly combination with puffed rice (muri).
How can one miss sweets when you are in Kolkata? Every gully has a sweet shop and everyone has to offer unique and tastiest sweets starting from 5 Rs to 20 Rs each.
Also not only rasgulla but pantua and sondesh are also awesome. The variety of sweets and their prices are also lower than most of the states. Along with Rosogolla, Kolkata also homes the sweetest delicacy named Sandesh. The best Sandesh is available at Girish Chandra and Nakur Chandra sweet shops, being one of the oldest Halwais in Kolkata, they have mastered the art of Sandesh and other Bengali sweets.
During winters, a specialty marks the board, Gurer Sandesh which has liquid jaggery as its core.
Do not miss out on the Calcutta Meetha Pan, a mouth freshener that has its roots dug deep in the soil of Kolkata. As it’s a local specialty, it can be found at every corner.
Luchi and Cholar Dal: Cholar Dal is Bengali breakfast dish. Bengal gram lentils cooked in coconut and spices that is served with hot and fluffy luchi.
Jhalmuri and Tea: Jhalmuri is a street snack in Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, made of puffed rice and an assortment of spices, vegetables, chanachur and bhujia. Often had with tea for breakfast.
Roll: You can find any type of roll from the simple egg roll to chicken roll. The cheapest is usually the vegetable roll and the most expensive is double egg, double chicken roll. The spices are customisable, free of charge of course.
Momo: Momos are the lifeline of northeastern India. They range from simple steamed veg momos to the Afghani Tandoori ones. Whichever you choose, each one will be able to delight you to the maximum. Chicken momo is usually the most in demand, but who can forget the soup?
Nariyal ke laddu refers to Narkoler Naru. Simple and delicious, this dish is a winter season must have for Bengali households.
Taler Bora or Palm Fruit fritter is another legendary Bengali sweet. Made with pulp of ripe Palm, Coconut, Jaggery, Wheat Flour, Rice Flour and Kalonji, this heavenly deep fried sweet dish is relished by young and old alike.
Shor Bhaja is so uncommon, that even in Bengali community it is not that well known. This mouth melting sweet is made by collecting and layering the Malai or fat from top of hot milk, then pressing, shaping and dipping in flavoured syrup.
Pati Shapta looks suspiciously like a Dosa, but tastes nothing like it. Another winter season speciality, the entire family looks forward to the ceremonious making of this Rice Batter roll with Coconut and Jaggery filling.
24. Durga Puja in Kolkata
The best time to visit Kolkata is during the festive season. Kolkata is considered as the cultural capital of the country, where major festivals are celebrated with intense devotion and heartfulness. Major festivals celebrated are Durga Puja and Christmas in Kolkata. Durga Puja in Kolkata is the most vividly celebrated festival in Kolkata, the streets are filled with people, lights are always shining bright and the eateries are open throughout the night.
The countdown begins 100 days prior to the festival and Pujo Shopping is a must for locals. Mahasashti, Mahasaptami, Mahaasthami and Mahanavmi are most awaited days for people. The best thing to do during Durga Puja is to go pandal hopping to experience various themes and fascinating decors.
Also Saraswati Puja is a Bengali Valentines Day. One can see the community members dressed in traditional dresses.
25. Christmas in Kolkata
Among the best places to visit in kolkata during Christmas, midnight mass at the St. Peter's Church is a must-go. A week-long carnival is set up on the roadside at Par Street.
26. Adda at the Cha Bar at Crossword in Kolkata
One of the most unusual places on the list, yet the perfect location to sip on a cup of tea. This tea-spot is located inside a crossword on Park Street. The electric feeling of sipping on different flavours of tea while sitting in the middle of a room full of books is the happiest place in the world.
27. Kolkata Book fair
After the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair, Kolkata Book fair is recognized as the world’s largest conglomeration of books! Besides, it’s one of a kind and Asia’s largest book fair—it is also the most-attended book fair in the world! It is also the world's largest non trade Book fair! It's usually around the month of January and goes on for a week to 10 days!
Best Time to Visit Kolkata
The weather around February is pleasantly cold with moderately sunny mornings and cozy cool nights. Take a walk around the historic parts of the city, go on food tours and photography tours in Kolkata and discover the city of joy.
How To Reach Kolkata
- Kolkata has all the sorts of communication facilities, an international airport within the metropolitan area, multiple railway stations are built to make the transport easier. Kolkata serves as the headquarters of Eastern Railways of Indian Railways.
- For the local commute, Kolkata has many forms of transportations like trams, metros, government buses and cab service. The cab service is the most iconic in the country as it still uses the classic, Ambassador. Along with local and government authorized transportations, cab services like Ola and Uber are widely used.
- Kolkata is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral Roadways Project which connects the four metropolitan cities of India, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai. So, the extensive roadway connection caters to commercial as well as non-commercial vehicles.
Where to Stay in Kolkata
There are infinite hotels and motels in Kolkata. However, if you are planning to travel during the festive season, it is highly recommended to pre-book.
These were the basic details about Kolkata, for more, you actually need to get up from your chair, book the tickets and travel. See the rest for yourself.
