The Many Constumes of Manneken Pis

At the corner of Rue de l'Étuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat in the heart of Brussels, is a famous landmark – the Manneken Pis. It is a small bronze statue of a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. Although there are many similar and sculptures all around the world, thousands of tourists flock each day to take a photo of this particular one.

Part of the reason why people visit this little figure so frequently is its enormous wardrobe of costumes. The statue is dressed in tiny costume several times each week, according to a published schedule which is posted on the railings around the fountain. His wardrobe consists of several hundred different costumes, many of which may be viewed in a permanent exhibition inside the City Museum. A non-profit association called The Friends of Manneken-Pis manages and selects costumes from among hundreds of designs submitted each year.

Artistic Stockholm Subway System

The Stockholm subway system is said to be the longest art exhibition in the world - 110 kilometers in length. Traveling by subway is like traveling through an exciting story that extends from the artistic pioneers of the 1950s to the art experiments of today. Over 90 of the 100 subway stations in Stockholm have been decorated with sculptures, mosaics, paintings, installations, engravings and reliefs by over 150 artists. It’s a part of a long tradition of public art for public transport.

Slauerhoffbrug, The Flying Drawbridge

Slauerhoffbrug also known as the 'Flying Drawbridge', is a fully automatic bascule bridge located in the city of Leeuwarden in Netherlands. The bridge uses two extending arms to actually lift a section of the road up and out of the way to let boats through underneath. The tail bridge can quickly and efficiently be raised and lowered from one pylon (instead of hinges). This quickly allows water traffic to pass while only briefly stalling road traffic. Pretty unusual design.
The deck is 15 m by 15 m and is painted in yellow and blue, representative of Leeuwarden's flag and seal. (Also see, The Incredible Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany)

Cincinnati's Abandoned Subway

Unknown to many Cincinnatians, sprawling under their feet is a vast network of abandoned and derelict subway tunnels – in fact, the United States’ largest abandoned subway tunnel. Construction of the Cincinnati subway began sometime around 1917, however, just 11 days earlier the United States entered World War I and construction was halted. By 1925 construction slowed to a stop before even half of the proposed 16 mile line was completed. Seven miles between Cincinnati's central business district and the industrial suburb of Norwood were tunneled, bridged, or graded, but no track was laid and no subway cars were ordered. No passengers ever rode between the six stations that were built.

The Living Root Bridges of Cherrapunjee, India

The lower reaches of the southern slopes of Khasi and Jaintia hills, in Northeastern India, are humid, warm and streaked by many swift flowing rivers and mountain streams. On the slopes of this hill, among the dense undergrowth, a species of Indian Rubber tree – (Ficus Elastica) -  thrives and flourishes. These trees shoot out many secondary roots from their trunks. The trees, supported by these secondary roots, can comfortably perch itself on huge boulders along side the riverbanks or in the middle of rivers and send its roots down to the riverbed.

The Secret of the Blood Falls of Antarctica

From a crack in the Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica flows a curious blood-red colored water. When it was first discovered by geologist Griffith Taylor in 1911, the color was thought to have come from an algae. The source of the red color was later discovered to be an iron-rich underground saltwater lake that was trapped by the encroaching glacier at least 1.5 million years ago. The temperature of the water is -5 Celsius, but it's so salty that it doesn't freeze.

But the Blood Falls houses another secret, which scientists from Harvard University have started to uncover - it's home to an entire ecosystem of bacteria, trapped for millennia in conditions that are extremely inhospitable to life.

The Witch's Well in Tuhala

The Witch’s Well, as it is called, is a peculiar attraction in the Estonian village of Tuhala. The well for the most time appears normal. But after a heavy downpour, it begins to spout water and floods the entire area – an occurrence the local people attributes to the misdoings of witches. According to legend, the witches of Tuhala gather in the sauna underground and beats each other vigorously with birch branches, oblivious to the commotion they create on the surface.

Son Doong, The World’s Largest Cave

Hang Son Doong cave, sometimes called simply Son Doong, is a cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam, that is believed to be the largest discovered till now.
The cave was found by a local man named Hồ-Khanh in 1991 but the local jungle men were afraid to explore because of the whistling sound it makes from the underground river. However, not until 2009 was it made known to the public when a group of British scientists from the British Cave Research Association, led by Howard Limbert, conducted a survey in Phong Nha-Ke Bang in April, 2009. According to Limbert, this cave is five times larger than the Phong Nha cave, previously considered the biggest cave in Vietnam. The biggest chamber of Son Doong is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these dimensions, Son Doong overtakes Deer Cave in Malaysia to take the title of the world's largest cave.

The Wartime Sound Mirrors at Denge

During the first World War, the Royal Air Force built gigantic acoustic mirrors, known colloquially as 'listening ears', that served as an early warning system for incoming air invasion. The parabolic shape of the mirrors collected and magnified sound waves in the air over the English Channel and directed them at a microphone positioned just in front of the parabola. The mirrors effectively gave Britain a fifteen-minute advance warning of an impending attack.

Storseisundet–The Bridge to Nowhere

No, this is not a ramp to launch spaceships. It is a bridge on one of Norway's most scenic and popular tourist roads - the Atlantic Ocean Road (Atlanterhavsveien in Norwegian). The bridge named Storseisundet makes a sharp bend as it jumps over a number of small islands and waterways. The approach to the bridge looks scary as the bridge seems to end abruptly and as if any attempt to proceed would result into the vehicle flying out and dropping into the waters below.

Devils Tower at Wyoming, USA

One of the most spectacular natural creation, the Devils Tower (also called Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Lodge”), is a monolithic igneous intrusion of volcanic rock located in the Black Hillsin Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises dramatically 386 meter above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 1,558 meter above sea level.

Wave Rock at Hyden, Australia

Wave Rock is an interesting natural rock formation located east of the small town of Hyden in Western Australia. It derives its name from the fact that it is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave. The Wave Rock is composed of granite and the total outcrop covers several hectares. The rock is about 15 meters high and approximately 110 meters long.

The House in the Island of Elliðaey

If there ever is an ultimate holiday getaway location, it has to be the island of Elliðaey near Vestmannaeyjar, a small archipelago off the south coast of Iceland, and the enchanting little house on it.

Spectacular Caves and Rocks at Staffa Island

The island of Staffa in Scotland is probably best known for its unique geological features, such as the many caves and the unique shape of the basalt columns which are also found in the Giant's Causeway. This remarkable little island, located south-west off the isle of Ulva and halfway between the Ross of Mull and the Treshnish Isles is one of the smallest in the Southern Hebrides.

The Hole In The Lake

The hole you see below in the Ladybower Reservoir, Derbyshire, England is reportedly the world's largest Bell-mouth spillway. Spillways are structures used to provide for the controlled release of water from a dam or levee into a downstream area so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy the dam. Such spillways are common in many man made lakes such as the Ladybower Reservoir.

Rocky Attractions of Norway

Norway’s rocky coastlines is home to three very spectacular rock formation that draws thousands of rock climbers and adventurous tourists world over each year. Apart from the thrill of climbing, these places offer a view that words cannot describe.

Fly Geyser: A Man Made Geyser in Nevada

Fly Geyser is a very little known tourist attraction, even to Nevada residents. It is located right near the edge of Fly Reservoir and is only about 5 feet high, 12 feet if you count the mound on which it sits. The Geyser is not an entirely natural phenomenon, and was accidentally created in 1916 during the drilling of a well. The well functioned normally for several decades, but then in the 1960s geothermally heated water found a weak spot in the wall and began escaping to the surface. Dissolved minerals started rising and piling up, creating the mount on which the geyser sits, offering an eerie, out-of-the-world sight. The mound is still growing to date.

World's Largest Miniature Airport in Germany

The world's largest model airport has opened at Miniatur Wonderland in Hamburg, Germany, which is also home to the world’s largest model railway landscape.

The model airport is based off of Hamburg's Fuhlsbüttel International airport. It includes a whopping list of accessories, including 40 planes, 40,000 lights, 15,000 figurines, 500 cars, 10,000 trees, 50 trains, 1000 wagons, 100 signals, 200 switches and 300 buildings. The display took 7 years and roughly $4.8 million to build.

Giant Trees At the Cambodian Temple of Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. Huge trees, reminiscent of ancient redwoods and oaks, are blended into the walls, and rocks hugging the giant roots gives the temple a surreal appearance. The photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.

Roter Sand Lighthouse Turned Hotel in Germany

Described by some as the “loneliest hotel in Germany,” the Roter Sand lighthouse, some 30 miles off the coast of Bremerhaven, Lower Saxony, has been welcoming guests for over 10 years. But the lighthouse itself is 125 years old.

The Roter Sand was built in 1885, and was considered a technical marvel at that time as it was the first ever structure built on the sea floor at a depth of 22 metres. For almost 80 years the red, white and black lighthouse was the first thing sailors saw on their way into the port city, and the last thing millions of emigrants saw before their ships reached the North Sea on their journey to the New World. But by 1964 its steel foundations became unstable and the lighthouse was decommissioned.