Discover

The Discover page is an archive of about strange but true trivia about destinations around the world, previously featured in the Discover section on the main page. You can contribute and add or edit future facts to the list here. Previously displayed facts from this year are below. You can find older facts from previous years using the links at the bottom of the page.

August 2026

The counties of the West Country are divided by the proper way to prepare scones (non-partisan serving pictured): jam first, or cream?
Boatloads of tourists disembark at Stingray City, Grand Cayman, and squeal nervously while adjusting to the presence of large rays in the waist-deep water.
The 14 merchant families who controlled medieval Galway are now immortalised in the names of the city roundabouts.

58 unique dinosaur species (including Albertosaurus, pictured) have been discovered in Dinosaur Provincial Park.
There are three currencies in common use on the island of Saint Martin: the euro, the U.S. dollar and the Caribbean guilder.

July 2026

From the golden limestone Headings Cliffs just outside Renmark there are serene views over the Murray River, especially during sunrise or sunset.

In Bokaro Steel City you can visit the steel plant (remote view pictured) for a first hand experience of steel-making from raw material to the finished product.
At Diani Beach, divers can participate in coral reef restoration.
Flying fish, the icon of Barbados, appear on coins, bills, and menus there.

Tenzing-Hillary Airport (runway pictured) in Lukla is often named one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to its position against the side of the mountain.
Deer were introduced to Anticosti in the late 19th century - today there's a density of approximately 14 deer/km² on the island.
At the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport you can see HMS Holland 1, the Royal Navy's first submarine.

The Eise Eisenga Planetarium (interior pictured) in Franeker from the late 18th century is the world's oldest still operational planetarium.
At the Kampot pepper plantation outside Kep grows what once was considered the number one pepper in the world.
Dhaka has often been referred to as the "Traffic Capital of the World", and you can literally spend hours in traffic.

Europa Island (pictured) is nowhere near Europe.
Qirmizi Qasaba, the Jewish quarter of Quba, is believed to be the world's only all-Jewish town outside Israel.
The name of the Mayan archaeological site Lamanai translates to "submerged crocodile".

Now a national monument and with a Petroleum Museum (pictured) next to it, the first oil well in Miri was both Malaysia's and the company Shell's first oil well.
Unfinished for decades until finally completed in 2011, Limete Tower in Kinshasa is one of the tallest buildings in Africa.
Kidderminster is well known for its manufacturing of carpets, as reflected in the town's carpet museum.

The village of Lovoni (pictured) lies in the center of a lush and fertile valley that is the volcanic crater of Ovalau Island.
Don't bring E-cigarettes or vapes to Thailand - possession can lead to large fines, deportation and even imprisonment.
Pacific Grove is the overwintering spot for thousands of Monarch butterflies, from which its nickname, "Butterfly Town, U.S.A.," is derived.

The Statue of Matthias Corvinus (pictured) in Cluj-Napoca is often climbed by tourists, although officially this practise is not allowed.
San Andrés is a tax free zone - so prices are often cheaper than on the Colombian mainland.
Quite often, merely a trip to a decent-sized urban park with a lot of foliage is sufficient to observe many migratory birds in season.

Flatbreads (naan bread pictured) are the staple food in the northwestern parts of South Asia, and the variety in them is huge.
At Klimahaus in Bremerhaven you can travel the virtual line of 8 degrees longitude in a single day and experience a wide variety of climate zones along the way.
The Malagasy ariary is subdivided into 5 iraimbilanja, making it one of only two non-decimal currencies.

Volcan Baru National Park is home to Panama’s only volcano and the highest point in the country (summit pictured).
Kobe is famous for its male saké, but you'll need to go to Bitchu to find female saké.
Fargo features a Celebrity Walk of Fame where more than 100 American celebrities have left their marks - signatures, handprints and footprints - in cement.

Ekiben (駅弁) (selection pictured), are packaged meals of regional cuisine sold at train stations in Japan to be eaten on trains.
The English word "satin" comes from "Zaiton", the old Arabic and Persian name for Quanzhou.
The Muso Kunda Museum of Women in Bamako presents the role of women in Malian society.

June 2026

Different caves such as the Ingleborough Cave (interior pictured) are the main attractions of Clapham.
A centre of alternative lifestyle and culture, Nimbin is also widely known as a hub of cannabis culture despite it being illegal in NSW.
Nupen outside Harstad is an excellent place to view the midnight sun during summer nights, and it has been named Norway's most romantic spot.

The best thing to do in Lazaro Cardenas is to head to the beach (Playa Eréndira pictured).
Jerez de la Frontera is famous as the home of sherry wines - why not taste some if visiting?
The World Globe Storage Tank in Savannah is a 60-foot-tall spherical gas tank, painted to look like a globe.

Silliman University Hall (pictured) in Dumaguete is the oldest U.S. structure in the Philippines still standing.
In a time when we drown in e-mail, a physical postcard from far away is usually more welcome than ever.
Apollonia outside Fier was a Greek colony, an Illyrian and then a Roman town, today it's one of Albania's most prominent ancient sites.

The backside of the Big Powerful Owl sculpture (pictured) in Belconnen is said to resemble male genitalia, and as such often vandalised with graffiti.
North Rona is the most remote island in Britain to have been inhabited long-term.
Housed in a former railway station, the Vale museum in Vila Velha presents among other things the local rail and port system once used for transporting vast quantities of gold.

Almost every night of the year, turtles (pictured) appear on Sukamade Beach to lay eggs.
Goa's cultural and commercial capital Margao features a white sand beach spanning more than 30 kilometres.
The Museum Utopie und Alltag in Eisenhüttenstadt showcases the daily life in the former East Germany.

Anchor Point features the westernmost point in the North American highway system (sign pictured), which is on Sterling Highway.
Thor Heyerdahl is mostly remembered for his voyages on modern replicas of ancient boats.
Perhaps the most popular activity for visitors to Tioman is snorkelling.

One major attraction in Aydıncık is the Gilindire Cave, a large decorated cave with a lake at the bottom (pictured).
Kassala is famous for its coffee, which is traditionally served in a clay coffee pot called a jebbana.
Copheap, the hill closest to Warminster, became a war memorial for the town after a public meeting in 1947.

Le Broyé du Poitou (pictured), meaning "Crushed of the Poitou" is a local cake of Poitiers that's traditionally shared by punching its centre, breaking it into pieces.
As the birthplace of several world religions, South Asia is home to countless sacred and holy sites.
There are large numbers of feral chickens all over the island of Rarotonga.

The Kakamega Rainforest (pictured) along the nation's western border is all that remains of Kenya's rainforests which once spanned the nation all the way to the Indian Ocean.
The town of El Valle in Panama is actually inside the caldera of a volcano.
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat features the second largest hand made Persian carpet in the world.

The Metra commuter train system in Chicagoland (train pictured) is one of the most connected and advanced in the United States.
Inscriptions on the Mausoleum of General Józef Bem in Tarnów are written in Polish, Hungarian, and Arabic to honor him for fighting for independence in Poland and Hungary and his conversion to Islam in Aleppo.
The entire town of Sewanee, including residential areas, lakes, and forest, is owned by the University of the South.

May 2026

The Isimila Stone Age Site in Iringa features over 30 meter tall natural stone pillars (pictured), created from thousands of years of water and wind erosion.
There is no road connection through the Darién Gap connecting North America with South America and it is the missing link of the Pan-American Highway.
One of Portugal's historical jewels, Tomar was founded by the Knights Templar.

Bendigo (pictured) is known for its grand Victorian architecture, built during the gold rush of the mid-19th century.
As a Buddhist country, the Thai language has been strongly influenced by Sanskrit and Pali.
The Cavaleriemuseum in Amersfoort presents early and modern cavalry of the Dutch army, spanning more than four centuries.

Uqsuqtuuq, the Inuktitut name of Gjoa Haven (pictured) means "lots of fat", referring to the abundance of sea mammals in the nearby waters.
At the Correctional Services Museum in Pretoria you can learn about the development of the penal system in South Africa from the most barbaric methods to the modern penological system of today.
Udawalawe National Park is famous for its large wild elephant population, making an excellent destination for safari-style tours.

The medieval Häme Castle (pictured) is not just the symbol and main attraction of Hämeenlinna, the city is named after it.
In Puerto Maldonado you can visit a Rescue Snake House.
When buying travel insurance, you should review the dates of coverage, whether it protects you enough financially, and the exclusions.

Afyonkarahisar means "opium black fortress" and the city indeed is in an opium growing area and has a fortress (pictured) perched on a black volcanic crag.
La Tuque was named after a nearby rock formation that resembles the famous French Canadian hat.
Many of Japan's draws are distinct types of arts and culture from bunraku theater to J-pop.

Mont Saint-Michel (pictured) is best known as the site of the spectacular and well-preserved Norman Benedictine Abbey of St Michel at the peak of the rocky island.
One activity in Langmusi is horse trekking into the beautiful surrounding grasslands, hills, and valleys.
The Tchimpounga Animal Sanctuary in Pointe-Noire is a chimpanzee sanctuary for rescued primates who have been caught up in illegal bushmeat trade.

At the Naran Tuul market in Ulaanbaatar you can haggle over cheap clothes, toys, fur hats, vintage Soviet propaganda pins, or anything you can imagine (merchandise pictured).
Lewis and Harris is the third largest island in the British Archipelago, only Great Britain and Ireland being larger.
There are two main versions of rugby football: rugby union with 15 players a side (with a 7-a-side variant), and rugby league with 13 players a side.

Sulphur Springs is known as "The Dairy Capital of Texas", with a museum (pictured) cultured to that very point, even if the dairy industry has waned a bit around here.
By Indian standards, Hyderabad's monuments are not very old, which means that they are better preserved.
The wooden roof of the 11th century Ancona Cathedral is in the shape of an upside-down boat.

Reaching a height of 187 m, and visible from most of downtown Cairo, the Cairo Tower (pictured) offers great day and night views over the city and to the Pyramids.
The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario displays watercraft from Canada and around the world, plus exhibits on the role canoes and kayaks have played in Canada.
The old state penitentiary of Mulegé was a jail without bars - the prisoners could go out to work during the day, they just had to be back at night.

The Yyteri beach (pictured) in Pori is one of the largest and certainly one of the best beaches in Finland.
In the largest cities, there is often one neighbourhood which was traditionally a "gay village".
The Evil Clown of Middletown is a large outdoor sign, advertising a liquor store.

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-dō (pictured) in Hiraizumi is dedicated to Bishamon, the god of war, but was called Iwaya Bishamondo — a place to pray for peace.

April 2026

The natural area of Laguna de Rocha is intended to provide a protected habitat for wildlife and as such has no developed infrastructure for travelers.
There are many phonological and lexical differences between the French spoken in Quebec and that spoken in France.

Peshawar is known for its Kawa (green tea, pictured) which has a unique flavour, and is usually served sweet.
The Eden sculpture in Buffalo's Elmwood Village is one of three identical sculptures cast from the same mold.
When it comes to lodging, there are no budget options in Djibouti city - because accommodation is very expensive for what you get.

One Dortmund's most iconic landmarks is the Dortmunder U (pictured), a high-rise former brewery building built in 1927.
Founded in 1551, Vitória is the third oldest capital of Brazil, after Salvador and Recife.
Different Colorado University sports teams are among Boulder's best-known attractions.

The Parliament House of Tasmania (pictured) in Hobart was built to serve as a customs house.
Canton Fair, the largest trade fair in China, is held in Guangzhou several times a year.
The earliest fortifications were most likely additions to an already defensible positions afforded by natural topography.

Tatshenshini-Alsek (landscape pictured) was one of the last areas of British Columbia to be mapped and explored.
Chad is the quintessential destination to experience the Sahara desert.
The building of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum in Baku is itself shaped as a carpet.

Ploiești's Clock Museum (pictured) features a collection of over 1000 sundials, astronomical clocks & vintage watches.
Many monarchies have only survived through buildings, written records, and archaeological remnants.
Until 1969 the One o'Clock Gun in Birkenhead was controlled from Bidston Observatory, and used to set the marine chronometers of ships on the Mersey.

The Brown Trout Statue (pictured) that stands at the entrance of the town was built to declare Gore as the World Capital of Brown Trout Fishing.
Snow tubing in Tsaghkadzor has all the fun with none of the hill-climbing, thanks to the rope engine that pulls you and your tube back to the top from the bottom of the run.
If you're in downtown Mexico City and need to put a curse on someone, you'll want to visit the Mercado de Sonora which has a reputation as the place where witches and sorcerers can shop for all their nefarious voodoo magic needs.

A British tropical gardens remaining nearly unchanged for over 100 years, the Botanic Gardens (pictured) are Singapore's only UNESCO World Heritage Site.
True to its nickname "the town in the lava", Hafnarfjörður was built over a lava field with many lava formations visible around the town.
The Malay Technology Museum in Bandar Seri Begawan has many exhibits featuring the different styles of houses and the lifestyle of those who live in water villages.

The Shizutani School (pictured) in Bizen is said to be the world's first integrated school where all classes from samurai to farmer were welcome.
The monkey grave at Donovan's Hotel in Clonakilty honors Tojo the monkey who died here drinking rum just 24-hours after he and his American owner survived crash-landing a plane nearby in WWII.
The Frank DeRosa Railroad Museum in Havre showcases how the town moved all businesses into basements connected by tunnels after a fire destroyed everything above ground in 1904.

Gol Gumbaz (pictured) in Bijapur is a 17th century mausoleum housing the second-largest unsupported dome in the world.
The Whoosh train of Indonesia is the first high speed train in the Southern Hemisphere.
The waters of the Gulf of Mexico on the northern Yucatan coast are so shallow that docks must be built longer...like the 6.5-km pier in Progreso, the longest pier in the world.

Point Moore Lighthouse (pictured) in Geraldton, Western Australia, was built in Birmingham, England and shipped out in sections for local assembly.

March 2026

For visitors, driving in India is generally to be avoided, especially in cities, where public transport fare better.
Perhaps surprisingly for a city that's not on an ocean coast, Hudson gained its wealth in the 19th century from whaling.

Hunyad Castle (pictured) in Hunedoara is believed to be where Vlad III of Wallachia (commonly known as Vlad the Impaler) was held prisoner after he was deposed in 1462.
Fort Lauderdale was known as the college spring break destination in the 1960s-1980s, now it's more of a family destination.
San Felipe is known as the birthplace of the fish taco.

One of the oldest surviving half-timbered houses in Thuringia is the Lutherhaus (pictured) in Eisenach, where Martin Luther lived as a child.
Anarkali bazaar in Lahore was named after a courtesan who was buried alive for loving a prince.
Sicamous is known as the Houseboat Capital of Canada.

A local speciality of Zakopane is oscypek (pictured), smoked sheep's milk cheese.
The Basilica of Santo Niño in Cebu City contains a statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child), regarded as the oldest religious relic in the Philippines.
There are two main versions or rugby football: rugby union with 15 players a side, and rugby league with 13 players a side.

The former Paraguayan congress building in Asunción is now named Centro Cultural El Cabildo (pictured) - a museum with exhibitions related to the country's history and culture.
Fort James in Accra is notable for being the prison where Kwame Nkrumah was kept for a year before his presidency.
In the Kingdom of Debao Pony outside Jingxi you can get close up with the small local Debao ponies.

The magnetic termite mounds (pictured) of Litchfield National Park are aligned north to south to warm the nest as much as possible, as the larger faces are to the east and west.
Studying Gaelic may increase your enjoyment of a visit to the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides.
The Yazd Water Museum presents the Canat water distribution system.

Scala dei Turchi (pictured) in Porto Empedocle is an offshoot of white marl rock protruding prominently into the sea, forming a strong contrast with the blue sea and sky.
Liberty State Park in Jersey City offers unsurpassed views of Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
Dengue fever is a major public health problem throughout Southeast and South Asia, but prevalent throughout most of the tropics.

Dubai International Airport (interior pictured) is one of the few that has non-stop flights to all inhabited continents.
Not all paleontology involves fossils.
Connecting Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, the TAZARA Railway is an experience in itself rather than just a way of transport.

In the 1960s plans were laid up to transform, Leavenworth, Washington into a mock Bavarian village (town view pictured).
The Brotherhood and Unity Highway passes next to the airports of all four national capitals along it.
In Santana do Livramento you can stand on Praça Internacional with one foot in Brazil and the other in Uruguay.

The Thousand Islands (aerial view pictured) outside Jakarta is made up of just 110 islands.
Kazan features a Soviet Lifestyle Museum.
The former Swiss-German border fence in Konstanz is now replaced with a series of 22 sculptures representing the trumps of the tarot, the "Great Arkana".

Kuldīga features both the widest waterfall (pictured) and longest brick road bridge in Europe.
Trains across Australia are not high-speed, but slow, laid back and luxurious services that know how to take their time and let you enjoy the scenery.

February 2026

Taking place during the first month of the lunar calendar, the Spring Festival in Xingyi is made up of many smaller festivals by the peoples living in the city.

Now a renowned fine art museum, Galleria degli Uffizi (interior pictured) in Florence translates to "Gallery of the offices" as the building first served as the magistrates' offices and state archives.
First celebrated in 1737, the current incarnation of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston has been running every year since 1901.
Rosenfeld Palace in Žilina is described as one of the most beautiful art nouveau palaces in Slovakia.

Nogodan Peak in Jirisan National Park is famous for the azaleas (pictured) on its slopes.
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth has one of New Zealand's finest collections of modern art.
When arriving at a major airport or city-centre railway station, avoid taxi touts in the arrival hall and only use the official taxi stand.

Cuernavaca Cathedral is a beautiful colonial cathedral (interior pictured) full of murals and paintings, many dating to the 17th century.
Mazargues War Cemetery in Marseille is the final resting place for mainly Indian and Chinese soldiers fighting for the Allies in both world wars.
Uganda was nicknamed the "Pearl of Africa" by Winston Churchill.

Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai once hosted the Emerald Buddha, one of the most famous Buddha images in Thailand, now you can see a replica (pictured) there.
Garajonay National Park on La Gomera protects the largest laurel rainforest remaining on Earth, said to be "almost as old as the island itself".
A minority dialect spoken in Charleston, South Carolina is Gullah, a dialect of English almost incomprehensible to most English speakers.

On the top of Mount Lovćen there's a mausoleum (pictured) where the poet Petar II Petrović Njegoš is buried.
Hindi's retroflex consonants are not really found in English.
While the 180th meridian cuts straight through the island nation of Kiribati, all the country is on the same day as the International Date Line has been drawn east of them all.

Vicuña is a major center for producing pisco (interior of a distillery pictured), a kind of brandy.
Each October there's an annual scarecrow contest in Sturbridge.
With an area of 3,600,000 ha (36,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi)), Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park is Australia's largest national park.

Being close to a quarrelsome border, Lanercost Priory (pictured) was raided by the Scots, and Edward I stayed here several times.
Hechi is famous for its tea, especially the Hongshui tea from the Hongshui River region.
Cycling for extended periods requires somewhat more than a basic set of wheels.

Built for the 1958 Worlds Fair in Brussels, Atomium (pictured) houses a permanent exhibition about the event.
Benguela was long the centre of the slave trade from Angola to Brazil and Cuba.
One of two royal complexes extant in China today, Mukden Palace in Shenyang is a World Heritage Site alongside the palace in Beijing.

Spotted deer (pictured) wander around Fort Fredrick in Trincomalee, apparently descendents of a pair kept as pets by an English family in the 1800s.
Graz is home to six universities, and is associated with names as illustrious as Johannes Kepler, Erwin Schrödinger and Nikola Tesla.
Getting around Vanuatu is always an adventure - leave plenty of room in your plans.

January 2026

In the Major Stone Forest (pictured) in Shilin it's easy to lose the crowds as you wander around between the stones.
Binondo in Manila is the oldest Chinatown in the world.
Palacio Polentinos in Ávila is a museum of Spanish army logistics in a Renaissance palace.

The Osogovo Monastery (pictured) in Kriva Palanka was to be destroyed by the Ottomans during the Austro-Ottoman War of 1690 - according to legend they spared it after becoming overpowered by some spiritual force.
Salcajá has a great many shops selling traditional Maya textiles that are used to make the cortes (skirts) worn by Maya women.
To make returning home more pleasant, there are some things that are worth doing before leaving for a voyage.

St. Stephen is known as "Canada's Chocolate Town" and features a chocolate museum in a former candy factory (pictured).
One of the holiest cities in India, Prayagraj is famous for the Hindu pilgrimage Kumbh Mela, attended by hundreds of millions of pilgrims.
At noon, a trumpeter plays the Hejnał - a traditional bugle call closely bound to the history of Kraków - from the balcony of the Kraków Gate in Lublin.

The Hill of the O'Neill (pictured) in Dungannon was the seat of power of that dynasty, lords of all they surveyed until Elizabethan England encroached.
Fiji is relatively free of disease compared to most of the tropics.
Calistoga was founded as a hot springs resort in the 1860s by Sam Brannan, California's first millionaire.

Two interesting details at the Karakorum site are the two stone turtles (one pictured).
Ranthambhore National Park is one of the most filmed wildlife reserves in the world.
Cuenca translates to "basin", and Cuenca, Ecuador is indeed in a basin made by a confluence of four rivers.

One of the highlights of the Santa Giulia monastery in Brescia, now a museum, is the Winged Victory of Brescia (pictured).
The U.S. National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City is America's leading institution dedicated to the Great War.
Andøya Space is Norway's only operational space centre with several VR games on-site.

Bran Castle (pictured) is heavily marketed as "Dracula's Castle", though it has nothing to do with Vlad Țepeș who lately became identified with Dracula.
The main attraction in the Taiwanese town of Yuli is the Walami trail, a historic hiking trail once used by the Japanese to keep an eye on aboriginal villages in the mountains.
The Juan Fernández Islands are home to a high percentage of rare and endemic plants and animals, and are recognized as a distinct ecoregion.

The main sight of the former mining town of Schefferville might be the huge Caniapiscau Reservoir (pictured), the largest body of water in Quebec.
Studying abroad is also an opportunity for language learning.
The Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust, defines the Capitol Reef National Park.

The ruined Matosavank Monastery in Dilijan is not terribly interesting from the outside, but the inside (pictured) is a cool, moist, green, mossy world unto itself.
First documented in 799, Martinskirche in Linz is regarded as the oldest original church still in existence in Austria.
The Rason Special Economic area is in many ways a separate country from the rest of North Korea.

Planes land and take off unusually close overhead to sunbathers (pictured) at Maho Beach on Saint Martin.
Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa in South Central São Paulo is one of the few remarkable examples of Byzantine architecture in Brazil.
The Jordan Pass provides free entrance to more than 40 sites in Jordan within a two-week period, and the cost of your tourist visa is waived if you stay at least 3 nights in the country.

A speciality of Niger is kilishi (pictured): beef jerky that comes in three flavours: regular, peanut-spiced, and hot-pepper-spiced.

Old discoveries