Top 10 Most Bizarre Towns in the World

#10: Monsanto, Portugal

You might want to say that this town takes integration with its natural surroundings to a whole new level. However, new is a term that feels weird when applied to Monsanto. There has been a settlement on this mountain since the 1100s, and evidence suggests human presence dating back to the early stone age. It has been maintained and developed over the centuries, and through various wars. Many of the villages 800 plus residents live in homes built directly into the granite rock face, giving them a look that mixes modernity with the prehistoric and the medieval. It was awarded the distinction of most Portuguese village of Portugal in 1938, for which it received a silver rooster which was proudly placed atop the clock tower.

#9: Taos, New Mexico, USA

Earthships are the revolutionary creation of Michael Reynolds. The American architect took upcycled materials such as used tires and bottles, and combined them with some natural materials to create sustainable homes. They are designed to be less reliant on public utilities and fossil fuels, using solar energy and rain water whenever possible. They use natural cross-ventilation to regulate indoor temperature. This last part is particularly relevant in places like Taos, New Mexico where Reynolds began building them in the 1970s. While this particular type of off-grid living is popular around the world, they are most popular in Taos, which now boasts more than seventy such structures.

#8: La Rinconada, Peru

Its the highest permanent settlement on Earth, located between 16 and 17 thousand feet above sea level. Some also call it Devils Paradise, because of unchecked criminal gangs. But conditions in this Peruvian Andes town make it anything but a paradise. There is no running water, no functional sewage systems, food is imported from lower areas, and they only got electricity in the 2000s. Despite these challenges, La Riconada has a population of close to 30,000, and many of them chose to move there. The reason is simple: gold. The area has several gold mines, some legal, and some illegal. The air is thin due to the altitude, and contains mercury vapor, so life expectancy is only 30-35 years.

#7: Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway

When it comes to settlements with a population of more than 1,000, this is as far north as you can go. For four months of the year, the sun doesnt shine on this eastern Norwegian community and there is a week-long celebration called Solfestuka when daylight finally returns. Residents are required to carry a rifle outdoors to protect against polar bears, and cats are banned. Death in Longyearbyen is not just unconventional, its effectively, though not literally, illegal. Its too cold for bodies to decompose. The terminally ill must fly to the mainland in their final days, and when someone dies unexpectedly, the body must be transported off the island. It is possible to bury cremated ashes with a permit, but no bodies have been buried there since 1950.

#6: Rocamadour, France

If you want to take a trip back to medieval times, but also get your cardio in, may we recommend Rocamadour, France? At the bottom, there is a preserved medieval village, spread out over what is pretty much one street. The buildings date from the 1300s to the 1700s, though they have, of course, been repurposed for modern times. Then, there is a 233-step staircase that leads to the churches, which collectively are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Up a little further is the castle. This is a pilgrimage people have done for centuries, and can still be done today. While it does make our list of bizarre places, its also the third most popular tourist attraction in France.

#5: Nagoro Village, Shikoku, Japan

This village on Japans smallest island previously had a population of approximately 300. By 2019, that number had dwindled to just 27. Thats the human population. If you count the life size scarecrows, though, its closer to 400. In the early 2000s, former resident Tsukimi Ayano returned to the village and made a doll in her fathers likeness and placed it in a field. She made more, some representing former residents, and others invented. Some of her neighbors joined in, placing them all around town. The old school became home to several scarecrows after classes stopped in 2012. Now the villages scarecrow population outnumbers its human population 10 to 1. This town is now known as the Nagoro Doll Village, or the Nagoro Scarecrow Village.

#4: Civita di Bagnoregio, Viterbo, Italy

Just getting to this hilltop town, about 75 miles north of Rome, is itself a challenge. Youll need to cross a footbridge over a gorge. It was built as an Etruscan settlement roughly 2500 years ago, and originally had five gates which have disappeared over the centuries due to erosion, causing some to call Civita di Bagnoregio the Dying City. The bridge was built in 1965, has a toll, and is accessible to pedestrians, and, at some times, bikes and motorcycles. The town itself has preserved its medieval look. It is a few blocks surrounded by stone, with some unavoidable bits of modernity such as business signs and patio furniture. There are only 16 human residents, and a bunch of cats live there as well.

#3: Hallstatt, Guangdong Province, China

If youre looking for the old-world charm of an Austrian village, you may want to consider a trip to China. After the South Korean soap opera Spring Waltz filmed some scenes in Hallstatt, Austria, interest in the town grew across Asia. The BBC suggests this may have been the reason China Minmetals Limited decided to construct a complete replica of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the southern Guandong Province.They copied the buildings, the town square, the beer garden, and even the parish church. Though in this Hallstatt, they use it as a reception hall, instead of a place of worship. Opened in 2012, the replica town has 700 residents and is a major tourist attraction.

#2: Damanhur, Piedmont, Italy

Above ground, this town, or technically this Federation of Independent Communities in Northern Italy, is unconventional, to say the least. Established as an ecovillage in 1975 by Oberto Airaudi and 12 friends, it was named after Damanhur in Egypt. Residents have adopted animal and plant names, there are different classes for citizens, and they have their own currency, the Credito. But if you look below the surface, literally, you will find a network of underground temples dubbed The Temples of Humankind. They are among the largest underground temples in the world. And the Italian Government didnt even know they existed until 1992.

#1: Coober Pedy, South Australia

Its not just a mining town, its a town largely built in mines. This South Australian settlement rose to fame as the Opal Capital of the World in the early 20th Century. Roughly 70 opal mines still operate in the area, but residents have converted the abandoned tunnels into living spaces they call dugouts. Over half of Coober Pedys roughly 1400 inhabitants live underground. This isnt a rustic existence. These are underground homes with all the modern creature comforts youd expect, plus ventilation shafts. In fact, theyre quite a bit more comfortable in the summer, where temperatures on the surface can rise to 127 degrees fahrenheit. Home renovations can also be profitable, rather than costly, as you just might find some opal in the walls.

What do you think of our list? Have you been to any of these places or know of a more bizarre town? Let us know in the comments.