Although most of the places that people usually live are kind of box shaped and divided into spaces to perform all the usual human functions like sleeping and eating and peeing and sometimes people just have those box-shaped dwellings in some especially unusual spots around the world we've put together a brief list of just a few of the weirder ones from the coldest place on planet earth to a micronation platform in the middle of the sea here are the 20 strangest places where people actually live.
Number 20. hanging temple of Hangshan :
The hanging temple is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the area around Datong in Zhang Zhi Province China and this is certainly a place that is unusual even if it isn't technically found in the woods the 1500 year old temple has been constructed 246 feet above the ground which presumably adds a sense of excitement to the daily ritual of worship in this place or it would if that was what it was really all about anymore these days the temple is a site of historic significance but it's also primarily a tourism hotspot on the account of the weird idea of a building just hanging off the side of a cliff the temple itself is the only existing place in all of china which has a combination of three of the chinese traditional philosophies those being taoism buddhism and confucianism although it looks as though it just hangs there the structure is fixed to the cliff with huge oak beams that are attached in holes that have been chiseled into the rock so it's probably kind of safe even so i wouldn't practice your jumping up and down while visiting it's been there for one and a half millennia after all.
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Number 19 Chong Khneas Floating Village
Located in cambodia in the siam reap region there's the largest freshwater lake in all of southeast asia the tonal sap lake this place is not only home to a whole heap of fish but it's also a place that many people call home and not just around the outside of it like you might imagine in fact and this is a tiny bit crazy sounding there are apparently over 1 million people living on this lake the majority of whom live in houseboats on the surface of the water the reason for this really comes down to the lake itself it's such a rich source of fish with over 200 different species living in there the lake is actually one of the richest fishing grounds in all of the world there are actually many different smaller pockets of inhabited areas on the lake these are then essentially easily recognizable as separate villages one such village is called chonconias and it's home to some 1 000 families who live and work on the lake the trouble is that these people are exploited by the tourist industry that seems to send tours to stare at them and has some distinctly unethical practices these tours do not really show any consideration or indeed engage in any beneficial interaction for the local communities despite the fact that they're cashing in on their way of life but yes people do actually live here that much is true..
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Number 18 The Coldest City In The World
Yakuts is officially the coldest city on earth the temperatures in this siberian province of russia regularly drop below minus 44 degrees fahrenheit that's just a little bit chilly that might seem like the weather's cold enough but you may be amazed to hear that it can actually get even colder than that the record-breaking lowest temperature ever recorded here was a minus 83.9 degrees fahrenheit and that crazy number would be observed back in february of 1987. how do people even function in those kinds of temperatures it seems as though a big coat is probably not going to be quite sufficient enough to keep out the chill located about 280 miles to the south of the arctic circle this place is home to around 300 000 people and during the summer months they get along just fine but when the cold comes and sets in well that's when life gets really difficult indeed such things that we might take for granted cease to be possible in a place like this during the winter time wearing spectacles is suddenly completely impossible they would simply freeze to your face driving well that's another tricky issue cars have to run constantly for 24 hours a day and seven days a week because if they stop there's no way on earth you're going to get them started again until the weather improves and if you want to buy milk well then it comes as solid as a frozen block when you add to these basic difficulties the fact that in the winter it's only daytime for about four hours a day and then in summer it stays light for 21 hours a day that's when things get even more confusing this place is just really really strange..
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Number 17 Coober Pedy
There are a whole lot of crazy things in the middle of the australian outback you know stuff that can kill you stuff that nobody's seen for hundreds of years and stretches of scorched earth that go on for miles and miles where nothing much lives except the occasional snake but right there in the middle of that desert there's also a mining town where people literally live underground coober pedy is an opal mine in the south australian desert and it's located an eight hours drive from either adelaide in the south or alice springs to the north the town of Coober Pedy is off the grid and more or less completely hidden underground many of the town's inhabitants live in dugouts which are cave-like dwellings in which they're able to protect themselves from the utterly freezing and the intensely scorching seasons there's little else in between in the australian desert but these underground homes are still extraordinary places to live they may be hewn from the rock but they're full with the lives and personalities of those who call Coober Pedy home the people that live here are forced by sheer necessity to carve out a different way of life they must be resourceful and adept and big problem solvers as they continue to exist in this one of the harshest places to squeeze out in existence...
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Number 16 Hallstatt China
Although Hallstatt is one of austria's most picturesque villages this particular hall stat is actually to be found in china that's right it's actually an exact replica of the ancient european village which has been completely reconstructed in china's guangdong province this is completely bizarre but it does take all sorts now doesn't it so how exactly does an obscure austrian town find itself being recreated on the other side of the planet well actually china has a little bit of a habit of doing this kind of thing there are some architects and town planning people in china who seem to have a bit of a penchant for recreating famous and also not so famous landmarks in different locations across the country there are in fact full-scale replicas of such famous sites as the sphinx and the eiffel tower all the way through to the venetian canals and apparently austrian villages as well the unesco world heritage site of hallstatt in austria has been standing in its original location for hundreds of years you know looking like a fairy tale land as many places in europe are want to do however this replica in china has only been around since 2012. despite that though it does somehow seem imbued with a sense of history nonetheless even if it is a bit discombobulating to suddenly find yourself up an austrian mountain right in the heart of china and yes people do actually live here the idea was to sell the properties in this new hall stat to wealthy chinese people who were unable to get a hold of property in the original austrian town but what do you think about all of this strangeness what famous places would you like to see recreated in your town let's have a natter about such nonsense in the comments down below shall we..
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Number 15. Setenil De las Bodegas
Located in the southern spanish region of andalucia setenil de las bedegas is a beautiful and unique place this is one of the towns that's known as a white village or pueblo blanco it's obviously being on the account of the fact that the buildings in the village are indeed all painted white the uniformity of these places is one of their charms of course but this particular village although painted white like the others is also rather different many of the houses in this pueblo have been built into the sides of the rock cliff meaning that they're protected from very hot sun by the overhang of the cliff which creates a kind of shaded terrace in front of many of the buildings the temperature inside of the rock is also a much more regulated heat rather than being at the mercy of the baking sun in this part of spain people do indeed live in these houses but it's such an attractive place for tourists that it's perhaps no longer able to offer what you might call a truly authentic experience whatever that might be but it is certainly beautiful nonetheless..
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Number 14 the Tunnels of Bucharest
In bucharest the capital city of romania hundreds of people live in the sewers there's estimated to be about 1100 children living in this underground world however i don't think there's any ninja turtles after the fall of the soviet union the country's orphanages would suddenly close and that left an entire generation of children with no homes and nowhere to go they fled underground when they were left on the streets that was many years ago and ever since then many more children have found a home in the tunnels beneath the city these people live in the sewers because they have no place else to go many of them are drug addicts and have no other options there's very little help for the desperate people who live in these dreadful conditions one charity helps to provide basic medical care but the government well they offer nothing to these lost and forgotten people..
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Number 13 Freedom Cove
This unique place can be found floating off the coast of tofino in british columbia it's a forested patch of eco land equipped with greenhouses small buildings and although whimsical off-grid contraptions that you could ever imagine this is freedom cove a homestead project that was created by artists katherine king and wayne adams they've been building and developing the place ever since way back in 1992 and it does include all of the essentials you know like an art gallery and a dance floor oh and uh lighthouse as well as greenhouses solar power panels and a generator it's a teal and fuchsia floating paradise or at least it appears that way but living off grid and a 45-minute boat trip from the nearest town well that's not exactly for the faint-hearted this can be a tough life requiring an awful light of work to keep it going but the couple do believe that a lot of satisfaction and peace may be found in living this way..
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Number 12 Ellidaey Island
This may be one of the most remote looking houses that we've seen on our list so far and it's on iceland's Ellidaey Island 🏝️ a place that's so odd in appearance that it looks like it may have fallen straight out of the pages of a storybook and the house is perched right there in the center of this weird green slice of an island there have been many rumors and stories about this spooky looking place over the years but the truth is really not so interesting at all this island was once considered the premium spot for people who enjoyed puffin hunting which sounds awful i know but it is a thing that some people do seem to enjoy anyways the house is not the secret pad of a millionaire nor is it the hideaway of a religious fanatic nor even does it belong to bjork these are some of the rumors that go along with the place but it's actually just a lodge that was constructed back in 1953 for all the puff and hunting enthusiasts to hang out in when they weren't out doing all the bird murders so the story may not be as intriguing as the situation seems to suggest today only hunting association members are actually allowed to use the lodge and it's not available to regular old riff raff like you and i ..
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Number 11 Cliff Village
this small village called something i'm not about to attempt to pronounce is located in china the place is known as a village on a cliff and it's easy to see why the village itself is perched all the way up there on a 2600 foot high cliff and in recent years thanks to the wonder of the internet it's become something of a super famous tourist attraction back along in the past the village was inhabited by residents who were extremely poor and lived right on the edge of existence to such an extent in fact that they took their lives in their hands whenever they scaled the side of the cliff to head home the village used to be accessible only by a series of really wonky rattan ladders and to be honest even though improvements have been made to the latter situation this still looks the teeniest bit dangerous to me in 2016 the local government invested in a bunch of money into the village and a new steel ladder would replace the old rickety ones that latter it has 2556 steps measuring almost two miles long the swanky new ladder would cost almost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to build but it is intended to make it safer for the villagers to climb up and down this is now a hot spot for numpties making videos for the old social media and the necessity for safety is paramount when these people are poking their selfie sticks all over the show just imagine how it must be to live in this place though what if you get all the way to the bottom and realize you left your wallet at home ..
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Number 10. Drina River House
And now for a house that looks as though it may have washed up on a teeny tiny little island in the middle of a river if ever there were a storybook home then it would be this one this is the Drina river house in serbia the story behind the creation of this unique house goes like this back in the summer of 1968 a group of friends had been swimming and decided to rest up on the rocky island in the middle of the river the thing was though that the rocks themselves were all rather pointy and sharp and scratchy so they decided to drag a bunch of stuff over to the rock and make it a little more comfortable they brought over a few planks of wood to lay on and then assembled a few more to provide some shelter from the baking sun and then an idea began to formulate the following summer a young man decided to head over to the rock and begin to build in earnest he and a group of his friends would transport materials by kayak and slowly but surely the place began to take shape the trouble was that the river Drina is wild and unpredictable and she washed away no fewer than six houses each time one was washed away though another intrepid builder would come along and make a more stronger one this little house in the middle of the river was to become famous and photographed by thousands of visitors until it became known and appreciated across the world..
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Number 9 Sanctuario Madonna Della Corona
This remarkable place is built over 2000 feet above sea level and into the vertical face of a cliff that's one way to ensure that the place is protected i suppose the sanctuary of the lady of the crown as it's known in italy is perched on such a sheer drop that it almost appears to be suspended in complete mid-air although it may look like it's just hanging there the place is actually built on a very narrow rock shelf on the side of mount baldo it's only accessible by a very narrow path from below and a street from above the original purpose of this extraordinary place was to be a refuge for holy men to come in order to engage in some silent reflection in a place that was completely removed from the rest of the world then in 1530 the church itself was built and eventually the site became a place to which anyone could take a pilgrimage and contemplate god in peace the sanctuary survived throughout all the turmoil of the 20th century and continues to this day to offer a place of quiet retreat for visitors and pilgrims alike...
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Number 8 Mount Fanjing
In order to reach this place any intrepid visitor must climb up more than 8 000 steps that's a long way to go and peep at a temple but it's no ordinary sort of place perched atop mount fanging in china's southwestern wooling mountain range the natural rock spire is known as the red cloud's golden peak and it supports two small buddhist temples that have had a significant history for over 500 years can you even begin to imagine how the buddhists ever managed to carry out all of the materials to build those original temples up that sheer edge of a mountain that actually remains a bit of a mystery to this day to everyone just imagine carrying a regular backpack and your own body weight all the way up the place the structures have been rebuilt in more recent times with stronger materials in order to help the temples to withstand harsh conditions and strong winds that are a reality at these kind of altitudes these days the place is a special favorite for all of those drone camera enthusiasts and luckily for us that means that we can all have a peek at this remarkable place without having to bust a blood vessel lugging our soft bodies up the side of a mountain that's a relief then..
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Number 7 Al Hajjarah Yemen
This is a small town in Yemen which looks unlike anywhere else in the world it's beautiful and it's ancient and it has an important place in the history of yemen itself the village was built in the 12th century and was to be an important fortification during the occupation of yemen by the ottoman empire the huge fortified multi-story homes were built into the mountainsides close together and with no windows in the lower parts of the building all of these features would be designed to offer the structures along with their inhabitants protection from invaders the fact that this place is still standing firm today is testament to the strength of those ancient fortifications and the principles of protection that they used when the village was first designed and built from the rocks hewn from the very mountains in which they still hold strong ...
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Number Six the Meteora Monasteries
Throughout the ancient past it does seem as though monasteries are often built on the most awkward and high up of places that anyone could possibly find these monasteries in greece well they're no exception to the rule the meteora monasteries were built many centuries ago on top of these gigantic rocks with epic views of the sea and landscape all around the word meteora means to be suspended in the air which seems apt for these extraordinary places there are six monasteries active today and a small number of monks or nuns who live in them the meteora monasteries were granted unesco world heritage site status in 1988 and they're still places that are often on top of tourism lists to visit while in greece these perched holy places are also having a little bit of a revival all on the account of all the drone cameras that are flying about all over the place and they certainly are perfect subjects for all these epic sweeping camera angles now aren't they ..
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Number 5 Casa Do Penedo Portugal
Now this one is perhaps one of the weirdest and lumpiest sorts of homes that i've ever laid eyes on the casa de Penedo in the north of portugal is built between four enormous stones from the area and although the house part of the structure was only built in 1972 the whole thing has a kind of prehistoric feel on the account of all the colossal rocks and organic wonky shapes of the structure in between the building is quite rudimentary inside although it's not uncomfortable but there's no electricity in the place at all the trouble with being such a strange and interesting looking building like this one is that tourists will just keep appearing to poke around thus rendering null and void the relaxing and peaceful elements of such a retreat the owners were so frequently disturbed by such curious intruders that they were actually forced to move so nowadays the place is all about the tourism and actually contains a small museum which is full of memorabilia and photographs of all the incredible landscapes of the area through history unfortunately though like many isolated places this one has become a victim of vandalism over the years but it has had a few upgrades in order to protect it from further damage and now features railings and even bulletproof glass to protect it from the worst that might be thrown at it...
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Number 4 Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio in florence italy is one of the most visited of tourist destinations in the entire place in italian ponte vecchio simply means old bridge and that's a basic description of the structure itself but it really doesn't quite do it any justice in fact this was the only bridge that crossed the river arno in florence until the year 1218. the bridge that stands in the spot now has stood there since 1345. the original one had been washed away during a flood and then had to be rebuilt but that 14th century bridge is still standing to this very day there are plenty of small buildings on the ponte vecchio and that's one of the things that makes this bridge unusual in fact there have been shops on the bridge since the 13th century there used to be all kinds of shops from butchers fishmongers even to tanners but in 1593 there would be a decree sent out that stated that only goldsmiths and jewelers were to be allowed to keep their shops on the bridge as well as being the main way to cross the river in the city of florence and then being the location for shops and homes the bridge was also used by the medici family the rich and powerful dynasty that ruled the city for generations the ponte vecchio was used to build a corridor for the family to travel between their palaces without having to walk in the dangerous streets below with the common folk and they'll never have to come into contact with any of the unwashed masses probably for the best really they wouldn't have wanted to get any of those riff raft germs on their posh persons ...
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Number 3 Matmata Tunisia
The other worldliness of matmata troglodyte homes in the southern tunisia is a spectacle that's unlike any other on earth these remarkable buildings are a link with the ancient past of the fascinating north african country and they're also a massive draw for tourism to the area of course these ancient homes are literally dug into the landscape in a network of centuries-old passageways and chambers and the town of matmata is located on the very edge of the sahara desert in a landscape of palm trees and olive groves approximately 20 miles to the south of the nation's capital these buildings have been inhabited by people for centuries and are still inhabited today by many of the indigenous people of north africa these homes are a living breathing preservation of the culture and the history of these people and its region this region has almost no wood or stone with which to construct any kind of buildings so the dwellings were actually dug out of the earth an ideal way for people who lived there to avoid the heat of the desert was to go underground where the temperature was regulated naturally each of the homes built here follows a basic construction pattern in which there's a central sunken courtyard often with a well and from this center there are usually several small rooms or chambers which would be connected by passageways the way to enter would be via a ladder or a tunnel what do you think of these remarkable homes would you like to live underground like this let me know all about it in the comments below...
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Number 2 Sealand
There is an offshore platform in the north sea that's located about seven and a half miles off the coast of suffolk back in 1967 this unusual spot would be declared to be the principality of sealand by a man named patty roy bates the micro nation is actually not officially recognized as such but has nonetheless been occupied by the family and associates of bates ever since before it became the unofficial nation of sealand this platform was built by the british during the second world war it would later then be taken over by pirate radio broadcasters all before being seized by bates in 1967. there was an occasion in 1978 when mercenaries invaded the micro nation but bates was somehow able to repel the attack this place is not officially recognized as a sovereign state and actually sits within british territorial waters but it all does seem rather exciting and a lot like playing forts on a really big scale doesn't it i can't really imagine it's a terribly practical spot for access to the shops though and it's probably going to be a little bit tricky to sell on the basis of its distinct lack of curb appeal..
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Number 1 Villa Girasole
Built in the 1930s in northern Italy near verona the via girasole is a unique if not exactly beautiful home the concept of the design was based on the way that a sunflower that's a girasole in italian moves to face the sun throughout the day the architect behind the design believed that the house would maximize the potential health-giving benefits of the sun by offering the homeowners the opportunity to live in a building that rotated to follow the sun itself just like a sunflower it's a shame that it looks more like a power station than a flower though but then again you really can't have it all so there you have it a whole load of weird and wonderful places that people actually live in which of these unusual spots would you like to make into your dwelling as always let me know all about it in the comments down below...
Watch Video Of the Above Places Below
