These seventeen strange streets all over the world have something atypical: here’s their particularity, photos in support!
The unknown is part of the attraction of the trip , like testing a local specialty, attending a cultural tradition, or falling on a decidedly unusual street. Imagine that you walk through the Maeklong market stalls in Thailand when a train horn sounds, that the merchants suddenly drop their awnings, and that you withdraw on the edge of the street that is also a railway. This is one of these moments that prompts you to take a photo to treat your friends later.
The streets, of course, have an identity. And some even become emblems of a destination , like Fifth Avenue in New York or the famous Lombard Street curves to San Francisco .
But Strange streets are not so rare. Some have record measurements, from the widest to the narrowest. In the Scottish city of Wick, for example, place Ebenezer measures 2,06 meters, making it the shortest street in the world.
You'll see that all over the world there are really weird streets:
Angel Place, Sydney, Australia
Pixabay – Schommartz
The unexpected and evocative sound of the birds gazouillis indicates that you are on Angel Place a small alley in the central business district of Sydney. The 120 empty bird cages are another indication. Artist Michael Thomas Hill created this “ expo” in 2009 to draw attention to how urban development pushed wildlife. Officially known as Forgotten Songs , the installation was so popular that it became permanent. When you get there, listen carefully. The soundtrack changes throughout the day, revealing the sounds of more than 50 species of birds who once lived here. At night, you can hear the Australian Egothle, the Ninoxe, the Grey Podarge, and the Mustac Engoulevent.
Caminho do Comboio, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Flickr – nutmeg66
The Caminho do Comboio has no sidewalks, and the most popular means of transport to borrow it remains the wicker sled “ driven” by men on foot (you can choose to walk, take a sled or take a cable car). Continuing a tradition that dates back to the 1850s, two carreiros , dressed in traditional cotton clothing and a straw hat, run as fast as it is humanly possible from the church Nossa Senhora in Monte, to Funchal, the capital of Madeira Island. The trip takes about 10 minutes and can reach almost 50 km/h (and 30€ for 2 and per descent).
Place Ebenezer, Wick, Scotland
geograph.org.uk – Iain Lees
Ebenezer Square, located at the tip of a triangular block, was built in 1883 by Alexander Sinclair and was officially credited with the title of the shortest street in the world , measuring only 2,06 meters long. The only address on the street is number 1, a bistro belonging to the Mackays Hotel.
Maeklong Railway Market, Thailand
Flickr – Fabio Achilli
Is that a deal? A railroad? A street? Maeklong is actually all this. On the Maeklong market , everyone does their business, the merchants sell their products, the passers-by make their purchases but when in the distance one hears the horn of a train, the stalls withdraw just as the passers-by hurry to tighten to the edge of the street. This is when a train passes, shaving the market by a few centimeters. After that, everyone resumes their activity as if the train had never passed.
Avenida 9 de julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Flickr – José María Pérez Nuñez
At normal walking speed, pedestrians need two to three green lights to cross the 12 traffic lanes and the flowered median of Avenue 9 de Julio. The construction of the widest street in the world began in the 1930s and took almost 50 years. It was layered on the Champs-Élysées, but is twice as wide to make Buenos Aires the “Paris of South America”. Many of the most remarkable monuments in Buenos Aires can be seen along the huge street, including the Obelisk, the statue of Don Quichotte, and the Teatro Colón.
Paper Streets, Pittsburgh, United States
Credit – Huffington Post
It is called “paper street” a street that appears on a map but does not actually exist. The term has been given some attention thanks to the film Fight Club in which the protagonist lives in a house located " Paper Street". As simple as mysterious, these streets exist on the maps, but may only be a passage or a staircase, when they can be found quite short. How did it happen? Bad city planning and bad real estate records.
Norderstraße, Flensburg, Germany
Wikimedia – Sönke Rahn
Has it ever happened to you to walk in a street and see a bunch of pair of shoes hanging on an electric wire? In this German city located a few kilometers from the Danish border, there is even a term for this: Shoefiti (contraction of shoe and graffiti). This practice of shoe throwing is sometimes regarded as an art, or as the fact that a child becomes an adult, and that he must launch his shoes to hang them over the wire. Others claim that the shoes were thrown to commemorate the death of a gang member, or as a way to mark the territory of a gang. It can also be a way to report that there is a drug dealer. Regardless of the initial objective, Norderstraße became a tourist landmark of Flensburg, encouraging tourists to leave their shoes.
Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
Flickr – macronix
Baldwin Street is the world's finest street with an average slope of 35%. Good brakes are therefore essential if you want to park in this street. The inhabitants of the street have huge calves. Blague aside, you will be rewarded at the top with a drinking water fountain and views of Otago Harbour.
Spreuerhofstraße, Reutlingen, Germany
Wikimedia – Hedwig Storch
Even if you abused beers and pretzels during your stay in Germany, you would still have had trouble spending time in Germany the narrowest street in the world . Measuring less than 31 centimetres at its narrowest point and 50 centimetres at its widest point, this street was built in 1727 during the reconstruction of the city after a large fire. We wonder what manufacturers think at the time. People weren't so thin, were they?
Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia
Flickr – vincentq
Among the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, Melbourne is largely recognized for his street art and, in particular, Hosier Lane a legal space that attracts local and international artists. From stencils and caricatures to posters and portraits, art is constantly evolving here. And you may have the chance to see the artists in action. We picture the number of layers on these almost alive walls.
Canusa Street, Stanstead, Canada/United States
Wikimedia – Dominic Labbe
Imagine crossing a street and finding yourself in another country. This is the case of Canusa Street in Quebec or Vermont, should we say? international border is simply marked by a yellow line that crosses the city of Stanstead, Quebec, and Beebe Plain, Vermont, and in some cases, individual houses. If you live on Canusa Street, it is possible that your kitchen is in one country and your dining room in another. At Opera Haskell, the scene is Canadian, but the entrance to the theatre is American, as most of the seats are. Given its border situation, the city has two postal addresses. The Canadian Geographic indicates that there are ground sensors and hidden cameras that alert the border patrol. Helicopters will be there in a few minutes if you do not normally cross the border with the authorities. This should not apply to the premises...
Bubblegum Alley, San Luis Obispo, United States
Flickr – kellinahandbasket
No trash in sight? It is perfectly legal, if not encouraged, to stick your gum along the wall of this alley. The passers-by has been doing this since about 1950, leaving behind them colorful tasks. The driveway is therefore the worst nightmare of germaphobes (phobia of microbes). You will find it between 733 and 734 of Higuera Street in the center of San Luis Obispo.
Estrada do Bom Jesus, Braga, Portugal
Credit – Youtube
“Nothing is more strange than putting your car to a dead end and driving up a hill,” said Jayme Henriques Simões, of the National Office of Portuguese Tourism. On the “Estrada Magica”, we can see the cars climb the street, challenging gravity. Many believe that there is a magnetic field that attracts cars upwards, while others say that it is due to the religious power of the site (Bom Jesus do Monte is a sacred church at the top of the hill). In reality, the effect is caused by a optical illusion natural when two roads join, which gives the impression that the street is ascending. A similar route exists in Lauriole, Hérault.
Snake Alley, Burlington, United States
Wikimedia – Craig Markley
The Lombard Street in San Francisco is famous for its curves. But it’s not the only one. In fact, Snake Alley (built in 1894) is the the most turbulent street in the world . This street in Burlington is one-way and if it has less turns than Lombard Street, its own are much cleaner.
Heidelberg Street, Detroit, United States
Flickr – Bob Jagendorf
Better known as Heidelberg Project , this street is a work of open-air art, where objects put to waste adorn the abandoned houses (for many). Artist Tyree Guyton helped launch the project in 1986 to give hope after losing three brothers on neighbourhood violence. There was no crime committed in the area for 26 years. Heidelberg continues to attract approximately 275,000 annual visitors.
Calle de las Siete Cruces, Quito, Ecuador
Credit – fernandosandovaljr.blogspot.fr
The street of the seven crosses derives its name from the concentration of religious buildings, each of a different era of history. The name comes from the seven stone crosses built by the Spanish to impose Christian faith on the Incas and Quitu tribes. It is also known as Calle García Moreno.
Snake Alley, Taipei, Taiwan
Flickr – rustler2x4
The foreign tourists once flocked to the Snake Alley to observe the live reptile stripping and enjoy a glass of snake and liqueur of Kaoliang. The evolution of mentalities makes it unlikely that you would attend such behavior, even if it is sometimes still smiling after someone orders a snake meal or snake wine. However, you can expect to see vendors openly carrying boa blood, snake stew, turtle testicles, and traditional Chinese remedies. Massage salons and noodle vendors are also open on Snake Alley, also known as Huaxi Street Night Market , an area of two blocks in the oldest district of Taipei, open from 16h to midnight daily.
Do you know other strange streets in the world?
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