Top 4: Buildings in unlikely places

The largest cave castle in the world is located in Slovenia. The Renaissance castle blends almost seamlessly into the karst cave. The rock serves as a natural wall. The part of the cave that has been discovered so far extends to an impressive 14 km. Thanks to its unique charm and location, the castle has been used as a backdrop for many films and series, such as the Jackie Chan film ‘The Right Arm of the Gods’ and the successful Netflix series ‘The Witcher’.

The city of Venice is one of the most famous structures in improbable places. Its picturesque canals and winding alleys are imposing and iconic. In romantic representations, the Italian metropolis stands on a multitude of wooden piles. However, this is not correct, because the wood could not hold the weight of the magnificent buildings. The city's foundations consist of the sandy and muddy soil of hundreds of islands and sandbanks. The famous canals used to be rivers and streams. The flowing water washed up clay and pebble sediments, thus contributing to the city's solid foundation.

The Buddhist monastery of Taktshang is enthroned in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Taktshang is Tibetan and means something like 'Tiger's Nest’. The founder of Bhutan had it built in the 17th century in gratitude for the end of the war. The monastery is located at 3120 metres above sea level. The four main temples are nestled closely to the rock walls. Some parts of the monastery are open to visitors. On the way to the Tiger's Nest there are small Bhutanese restaurants. The more prayer flags that are flying, the closer you are to the temple's sacred buildings.

The famous mining town of Coober Pedy is located in southern Australia. In addition to the large opal deposits, the region is known for its high summer temperatures. To escape this heat, more than half of the 2,500 inhabitants now live underground. In the past, these dwellings were enlarged using shovels and explosives. Modern tunnel boring machines simplify this task and can excavate up to 6 cubic metres of rock per hour. The underground dwellings dug into the hills are at least four metres deep to ensure their stability. There are also restaurants, museums, churches and shops here underground.