Villages with unique architecture
Places of unique architecture always enchant and will do a big part of people. Cities like Barcelona, Florence and New York are globally known for their architecture. Yet, there are plenty of villages around the world with unique beauty, well-structured that is worth visitng!
Alberobello - Italy
In the southeast Italy, almost 60km away from Bari, lies the village of Alberobello, known as the "capital of domes", owing to the distinctive domes of 15th century that decorate many edifices. The roofs are made up without mortar, but big stones are allocated in such ways that every house becomes the base for the adjacent one. On many domes there are white graphs protecting the owners from bad luck. In 1996, Unesco certified the village as a World Heritage Site.
Matera - Italy
In south Italy, in Bazilacata district, you will find one of the oldest cities in the world, the unique Madera. It's the only place that residents live at the some houses as their ancestors lived thousand years ago. Since 1993, Unesco has incorporated the "rocks of Madera" in the list of world heritage sites. It is about an excellent sample of troglodyte settlements in the whole region of the Mediterranean. The caves were abandoned and evacuated during 20th century, but after a government's subsidized program they are back in life. The city is an excellent setting for religious films. Some of the productions shot at Matera are Mel Gibson's "Passions of Christ" (2004), Pasolini's "The Matthew Gospel" (1964), Gareth Davis' "Mary Magdalene" (2018) and Ben-Hur by Timur Bekmabetov (2016).
Vlkolínec - Slovakia
In the Slovakian Veľká Fatra National Park lies the traditional village of Vlkolínec, which was incorporated into the Unesco World Heritage Sites due to its stunning folk architecture. The village has over 45 traditional edifices, mainly made of wood. Its wonderful location combined with its impressive architecture makes this lilliputian village an ideal destination for recreational activities such as hiking and cycling.
Setenil de las Bodegas - Spain
In the heart of Andalusia, in south Spain, there is a village built in the shadow of a huge rock. In Stenil de las Bodegas, many houses have been built within the rock cavities, which in some cases form the roof of the building, in others the exterior wall. Enjoy the beauty of the village and visit a shop in the shadow of this rock.
Santorini - Greece
Santorini is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. This island special architecture is due to many parameters, such as the climate of the island, the earthquake environment and the morphology of the place. The residents, taking advantage of the natural soil gradients and the soft volcanic rock, have created the traditional cave dwellings, which are literally split on the slope. The parts of the houses built outside the slope follow the traditional Cycladic architecture with its intense plasticity and striking diversity, with white being the dominant color.
Freudenberg - Germany
Freudenberg, a fairytale village, is located about 15 kilometers west of Siegen city in Westphalia, Germany. The historic center of the village, the Alter Flecken, is entirely built with typical semi-wooden houses, dating back to the 17th century. The scenery becomes even more charming in winter, where the houses are covered in snow. The center of Freudenberg is included in the Kulturatlas des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (cultural atlas of the North Rhine-Westphalia state).
Shirakawa-go - Japan
Unesco has included the village of Shirakawa-go on World Heritage Sites list on account of the houses built in Gassho style (meaning: hands joined in prayer). The roofs are something unique, designed to look like hands in prayer. Only wood and straw are used for their construction without being fastened with nails or metal elements. The steep slope of the roof is necessary during winter, to let the snow slip and not to burden the construction. The mountain village of Sirakawa-go is located in Jifu district, Japan, about 400km northwest of Tokyo.
Masuleh - Iran
The only village in Masuleh is located in northwestern Iran, about 400km from Tehran. At a height of more than 1000 meters above sea level, this particular village dates back to the 10th century AD. The uniqueness lies upon the fact that the houses are built on a mountain, connected to each other, while their ceilings are used as pedestrian streets for houses built on the upper level. The yellowish color of the houses is not accidental, but it offers better visibility in the fog, which often covers the mountain.