Check out some of the coolest and most unusual streets around the world.
1. Blue Street in Chefchaouen, Morocco
You'll really love the colour blue by the time you've visited Chefchaouen. Inside the medina many of the streets, walls, and doors are a magnificent hue of blue.
Chefchaouen was painted blue by the Jewish refugees who lived there during the 1930s. The beauty of Chefchaouen's mountainous surroundings is enhanced by the contrast of the brightly painted medina. It is this beauty and the relaxed atmosphere of the town that makes Chefchaouen very attractive to visitors. [Related Post]
2. Knockoff Street in Wuxi, China
Hey guys, you wanna go shopping at H&N with me and then grab some SFFCCCKS coffee? It's across from the Appla store. Your brain might have corrected those brands to read “H&M,” “Starbucks,” and “Apple,” but if you were walking down the street in Wuxi city in China you'd be wrong. That's actually how all of the signs read. It kind of feels like a lame parallel universe.
Oddly enough, these aren't companies just ripping off their competition - they're fake street signs on empty shops meant to give potential buyers a sense of what the area could look like. Unfortunately, the idea kind of backfired and the street has become a big joke on the internet in China.
3. Vila de Gracia in Barcelona, Spain
When people talk about Gràcia it is really the Vila de Gràcia, the historic old centre, to which they are referring. This place is probably the coolest suburb in Barcelona.
The main streets of Gran de Gràcia, Torrent de l'Olla, and Travessera de Gràcia are always a hive of activity, but it is the squares that give Gràcia its unique atmosphere.
The way Gràcia is laid out makes it ideal for street parties, and the Festa Major in August is the most important in Barcelona after La Mercè. The competition for the Best Decorated Street is always hard fought and big stages are set up in the major squares offering some of the best bands around.
4. Floating Umbrella Street in Águeda, Portugal
Agueda in Portugal is the setting for this wonderful installation by Sextafeira called Floating Umbrellas. This colourful creation is a part of the Agitagueda art festival.
Due to the fact that the same idea was used the year before this is the second time the streets of this town have been covered with loads of vivid umbrellas, providing shade as well as a wonderful sight. The people loved it so much that the repetitive nature of the installation does not carry the risk of becoming boring, but rather turning into a wonderful tradition.
5. Cracked Stones Street in Enschede, The Netherlands
Roombeek is a commercial street and also the urban core of the district. The small stream, which gives its name to the street and has in the past flowed underground, has been restored and brought up to the surface again. Now, the water is part of the urban environment and has become the district's new central point.
Its asymmetrical design, which widens and narrows along the street, accentuates its different spatial features. The base of the stream is treated with a rough structure that reduces the flowing speed of the water and creates a constant reflective pattern on the water's surface. A distinctive composition of sharp edged stepping stones refers to the randomness of natural processes and is also a reference to the fireworks explosion (the street was partially destroyed by a fireworks explosion on May 13, 2000).
6. The Magic Carpet Streets in La Orotava, Canary Islands
The Canary Island of Tenerife, off the coast of Africa, may be better known for the fun in the sun reputation of its southern tourist resorts. However, anyone looking for more than just a suntan should head north, especially to the historic and noble township of La Orotava where in June the streets are decorated with elaborate flower carpets during the Corpus Christi celebrations.
The streets of its old town remain perfectly preserved; beautiful 17th and 18th century town houses with exquisitely carved wooden balconies border narrow cobbled streets. It's a feast for the eyes at the best of times, but during Corpus Christi, when the cobbles are covered with evocative images created from rose and geranium petals, the town literally blooms.
Technically, this isn't a flower carpet at all; it's entirely made from volcanic sand taken from Las Cañadas del Teide in the Mount Teide crater, which makes the subtle skin tones and lifelike expressions on the faces of the people depicted in the tapestry all the more astounding. In 2007, the sand tapestry deservedly achieved worldwide recognition when it was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sand painting in the world.
7. Geometric Streets in Vercorin, Switzerland
Every year, the small Switzerland ski town village of Vercorin asks artists to come and create works during the summer months. They're not looking for a singular sculpture, they're interested in creative projects that incorporate the entire village.
In 2010, Lang/Baumann was asked to take on this challenge. "Most of the houses and their facades are very old, historical wood surfaced and it seemed interesting to us to contrast them with bright colours on the street," Sabina Lang of Lang/Baumann explained.
Using only maps, they first measured everything out. Then, "we started at the point of the geometry of the street directions leading to this central village square," Lang says. "This was the base for a grid out of which we developed our drawing."
What resulted was a stunning street painting that ran through the entire village and got the whole town buzzing. "Many of the village inhabitants passed by and followed the process of painting," says Lang. "They used it in a very playful way later, especially the children used it to cycle or skate or walk on the lines."
8. The Pink Street in Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon's urban project to rehabilitate the Cais do Sodré area resulted in a new epicentre for creative and cultural industries that works 24 hours a day.
In the project created by José Adrião in collaboration with Lisbon's City Council and Cais do Sodré Association, the architect decided to have the pedestrian street painted in a vibrant pink. In addition, panels have been place along the sidewalk as an outdoor art gallery.
9. The Only Right-Hand-Drive Street in London, England
Savoy Court street, where the luxury Savoy Hotel is located, is the only named street in the United Kingdom where vehicles are required to drive on the right. This is said to date from the days of the hackney carriage, when a cab driver would reach his arm out of the driver's door window to open the passenger's door (which opened backwards and had the handle at the front) without having to get out of the cab himself. Additionally, the hotel entrance's small roundabout meant that vehicles needed a turning radius of 25 ft (8 m) to navigate it.
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