Every city is unique in its own way, but some have a little something special that makes them truly different from all the rest.
The places you fall in love with will differ depending on your own interests and preferences in life, and that’s okay. However, if you’re trying to plan your next holiday and want to go somewhere that offers something nowhere else can, here are a few contenders.
1. Reykjavík
Iceland’s capital doesn’t follow normal schedules — kids play in playgrounds at midnight during summer while the sun’s still up. The city runs on its own clock, with dinner crowds filling restaurants at 11 PM. During winter, you’ll find locals swimming in steaming outdoor pools while it’s pitch black at 3 PM. Streets fill with people catching up for coffee in the darkness, treating 4 PM darkness like it’s perfectly normal. The whole city has adapted to extreme light changes in ways that make ordinary city life seem boring.
2. La Paz
Bolivia’s main city decided regular buses weren’t going to cut it in a place built on impossibly steep hills. The entire city is connected by floating red cable cars that serve as public transport. Local vendors sell their goods right on the station platforms, creating markets in the sky. Kids take cable cars to school, while workers catch up on sleep during their floating commute. The city keeps growing upward instead of outward, with new cable car lines added whenever a neighbourhood pops up.
3. Venice
Mail carriers here navigate boats instead of walking routes, tossing packages onto doorsteps that float. Kids learn to drive boats before they learn to ride bikes. Grocery shopping means taking a boat to the store and loading up your floating trunk. Even the ambulances and fire trucks are boats, weaving through narrow water streets while locals barely look up from their coffee. The sound of water splashing against buildings is so constant that silence feels weird.
4. Chefchaouen
Morocco’s blue city takes colour coordination to a whole new level. Every morning, locals touch up their blue walls like other people water their plants. The paint shops stock fifty shades of blue, but good luck finding any other colour. Even the street cats seem to prefer napping against blue walls. New buildings automatically get the blue treatment — it’s not even a question anymore. The whole city feels like it’s under a blue spell.
5. Singapore
They’ve built an entire second city underneath the regular one. People spend whole days below ground, moving between shopping centres, offices, and train stations without seeing sunlight. Underground restaurants fill up during lunch hour, while the streets above stay empty. Air conditioning is so constant that people carry jumpers in 90-degree heat. The city keeps digging deeper, adding new underground layers every year.
6. Tromsø
This Norwegian city turns two months of total darkness into one long party. Schools and offices run normally even when the sun doesn’t rise for weeks. People wear reflective suits just to cross the street, looking like walking disco balls. Northern lights become timing markers — “meet you after the green aurora” is a normal way to set plans. The city glows with thousands of tiny lights, making the darkness feel cosy instead of gloomy.
7. Amsterdam
The city has more bikes than people, and they’ve built an entire civilization around cycling. Multi-story bike parking garages fill up faster than car ones. Kids learn to ride through bike traffic before they can write. Traffic lights for bikes create rush-hour queues that stretch for blocks. People furnish their bikes like tiny mobile homes, complete with phone holders, cupholders, and grocery bag hooks.
8. Tokyo
Space is so precious here that everything comes in pocket size. Restaurants fit in closets, serving full meals from spaces smaller than most bathrooms. People sleep in pods stacked like fancy bunk beds. Bars hold four people max but somehow feel lively. Even the vending machines are packed with things you’d never expect — full outfits, hot meals, live crabs. The city keeps finding new ways to squeeze more life into less space.
9. Coober Pedy
This Australian city decided the best way to handle the heat was to go underground. Most people live in homes carved into hillsides, where the temperature stays constant without air conditioning. Underground churches host weddings, while subterranean hotels welcome confused tourists. Locals give directions like “turn left at the third cave.” The whole city feels like it’s playing hide and seek with the sun.
10. Giethoorn
This Dutch village banned cars entirely, replacing roads with waterways and footpaths. Everyone owns at least one boat, using them to do everything from grocery shopping to visiting neighbours. Mail carriers switch between boats and bikes depending on the weather. Kids learn to punt (push boats with long poles) before they learn to walk steadily. The loudest noise you’ll hear is ducks complaining about slow boat traffic.
