Fascinating destinations from all over the world
When planning your vacation, you probably don't even consider the smell of your destination. This is unsurprising given that the scent of most places is, well, just fine. But there are some places in the world whose aroma is so overpowering that it shapes the experience, for better or worse. Check out this gallery to explore some of the world's strongest-smelling cities.
The moon-like lagoon is conveniently located between the airport and Reykjavik, making it all the more attractive to visitors.
This geothermal spa can be found in southwestern Iceland. It is a haven of spouting geysers, bubbling volcanoes, and ragged landscapes.
The fact that the lagoon is plagued with the same sulfur smell as Rotorua does not prevent swathes of tourists flocking there each year to splash about in the pools.
There are a few reasons for the strong smell in the northern Moroccan city of Fez, but the main one is the leather-making.
The stench of rotting flesh combined with the smell of ammonia means that a trip to the city amounts to a sensory assault.
If you can handle the smell, however, the visit will provide a fascinating insight into an industry that is centuries old.
Situated just south of Porto in northern Portugal, the city of Vila Nova de Gaia smells strongly of booze.
The reason for the sweet smell is that the city acts as a warehouse for wine being stored for maturation.
The grapes are grown in vineyards around 120 km (about 75 miles) upriver in the Douro Valley, and then transported to the city, where there are a number of port wine houses.
This city on the North Island of New Zealand is incredibly smelly due to high levels of geothermal activity.
The bubbling mud pools and erupting geysers sure look cool, but the sulfur produces an eggy smell that you will struggle to shake.
That being so, Rotorua has nonetheless established itself as a top tourist destination, offering everything from bungee jumping to spa retreats.
Located in False Bay off the southern coast of South Africa, Seal Island is, as the name suggests, home to upwards of 60,000 Cape fur seals.
They play, chatter, and do their business on the rocks around the island, making it a very smelly place.
It is, however, a great place to spot and dive with great white sharks, who come to the island to hunt.
Described by the Times Online as one of Europe’s most romantic cities, Venice is renowned for its 118 islands separated by canals and bridges.
It's the very presence of water, however, that gives the city its stinky reputation. The canals are home to salty brine, decomposing algae, and sewage outlets, which combine to give the city a real stench!
The smell grows worse in the heat of summer, so head to Venice in the winter for a more pleasant sensory experience.
This picturesque town in the southwest of France is the perfume-making capital of the world.
Surrounding areas are famous for their flower-growing and the town is home to a number of perfumeries, such as Fragonard, Molinard, and Galimard. Each perfumery has a museum and offers tours to visitors.
There is also an annual festival at the beginning of August, during which flora-clad floats drive through the town.
The tar pits are located along LA’s miracle mile and offer visitors the opportunity to take a trip to the prehistoric past.
When the former landowner granted the land to LA county, he did so on the basis that the tar pits and their contents be preserved and displayed.
Nowadays dinosaur bones can be viewed in the nearby Page Museum.
Found in the middle of the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island is home to impressive herds of bison that make for a great tourist attraction.
The journey to the island will be somewhat unpleasant, however, due to the strong smell that comes off the lake.
The combined smell of salt water and decomposing shrimps cannot be ignored, but it will surely be forgotten once the beautiful bison are in sight.
While not a smelly city in general, a trip to the underground sewage museum in Paris will have you holding your nose.
Exploring the sewers is perhaps not what you thought you’d be doing in the most romantic city in the world, but the experience is in fact fascinating.
Part of the sewers has been transformed into a museum in which visitors can trace back urban sanitation hundreds of years.
See also: Visit these famous landmarks before they disappear
The smelliest cities in the world (for good and bad)
You’d love to see them, if you can bear the smell!
TRAVEL Places
When planning your vacation, you probably don't even consider the smell of your destination. This is unsurprising given that the scent of most places is, well, just fine. But there are some places in the world whose aroma is so overpowering that it shapes the experience, for better or worse. Check out this gallery to explore some of the world's strongest-smelling cities.