Most disappointing tourism attractions

I've been in some of them and I liked what I saw... I agree that you can't visit the Louvre as a "tourist", you have to go as an art/historian appreciator or at least a curious about.

Las Ramblas are in Barcelona and all people I know that walked there said things ranging from fair to excellent, so...

Maybe only the White House is boring, there are many other better places to see in DC.

 

Someone was disappointed with Stonehenge - they said it was just some rocks in a field!
And The Grand Canyon is just a hole in the ground, I suppose.

As one of the resident Italians, I will comment on the two entries from my country:

1. Piazza di Spagna is not, IMHO, as beautiful as Piazza Navona , but it is was intended for dramatic effect, which it achieves effortlessly. You should see it in May, decked with many-coloured azaleas.... BTW, Andu, I often used to walk in PdS early in the morning when going to work, and the colours of the houses surrounding the piazza were utterly amazing! Recommended next time you are in Rome.

2. The Tower of Pisa may be a curiosity because it leans instead as standing up straight, but it is also a part of one of the most beautiful architectural complexes in the whole world, the medieval Campo dei Miracoli. I've once seen it from the air when flying from Pisa Airport, and the sight of those white, graceful buildings dotted on a green field was definitely something to remember. Besides, the tower itself is beautiful... Look at the pillars and their carved capitals, and the way they seem to climb all over the structure of the tower.

Others I've seen from the list:

- The Louvre museum may be immense and rambling, but it makes for one of the most rewarding experiences for ANY art lover. Enough said.
- The White House IS disappointing. Washington DC is a very interesting, even beautiful city, but if I had to pick out some tourist attractions, I'd definitely recommend the National Gallery of Arts (wonderful museum, chock-full of great paintings, and FREE to boot), the whole Georgetown area (amazing 18th-th century architecture, lots of greenery, great shopping and eating), and, just outside the main city, Alexandria Old Town - where Micky and I had a walk and a nice dinner yesterday evening.

As for England, which I know rather well: I haven't seen all those attractions, but the cliffs of Dover are worthy of being seen, and Brighton Pier is interesting.  Buckingham Palace is dull as dishwater, the Big Ben is impressive if seen once, and the memorial fountain... the less said, the better.

From the other list, the Royal Crescent is quite stunning, but the whole town of Bath is worth visiting. Alnwick Castle (the set for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films) is fantastic, as is the whole of the county of Northumberland. As to The Globe, it's very interesting indeed, especially if you get to see a play there.

Fassbinder wrote: Well, disappoiintments... In order to be disappointed one need to have expectations, in the first place. Personally, I don't have any on La Tour d'Eyffel. I want to visit many other sites in Paris, when I (hopefully, sometime) shall be there, but not this tower (it'll be seen, inevitably).   Piazza di Spagna -- not the greatest site of Rome, in my opinion, but, then again, I haven't too much expectations on it.   If already to speak about the disappointments in Rome then the Sanpietro Cathedral may be one (it was, in some sense, for me). But other sites haven't disappoint me.   As for the Pyramides and the Stonehendge -- never been there, definitely want to see them, and don't understand how is it possible to be disappointed by them. The very fact of their existence already makes them worth visiting, let alone their look itself and all the (hi)story around them.   On the other hand, the Buckingham Palace was really disappointing. But other London sites weren't!!!

OH gosh, forgot the Eiffel Tower - which IMHO is quite nice if seen at a distance. I'm not really into heights myself.

San Pietro (St Peter's) is NOT a cathedral, though - it is a Basilica, and it IS highly disappointing. The best thing about it is the dome. There are much better things to be seen in Rome than the Vatican, and I will stop at that - I'm not the Catholic Church's biggest fan.

andu wrote: I just read an article in our local press, taking from a The Telegraph material about the most disappointing touristic so called attractions. I'll post then with my comments. Top ten most disappointing world's touristic attractions: 1. Eiffel Tower (Paris) ("frustratingly crowded and expensive") - couldn't tell, I wasn't there  i went right up to the top - great view of Paris, NOT disappointing at all - 9/10   Top ten most disappointing UK's touristic attractions: 1. Stonehenge - not so many years ago you were allowed to clamber all over this - i have the photos (somewhere) to prove it. then 9/10 - now 4/10. 2. Angel of the North - don't bother viewing this rusty pile of junk - set in a busy intersection. 2/10 3. Blackpool Tower 4. Land's End - very windswept and gloomy, nothing there 3/10 - far better to visit the Lizard.9/10 5. Princes Diana's memorial fountain - looks like a drainage ditch 2/10 6. Millennium Wheel (London Eye) -great if you don't mind waiting hours to get on - book online 7/10 7. Brighton Peer - 6/10 seaside stalls and arcades, the town and prom are better. the old destroyed pier looks eerie and much more photogenic. 8. Buckingham Palace - can be visited only at certain times of the year. 7/10 9. White Rocks of Dover - fantastic - all those sea creature bones compressed.9/10 10. Big Ben- 9/10 awesome to be near when it chimes, the bell is being repaired at the moment. I'll let out fellow brits  to lay their thoughts on these... I didn't even hear of options no. 2,3,4,5 and 9 before. And finally, Top ten most promising UK's touristic attractions: 1. Alnwick Castle (in Northumberland) 2. Carrick-a-Rede bridge (in County Antrim) 3. Royal Crescent (in Bath residential area) 7/10 nice to walk round 4. The Globe - 9/10 all those Shakespeare plays really come to life here, and easy to book or just turn up. 5. Backs (in Cambridge) 6. Holkham Bay in Norfolk 7. Lyme Regis Bay and the Jurassic Coast 8. Tate - St. Ives 5/10 nice pictures, though small village swamped with tourists 9. Skye Island (in Scotland) 7/10 better since they built a bridge! 10. Eden Project (in Cornwall). 6/10 saw it in its first year, very PC. Only know no. 4 and 8... What are your thoughts on this list, too?

Ghost Rider wrote: San Pietro (St Peter's) is NOT a cathedral, though - it is a Basilica, and it IS highly disappointing. The best thing about it is the dome. There are much better things to be seen in Rome than the Vatican, and I will stop at that - I'm not the Catholic Church's biggest fan.

I'll second that... seeing it for the first time.. my first thought was.... wonder if anyone will mind if a smoke a cigarette.

Thanks for the input, people! Really appreciated.

But then...

Ghost Rider wrote: BTW, Andu, I often used to walk in PdS early in the morning when going to work, and the colours of the houses surrounding the piazza were utterly amazing! Recommended next time you are in Rome.

... was the highlighted part addressed to me? Because if so, I hope someone up there hears you. I hope to get back to Rome someday, and stay longer - or even settle there.

For those not knowing what Piazza di Spagna looks like (oh, I misspelled it in my post), here it is, with the La Barcaccia in the foreground:



And again:



And looking in the opposite direction, along one of the avenues starting from it (Via Sistina, I think now):



Another perspective:




Of course I can't say the PdS was one of the highlights of my visit to Rome, but I loved it just as I love any bit of Rome. So I'm biased. I also like San Pietro a lot, but understand others not liking it, as I'm heavily into classical art and architecture (between others of course, like byzantine, gothic, modern, avantguarde, etc). BTW, San Pietro is so big that I can tell you in my home town (which is not Bucharest) there's no public square as big as the surface taken by San Pietro...

One minor correction: while a basilica is a certain type of architectural plan & elevation in religious (and civil) architecture, the cathedral is the "residence" church of a bishop. Therefore a basilica can be a cathedral, and San Pietro is both.


Edited by andu - August 18 2007 at 19:10

I've seen the cliffs of Dover. Nice but I think Seven Sisters is a better find.

Ghost Rider wrote: From the other list, the Royal Crescent is quite stunning, but the whole town of Bath is worth visiting.

especially the studios of Peter Hammill and Peter Gabriel, who both live in Bath

andu wrote: I just read an article in our local press, taking from a The Telegraph material about the most disappointing touristic so called attractions. I'll post then with my comments.Top ten most disappointing world's touristic attractions:1. Eiffel Tower (Paris) ("frustratingly crowded and expensive") - couldn't tell, I wasn't there2. Louvre Museum (Paris) - as an art lover I could never agree on that. Of course if art is just a "touristic" attraction for those people, I could understand them, but still not excuse them3. Times Square (New York) - I haven't been there, but is there anything to it except for those light installations and the events that happen there from time to time?4. Las Ramblas (Spain) - never even heard of it!5. The Statue of Liberty (New York) - that a symbol, and symbols are important not for the qualities of the product, but because of the ideas it embodies; by itself, it's nothing more than a huge statue... but it's also a lot more6. Piazza di Spania (Rome) - I've been there; yes the stairs are just normal stairs but, man, it's in Rome, the best place to be!!! Not to mention La Barcaccia, the Michelangelo related architecture in the back and the superb view on Via del Babuino or whatever that avenue is called. I especially recommend coming to see Piazza di Spania in the evening, when the city lights start shining.7. The White House (Washington) - is there anything so special about it except for being the residence of US state authority? Why on Earth go see it for tourism purposes?8. The Pyramides (Gizeh, Egypt) - haven't been there, but I'm sure being there should make a great moment. Maybe the tourists flow make that less probable to happen?9. Brandenburg Gate (Berlin) - myself I'd rather visit the Museums Island If I were to get in Berlin10. The Tower of Pisa - couldn't tellTop ten most disappointing UK's touristic attractions:1. Stonehenge2. Angel of the North3. Blackpool Tower4. Land's End5. Princes Diana's memorial fountain6. Millennium Wheel (London Eye)7. Brighton Peer8. Buckingham Palace9. White Rocks of Dover10. Big BenI'll let out fellow brits  to lay their thoughts on these... I didn't even hear of options no. 2,3,4,5 and 9 before.And finally, Top ten most promising UK's touristic attractions:1. Alnwick Castle (in <span ="arial12negru"><font ="arial12negru">Northumberland)2. </span><span ="arial12negru"><font ="arial12negru">Carrick-a-Rede bridge (in </span><span ="arial12negru"><font ="arial12negru">County Antrim)3. </span><span ="arial12negru"><font ="arial12negru">Royal Crescent (in Bath residential area)4. The Globe5. Backs (in Cambridge)6. </span><span ="arial12negru"><font ="arial12negru">Holkham Bay in Norfolk7. </span><span ="arial12negru"><font ="arial12negru">Lyme Regis Bay and the Jurassic Coast8. Tate - St. Ives9. Skye Island (in Scotland)10. Eden Project (in Cornwall).Only know no. 4 and 8... What are your thoughts on this list, too?</span>

Stone Henge IS NOT a tourist attraction...it's a historical monument..... that's what is wrong with society today..... they need a wlatzer and a candyfloss stall to make something good!

I used to live in wlking distance from Holkham bay in Norfolk..... nasty rip tides..... try Brancaster instead 5 miles away and much nicer altogether! (ok it doesn't have a "royal beach hut" but you know it's good..... and Queenie did walk the yappers there often!)

Lyme Regis is/was great, but last time I visited with the kids (about 2months ago) the thing that struck us most was the ammount of litter.... tons and tons of it, it was really sad, and dirty looking! AND we had promised the kids fish'n'chips..... at £8.50 per portion to take out the most gross f&c's imaginable we felt a bit ripped off!!!

Never been to Skye, but I can THOROUGHLY recommend Orkney.... a whole heap of ancient and modern history and a weird mix of Scot and scandanavian culture......totally fell in love with the place!!!!