5 fake tourist attractions that have everyone fooled
Who doesn’t love soaking up the local history when visiting new places? Well, it seems many of us may have been hoodwinked by some fake local history, thanks to these popular but sadly phony tourist attractions.
Juliet’s balcony, Verona, Italy
The setting of Shakespeare’s tragic love story is one of Italy’s most beloved attractions, but unfortunately Juliet’s isn’t real. Aside from the fact that balconies didn’t even exist in Shakespearean England, Romeo and Juliet were fictional characters, so the balcony you see just belongs to one business-savvy Italian!
Bran Castle, Bran, Romania
Nope, Dracula – neither Bram Stoker’s fictional character nor the real Vlad Dracula – didn’t live in this imposing Romanian fortress. In fact, Stoker never even visited Romania, and based his description off what he read in books. That said, the castle does have a fascinating history and is well worth a visit – vampires or no.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum, London, UK
Often touted as a must-visit on tourist maps and guides, the “home” of fictional Arthur Conan Doyle detective Sherlock Holmes isn’t even located at 221b Baker Street – it’s at 239. In addition, at the time when Doyle penned his mysteries, Baker Street building numbers only reached the 100s.
Plymouth Rock, Plymouth, USA
Even though it is placed on the actual landing spot of the Mayflower back in 1620, the rock you’ll see if you visit the Pilgrims’ disembarkation site is not the one they actually landed on. It was only claimed as such in 1741 by a 94-year-old church elder whose father came to the US on the Mayflower.
Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, Germany
Chances are if you’ve visited Berlin, you’ve seen Checkpoint Charlie. The real crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War was actually removed in 1990, seven months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the checkpoint you see today is a replica, and the real Checkpoint Charlie has been turned into a museum.
How many of these “fake” attractions have you visited? Tell us your experience in the comments below.
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