We’re all familiar with the 7 New World Wonders of the World right?
- The Taj Mahal, India
- The Great Wall of China, China
- Petra, Jordan
- Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
- Chichen Itza, Mexico
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Colosseum, Italy
I’ve visited 4/7 so far and let me tell you, they are pretty wonderful (pun intended).
But after travelling to 38 countries and seeing so many more phenomenal man human-made wonders, I think its time to shine a light on some other landmarks.
These are my 7 Alternate Wonders of the World that should also be on your list. Not to mention all the Natural Wonders that the world holds too.In no particular order, here are 7 Alternative Wonders of the World that need to be celebrated more. Along with how long they took to complete and how many people built them (when the information could be found online!)
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
People to build: 3000
I say that this list of wonders is in no particular order, but the The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the number one most impressive building I have ever seen in my life.
The Grand Mosque is breathtaking and Abu Dhabi’s main attraction. It was a project initiated by the late UAE president, who wanted to unite cultures and diversity. People from all over the world and from every religion are welcomed openly as visitors. It is free to enter and ladies will likely be given an abaya to wear on arrival. The mosque does free tours throughout the day, the first is at 10. The tour was fascinating and I’m so glad I did it. Our guide was funny and very informative. It is only offered in English, but there are headsets with a self-guided option in 12 other languages. This would also be a good alternative if you are tight for time.
Panama Canal, Panama
People to build: 56,000
I don’t know many other people who have visited Panama, and honestly, I don’t know why. This underrated country is home to the most impressive Panama Canal & Dam.
The Panama Canal was constructed to join the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and allow cargo ships to pass between the two. The work began in 1881 but didn’t open to ships until 1914.
If your time in Panama is short, an open top bus tour in Panama City will take you to one of the three Locks in the canal, where you may be lucky enough to see a boat passing through. Panama City also has a museum and information centre for visitors looking to find out more.
Fisherman’s Bastion, Budapest
People to build: Unknown
Have you ever seen something that has left you literally speechless? This was me on first sight of Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest, Hungary.( It’s also known as Halaszbastya in Hungarian, which will likely also leave you speechless trying to pronounce if you’re not a local!)
The Fisherman’s Bastion was built between 1895 and 1902 and Neo-Romanesque inspired. It was built after Buda Castle sieges in 17th and 18th century, as a look out point below the Castle itself.
The intricate building architecture looks like something straight out of a Disney Fairytale. And it must be the inspiration for at least a few movies. The turrets, the ornate roof mosaics on the church and the archways and bridges are mesmerising. If you can peel your eyes away from the architecture itself, the Fisherman’s Bastion offers spectacular panoramic views over the whole of Budapest.
It’s also open and accessible both day & night and is very much worth a visit in both.
Escadaria Selarón, Brazil
People to build: 1!
While Christ the Redeemer gets most of the attention, you’d be wrong to visit Rio de Janeiro and miss out the Escadaria Selarón, also referred to as the Selaron Steps.
These gorgeous mosaic steps were designed and created by Jorge Selarón who was originally from Chile but lived in Rio de Janeiro. He began the project by decorating the crumbling steps outside his own home with coloured tiles and it really escalated!
Now the 250 steps in the Santa Teresa district of Rio are covered by over 2000 colourful tiles.
Chefchaouen, Morocco
People to build: Unknown
Chefchaouen is a city in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco. The most spectacular and unique part is hard to miss, it’s entirely painted blue! The city was founded in 1471 but it is unclear when the blue paint was added.
The city has a total of 42,000 inhabitants. Although the population grows dramatically during the day as tourists arrive on day trips to Chefchaouen and leave again in the evening. The origins of the blue colour is unknown and unconfirmed, although that doesn’t mean there aren’t theories. These include keeping mosquitoes away, representing the sea and sky and that it was painted by the Jews who fled Hitler during world war two.
It’s unclear if we’ll ever truly know why Chefchaouen is blue. But I do know that it’s beautiful!
Venice Canals, Italy
Perhaps one of the most iconic images of Italy tourists think about, I am very surprised that the Venice Canals aren’t already an official Wonder of the World.
Before the canals were built, Venice was nothing more than marsh land. Now, with 150 water ways and 400 bridges connecting 118 islands, Venice is a tourist hub and synonymous with romance, river cruises and an idyllic European adventure.
The reality of a trip to Venice (particularly in summer) is a little different, with crowds almost everywhere. But that doesn’t take away from the impressive construction and architecture that is the Venice canals.
When settlers first moved to Venice in the 5th Century, they built their homes on the marshy land by driving large piles of wood into the soil. To this day, some of Venice is still standing on wood that has been underwater for over 1000 years!
Over-tourism and global warming means that Venice is under constant construction and review to keep it afloat, but sadly it is still slowly sinking.
Shanghai Skyline, China
People to build: Unknown, (2000 for Shanghai Tower alone)
Now there are a few truly impressive skylines in the world, so this was a difficult final slot to give. But Shanghai’s was the most impressive skyline I’ve had the privilege to enjoy.
Shanghai is divided into two areas by the Huangpu rive; Pudong on the East and Puxi on the West. The famous Bund area is on the west, meaning it’s the perfect spot to enjoy an iconic view of the modern skyscrapers that have shot up in the past few decades in Pudong.
3 buildings in the skyline are in the top 35 tallest buildings in the world, including number 2, Shanghai Tower. It’s also home to the Park Hyatt hotel, the tallest hotel in the world. All this to say – it’s record breakingly impressive in many ways!
A big thank you to Jenna Howieson for submitting an article and sharing her 7 Alternate Wonders of the Worl. Check out her instagram at @thejennaway. Jenna is an expert on all things travel so be sure to check out her blog. Are you interested in becoming a guest blogger? We’d love to have you as a Guest Gem. Feel free to reach out to us via our contact page.
