As we know, when Louis Armstrong took his first small step on the lunar surface and looked at the Earth from space, he couldn’t help saying to himself: “What a wonderful world!” I’m kidding, of course. In fact, there’s only one true statement here - our world is really damn wonderful!
It’s wonderful even despite what we do with it, enthusiastically littering, polluting it with all kinds of waste. It’s wonderful, wherever we go. And in this viral thread on the AskReddit community, people open up about the most beautiful places they’ve ever been. And Bored Panda, especially for you, has made a selection of the most popular postings from there.
More info: Reddit
#1
Cinque Terre, which is comprised of five villages on the northwestern coast of Italy. Being there feels like you’re living inside a postcard. In fact, it is a postcard!
Image credits: Remarkable-Grape354
#2
The Rocky Mountains in Canada, specifically Moraine Lake.
Image credits: Honest_Importance_62
#3
Banff National Park.
Image credits: Tbay_DougMac
It’s interesting that throughout the millennia of our history, people have not always traveled to see beautiful places in other countries. No, of course, the aesthetics of admiring the beauty of nature and architecture have always been there, but to go specifically to another city or country to enjoy this beauty - of course not.
People traveled on trade and military matters, made pilgrimages, moved between towns and entire countries - and around them, beautiful nature grew and blossomed in riotous color, architectural wonders towered. But few people actually paid attention to it...
#4
Maui, Hawaii.
Image credits: gowdaz
#5
Path of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy.
Google it, seriously.
It was insane.
Image credits: No_Pipe4358
#6
Driving down the Oregon coast was amazing.
Image credits: Glowingtomato
It took until the middle of the 19th century for tourism per se, in a form even remotely close to modern times, to appear. Its inventor is considered to be the Englishman Thomas Cook, who in 1840 organized a group trip for members of the Temperance Society he had created to a convention in a neighboring town on a recently built railroad nearby.
Cook looked after the group members carefully (mostly, however, he tried to distract them from the thoughts about booze - so he switched people's attention to the beauty around them), and the carefree trip was so enjoyable for folks that they wanted more. Then more and more - and so Thomas Cook organized the world's first travel agency. By the way, it was also the longest-lived - the company existed until 2019, when it successfully went bankrupt... but that's a completely different story.
#7
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks.
Image credits: IchBinDurstig
#8
The Hoh rainforest in Washington State. Looks eerie and beautiful at the same time.
Image credits: jodikins77
#9
Any mountain neighborhood in Switzerland.
**Edit:** Mt. Pilatus, Lucerne near Zurich and Lutry near Lausanne were memorable for me.
Image credits: imaketrollfaces
Cook's simple and pragmatic concepts were mixed with the philosophical views of Henry David Thoreau, who in the mid-19th century completely dominated the minds of American society. Thoreau's thoughts on nature, its beauty and simple life away from the bustle of the city became the cultural basis of tourism - and Cook and his colleagues provided a convenient opportunity to go to almost any point on the globe.
And since then we have been traveling, looking at the world - and admiring how beautiful it is. Following Neil Armstrong, who first saw our planet from the Moon. Following Louis Armstrong and his great immortal song.
#10
Kauai, Hawaii. There’s a reason they call it the garden island. It’s pretty much paradise.
Image credits: NotNamedBort
#11
Zion National Park.
Image credits: anon
#12
Every corner of this planet has exquisite beauty. Iceland is particularly incredible in that it boasts both volcanic splendor and icy vistas. And it’s largely untouched. If you go there, tread softly. Keep it untamed, and beautiful.
Image credits: Scrumpilump2000
In fact, by the way, sometimes we forget, behind the world-renowned beauties, how nice and great any point on Earth actually is. It’s quite enough just to see this beauty. The ancient sages rightly said: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." And in fact, many places that didn’t make this list also deserve to be there. So please feel free to share your favorite places as well, and never forget - the world is beautiful, completely, wherever you and I actually are.
#13
New Zealand, south island.
Image credits: Marklar172
#14
West Highlands of Scotland. Unbelievably beautiful.
Image credits: Kind_Goose2984
#15
The summit of the Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana. I went in late summer and it was busy, but the views on every part of the drive were so gorgeous. The summit view was so beautiful, with the wildflowers, the other mountain peaks, and the sky ❤️.
Image credits: scipio79
#16
Mount Rainier National Park. Especially during wildflower season. I could stay there forever if I could.
Image credits: Libragirl1008
#17
Plitvička Jezera (Plitvice National Park)
It's Croatia's oldest and largest national park covering almost 30,000 hectares and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's well known for it's series of lakes and waterfalls and pristine turquoise water. The forests are home to brown bears, grey wolf and lynx.
Image credits: DRSU1993
#18
Bora Bora.
Image credits: bigring
#19
Santorini (Greece).
Image credits: dimitris_17
#20
Cascade Mountains - Oregon or anywhere in the PNW.
Image credits: Fresh_Anywhere_2974
#21
Glen Coe, Scottish Highlands. Breathtaking and wild and rough and beautiful.
Image credits: Kelly_the_tailor
#22
Lake Bled, Slovenia. The mountains rising into the clouds, the green fields with cows and sheep, the beautiful lakes, the postcard-worthy churches and castles...
Most beautiful place I've ever been, would go back in a heartbeat one day if I can.
Image credits: PokketMowse
#23
Sequoia National Park. I’ve lived in Europe and the Middle East, traveled far and wide, and Sequoia National Park has my heart. Those trees make me cry, the lives they’ve lived, the stories they could tell. Majestic giants.
Image credits: Puzzleheaded_Loan897
#24
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.
Image credits: romydogra
#25
Yosemite. Although there wasn't a trace of Sam.
Image credits: weird-oh
#26
Vancouver Island, Canada.
Image credits: V_Triumphant
#27
Patagonia, Chile.
Image credits: residual_reality
#28
Gap of Dunloe, Ireland. After each turn, your breath gets taken away further.
Image credits: RayNooze
#29
Columbia River Gorge.
Image credits: cascadian_coloradan
#30
Milford Sound.
Image credits: rfstfirefly
#31
Big Sur.
Image credits: j__magical
#32
Newfoundland.
Image credits: gingr87
#33
Chefchaouen, Morocco was breath taking.
Image credits: Fuzzy_Redwood
