What famous places have disappointed you?

[mouldyhousemouldylife]

Or a landmark, artwork etc.

I guess mine is Plitvice Lakes in Croatia and Lake Bled in Slovenia. I've wanted to go for years as they both looked unbelievable and magical on photos, but going there just felt pretty ordinary. Very nice looking but I wasn't blown away.

Anyone else been to either? What did you think?

You’re right of course. It’s about disappointment. All I’m saying is that some of the reasons for the disappointment seem a bit shallow and a tiny bit unreasonable, In many of these places you’ll be admiring past glories. The present is rarely going to match up. Do some proper research first and if you’re not fascinated by Ancient Egyptian history or Renaissance art probably don’t bother going to the pyramids or to Florence. Don’t just go because it looks impressive in a tourist brochure.

Yes to the Eden Centre, awful experience on a very wet day so every other tourist in the area had the same idea of going there

It was basically just being stuck in a queue of people the whole time and not being able to actually stop and look at anything

Also the Caves of Zeus, which I imagined would be spectacular cave system underground and was just a little hole 😬

I went to Ironbridge last year, and the bridge was covered in plastic sheeting for renovation. That WAS disappointing. The area is lovely though with lots to see and they had a fab pork pie shop so I got over it.

The pork pie shop is so good!

I was surprised by how small the lakes in the Lake District are. Not disappointed, it was still a lovely place, but just surprised.

Very underwhelmed by Venice. Though I'm not sure we gave it much of a chance. The trevi fountain in Rome. It was a complete faff to get there from where we were staying and just a seething mass of tourists so you couldn't really see it properly.

I have enjoyed almost everywhere I've ever been and I've travelled a fair amount.

Budapest is the only city that I can think of which disappointed - didn't hate it at all but couldn't see what the big fuss is about. I love Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Venice and New York though which are all getting some hate here!

I guess mine is Plitvice Lakes in Croatia and Lake Bled in Slovenia. I've wanted to go for years as they both looked unbelievable and magical on photos, but going there just felt pretty ordinary. Very nice looking but I wasn't blown away. blush

Anyone else been to either? What did you think?

I've been to both. Was impressed with Plitvice - the colour of the water was extraordinarily. But I adore Lake Bled and it's surrounds and have been back and will go back again.

My disappointment was Sydney Opera House - It's not white

Paris leaves me cold, just can't see the appeal. Actually, I will expand that to include all of France, although I had some good exchange trips in Brittany in the 80s.

I love Italy and really like Gibraltar - the Britishness is a plus for me and it has a real sense of community. Got married there and the wedding photos are stunning!

LA / walk of fame and Hollywood. Tacky

Pisa has the most beautiful botanical gardens only a short walk away from the leaning tower and they are definitely worth visiting.

Pisa... barely a morning out.
Trevi Fountain... tiny and just 'meh'
Spanish Steps - some steps

Venice, I found it claustrophobic and lacking in ahtmosphere. No one actually lives there, just full of tourists. The restaurants in the evening especially were overpriced and average quality. I guess they don’t have to bother making them decent as most tourists are only there for a couple of nights and no locals for repeat business. We also both go D+V which didn’t help. Much preferred Verona on the same trip.

Bali. We honeymooned there and I hated getting mobbed by beggars every time I left the hotel. And then I got food poisoning. Wrong time, wrong place, methinks.

Also Paris. So big and dirty!

And the Grand Canyon. We took a helicopter ride over it but I think you need to walk down into it to really appreciate its size. (That said, I loved El Tovar hotel. The pink prickly pear cocktails on the terrace were great!)

I adore Rome and Berlin though. And also Disneyland, California. Thought I would hate it but there is something quite charming about it.

Copenhagen- the little mermaid was on loan to China and there was a screen of it in China in its place. Ridiculous sending away your most iconic image in your city!

Niagara Falls! So tacky it’s like Blackpool and looked nothing like I imagined

I was underwhelmed by Paris when I first visited but liked it more on later trips. I absolutely loved Prague but visited in 95 so it may have changed! Architecture must still be lovely though. I did most of my city visits over 10 years ago and was looking forward to taking dc so a bit depressing to hear everywhere is more crowded and dirtier!
Dublin definitely underwhelmed too, nice but smaller than I expected.
I was impressed by Niagra falls, we walked up to the falls (can’t remember if we went by train or bus) and could hear them before we saw them. Didn’t see the town.
Stonehenge impressed me more than I expected, just the scale of the project and the engineering precision.

Stonehenge. When i was a kid you could go right up to the stones and walk around inside the stone circle. Now - just deathly dull distance view of a heap of stones next to the road.
Plimoth rock in massachusetts (meant to be where the pilgrims landed). Small boulder. Got told off by the tour guide for bursting out laughing
Dont bother with either folks!
Not been to glastonbury tor - thats still on my to do list next time i head that way

The Pyramids looked amazing through the smog of the city, all imposing and mystical, but once we were there it was all a bit hot and boring, not to mention trying to fend off blokes aggressively hawking camel rides and all sorts of shit.

Luxor was much better.

Capri. It was so over crowded. You literally had to queue to get off the boat, onto the island and up the path all the way to the top of the hill.

Milan
Bratislava, Slovakia

Venice.

It reminded me of St Petersburg.

I know, I know, but I travelled in Russia before I travelled in Italy.

Hanoi, nowt there, much preferred Ho chi min.

Sorrento just remembered. Love Naples but Sorrento was lemon filled suburbia.

New York 😑

Ah Milan - had forgotten about it.
Admittedly it was at the end of July - but does a whole city really close?