Unexpectedly interesting tourist attractions

[StillCoughingandLaughing]

Just thinking about it because it came up in my ‘On This Day’ on Facebook… a few years ago, I went to Stockholm, and someone I’d met just before told me I absolutely had to see Vasa. (It’s a perfectly preserved 17th Century warship, for those of you who, like me then, haven’t heard of it!) He said it had been a recommendation from a friend and he would never have thought of going otherwise, but found it fascinating.

He was absolutely right. I’d never even heard of it, but was so glad I went. So now I’m wondering, what other ‘hidden’ or underrated gems should I see?

Honey Farm in West Wales, I think New Quay.

Big glass thinks full of comb with the bees coming & going.

Then to the cafe and honey themed gift shop.
Loved it 😁

Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre - surprisingly interesting, hands on and with a great little cafe with amazing views of the dam!

Scotland’s Secret Bunker, near Anstruther. A chilling reminder from the Cold War days of what could have been.

Fortingall Church and grounds. Packed with history, including a Yew tree that could be up to 5,000 years old.

Tours by the Friends of the Howff, Dundee. It’s one of Scotland’s oldest and most important burial grounds. It pre-dates 1564, when Mary granted the land to the burgh.

2 in Cagliari, Sardinia

Museum with body parts in wax from the 18th century

Museum attached to a church with model ships given in thanks for surviving shipwrecks, some incredibly old. And some mummies of members of Spanish nobility who died of the plague in 16 something.

Only went in both to escape incredibly hot weather. Brilliant, both of them.

New Lanark in Scotland was a surprise hit with my parents - I wanted to go as I'm interested in wool production, they came to humour me but really enjoyed it. It's really well done, they've got the balance between interesting and patronising just right.

@BikeRunSki
Have you done Wakefield Mining Museum? You go down into the actual mines... its excellent.

I went to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. We very nearly didnt bother as it wasn’t cheap, but glad we did - its beautiful.

[quote Soontobe60]@BikeRunSki
Have you done Wakefield Mining Museum? You go down into the actual mines... its excellent.[/quote]
I've been, it's brilliant.

I was going to say Tyneham.
I've also been to, and enjoyed, National Railway Museum in York, Keswick Pencil Museum, the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum and the Tank Museum..

I wil add the Jersey War tunnels, which tell the story of the Occupation of the Channel Islands in WW2, and the WW2 museum at Caen in France, which is called "Memorial". I like Corfe Castle too!

What's the Kelham museum about? We have family in Sheffield;
I might suggest going there on a future visit!

The humboldthain unterwelten park tour in Berlin, it’s the underground remains of an anti-aircraft gun tower. The scale of it was incredible. History lessons at school focused on the UK effects of the war (naturally) so it was interesting to consider how it affected other countries

The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. I expected to be bored, and instead found it fascinating.

We went to the visitor centre for the delta storm surge flood defences in the Netherlands and were lucky enough to catch an organised tour in English. The kids loved it, it really scratched the geek itch. It was brilliant.

Love this thread.

I’m adding the Bank of England museum which right by Bank tube. It’s free and much more interesting than you might expect.

House of terror in Budapest. Very interesting and cleverly designed museum dedicated to the occupations of Hungary. Spent a long time there and was very very moving.

Beer Quarry Caves in East Devon.
The guides talk you through the history of who worked there, starting with the Romans, and what they used the rock for, which also takes in architecture.

The Dudley underground canal boat tour.
I wasn't expecting much.
I was blown away! Fantastic!

Yes, chew the Bank of England museum is so good. And free. My dc's loved trying to pick up the gold.

Electric Mountain at Llanberis. I thought it was never going to live up to its amazing name, but it was very interesting.

The Cactus Garden on Lanzarote. How interesting can cactuses be? Very, it turns out.

The aviation museum just outside Bournemouth opposite Hurn airport. Lots of little planes all of which you can climb into and flip switches in. Heaven.

@ContadoraExplorer I worked with a woman who volunteered on those tours. A compliance manager in her usual day to day job. The other compliance manager was a pole dancer in her spare time

Second vote for Oradour-sur-Glane, which I read about here. Took 15 year old twin boys and we were all blown away by it. Very moving place to visit.

The National Museum- Cardiff. So interesting lots of old buildings- particularly loved the terraced houses which each were decorated to a different decade.
The Eyam museum and walk, Derbyshire. Small and run by volunteers.

Leeds Armouries. Sooo much to see!

Brooklands Museum in Surrey was also a surprise hit!

Hms Belfast in London Walked past it for years growing up thinking oh my God kill me if I'm ever one of the people who wants to pay money to see what's in there. Fast forward 30 years, honestly the best few hours with the kids. Highly highly recommend!

The Verdant Works (jute factory) museum in Dundee.

I went years ago, but I still remember the piped in voices of the women working in the factory as you walked through.

I've been all over the world, and I think it's the best museum I've ever been to.