Have you ever wondered what makes a place famous? Obviously, the answer is point of interest. Famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Natural beauty such as the Jungfrau region in the Swiss Alps or the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Not to mention places of historic and architectural significance, from the Tower of London to the Empire State Building in New York.
However, there are some places that are famous for very strange reasons. One American town turned into a dog once its grocery store was burned down, and the Alleys of England became a prankster’s ass.
An “undiscovered” Pacific island and a growing Australian peak. Some of these places you may not want to visit, and others may prove a bit difficult unless you venture into the online world. They’re all famous for very strange reasons
A fundamental requirement for a ski field would have to be snow, one would presume. However Monte Kaolino is the world’s only snow-less ski field. Located in Hirschau, Germany, Monte Kaolino is in fact a 110 meter high man made sand-dune.
Named for the kaolinite quartz sand which was historically mined in the district, the sand became a problematic by-product when producing the mineral used in many industrial and medical applications.
The slag-pile of sand had grown so high by the mid 1950’s that one local grabbed the skis and used the mountain for ski practice. Before long a ski club was formed with sportsmen wanting to practice their downhill moves on the pile of sand.
Today the sand mountain even boasts a ski-lift, campground and water park, and also hosts the world sand boarding championships.
Quite a unique use for an old industrial waste dump.
