Famous Places with Record-Breaking Beauty
1. The World's Largest Natural Flower Garden: The Keukenhof Gardens
Located in the Netherlands, Keukenhof is known as the world's largest flower garden, showcasing breathtaking displays of millions of tulips and other flowers.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Keukenhof Gardens, situated in Lisse, Netherlands, spans approximately 79 acres (32 hectares).
- Why It Holds the Record: With around 7 million flower bulbs planted each year, it features nearly 800 varieties of tulips, making it a stunning visual feast.
- How It Formed or Works: Created in 1949 as a showcase for the flower bulb industry, it blossoms every spring, attracting visitors from across the globe.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: The number of flowers at Keukenhof is enough to fill more than 500 football pitches!
2. Elevated Gardens: Gardens by the Bay
In Singapore, Gardens by the Bay is a futuristic park that features remarkable tree-like structures known as Supertrees.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Gardens by the Bay is a nature park located in the heart of Singapore, covering 101 hectares (250 acres).
- Why It Holds the Record: Its Supertrees are vertical gardens measuring between 25 to 50 metres (82 to 164 feet) tall, some even housing waterfalls and plants from different climates.
- How It Formed or Works: These eco-friendly structures are designed to harness solar energy, collect rainwater, and provide shade, showcasing innovative green technology.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: The tallest Supertree is as tall as a 16-storey building!
3. The Beautiful Hitachi Seaside Park
Located in Japan, this park is famous for its vast, vividly colourful flower fields that change through the seasons.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Hitachi Seaside Park is in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, covering about 350 hectares (865 acres).
- Why It Holds the Record: The park is known for its seasonal flowers such as nemophila, which creates a striking blue carpet every spring.
- How It Formed or Works: This park was created on former farmland, where meticulous planning allows for various flowers to bloom at different times, providing a vibrant landscape year-round.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: In spring, the park attracts over 2 million visitors who come to see the blue flowers, which cover almost 10 hectares (24 acres) all at once!
4. The Most Colourful Place on Earth: The Rainbow Mountain
Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca, is a stunning mountain range in Peru, famous for its vibrant, multicoloured stripes.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Located in the Andes of Peru, Rainbow Mountain stands at about 5,200 metres (17,060 feet) above sea level.
- Why It Holds the Record: Its unique colouring comes from mineral deposits and sedimentary layers, giving it a striking appearance resembling a painter's palette.
- How It Formed or Works: The mountain's colours are the result of geological processes over millions of years, enhanced by erosion exposing these colourful layers.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: The colours of Rainbow Mountain are so vibrant and diverse that they can change depending on the weather and time of day!
5. The Largest Aquarium: Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, USA, is known for being the largest aquarium in the world.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: The Georgia Aquarium spans over 600,000 square feet (55,742 square metres) and is home to more than 100,000 marine animals.
- Why It Holds the Record: It holds 10 million gallons of water and features a massive tank that houses whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea.
- How It Formed or Works: Opened in 2005, it was built to educate visitors about marine life and conservation, providing expansive viewing areas for a variety of species.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: The aquarium contains enough water to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
