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Welcome to Hell Article Cats

Next time someone tells you to go to hell, you can ask if they mean the place of the damned or someplace a little nicer. Like perhaps Hell in Norway. Let’s face it, a vacation in Norway certainly beats the alternative destination in this case.

Hell is a small village of about 1,400 souls (still living, just in case you wondered) in central Norway. The village has become popular as a tourist stop because, well, who wouldn’t want to take the train to Hell—so long as they let you leave again after you take a photo.

The name of the town actually means “luck” in the local language.

Fortunately for those who enjoy a little humor during their travels, Hell is far from the only town with a crazy name. In fact, there are plenty of places that also have amusing names.

Here are a few more for your traveling amusement.

Climax

Looking for a good time? Don’t head to Climax, Georgia. The name was chosen because it sits at the highest point of the railroad between Savannah and the Chattahoochee River. Not to suggest that everyone in Climax is boring, but how much fun can you have in a town with fewer than 300 people?

Earth

The residents of one small Texas city may not think they are the center of the universe, but they seem to think they are at least the center of the planet. Earth, Texas, population 1,065, was originally named Fairlawn when it was founded in 1924. Evidently the name was not original enough as residents soon learned that their city was the second Fairlawn in Texas. In 1925 the name was changed to Earth.

It gets crazier

Ready for some time travel? Just tell your friends that you are going to 1770 on your next vacation. Officially named “Seventeen Seventy,” but known locally by the much cooler designation 1770, this Australian town was originally named Round Hill. The name was changed in 1970 on the town’s bicentennial anniversary.

Did they really mean to start this town? Accident, Maryland is a village of about 325 people. Accident is one of the earliest settlements in western Maryland.

Are you alert? If not, maybe a trip to Alert in Nunavut, Canada is in order. Alert is home to weather and military personnel (who rotate through), and that’s about it. Located only 500 miles from the North Pole, Alert is about as remote as you can get.

Looking to play is safe? Maybe you should stay in Condom during your next trip to France. Sadly, the name has nothing to do with the English word and instead refers to a “confluence.”

And last, but certainly not least, how about Fucking? Yes, a town in Austria is really named Fucking. For some odd reason it became a popular tourist stop despite only having a population of 100 people—and the signs frequently went missing. Reportedly the signs are not theft-proof so you may have to settle for a photo if you visit.

 


What are your favorite crazy names? Have you been to any of these places?


 

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Robert Witham
Robert Witham
A freelance writer and journalist, I am also a wandering minimalist. I never sit still for too long in one place. When I am not writing I can be found reading, enjoying a good cup of coffee, hiking, fishing, installing a new OS on my laptop, or building a website.