Most under/over whelming touristy thing you have seen ?

[Globalti]

When I went cycling around Yorkshire a year ago, I stopped off in Haworth, where the Bronte sisters lived. I was surprised it had all been turned into Bronteland with cobbled streets and old gas lamps. Actually it was only a couple of streets, but one of them was quite long. I had a beer in the pub where Branwell Bronte got pissed in.

Avoid Haworth and visit Heptonstall; a similar Pennine wool village but ignored by tourists.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7...4!1sdQKyVeHhgjj6CXVfsxJltQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Proto]

Overwhelming - Coventry Cathedral, both old and new. The old moves me to tears, heart rending. The new, just wow, breathtaking.
Overwhelming - any of the military cemeteries in Belgium or France. They also move me to tears.
Overwhelming - Rome. Ancient ruins just lying about all over the place. Fabulous.
Overwhelming - Fusion reactor at Culham. Incredible technology and engineering. Mind boggling.

Underwhelming - Little Mermaid, Copenhagen. "Is that it?"
Underwhelming - Pisa. The leaning tower is quite special, but the rest is a bit like the market square in Aylesbury, but bigger.

 

[Cycleops]

Blimey, how big do you people want Stonehenge to be? If you want a bigger stone circle then Avebury is just down the road although it's less standy uppy. You do know that the stones were all fallen over and and were only re-raised in modern times, right? That's a bit underwhelming in itself.

Are you sure about that?

 

[Blue Hills]

Underwhelming - Pisa. The leaning tower is quite special, but the rest is a bit like the market square in Aylesbury, but bigger.

and doesn't have aylesbury's god bowie associations - he launched the live performance of two great albums there within a matter of months i think.

 

[nickyboy]

Avoid Haworth and visit Heptonstall; a similar Pennine wool village but ignored by tourists.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7...4!1sdQKyVeHhgjj6CXVfsxJltQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I've never been to Heptonstall and it's just about within cycling distance of home so when the weather's nice I will go and take a look. Thanks

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Overwhelming - Rome. Ancient ruins just lying about all over the place. Fabulous.

Yes, an amazing city.

I was also impressed with Pompeii; probably more so than with Rome.

 

[Blue Hills]

In connection with above can recommend Ostia Antica. Still not as well known as it could be. An easy ride towards the coast from rome on the suburban railway. Not many folk there when I was there.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

In connection with above can recommend Ostia Antica. Still not as well known as it could be. An easy ride towards the coast from rome on the suburban railway. Not many folk there when I was there.

I'd never heard of it but just had a look at some images and it looks impressive

 

[Blue Hills]

I'd never heard of it but just had a look at some images and it looks impressive

Yes it's very large. So wandering around it you can get the feeling of wandering around roman ruins before the post war tourist hoards arrived. Much of it was excavated relatively recently i think, a lot under benito i think who had a thing about rome.

 

[ianrauk]

The Mona Lisa.. underwhelming

Very small

 

[psmiffy]

Very small

If you want bigger pictures - go dutch - Rijksmuseum - Night Watch

For me the Mona Lisa is not about the painting - ditto the codex - just a loada scruffy doodles - more about the man

 

[Piemaster]

Mona Lisa. Based on above posts and this picture I don't think I'll be bothering

 

[ianrauk]

If you want bigger pictures - go dutch - Rijksmuseum - Night Watch

For me the Mona Lisa is not about the painting - ditto the codex - just a loada scruffy doodles - more about the man

Not that I wanted it to be bigger, just I never realised it was so small.

 

[jefmcg]

This is the picture that most fascinated me on my first visit to the Louvre.

Spoiler: Very NSFW

 

[User482]

The Mona Lisa.. underwhelming

IIRC, they daren't restore the Mona Lisa because it's too valuable. Compare and contrast with much of the other renaissance art in the Louvre which has been restored to its full, vibrant glory. Throw in the fact that you've got no chance of getting anywhere near the painting and you have something dulled, small and far away.