Most boring places you've visited

bb1234567 · 12-04-2021 12:35AM

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Really? Having entertained many visitors over the years, Dublin is very limited for a capital city.

Most small cities offer very little, Murcia, Oviedo failed to impress but are ok to work in I guess.

As a tourist the worst place was kilkenny in Ireland. You have a castle and...........

Then Milan. Wow was that disappointing. Guy trying to mug me at the San siro was the highlight of a bad weekend

That's such a strange blanket statement to make, about small cities having to offer . If you are looking specifically for characteristics that only large cities possess by virtue of their size and equate that to small cities having little to offer then sure. One of my favourite cities in Europe , Siena , is only about the size of Waterford , if even.

Random Account · 12-04-2021 12:37AM

Newtownhamilton - Didn’t even speak the language, and was boring.

Porklife · 12-04-2021 12:48AM

jmayo wrote: »

Yeah I thought I was a miserable fecker, but holly hell some are finding entire countries and big cities which millions of tourists visit every year and masses to see and do as boring.

Are some expecting their local, Copper Face Jacks and a chipper just like home and people out drinking like mad eejits at 1 in the morning ?

And holy shyte some are lumping in a town in the middle of Ireland or a harbour town in Wales to massive cities with huge history in Sweden, Austria, Netherlands.

FFS Florence, Vienna, Stockholm, Amsterdam have been mentioned ???

Jaysus lads if you find those places boring then I would hate to see what you would think of the real backwards one donkey towns in those countries or elsewhere.

Haha have to agree with you Jmayo. Saying Amsterdam is boring for example is a tad ridiculous.
It reminds me of the supposedly attractive but aren't attractive thread and people saying Margot Roberts or Michelle Pfeiffer and it's like oh come on. Some things empirically are fact and not a matter of opinion.

I think a lack of research, insufficient time or just going to the wrong parts of a city are a factor.
Alot of people have talked about how dirty or dangerous places are too but that doesnt mean they're boring.

Crusty Blaa · 12-04-2021 01:37AM

Surprised to see Berlin mentioned a few times. One of the few places I've went back to and would do so again. It's not the prettiest place in the world and not the easiest to navigate but that adds to the charm in my opinion. Berlin in December is amazing.

The most boring places I have visited would include:

Northern Queensland (Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton etc) if you're not there for the backpacker experience (drinking boxes of wine, campervans, bars etc etc), it's an incredibly dull place. Lived in Australia and had to work there for a few weeks and couldn't wait to leave.

Marseille: just didn't get the place. Also found it extremely rough and constantly felt on edge walking around.

Sihanoukville: crap seedy nightlife, filthy beach, no history about the place. Absolutely loved Cambodia in general but this place wasn't for me.

Strumms · 12-04-2021 01:42AM

Nigel Fairservice wrote: »

Naples isn't great. It is the only city I've been to abroad where I felt a bit unsafe. My first night there I was followed back to my apartment by a few lads. It wasn't even that late. The area surrounding Naples in nice though.

Fine in the daytime/early evening but at night there is a weird undercurrent of danger.

sheroman01 · 12-04-2021 01:51AM

feargantae wrote: »

Athens

A smelly kip of a city with cockroaches at tram stations and plumbing so old you can't flush toilet roll in many buildings. Just a bin beside the toilet full of shıt-covered tissue in 40°C weather

The city peaked thousands of years ago

I actually loved Athens! Thought there was lots to do and was beautiful. Also not far from some lovely beaches. Was unaware of the rough part of Athens but like all places, you just try avoid it.

bb1234567 · 12-04-2021 01:52AM

Mister Vain wrote: »

I thought Rome was boring. Sights like The Colosseum are actually very underwhelming when you see them up close. Apart from the pizza the food is horrible.

Lisbon is another dull dreary place.

Ah wow is this a windup? Even people who don't particularly like history or architecture are usually mystified by Rome. It's just one of those cities that impresses pretty much everyone. I first visited when I was 18, on a class tour with my year when I first started architecture, looking back on memories it's like a dream sequence. Just pure magic that place, literally could explore it for your entire life and find amazing new things there everyday, every building, every house,every street, you can just feel the memory of the hundreds of generations that lived and worked there before you set foot on it.

sheroman01 · 12-04-2021 01:54AM

Lyon. It’s a nice city and quite liveable but actually quite boring. There’s really not much to do there.

Riga and Copenhagen also, although they were short weekend trips.

PetitPois89 · 12-04-2021 02:23AM

Vienna, or Austria as a whole really

As many others have mentioned Holyhead

Stockholm

Charlotte, North Carolina

Copenhagen

Leeds

Birmingham

Sgt Hartman · 12-04-2021 07:42AM

Torremolinos was pretty dull. We went over in November because it was really cheap. It must have been senior citizen holiday season or something because it was just full of old people. Very few bars were open also.

The best bar we could find was actually a British themed bar. I think the owner was from Blackpool and he was actually a really nice guy. Apart from that and the nice coastline there was very little to see and do there. It was our own fault for going there during "senior citizens holiday season"

Mister Vain · 12-04-2021 08:22AM

bb1234567 wrote: »

Ah wow is this a windup? Even people who don't particularly like history or architecture are usually mystified by Rome. It's just one of those cities that impresses pretty much everyone. I first visited when I was 18, on a class tour with my year when I first started architecture, looking back on memories it's like a dream sequence. Just pure magic that place, literally could explore it for your entire life and find amazing new things there everyday, every building, every house,every street, you can just feel the memory of the hundreds of generations that lived and worked there before you set foot on it.

It just didn't do it for me. The history is interesting but the city overall was a let down. In saying that, I could go back a second time and end up enjoying it more. I would agree with Porklife - insufficient time or just going to the wrong parts of a city are a factor. I love Prague for example because its really lively and there's so much to do there, but looking back now, I definitely went to the wrong parts the first time I visited it.

Also Vienna was mentioned on this thread which is an amazing city with an endless amount of fun things to do. I'll definitely be going back there whenever I get the chance.

12-04-2021 08:28AM

Snoozy Salzburg; pristine, fairy tale-like, old moneyed, geriatric, tedious, souless citadel to the oblivion of Being. Good sausages all the same.

2lazytogetup · 12-04-2021 08:53AM

sometimes boring can be good.

tuscany is one of my faviourite places. there is nothing to do in these sleepy small towns but walk around and eat nice food and gelato. the opposite of this would be a theme park but would be hell for me with noises and people rushing round and too much stimulation.

a couple of towns in cuba were similar, beautiful to look at but nothing to do. i think the secret is to just stay for a day and then go somewhere else.

bnt · 12-04-2021 09:10AM

Toronto has been mentioned a few times. I've been there twice, and came away with the impression that the locals only care about tourism up to a point. It's their home, where they live and work. Sure, it has its tourist traps (the CN Tower is awesome), but if I go there again after things are back to "normal" it will be for at least a week. I'll use EventBrite or whatever to find things like gallery openings or talks at universities, and try to not be a tourist.

3DataModem · 12-04-2021 09:11AM

After Hours?

fryup · 12-04-2021 09:29AM

fryup wrote: »

well they did start two WW's ...it's not like they have a track record in joviality in fairness

Sam Quentin wrote: »

Funniest post/reply of this thread :pac:

do i get a prize?

12-04-2021 09:42AM

Christchurch, New Zealand. Might be due to the earthquake in 2011 so I would be curious what it was like before then.

But visited in 2017 and found it to be basically like a doughnut. You drive through suburbs to get to a city centre that kind of doesn't exist.

jmayo · 12-04-2021 10:06AM

2lazytogetup wrote: »

sometimes boring can be good.

tuscany is one of my faviourite places. there is nothing to do in these sleepy small towns but walk around and eat nice food and gelato. the opposite of this would be a theme park but would be hell for me with noises and people rushing round and too much stimulation.

a couple of towns in cuba were similar, beautiful to look at but nothing to do. i think the secret is to just stay for a day and then go somewhere else.

I used to always wonder why were so many people were always on about Tuscany and then I went.
If you want crowds, history and art slapping you in the face every minute go to Florence, a little less so Sienna.
But the real joy is the smaller towns, especially the hill towns.

Wander around, take in the views, saunter into a restaurant particularly one with a view and enjoy.
Have a few drinks and wander around a bit more.
And then follow it up with a huge dollop of ice cream.

Maybe you need to be older and less looking for a p**s up and nightclubs?

BTW if into driving also do Tuscany and try keep up with the locals on the windy roads.
There is a reason a few Ferrari drivers have claimed the reason the Italians are so critical is because they all think they are F1 drivers.

Deleted User wrote: »

Christchurch, New Zealand. Might be due to the earthquake in 2011 so I would be curious what it was like before then.

But visited in 2017 and found it to be basically like a doughnut. You drive through suburbs to get to a city centre that kind of doesn't exist.

The centre was nice enough from what I remember of it.

People bitch about New Zealand when they need to realise it is full of Kiwis who are quiet and sometimes can be kinda dour.
I reckon it is the preponderance of Scottish presbyterian descendants.

They are very different from their fellow colonial neighbours where you have far more Irish, Italian, Greek descendants.

And thus a lot of Kiwi towns are awfully quiet.
You don't visit NZ for the towns or cities, you visit for the mountains, the ocean, the drives, the fjords, the volcanoes and the adventure sports or to work on a farm.

ek motor · 12-04-2021 10:07AM

Roscommon town. Stupefyingly dull.

Cody montana · 12-04-2021 10:14AM

ek motor wrote: »

Roscommon town. Stupefyingly dull.

I did not even know there was a Roscommon town.

ek motor · 12-04-2021 10:16AM

Cody montana wrote: »

I did not even know there was a Roscommon town.

Roscommon has many boring towns. Lough Key forest park is nice though.

2lazytogetup · 12-04-2021 10:25AM

ek motor wrote: »

Roscommon has many boring towns. Lough Key forest park is nice though.

i recall in college there was a high proportion of students from roscommon, leitrim and other boring places. appears living in boring towns meant there were no distractions when doing the leaving cert. and thus they got higher points than people from more interesting places.

TheIrishGrover · 12-04-2021 10:31AM

Helsinki. But admittedly it was at the wrong time: Summer, probably great fun with decent weather and life. Winter, even better. We went in September or something for some bloody reason. People were great and friendly and up for the craic. But it was just the wrong time of year

It was so boring that I went to the cinema to see a film that 1: I had seen before. 2: Was in Japanese 3: had subtitles in 3 languages..... except for English

12-04-2021 10:33AM

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Helsinki. But admittedly it was at the wrong time: Summer, probably great fun with decent weather and life. Winter, even better. We went in September or something for some bloody reason. People were great and friendly and up for the craic. But it was just the wrong time of year

It was so boring that I went to the cinema to see a film that 1: I had seen before. 2: Was in Japanese 3: had subtitles in 3 languages..... except for English

September is actually a good time to visit Helsinki!
Definitely not in winter........

The Nal · 12-04-2021 10:37AM

Helsinki is on my to do list. I have heard mixed reports.

Cody montana · 12-04-2021 10:46AM

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Helsinki. But admittedly it was at the wrong time: Summer, probably great fun with decent weather and life. Winter, even better. We went in September or something for some bloody reason. People were great and friendly and up for the craic. But it was just the wrong time of year

It was so boring that I went to the cinema to see a film that 1: I had seen before. 2: Was in Japanese 3: had subtitles in 3 languages..... except for English

suomenlinna island is nice to visit.
And to walk around the market down by the marina.

You can do a day trip via the ferry from Estonia.

stuboy01 · 12-04-2021 11:03AM

Lisbon.
Worked there for 2 days on a project, arrived Sunday morning, city was nice during the day, but everything was closed come 9 oclock. no bars, restaurants or anything. WTF? Had to go down to Docas region to get food. huge restaurant about 3 tables had people.
Now maybe it was a bad day of the week to want to go out but jaysus. Sunday night!

hahashake · 12-04-2021 11:04AM

jmayo wrote: »

You don't visit NZ for the towns or cities, you visit for the mountains, the ocean, the drives, the fjords, the volcanoes and the adventure sports or to work on a farm.

Still amazes me people go there who have seemingly no interest in these things.

Probably one of the most diverse range of things to do in a relatively small country. Case in point an interesting fact is that NZ is the country with the worlds highest per capita boat ownership. People actually enjoy the environment rather than just looking at it. Great hiking, hunting, fishing (all types), skiing, surfing, white-water rafting, caving - and all in a diverse landscape. If you having no interest in a little exercise or getting dirty, it shouldn't be high on your list.

artanevilla · 12-04-2021 11:08AM

I think a lot of these "boring" places are reflective of the people going rather than the place itself.

harr · 12-04-2021 11:30AM

The recurring theme here a lot of European city’s seem to close up early at night time , I found this to be true in a lot of the smaller European city’s especially midweek .
I remember being in Munich and it was the same everything in city centre closed before 9 , not only German cities I have noticed it a lot in mainland Europe.
I think we have the misconception that all city’s should be like Dublin on a Saturday night.
I have often even struggled to find restaurants open in some cities after 9pm

Most boring places you've visited

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