18 Striking Black and White Places Around the World
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Colorful places tend to get a lot of attention—and for good reason. There's an undeniable allure to sites like Iceland's Blue Lagoon and the lavender fields of Provence. But there's also something to be said for the stark, non-technicolor architecture and landscapes around the world. In fact, we'd argue that these achromatic jet black beaches and blindingly white salt flat are just as dazzling as their ROYGBIV counterparts. So grab your camera and get moving: Those Instagram feeds aren't going to desaturate themselves.
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Patagonia, Chile
Chile is known for its pristine landscapes—especially in the southern region of Patagonia. Make a beeline for Torres del Paine National Park for Andean views and massive, chillingly white glaciers.
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Reynisfjara, Iceland
Just a 20-minute drive from Vik in southern Iceland, jet-black sand and spectacularly shaped basalt columns make Reynisfjara one of the most impressive sites in the country.
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Thorn, Netherlands
Found in the province of Limburg (near the Belgian border), Thorn is postcard-pretty with cobblestone roads and white-washed brick buildings. Its can't-miss attraction is the tenth-century abbey church in the town center.
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Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark
This stunning library is one of the largest and most beautiful in the world, and its draws go way beyond literature. The library’s newer extension, known as the Black Diamond, is a work of architectural art: an angular polished black marble structure right on the waterfront.
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Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland
Greenland's western town of Ilulissat draws tourists for two main reasons: dog sledding and the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord. The Icefjord covers 155 square miles (that's about 66,000 football fields) and contains Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest-moving and most active glaciers on the planet.
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Hotel Mono, Singapore
Hotel Mono, Singapore's aptly named monochrome hotel, is sparsely decorated in black, white, and shades of gray (with the occasional single green leaf). In other words? It's a minimalist's dream come true.
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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Southwest Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, and is about as surreal as landscapes come. When dry, the flat is a sheet of blindingly white salt tiles. And during the wet season, the shallow lake perfectly mirrors the sky, creating a dreamy illusion of infinity.
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Freudenberg, Germany
When it comes to German villages, you can't get more fairytale-esque than Freudenberg in the scenic state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The town's historic center is known its half-timbered houses, which give the entire site a charming black-and-white facade.
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Duomo, Milan, Italy
This magnificent white Gothic cathedral is home to more statues than any other in the world—around 3,500 in total. For the best photos, climb the 150 steps up to the roof, where you can get up close with gargoyles and enjoy spectacular views over Milan.
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Black Church, Buðir, Iceland
The small hamlet of Buđir only has two buildings: Hotel Buđir (which is a destination in its own right), and a tiny black church. Sitting on a flora-studded lava field two hours northwest of Reykjavik, the striking black building is equal parts charming and creepy.
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White Desert, Farafra, Egypt
The landscape of the White Desert can be deceiving: What first appears to be a cool, snowy landscape is actually a mind-bendingly hot region of western Egypt. (Summer highs average in the 100s.) The desert is known for its wind-shaped chalk rock formations, which often resemble giant mushroom clouds frozen in time.
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City Library, Stuttgart, Germany
Built in a concrete cube in the heart of southern Germany, this isn't your average library. The main attraction—a five-story reading room shaped like an upside-down pyramid—looks more like an M.C. Escher drawing than a library...until you notice the hundreds of thousands of neatly stacked books, that is. Cozy? Not really. Beautiful? You bet.
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Lost Coast, California
Just as cool as it sounds, the so-called Lost Coast features 30 miles of wild coastline in northern California (really northern—about 50 miles away from the Oregon border). Just off the parking lot in Shelter Cove, you'll find an extraordinary black sand beach with rugged beauty rivaling Iceland.
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Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat, Oman
Everyone begins their trip to Oman in Muscat, and everyone begins their trip to Muscat at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The glittery white mosque is a place of superlatives, including the world’s second-largest carpet (45,208 square feet) and second-largest chandelier (46 feet high).
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MuCEM, Marseille, France
Built in 2013 as the world's first museum dedicated to Mediterranean culture, Marseille's Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM), is as famous for its black exterior as its exhibits. Indeed, the delicate, sun-soaked latticework façade of Rudy Ricciotti's creation still impresses, six years later.
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Oculus, New York City
When the nearly $4 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub opened in 2016, its Santiago Calatrava-designed Oculus became an immediate sensation. Join the throngs of tourists and PATH commuters to snap a selfie under the impressive steel ribs converging 160-feet above a white marble floor.
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island, Hawaii
Hawaii has always been known for its volcanoes, attracting visitors from all over the world to see molten lava and the unique landscape it has shaped. Visit the Big Islands' Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for views of unique black coastlines—and maybe even an active lava flow or two.