Look – we happen to think that our lovely country is simply stunning. From the rolling hills to the sandy shores and everywhere in between, the UK is full of absolutely gorgeous scenery. We get it though, some countries are lucky enough to lay claim to truly jaw-dropping sights and destinations. But what if we told you that you could see some of the world’s most famous landmarks, without leaving the UK? Thanks to these local(ish) lookalike locations you can do some global sightseeing without having to hop on the plane!
A few years back Graham Hughes – a veteran traveller and Guinness World Record holder who visited every country in the world without flying – partnered up with Premier Inn to find a bunch of UK landmark lookalikes. Whether you’ve got the Golden Gate Bridge or the Great Wall of China on your travel bucket list, they found a doppelganger for you.
Here are some of the highlights to hopefully spark some inspiration for your next staycation.
1. Why visit the Great Wall of China when you could take a trip to Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria?
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Okay, so we’re not actually trying to suggest that they look exactly the same – but if you take off your glasses and squint at it from a distance they look… similar… Plus, there’s only about a 300-year age gap between them! So either way you’re viewing something properly historic.
2. Iceland’s naturally formed ‘Church Floor’ is awesome, but it’s got nothing on Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway
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Iceland is actually home to several locales that look just like Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. So maybe it’s the other way around: people who live in Iceland can find their own version of the Irish sight nearby. Reynisfjara Beach’s columned coast looks pretty similar, but the natural basalt stone patterns at Kirkjugolf are almost identical! You’ll also find similar structures at Studlagil and Dverghamrar.
3. The Greek Temple of Hephaestus has a Sunderland-based doppelgänger called Penshaw Monument
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No, seriously – it’s a virtual copy of the Greek temple – just… y’know… in Sunderland. Makes sense right? Just try not to think too hard about it. Or about how much time passed between the two constructions (over two thousand years!).
4. Did you know that San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has a twin? It’s the Humber Bridge in Kingston-Upon-Hull
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I mean that’s kind of impressive, right? They match up almost perfectly! We suspect one might be slightly more well-known around the world though…
5. Sure, the Arc de Triomphe is nice, but London’s Marble Arch is pretty handsome too
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Plus Marble Arch has three arches within it, so we win by sheer numbers, right? If only the Marble Arch Mound was still there – then we could truly claim superiority.
6. Australia’s Twelve Apostles are certainly a sight to behold, but give Dorset’s Old Harry Rocks some credit, would you?
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Are the Old Harry Rocks an exact lookalike? Okay, maybe not. But they’re still some pretty stunning natural sights on the coast, just like the Twelve Apostles.
7. Fine, keep the Taj Mahal on your bucket list – but don’t knock Brighton’s Royal Pavilion until you’ve seen it
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Could they be any more similar?
8. Notre Dame may be gorgeous, but Durham has a pretty nice-looking cathedral too
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Although, given all that the Parisian sight has been through, and its impending reopening this year, we’d probably prefer to visit Notre Dame of the two. And then visit the UK lookalike when we return.
9. Swap a gondola ride beneath Venice’s Rialto Bridge for a punt under the Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge
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I mean… come on… It’s basically the same thing, right? Venice, Cambridge; potato, tomato. They’re two lookalike twins!
10. And Budapest might be famous for the Széchenyi Baths, but there’s no better place for a bath than, well, Bath, right?
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Except maybe I’d rather actually take a dip in Budapest’s example. Those waters look stunning! But we couldn’t exactly resist a spot of comparison, could we?