“Sorry, you’re from where?”
While in general, town names are more or less benign and uninteresting, there are many around the world that make people do a double-take. Invariably, most if not all of these names gain attention because they’re considered expletives, double entendres, or have sexual connotations.
For the people who call these towns home, their name is either a blessing or a curse.
Dull, Scotland
They may live in Dull but the villagers who call this hamlet in Perthshire home are anything but.
Besides having stunning Highland scenery on their doorsteps, people from Dull also have quite a sense of humour. Spinning the uninspiring village name to its advantage, Dull twinned itself with Boring in Oregon, USA, in 2012, before welcoming Bland in New South Wales, Australia, into the fold.
The “Trinity of Tedium,” as they’ve been dubbed, has become a tourism tour-de-force, and from the signage, we can see why.
Climax, United States
There’s not much to get excited about in this small, quiet town in rural Minnesota. In some ways, you could say it’s an anticlimax.
What’s perhaps more surprising is that there are four places in the US bearing this particular name, all equally small and pastoral. Climax in Minnesota, which took its name from a chewing tobacco company, perhaps leans into its unusual name more than the others, having adopted the one-time town slogan: “Climax. More than just a feeling”.
Hell, Norway
As it turns out, Hell does freeze over. The mercury in this small village west of Trondheim in central Norway can plunge as low as -25C in the depths of winter.
But while the novelty of the village’s name has turned it into a minor attraction for English speakers, Hell actually stems from the old Norse word for “cliff cave”.
Then again, given it is adjacent to a busy airport, maybe it was aptly named after all.
Fucking, Austria
Fuckingers – the residents of Fucking – were so weary of constant ridicule and the theft of signposts that the town voted to change its name in November.
Despite evidence that its former name dates as far back as the 11th century, Fugging – as the town is now called – is looking to begin a new chapter away from hordes of selfie stick-wielding tourists and tasteless jokes.
Condom, France
Fortunately for the French, Condom is a faux ami, or “false friend,” and will only make Anglophones snort with childish laughter.
Condomois – as the locals are known – live in blissful ignorance in this rather handsome town in the southwest of France.
As the capital of the Armagnac region, where the famous brandy originates, the town also boasts a rich architectural treasure trove, including elegant 18th-century mansions and a 16th-century gothic cathedral.
Intercourse, United States
As with many towns in the US (and the list is inexhaustible, trust us), the art of town naming has relied heavily on old parlance and phrases.
Intercourse, for instance, which was renamed in 1814 to replace the name Cross Keys, is believed to have been so named either as a reference to fellowship and community or its geographical position on a crossroads.
There’s a particular irony, though, in giving a town in the heart of what is now Amish country such a euphemistic name. At least it wasn’t called Horneytown (North Carolina) or Spread Eagle (Wisconsin).
Twatt, Scotland
Despite attractions including a neolithic stone circle that ranks in importance with Stonehenge, and boasting some of the best beaches in the UK, the road sign for the small, euphemistically-named settlement of Twatt on Orkney is still a hit with visitors to the archipelago.
There’s also a rival Twatt in the Shetland Islands.
Anus, France
It has to be said, the sleepy hamlet of Anus in Burgundy is in the back of beyond.
The minuscule settlement does have a few things going for it, including being in wine country and not far from sites such as a Crusades-era cathedral in nearby Clamency.
Unfortunately for it, though, Anus is the word for that particular orifice in both French and English which might make marketing it as a tourist destination a challenge.
Muff, Ireland
The title of funniest town name in Ireland is a tough call but for those with a blue sense of humour, Muff in County Donegal takes the crown.
Honourable mentions include Bastardstown, Fannystown, and Horetown, which are all in County Wexford. Given its proximity to the sea, watersports are a popular pastime in Muff. In fact, the town boasts Ireland’s oldest scuba diving club, Muff Diving Club.
The townsfolk also hold an annual Muff Festival around August.
Bitche, France
As with Condom, Bitche doesn’t mean the same thing that you’d think it does in English. But that won’t stop English-speakers sniggering at the sight of it on a map or imagining signs saying “You are now leaving Bitche”.
Located in the Moselle département in the northeast of France, Bitche is on the border with Germany and as such is the site of a colossal, centuries-old hill fortress that has formed an integral part of the country’s defensive line in every conflict since the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War.
Where have we missed off our list? Let us know by tagging us on Twitter using @euronewstravel.
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