Been There

On the U.S. board, there was a hugely popular thread in which people described U.S. attractions that were major disappointments. Personally, I learned from that thread that certain famous attractions I had wanted to visit might not be worth the bother. <BR> <BR>Now that summer is almost over, many of you probably visited European attractions that you thought were overrated or disappointing. If you'd like to talk future victims out of it, here is your chance. Remember, this is different from the "Places I Could Do Without" thread because we are talking about attractions (museums, historical sites, parks, etc.) rather than entire cities or regions. <BR> <BR>I'll nominate the crown jewels at the Tower of London. In 1988, huge line to get in. Yes, the jewels are big and shiny, but there wasn't much information about them to make them come alive. Who wore that big ole crown, anyway? What is the etiquette about when one wears a tiara with lots of diamonds as opposed to that saphire pin, for instance? It was left a mystery, so it was hard to muster much more than an exhausted "oooh."

Geoff

This is why that thread stunk, and is done by people more interested in trying to see how they can get big replies back. <BR> <BR>Why do I say that? The Tower of London has not had those lines for many years sure to the conveyor belt system installed some years ago. The Tower can now be quite a good trip if you get a good tour guide as well.

Gina

Agree with Geoff. I actually had a great time chatting with the Yeoman Warder in the Crown Jewels Exhibit about the other items in that display area--like the gold (or gold-plate, anyway) christening vessels that were used for Queen Victoria and other royals. It's a smooth and well-done display, and the moving walkway is very convenient. There are clear labels about what each of the jewels is, and then--if you want to know more, good lord, ask a Warder! It's much more fun getting all the scoop from those guys than reading it on a label. <BR> <BR>I wouldn't doubt that they spice it up a bit for the tourists, but these guys are a treasure. On my first visit to the Tower, we had the treat of seeing a wedding procession involving one of the Warders--I believe his daughter was getting married in the Tower Chapel (St. Peter ad Vincula). <BR> <BR>So, hmm, I don't know that I have any "don't bothers" for Europe thus far. Are there places I wouldn't bother going *back* to? Definitely, but no places I was just horribly disappointed in. The only thing I can think of that comes close is not a "sight," but an accommodation, but I guess one that qualifies as a type of European experience. Staying in a castle on the Rhine, I thought, would be a fabulous experience--and so it might have been, had we not chosen a slightly bizarre and isolated one called Burg Liebenstein, in the village of Bornhofen on the "wrong" side of the Rhine. If you're really curious about the details, I think you can find my original Fodor's post on hte subject by searching for "Liebenstein," but suffice it to say it was a disappointment. <BR> <BR>

Rachel

Changing of the guards in London. Why in the world do people line up for that? Watching crossing guards get ready to take their posts in the morning is more interesting.

Lori

I second the changing of the guards in London. Lots of people pushing and shoving to see what? Time better spent in Westminister Abbey.

jwagner

Leaning Tower of Pisa. Boring.

GGinSF

I also enjoyed the Crown Jewels at the Tower. I was there last January and there were no more than 3 others in the room at the time. The jewels, as well as the silver and gold plates, cups, punchbowls, etc. were exciting to see. I didn't know the title of the "Yeoman Warder", but I also got a lot of information from the "guy".

Rex

Pisa is overrated. Sure, every American ought to see the Leaning Tower and climb it, if open to the public. However, ther is little else to see in Pisa. Your best bet is to take in Pisa while you stay in Florence. Leave Florence as early as you can awake in the morning- Pisa is only an hour away by train. By mid-afternoon you can be back in Florence and have yourself a well-earned Grande beer.

Joanna

Rex, you philistine! How about the glorious Baptistery, the Duomo and the Campo Santo. There is also a very good Museo del Opera del Duomo at Pisa, full of mediaeval treasures. More than enough to fill a day. Do your research!! Why go to see the Leaning Tower just because it's there? I travel to see things I genuinely want to see, not just because they are famous and need to be ticked off a list.

Lisa

I had this reaction when I visited Stonehenge. I couldn't get back into the car and out of the cold, windy weather fast enough. That said, its worth the trip if only to see the beautiful surrounding countryside.

russ i

Of course, every place has its supporters and detractors. I would have to agree with Joanna that the Piazza dei Miracoli complex in Pisa, of which the leaning tower is but a part, is one of the most unified and harmonious of its kind in Italy. <BR> <BR>The ideal day, however, would be to group Pisa with a trip to Lucca. It's only 30 minutes away by train, and much more charming than Pisa. It also has the best preserved city walls in Italy. We rented bicycles for an hour and rode "on" the walls for their entire 4km perimeter. A great way to decompress after the crowds of Pisa. There is also great food and shopping, and the best afternoon "pasegiatta" in Tuscany.

scigirl

The Mona Lisa. On my first trip to Paris I was told that it was "much smaller than expected." I heard this so many times that I expected the painting to be about the size of a postcard. During my first trip the room was so crowded I couldn't see anything of the painting, but could tell that it was much larger that I expected. During my recent trip to Paris I made a point of getting to the Louve early so that I could get a closer look. While it certainly is a very nice painting - there are so many other fabulous things in the Louve that all the fuss over that one painting is a bit lost on me. It isn't exactually a "don't bother", but missing the Mona Lisa at the Louve would hardly ruin the trip. <BR> <BR>PS: My husband and I really liked seeing the leaning tower of Pisa. I guess all the "don't bothers" and such just come down to personal preference anyhow.

Elija Hunt Rhodes

Edinburg, Scotland. Basically, a dump! The municipality need a kick where it hurts for allowing that amount of litter to be on the streets. <BR> <BR>They have no idea how to treat Americans who pay a considerable sum in hotels and shops and the local cabbies are out to rip off anybody they think are foreign. Never again.

Art History Major

Jeeze, I can't believe I wasted all that time reading all of those scholarly works about style, attribution, iconography, the history of criticism, etc., only to find out that the real criteron for judging a work of art is its size. That sure cuts Vermeer down to size, as it were.

Margot

<BR>I loved Edinburgh! Of all the places we saw it was our favorite. I didn't seen any of the litter Elija mentions and it was the least expensive place I visited over there. Isn't it funny how everyone has a different take on things?

Tom

The changing of the guard was without question the most boring, disappointing thing I have seen in ages. Now watching the horses at horseguards is another thing entirely. <BR> <BR>Tom

wendy

The Cotswolds. The most fun I had there was crawling around on my belly trying to take a photo of a duck, which, coincidentally, was the only sign of life in the area. I couldn't get back to Bath fast enough.

topper

!

upper

Any more? <BR>

patrizia

How about the rural parts of Luxembourg...although the city was great, the rest of the country wasn't that great...of course, the rain and getting stuck in a small town because of poor public transportation during weekends didn't help!