These top 10 most boring cities in the world are so dull that visiting them may actually be interesting. They have gone full circle and through their boredom actually became interesting. Nah, we are just kidding. They are plainly and simply shoot-yourself-in-the-face boring.
Any list of most boring places wouldn’t be complete without Boring, Oregon and Dull, Scotland. These two towns have been paired since 2012 in their “Boring & Dull: a pair for the ages” campaign aimed at promoting tourism. In 2013 they added another town, Bland in Australia, to their community. Being saddled with such names, you can’t really blame them for trying to at least make some money out of it.
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Boring doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Some of the places on our list are actually quite nice. What they lack in cultural heritage they make up in other things, like business opportunities and low crime rates. After all, not everyone is after wild nightlife, fancy restaurants, and glamorous events. Some people quite enjoy living in most boring countries to live in. To each his own.
Some are, however, downright awful places that don’t offer anything to either its citizens or visitors. The only reason people live in them is that they can make a lot of money quickly and are planning on moving out as soon as possible.
In order to determine which cities deserve to be included among top 10 most boring cities in the world, we consulted the experts. Good people over at Open Travel, Independent Traveler, and Travel Supermarket have each compiled their own lists on the subject. Some of these sites rated the boring factor based on the experiences of their members who had the misfortune of visiting one or more of them. The others took a more scientific approach and calculated entertainment and cultural value for each city and rank them accordingly. By combining both approaches, we feel that we have achieved the ultimate “Boring be there” map of the world.
10. Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt is one of the biggest transportation hubs in the world and one of the largest financial centers in Europe. With so many people and money pouring into the city, it is surprising to find it on the list of most boring places, yet here it is. One of the reasons behind it is that Frankfurt was heavily bombed during the World War 2 and almost all of its old historic buildings that provide charm and authenticity to many German and European cities have been destroyed. Today, it is a modern metropolis of glass and concrete like so many others around the world. Despite many things it has to offer, Frankfurt was recommended by many tourist sites as a place best suited for a short visit at best.
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9. Ottawa, Canada
We are continuing our list of top 10 most boring cities in the world with Ottawa that is often called the most boring city in Canada, especially when compared with the likes of Toronto and Montreal. But what would you expect from a government city? It seems that there is a cyborg factory that produces Ottawa residents in batches hidden somewhere under the city. Everyone works for the government has a nice house in the suburbs, pays their mortgage, and just exists. Add the fact that the average age is a bit higher than in the rest of the country due to the job market, and it is easy to see why young people can’t wait to leave.
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8. Nagoya, Japan
When even the Mayor admits that nobody wants to visit his city, you know you are in a boring place. Takashi Kawamura, Nagoya’s Mayor, threw a hissy fit when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the government will prioritize Tokyo and Osaka for development in the future. Already burdened with the title of the most boring city in Japan, Nagoya will struggle even more to attract tourists and keep its population with these measures in place. Nagoya has been historically a huge economic region, which led to the city and its surroundings being heavily bombed during the World War 2. It suffered the fate similar to Frankfurt, with almost all of its historic building destroyed and little touristic appeal left. But at least, it has one of the highest standards of living in Japan, so the residents can entertain themselves with counting their money. Not much left is there to do anyway.
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7. Brussels, Belgium
The capital of European Union is quite a nice place to visit on your way to somewhere more exciting. Have a walk around the city center, maybe enjoy a coffee in one of the street bistros, and then carry on. Once the night comes down, everyone goes to sleep. It’s like a reverse vampire movie where everyone goes inside as soon as the Sun dips below the horizon. The food is great and there is plenty of sightseeing to be done, but plain, old-fashioned fun? Nope. Nada. After spending all day stuffing your face with all that delicious Belgium waffles, with your feet sore from all the walking, you are ready to hit some bars or clubs in order to relax and enjoy yourself. Don’t even try, you won’t find any.
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6. Houston, Texas, United States of America
If you are a basketball fan, Houston, the number 6 on our list of top 10 most boring cities in the world may be a nice place for you to live. James Harden is playing in the best form of his life, raking triple-doubles and making Houston Rockets relevant once again. And there is Space Center Houston to visit, of course. That about sums it up. Unless you enjoy watching oil pumps going up and down all day long, you will get pretty bored pretty fast in Houston. More than enough reasons of the spot on the list of top 10 most boring cities in the world.
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5. Zurich, Switzerland
The banking capital of the world is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. There is plenty of historic buildings to see and many museums, even art galleries. But when it comes to having fun, Zurich is woefully lacking. The Swiss usually don’t enjoy drunken tourists stumbling on their very clean streets, littering the place and – God forbid – vomiting. In fact, they do everything in their power to discourage such behavior. Although not quite on the level of Singapore and their bamboo sticks, Zurich police will give you a very stern talking to if they spot you drunk in public. Think of Daytona Beach during the spring break and imagine the complete opposite. That is Zurich in a nutshell.
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4. Oslo, Norway
Scandinavian countries have long been a beacon of democracy and social justice. These are the countries with some of the highest standards of human rights in the world. One would think that people living in such rich and ordered countries would know how to have fun, right? Very wrong. The streets of Oslo that ranks 4th on our list of top 10 most boring cities in the world, become deserted once the business hours are over. The drinks are ridiculously expensive, due to huge taxes on alcohol, leading to everyone drinking in the solitude of their homes. Unless you have friends among the natives, you will be bored out of your mind within days of arriving. Oh, and if you believe President Trump and his advisors, all of Scandinavia, Oslo included, suffer from gangs of Somalis roaming the streets and raping everything that moves. Very sad.
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3. Bratislava, Slovakia
Eastern European cities often combine centuries of rich history with major modern developments, with just a sprinkle of left-over communist-designed buildings to keep you reminded of the region’s late 20th-century history. Unfortunately, Bratislava is a bit thin on medieval castles. Also, there aren’t any major modern developments. Rows upon rows of gray apartment blocks? Yep, there are plenty of those. You find those boring? Well, the joke is on you, buddy. What are you doing in Bratislava anyway? Prague and Vienna are less than an hour away, genius.
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2. Singapore
Singapore, the number two on our list of top 10 most boring cities in the world is all about the rules. Smoking in a public place? That’s a paddlin’. Spitting on a sidewalk? Yup, paddlin’. Public drunkenness? You guessed it, major paddlin’. Of course, when we say paddling’, we mean bamboo lashing. Quite a painful experience, they say. So, if you enjoy walking or sitting in your hotel room (probably the only things you can do in Singapore without ending up on a receiving end of a bamboo stick) go visit Singapore. If not, choose some other destination for your holiday.
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1. Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
If you enjoy fast food (not that you should, it’s really bad for you), don’t need art in your life, and like getting drunk in cheap bars, Lubbock may be worth a visit. If none of the above applies to you, stay away. Regularly featured on all lists of the most boring cities in America, Lubbock had been garnering international attention as well. Those few European travelers who wandered into West Texas were less than impressed with the entertainment found there. In fact, we hear some of them gave up on traveling altogether after experiencing a visit to Lubbock. That is why Lubbock in number one on our list of the top 10 most boring cities in the world.
