8Shirakawa-go, Japan

Japan has no shortage of fairy-tale landscapes and surprising architecture, but few visitors make their way to the hidden towns of Shirakawa and Gokayama.

Concealed in the mountains of the Showgowa River Valley, the towns are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are renowned for their gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.
The quirky thatched-roof A-frame houses do indeed resemble praying hands, and they’re even more enchanting beneath a coat of winter snow.