As Australians celebrate 100 years of living underground in Coober Pedy, a mining village in the outback, we round up some of the world's most beautiful but unusual settlements.
Pitigliano, Italy
A forboding sight on a grey day, the buildings of this little medieval town appear to elbow each other aside in a shambolic fashion. They stand dangerously close to the edge of a limestone ridge. Nearby are Etruscan cave tombs.
Aogashima, Japan
A volcano is not everyone's first choice for a home but the 200 or so residents here will find the soil in the middle of their crater island nothing if not fertile. It is the most southerly island in Japan's Izu Archipelago and is actually formed from four calderas. The volcano's last eruption was in the late 18th-century.
Monemvasia, Greece
Rising dramatically from the sea, the medieval establishment of Monemvasia, clings to the face of a large rock which broke free from the mainland during an earthquake in 375AD. Over time the village was divided into the upper and lower town. The upper town is home to the original fortress, which is now a ruin perfect for exploring, and don’t forget to visit the Agia Sophia, a 12th century Byzantine church. The lower town, where the residents reside, features more modern comforts such as hotels, cafés and restaurants.
Gásadalur, Denmark
Gásadalur only had a population of 18 in 2012, which might be because the village's only path to the outside world is a small exposed cliffside track which climbs over 400 metres. But the village is worth the trek. If you look left from the path there is a fjord dotted with islets and as you reach the top of the path there are houses with turf roofs at the edge of the rocks, with a view no one could get bored of.
Back to bottling my Grenache
