Despite having one of the funniest town names in Europe, aside from Wyre Piddle in Worcestershire and a town in Austria called F***ing - real place, look it up - the Spanish town of Belchite has a distinctly unfunny history. Founded in the 12th century by the stupendously named Alfonso the Battler, Belchite has been involved in some sort of war pretty much since its inception. The most damaging of these took place during the Spanish Civil War between the Loyalists and Francos Rebel Forces - either of which would be an incredible name for a band. The town was wrecked so badly as a result that they just decided to leave it, move on and build a new town some way up the road. A living war memorial of sorts. Youre allowed to walk freely amongst the war torn ruins and if any of the ravaged buildings look a little familiar, its because Belchite was used as one of the filming locations for Guillermo del Toro's Pans Labyrinth.
