Rainbow houses, Houten, Netherlands Sep. 29, 2025

You won"t find souvenir shops or tourist maps pointing the way—but follow the edge of Lake Rietplas in Houten, and you"ll stumble upon one of the Netherlands" most unexpectedly photogenic sights. While many flock to Amsterdam"s canals or Rotterdam"s cube houses, this quiet commuter town offers its own architectural twist. Lined up like a mirage, the Rainbow Houses shimmer in bold, painterly hues—a residential block turned an understated cultural landmark.

© George Pachantouris/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Blurring the lines with wearable art
Sep. 29, 2023Mid-Autumn Festival
Sep. 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov. 17, 2024Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scotland
Centuries of time in a Delicate Arch
Mar. 1, 2024Wheaton River, Yukon
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’
Jan. 20, 2026Penguin Awareness Day
Jun. 29, 2024Tour de France 2024
Nov. 26, 2025World Olive Tree Day
Blood moon
Sep. 11, 2024Red fox mother kissing her baby
Jan. 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Oct. 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon
Bright blue lakes and rugged mountains
Mar. 23, 2025World Meteorological Day
God’s Own Country
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Apr. 13, 2025Songkran—Thai New Year
This lake is no mirage
Festive foliage in the garden
Mar. 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Jan. 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Past below, future ahead
Jan. 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Jun. 24, 2024Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia
May 22, 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
Jan. 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Feb. 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
An old bridge in a new light
May 2, 2024Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho, USA
This bird is peak beak
Jan. 26, 2026Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany