Rainbow houses, Houten, Netherlands Sep. 29, 2025

Rainbow houses, Houten, Netherlands

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:

What the heck is a distaff?
Dec. 23, 2025Reindeer, Lapland, Finland
A modern recreation
Chasing rainbows
Jan. 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Oct. 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Apr. 30, 2025International Jazz Day
Apr. 7, 2024International Beaver Day
Jul. 15, 2024Marine Day, Japan
May 27, 2024Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
Dec. 1, 2025Antarctica Day
Grizzly bear and cub
Dec. 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Jan. 21, 2024Eurasian red squirrel, Netherlands
Come on, guys, this way!
Mar. 17, 2025Happy St. Patricks Day!
Feb. 27, 2025International Polar Bear Day
Sep. 29, 2023Mid-Autumn Festival
Jul. 28, 2024Colourful bathing huts on the beach in Skåne County, Sweden
Dec. 17, 2024Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
Oct. 10, 2025Fiji Day
A pair of high achievers
Sep. 1, 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
May 14, 2024Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA
Dec. 30, 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Jul. 14, 2025Shark Awareness Day
Dec. 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Sep. 28, 2025Town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
Jun. 5, 2024World Environment Day
Oct. 18, 2023Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska