Hanoi Hilton
A prison is not exactly a destination that tourists (or travelers) would like to visit. Hanoi's Hoa Lo prison, however, is an exception.
Hoa Lo literally means "fiery furnace" or "stove" in reference to the abundance of stores selling wood stoves on the area. Built by the French sometime between 1886 to 1901, it was initially called the Maison Centrale or Central House - French polite society's traditional term for a prison. This was where Vietnamese prisoners - especially the political kind - were held and tortured for espousing freedom from the colonial masters.
When the French left Vietnam, however, the local authorities took over and the prison figured prominently during the war against the United States. It came to hold Prisoners of War and was synonymous to much misery given the terrible conditions inside. American soldiers unfortunate enough to be captured and held there sarcastically called it the Hanoi Hilton. Senator McCain was one of its more notable inmates. He spent over five years as a POW.
