5 towns you would never think of when you hear 'Berlin'

If anyone ever dreamt up the exact opposite of Berlin, it would be this village in the Bolivian Andes by the name of Centro Berlin. It is worlds away from the hectic life in the German capital. Far and wide, there is nothing but a semi-desert, and the next largest town is 200 kilometers away.

Centro Berlin's 10 inhabitants raise lamas for a living, about 100 animals each. If you crave solitude, this is the place to go.

Where did the hamlet get its name? Bolivia's Berliners have two theories. Some say it goes back to a tourist from Berlin who was stranded in the village for a day in 1949 when his bike had a flat tire, leaving such an impression that the villagers named their place after the unusual visitor from Germany.

Same name, different pace

Another legend has it that one day, a plane made an emergency landing near the village. A few Berliners on board survived, and were provided for by the villagers. Having never seen a plane before, they took it as a heavenly sign to rename their village Centro Berlin.

Whatever the true origins of the name of the Bolivian village, there are at least 100 other towns across the globe named Berlin, and they all have their own legends and stories.

Click through the gallery above to discover more Berlins.