amyrluo's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Blatce, Czechia

Houska Castle

Folklore says this medieval fortress was plopped atop a portal to hell to trap the demons below.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil

The largest library in Latin America owes its existence to an Old World earthquake and a Napoleonic invasion.
Al Haouz, Morocco

Tin Mal Mosque

The remains of a magnificent medieval fortress that was the capital of a vast empire.
Campamento Geotermico Corfo, Chile

El Tatio Geysers

The largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere is a spectacular sight.
Lac Léman, Switzerland

Swiss Museum of Games

A Swiss board game museum housed inside a picture-perfect castle.
Santiago, Chile

Bahá’í Temple of South America

A fantastical and futuristic temple of light built from nine monumental glass veils.
Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario

Pleasantville Curve

The roadway bend where highway painters practice their craft looks like expressionist art.
Bailleau-Armenonville, France

Vélorails Pays Chartrain

A bike train runs along a disused railway line through the tranquil French countryside.
Larne, Northern Ireland

The Armada Tree

This gnarled old tree supposedly sprouted from seeds kept in the pocket of a 16th-century Spanish sailor.
Neerpelt, Belgium

Klankenbos Sound Forest

Artwork tucked within the trees greets visitors with surreal sonic experiences.
Schwyz, Switzerland

Stoosbahn Funicular

The steepest classic funicular in the world glides along a dizzying incline.
Stará Bystrica, Slovakia

Stará Bystrica Astronomical Clock

The world's newest astronomical clock is also its most accurate.
Wilmington, North Carolina

Cape Fear Serpentarium

An exotic reptile facility showcasing some of the rarest, most venomous snakes in the world.
Beijing, China

Great Wall of China Slide

Why walk on this historical site when you can zoom down instead?
Jaipur, India

Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan

Ornate, dome-topped cenotaphs fill this royal crematorium.
Tandjouare, Togo

Nok Caves

Hidden dwellings in the cliffsides of North Togo used by local Moba tribes to evade 18th-century slave traders.
Kilwa Masoko, Tanzania

Kilwa Kisiwani Ruins

Stunning ruins of what was once the center of one of the greatest empires in East Africa.
Qurayyat, Oman

Bimmah Sinkhole

A sinkhole and now a swimming hole, too, full of dazzling turquoise water.
Tatev, Armenia

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.
Mont Saint-Michel, France

Mont Saint-Michel

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.
Nicosia, Cyprus

Fairy Tale Museum

A magical museum of fairy tale treasures near Cyprus' buffer zone.
Venice, Italy

The Flooded Crypt of San Zaccaria

As can be expected from a centuries old church built in a canal city, the undercroft of this house of worship is beautifully flooded.
Vagli Sopra, Italy

Lago di Vagli

This Tuscan lake hides a 13th century town that is still visible when the water recedes.
Palermo, Italy

Palazzo Chiaramonte

Haunting graffiti left by prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition.