15 Unlikely Places to Re-Up Your Luck - Atlas Obscura Lists

15 Unlikely Places to Re-Up Your Luck

Luck be a... llama fetus?

If you’re ever walking along the main thoroughfare of the old town in Dubrovnik, don’t be alarmed if you see people attempting to perform acrobatics on what looks like a small stone ledge. You’ve come across the Dubrovnik Maskeron, the gargoyle head that brings luck in love to those who can successfully take their shirt off while balancing on it.

Once just a normal drain pipe, today the Maskeron is a place people flock to for a shot of good luck. It’s one in a long list of otherwise unremarkable spots that have gained fame for improving the fortunes of those who visit, a list that includes such unlikely objects as pig bellies, dried llama fetuses, and Abraham Lincoln’s nose. 

These locales have become talismans in our pursuit of the fleeting and capricious Lady Luck, and our faith in their powers is reinforced by the success stories that visitors pass on across generations. Some of these places were created lucky, some achieved luck, but most have had luck thrust upon them. You may need to hop, balance, rub, hammer, kiss, or dance to get it, but if these places provide half the good fortune they claim, it should be well worth the effort.