akowal's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Innsbruck, Austria

The Empty Tomb of Maximilian I

This splendid tomb may look fantastic, but there's nothing in it...
Rome, Italy

Antoninus and Faustina Temple

An ancient Roman temple first dedicated to an emperor's wife is now a church.
Vatican City

Vatican City Walls

Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.
Rome, Italy

Zuccari Palace

Architectural monsters are devouring this palace's every door and window.
Rome, Italy

Il Tempio di Adriano (Temple of Hadrian)

The remains of this 2nd-century Roman temple are incorporated into a modern building.
Rome, Italy

Elephant and Obelisk

A detailed pachyderm supports Rome's smallest Egyptian obelisk.
Kotor, Montenegro

Fortifications of Kotor

These historic defenses ensured the city within would survive hundreds of years of occupations, sieges, and invasions.
Dubrovnik, Croatia

Orlando's Column in Dubrovnik

An ancient knight and a symbol of the city's freedom.
Split, Croatia

UNESCO-Protected SPAR Supermarket

When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.
Split, Croatia

Gregory of Nin’s Big Toe

The big toe of this towering monument to a Croatian national hero is worn from years of superstitious rubbing.
Chamarel, Mauritius

Seven Coloured Earths

This small group of sand dunes manages to pack in a strange rainbow of colors.
Piton Sainte-Rose, Réunion

Notre Dame des Laves

At the foot of an active volcano sits a church miraculously spared by its lava.
Belas, Angola

Miradouro da Lua (Viewpoint of the Moon)

This striking otherworldly landscape outside Angola's capital city is the product of millions of years of erosion.
Luanda, Angola

The Iron Palace

Did Gustav Eiffel design this enigmatic metal building?
Caue, São Tomé and Príncipe

Pico Cao Grande

Nature’s skyscraper launches out of the terrain with attitude.
Dakar, Senegal

Gorée Island

This tiny, tranquil Senegalese island serves as a powerful symbol of the Atlantic slave trade.
Dakar, Senegal

House of Slaves

Despite a fraught and controversial history this African island holds a powerful monument to the tragedy of the slave trade.
Tinajo, Spain

Timanfaya National Park

Visit a surreal landscape so otherworldly NASA actually used it to train the Apollo 17 crew.
Teguise, Spain

El Diablo Restaurant

The chefs at El Diablo use heat generated by an active volcano to cook the food.
Yaiza, Spain

Green Lagoon

This beautifully verdant lagoon is tucked below a massive volcano in a crater atop a black pebble beach.
La Palma, Spain

The Naval Museum of Santa Cruz de La Palma

This replica of Columbus's famous ship houses the history of La Palma's maritime importance during the Age of Exploration.
Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain

Monumento a el Enano (Monument to the Dwarf)

A statue commemorating the island's tradition of dancing dwarves in Napoleon hats.
La Palma, Spain

The Colorful Balconies of Avenida Maritima

These wooden balconies that are both decorative and functional.
Lisbon, Portugal

Carmo Convent Ruins

Legacy of the earthquake that nearly wiped Lisbon off the face of the Earth.