brianwatson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Oslo, Norway

Kon-Tiki Museum

Across the Pacific in a raft, a museum dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl's now legendary expedition.
Oslo, Norway

Viking Ship Museum

Home to three historic ships from the age of Vikings.
Bourg-en-Lavaux, Switzerland

Lavaux

Swiss vineyards in a UNESCO heritage site.
Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik Cathedral Treasury (Riznica Katedrale)

A wunderkammer of gold and silver reliquaries and ancient saintly bones.
Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik Maskeron

Gargoyle head that brings good luck.
Krujë, Albania

Krujë Castle

The elliptical citadel resisted the advance of the mighty Ottomans several times, thanks to the military prowess of the "Dragon of Albania."
Gjirokaster, Albania

Gjirokaster Castle

This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.
Përmet District, Albania

Benja Thermal Baths

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.
Sarandë District, Albania

Syri i Kalter: The Blue Eye

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.
Agios Tychon, Cyprus

Ancient Sex Curse of Cyprus

Sex curse discovered on ancient tablet in Cyprus.
Paphos, Cyprus

Tombs of the Kings

An ancient necropolis of magnificent tombs.
Kolossi, Cyprus

Kolossi Castle

This 700-year-old Cyprus castle is the birthplace of the world's oldest wine, said to be toasted by Richard the Lionheart at his wedding.
Paphos, Cyprus

The Mosaics of Paphos

The ancient mosaics here are considered among the finest in the world, and serve as a stunning record of Greco-Roman daily life.
Konitsa, Greece

Konitsa Bridge

One of the largest single-span stone-arch bridges in the Balkans looks like something straight out of a fairytale.
Thessaloniki, Greece

Heptapyrgion Fortress

An abandoned Byzantine fortress and notorious prison.
Preveza, Greece

Nicopolis

The ruins of this monumental city founded by the first Roman Emperor are strangely overlooked by most travelers.
Paleopoli, Greece

Samothrace Sanctuary of the Great Gods

Temple complex that once housed the famous statue of Nike.
Thessaloniki, Greece

The Ruins of Rentina

These ruins in Volvi were once at the intersection of the Eastern and Western Worlds.
Thessaloniki, Greece

Thessaloniki Train Cemetery

Thousands of rusting train cars have been slowly falling apart on the edge of Greece's second largest city.
Sparta, Greece

Mystras

The ruins of an abandoned medieval city where the last Byzantine emperor was crowned.
Santorini, Greece

Prehistoric Town of Akrotiri

A Bronze age settlement on the Greek island of Santorini might have been the inspiration for Plato's Atlantis.
Mikonos, Greece

The Temple of Dionysos

Giant marble phalluses on the sacred island of antiquity.
Athens, Greece

The Athenian Agora

This ancient Greek place of assembly and marketplace is being revealed layer by layer below the modern Athens cityscape.
Heraklion, Greece

Knossos

A minotaur, a labyrinth, and a dubious restoration pull in visitors from around the world.