ceesvanhalderen's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Amsterdam, Netherlands

Our Lord in the Attic

The attic of a four-century-old canal house hides a clandestine church.
Barcelona, Spain

Street Performers of Las Ramblas

The iconic boulevard is the perfect place to catch sight of a bicycling skeleton, a levitating Satan, or a chef with his head stuck in a pizza.
Barcelona, Spain

Sant Pau Recinte Modernista

The largest Art Nouveau complex in the world is a Barcelona hospital with a 600-year-long history.
Barcelona, Spain

Mirador de Colom (Columbus Monument)

A vista of the city and sea from atop the little-known viewing deck on an unassuming Columbus statue.
Barcelona, Spain

Casa Vicens

Step inside the first house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, considered to be one of the first Art Nouveau buildings.
Barcelona, Spain

Park Güell

Gaudí's famously flamboyant architectural style is on full display in this sprawling park and garden.
Barcelona, Spain

Casa Batlló

One of Antoni Gaudí's most classic buildings is well-known for its "dragon-back" design.
Barcelona, Spain

Sagrada Família

Construction of Barcelona's iconic (but controversial) church is expected to be completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.
Lyon, France

Metallic Tower of Fourvière

Lyon's miniature version of the Eiffel Tower was built as a statement in support of French secularism.
Sainte-Mère-Église, France

Private John Steele Monument

An effigy of a trapped paratrooper dangles from a Normandy church to commemorate one remarkable D-Day event.
Vézelay, France

La Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine

This church sits upon a peaceful hill and a long, turbulent history.
Cluny, France

Abbaye de Cluny (Cluny Abbey)

One of the most powerful religious centers in the Middle Ages, dubbed the founder of Western monasticism.
Taizé, France

Taizé Community

A Christian retreat founded to welcome refugees fleeing from the Nazis during World War II.
Lourdes, France

Basilica of St. Pius X

Beneath the city of Lourdes, France is a massive, concrete church.
Lyon, France

The Flower Tree

A colorful piece of contemporary art cheerfully clashes with Lyon's historical architecture.
Les Baux-de-Provence, France

Carrières de Lumières

Walk through living pictures and music in the Cathedral of Images.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, France

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Even France's favorite aquatic son Jacques Cousteau, couldn't get to the bottom of it.
Albi, France

Albi Cathedral

A medieval church with largest and oldest collection of Renaissance frescoes in France.
Rouen, France

Aitre St. Maclou

An ancient ossuary in Rouen.
Treigny, France

Guedelon Castle

Despite centuries of architectural innovation, this French castle is being built like it's the 13th century.
Paris, France

Montmartre Funicular

The water-powered carriages are long gone, but for over a century this funicular railway has been the fastest route to the highest point in Paris.
Lyon, France

Ancient Roman Theaters of Lyon

Lyon, France is home to two remarkably preserved Roman theaters, one dating back to 15 BCE.
Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France

Pont du Gard

This ancient Roman bridge and aqueduct still stands as a wonder of classical construction.
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France

Pont d'Arc

A natural arch carved by a river gave its name to the so-called "Cave of Forgotten Dreams."