lhoffelder's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Orkney, Scotland

Ring of Brodgar

The true age of this ancient stone circle is unknown, but its stunning vista isn't in question.
Xcalacoop, Mexico

Cenote Ik-Kil

A magical sinkhole on the Yucatán Peninsula is adorned with mini waterfalls and hanging vines.
Qatar

Musfur Sinkhole

Climb down into the largest sinkhole in Qatar.
Municipiul Sebeș, Romania

Râpa Roșie

Romania's "Red Ravine" is a little-known natural wonder that bears a resemblance to the Grand Canyon.
Ehlanzeni, South Africa

Bourke's Luck Potholes

Raging waters have created a strange geological site that looks like something off of a progressive rock album cover.
North Yorkshire, England

Gordale Scar

A long, winding trek rewards you with a gorge so captivating it inspired a painting in the Tate.
Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Qasr al-Farid

An unfinished tomb carved into a giant boulder in the Arabian Desert.
Onomichi, Japan

Ribbon Chapel

This high-design church is made up of two dizzying spirals meant to evoke the weaving together of marriage.
Corinne, Utah

The Spiral Jetty

An earthwork sculpture built by Robert Smithson in the Great Salt Lake only reemerges during drought.
Haspra, Crimea

The Swallow's Nest

A castle perched precariously over the Crimean Sea.
Corbett, Oregon

Multnomah Falls

A roaring, awe-inspiring double cascade of icy water flows through woodland Oregon like something out of a Tolkien novel.
Agion Oros, Greece

Hermitages of Karoulia

The hermits of Karoulia protect their asocial lifestyles by living on the vertical face of a treacherous precipice.
Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Brazil

Vale da Lua

After millennia of erosion by sand and churning water this Brazilian valley now looks like a lunar fantasy.
Stazzema, Italy

Monte Forato

A massive natural rock arch gives the Tuscan mountain its own window to the sky.
Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Old Man of Storr

An ancient Scottish rock formation said to be the gravesite of a giant remains ensconced in legend and intrigue.
Glasgow, Scotland

The Lighthouse

Climb this overlooked gem's spiral staircase and you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Glasgow.
Binz, Germany

Treetop Tower of Rügen

A long spiraling walkway winds through the woods, and around a copper beech tree at the center.
London, England

The Executioner's Ax

Tucked away in the Tower of London is the weapon once used to execute high-profile prisoners.
Batumi, Georgia

Batumi McDonald's

Fast food feels like fine dining at this award-winning modern Georgian building.
Bloomfield, New Mexico

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.
Logan, Ohio

The Caves of Hocking Hills State Park

Rare recess caves fill this unbelievably beautiful Ohio park.
Orkney, Scotland

The Stones of Stenness

Possibly the oldest of Britain's ancient henges is also one of its most stark.
Krásno, Czechia

Spiral Tower of Krásno

A spiral staircase twists to the top of this unusual Czech lookout tower.
Hadžići, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Igman Olympic Jumps

This abandoned Olympic skiing facility still bears the scars of the Siege of Sarajevo.