robpillar's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Fatehpur Sikri, India

Fatehpur Sikri

An imperial fortress city that incorporated cultural elements from the entire Mughal empire, only to be abandoned the year it was finished.
Meadville, Pennsylvania

PennDOT Road Sign Sculpture Garden

The Pennsylvania landscape depicted by a quarter mile of mosaics made from used road signs.
Athens, Greece

The Athenian Agora

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

Herculaneum

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.
Rome, Italy

The Mouth of Truth

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.
Florence, Italy

Bronze Replica of Michelangelo’s David

A copy of the famous statue can be found in this Florence piazza, along with one of the most breathtaking views of the city below.
Florence, Italy

Il Porcellino

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.
Florence, Italy

Gipsoteca Bartolini

A slightly creepy gallery of plaster cast models in the same museum as Michelangelo's David.
Baltimore, Maryland

George Peabody Library

It's not hard to see why the historic Peabody Conservatory of Music's library has been described as a "cathedral of books."
Altoona, Pennsylvania

Horseshoe Curve

This dramatic rail curve was once the target of a failed Nazi attack.
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Gobbler's Knob

A tradition unlike any other, this marks the site of the annual Groundhog's Day tradition.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Canton Avenue

One of the steepest streets in the United States makes an intriguing challenge for cyclists.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cathedral of Learning

The largest university building in the West is a gothic masterpiece containing dozens of theme rooms based on different countries.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dippy the Dinosaur

A model of a dinosaur that was named for Andrew Carnegie stands outside the museum that also bears his name.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne Incline

There aren't too many operational funiculars around, but Pittsburgh has two!
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kaufmann's Clock

Meet your friends, marry your true love, or tell your enemies to kiss your butt under this historic Pittsburgh timepiece.
Thingvellir, Iceland

Þingvellir Church

This beautiful, historic church looks like something out of a simpler past.
Thingvellir, Iceland

Þingvellir

The picturesque birthplace of Icelandic democracy is drenched in the blood of its brutal past.
Thingvellir, Iceland

Silfra

This natural Icelandic fissure allows divers to swim right between two volatile tectonic plates.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Rocky Statue

Yo, Adrian!
Denver, Colorado

Mile-High Steps at the Colorado State Capitol

The spot in the Mile-High City that's exactly 5,280 feet above sea level (at least for now).
Manitou Springs, Colorado

Manitou Mineral Springs

There are eight natural springs around town, each with a slightly different taste.
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garden of the Gods

Strange red rock formations that have been attributed to a higher power for hundreds of years.
Cascade, Colorado

Pikes Peak Summit House

Thanks to a quirk of elevation this gift shop produces magic doughnuts that are found nowhere else on Earth.