shatteredpools's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Kyoto, Japan

Kamo River Turtle Stepping Stones

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.
Kyoto, Japan

Kimono Forest

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.
Kyoto, Japan

Funaoka Onsen

Have a soak at this retro bathhouse, where you will find Japan's first electric bath, tiling from Spain, and wood carvings representing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto Botanical Garden

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.
Paris, France

Flame of Liberty

This life-size replica of the Statue of Liberty's flame is also a tribute to Princess Diana by default.
Paris, France

Musée des Arts Forains

A museum of carnival attractions where you are invited to ride the rides.
George Town, Malaysia

Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram

Giant relaxing Buddha in Malaysia.
Batu Caves, Malaysia

Batu Caves

Holy Hindu shrine in an enormous, monkey-filled limestone cavern.
Saint-Léonard, Switzerland

Lac Souterrain de Saint-Léonard

The largest underground lake in Europe.
Gordola, Switzerland

Verzasca Dam

If James Bond bungee-jumped off the side of a 720-foot dam, would you do it too?
Istanbul, Turkey

Camondo Stairs

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.
Istanbul, Turkey

Serpent Column

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.
Istanbul, Turkey

Obelisk of Theodosius

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.
Paris, France

Carousel of Extinct and Endangered Animals

Known as the "Dodo Manège," this carousel features a herd of animals that have disappeared—or may be gone soon.
Paris, France

Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy

This museum houses an imposing skeleton army comprised of creatures great and small.
Kawasaki, Japan

The Puchicalator

The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.
Gruyères, Switzerland

H.R. Giger Museum

The bizarre visions of H.R. Giger, tucked away in a Swiss medieval city.
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.
Paris, France

The Bouquinistes of Paris

The tradition of open-air secondhand and antiquarian bookselling in Paris dates back to the Renaissance.
Paris, France

Paris Space Invaders

The video game-themed street art first popped up in the French city.
Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.
Kyoto, Japan

Okazaki Shrine

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.
Kyoto, Japan

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.