laurentgourbiere's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Wellington Mill, Australia

Gnomesville

Thousands of lawn gnomes have infested this Australian roundabout.
Tabley, England

Cuckooland

This Cheshire museum has cuckoo clocks, a rare pipe organ and vintage motorbikes. But mostly cuckoo clocks.
Australia

Lake Hillier

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.
Seoul, South Korea

Trick Eye Museum

South Korea's love of the silly photograph is on full display at this goofy collection of trompe l'oeil paintings.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Synchronous Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains

For two weeks every June, fireflies in the Smoky Mountains perform an astonishing light show.
Hólmavík, Iceland

The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft

Staves, storm-calling, and of course, necropants.
Naftah, Tunisia

Leftover 'Star Wars' Sets

Buildings from the fictional planet of Tatooine still litter the Tunisian desert.
Gordes, France

Le Cercle Républicain de Gordes

This tiny cafe is one of the last meeting places of its kind, allowing revolutionaries a place to plot.
Les Baux-de-Provence, France

Carrières de Lumières

Walk through living pictures and music in the Cathedral of Images.
Saint-Georges-des-Sept-Voies, France

Helice Terrestre Trogolodyte Tunnels

Beautiful carved tunnels.
Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau, France

The Grotesques of the Chapel of Bethlehem

Do these monsters look familiar? The gargoyles on this church are all from pop culture.
Nantes, France

Machines of the Isle of Nantes

Massive puppet-automaton machines created by French artist collective Machines de l’Ile.
Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, France

Serpent D'Océan

An aluminum skeleton brings Chinese mythology to the French shore.
Pirou, France

Pirou-Plage Ghost Village

An abandoned beach resort in Normandy reclaimed by artists.
Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia

Erta Ale

Ethiopia's "smoking mountain" is in one of the hottest regions on the planet and is home to two lava lakes.
Beijing, China

China's Wonderland

Beijing's version of Disneyland, completely abandoned, mostly destroyed.
Nageezi, New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

A phenomenal assembly of pueblos in New Mexico is the most complete example of ancient ruins north of the border.
Graniteville, Vermont

Rock of Ages Granite Quarry

Tour the world's largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry, where you can view the plant where gravestones are made and roll a ball down the outdoor granite bowling alley.
Denbigh, Wales

Denbigh Insane Asylum

The decaying ruins of Wales' first asylum for the mentally ill.
Saint-Étienne, France

Maison sans Escalier (The House Without Stairs)

An architectural oddity of six stories, accessed by graceful ramps.
Civrieux-d'Azergues, France

Le Jardin de Nous Deux

The fantastic architectural models of a French traveler.
Dieulefit, France

La Demeure Aux Figures

Grottoes, sculptures, and recycled ceramics permeate what was once just a small farm in France.
Risoul, France

Plan de Phazy

Since ancient times these picturesque springs have been providing bathers with healing waters.
Réotier, France

Petrified Fountain of Réotier

This otherworldly French waterfall looks like its waters have turned to stone.