rdebruijn's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Saint-Bernard, France

Tour Isabelle Double Arch

This stunning natural double arch, the largest in the Alps, went undiscovered until 2005.
Loriga, Portugal

Torre da Estrela

This tower once served as a radar station during the Cold War.
Bourtange, Netherlands

Fort Bourtange

This beautifully designed star-shaped fort was the premier defense system of the late 1500s.
Colares, Portugal

Praia da Ursa

In Portugal, a secluded stretch of untouched natural beauty hides at the bottom of a steep hill.
Mae Klong, Thailand

Maeklong Railway Market

Six times a day a train runs right through the middle of this Thai street market, sending vendors scrambling.
Xuân Trạch, Vietnam

Hang Son Doong

World's largest cave was only discovered in 1991, and now offers tours to the public.
Si, Thailand

Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew

Temple of a million beers.
Pattaya, Thailand

Sanctuary of Truth

A modern temple with an ancient philosophy.
Tambon Khaem Son, Thailand

Wat Pha Sorn Kaew (Temple on the Glass Cliff)

Modern design and unusual architecture make this mountaintop temple no ordinary Buddhist retreat.
Manětín, Czechia

Kostel Svatého Jiří Ghost Church

Thirty creepy ghosts now inhabit this decaying 14th-century church.
Želízy, Czechia

The Devil Heads

Two monstrous faces loom over a village in Czechia.
Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi's Train Street

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.
Ardales, Spain

El Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Pathway)

Spanning the El Chorro gorge, this pathway used to be one of the most dangerous crossings in the world.
Júzcar, Spain

Júzcar

This quaint Spanish village agreed to be painted blue as a marketing stunt but found that they preferred it that way.
Arcozelo, Portugal

Capela do Senhor da Pedra

Picturesque intersection of witchcraft and ancient Christianity.
Braga, Portugal

Bom Jesus do Monte

A stunning 18th-century site where pilgrims ascend by a series of punishing stairs only to return via funicular.
Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal

The Village of Monsanto

Houses are tucked between, on, and underneath giant boulders.
Portugal

Mina de São Domingos (Sao Domingos Mines)

An abandoned mine now resembles a post-apocalyptic landscape of derelict buildings and blood-red pools of water.
Faro, Portugal

Capela de Ossos Bone Chapel

This small chapel is built of human bones and decorated with a golden skeleton.
Chefchaouen, Morocco

Chefchaouen

Founded as a refugee camp, now a popular tourist spot.
Mont Saint-Michel, France

Mont Saint-Michel

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.
Hauterives, France

Le Palais Idéal

This whimsical castle of grottoes was the labor of love of a French postman, and one of the greatest achievements of outsider architecture.
Lyon, France

Traboules Secret Passages

Hundreds of hidden passageways weave through the old quarters of Lyon.
Sant Quirze Safaja, Spain

Church of Sant Miquel del Fai

An enchanting monastery in the Spanish countryside appears lifted from a fantasy tale.