14 Items Tagged

Gates to Hell

Syracuse, Italy

Fonte Ciane

According to legend, after Hades pulled Persephone into the underworld, one of her attendant nymphs cried so much that her tears formed this spring.

Pozzuoli, Italy

Lake Avernus

Smack-dab in Campania’s volcanic fields, this scenic lake was once thought to be the gate of hell.

Gaze into the fiery abyss at the real-life Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan.

13 Places That Are Hell on Earth

Gaze into the abyss at these terrifying portals to the netherworld.

Atlas Obscura November 9, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Aw, Hell! Crossword

AO Puzzles August 14, 2023

Turkmenistan's fiery pit, the Gates of Hell, may be extinguished after burning for decades.

Will the Gates of Hell Be Closed Forever?

Turkmenistan’s Darvaza gas crater has been on fire for decades. The inferno may finally be extinguished.

Sarah Durn January 19, 2022

Hacienda Heights, California

Gates of Hell Hacienda Heights

This mysterious and creepy location instills a strong sense of foreboding in all visitors.

The chapel at the castle.

Blatce, Czechia

Houska Castle

Folklore says this medieval fortress was plopped atop a portal to hell to trap the demons below.

Water still flows through

London, England

Traitors' Gate

The watery entrance for condemned prisoners heading to the Tower of London is still visible along the Thames.

Hippie Tree

Traverse City, Michigan

The Hippie Tree

Though its branches are painted bright colors by generations of locals, the tree is said to be a haunted portal to hell.

Wrought Iron Winged Hourglass, St. Louis Cemetery 2, New Orleans

11 Hidden Spots to Enter the Underworld

A world tour of the gateways of Hell.

Darmon Richter October 3, 2016

100 Wonders: The Gates of Hell

Dylan Thuras August 10, 2015

Elia with scaffolding.

Herning, Denmark

Elia

This huge industrial sculpture looks like a UFO and a factory had a baby.

Pozzuoli, Italy

Phlegraean Fields

A sulfuric hellscape in southern Italy.

Monte di Cuma, Italy

Antro della Sibilla (Cave of the Sibyl)

Virgil's many-mouthed gateway to the underworld.