charleneportigliatti's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Gjirokaster, Albania
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Places visited in Gijón, Spain
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Places visited in Albania
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Places visited in Durrës, Albania
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Palasë, Albania

Big Bunker

Climb into Albania's communist history while enjoying a spectacular ocean view.
Butrint, Albania

Butrint National Park

A scenic UNESCO site that doubles as a habitat for various forms of wildlife.
Përmet District, Albania

Benja Thermal Baths

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.
Gjirokaster, Albania

Gjirokaster Castle

This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.
Sarandë District, Albania

Syri i Kalter: The Blue Eye

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.
Elbasan County, Albania

Bunkers of Albania

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.
Durrës, Albania

Amphitheater of Durrës

The largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans once held over 20,000 people, but managed to lay hidden for hundreds of years.
Krujë, Albania

Krujë Castle

The elliptical citadel resisted the advance of the mighty Ottomans several times, thanks to the military prowess of the "Dragon of Albania."
Tirana, Albania

Communist-Era Statues

Bronzes and busts that once stood in the city's main squares are now relegated to a small hidden courtyard.
Tirana, Albania

Bunk’Art 2

In the heart of Tirana, this underground nuclear bunker has been transformed into a museum.
Tirana, Albania

Tirana's Colorful Facade

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?
Sleepy Hollow, New York

Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate

The home of one of America's most wealthy industrialists is now a historic site that remembers a more decadent time in the country's history.
Tirana, Albania

Pyramid of Tirana

An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.
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.
Barcelona, Spain

'El Petó de la Mort' ('The Kiss of Death')

A cemetery in Barcelona's Poblenou district is home to this touching funerary statue, which depicts death in the form of a winged skeleton.
Badalona, Spain

Anís del Mono Factory

A bronze sculpture of a monkey sits outside this factory, which has made an anise-flavored liqueur for over 150 years.
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.
Tirana, Albania

Bunk'Art

Once the fallout shelter of a dictator, this sprawling bunker is now a combined history museum and contemporary art gallery.
Tirana, Albania

House of Leaves

A museum dedicated to secret surveillance.
Barcelona, Spain

FC Barcelona Coat of Arms

Barça football fans might see the insignia hidden in a church window as a divine sign.
Llanes, Spain

Bufones de Arenillas

Stormy conditions send jets of seawater bursting through holes in the cliffs.
Gijón, Spain

Jardín Botánico Atlántico (Atlantic Botanic Garden)

This enchanting green space houses a labyrinth lined with toxic plants.
Ribadeo, Spain

Playa de las Catedrales

Natural stone arches form a walkable "cathedral" at low tide, then disappear entirely when the water returns.
Barcelona, Spain

Park Güell

Gaudí's famously flamboyant architectural style is on full display in this sprawling park and garden.