aavalos's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Georgia

Vardzia Cave Monastery

Underground monastery and fortress.
Katskhi, Georgia

Katskhi Pillar

Small church on top of a huge rock column.
Chiatura, Georgia

The Cable Cars of Chiatura

These Stalin-era industrial 'death traps' hang lifeless above the city
Villavieja, Colombia

Tatacoa Desert

Unparalleled stargazing, one of Colombia's best observatories, and a swimming pool can all be found in the middle of this ancient tropical forest.
Salento, Colombia

Wax Palms of Cocora Valley

The world's tallest palm trees look like the whimsical kind of plant you'd find in a Dr. Seuss story.
Murmansk, Russia

Alyosha Statue

A monument to the defenders of the Arctic in Murmansk, Russia.
Bjurholm, Sweden

Älgens Hus (The Moose House)

A Swedish farm is the world's only producer of the rare, creamy delicacy that is moose cheese.
Turkmenistan

The Gates of Hell

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.
Caorle, Italy

Campanile del Duomo di Caorle (Bell Tower of Caorle Cathedral)

A cone-shaped top and cylindrical body set this 900-year-old structure apart from other Italian bell towers.
Osijek, Croatia

The Red Fićo

A tribute to an iconic act of defiance from the Croatian War of Independence involving a small car.
El Peñol, Colombia

El Peñon de Guatape

A 10 million-ton rock once worshiped by the Tahamies Indians, accessed by an astounding staircase.
Rjukan, Norway

Giant Sun Mirrors of Rjukan

For six months of the year, three giant mirrors direct a pool of sunshine onto this otherwise occluded town.
San Antonio del Tequendama, Colombia

Tequendama Falls Museum

This picturesque mansion has gone from opulent ruin to nature museum.
Oymyakonsky District, Russia

Oymyakon

The villagers of the coldest inhabited place on Earth adjust to unique challenges presented by day-to-day living.
Tokyo, Japan

Sengaku-Ji

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.
Tokyo, Japan

Sōgenji Temple (Kappa-Dera)

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.
Tokyo, Japan

Zauo

The freshest fish here are the ones you catch yourself.
Istanbul, Turkey

Miniaturk

Large miniature theme park with 100-plus models.
Dargavs, Russia

Dargavs Village

This ancient village and its adjoining cemetery have a beautiful history of death and remembrance.
Medvezhyegorsky District, Russia

Kizhi Island

Stunning examples of Russia's 18th-century wooden architecture.
Kazan, Russia

Qolşärif Mosque

Replica of mosque destroyed by Russia in the 16th century.
Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat Amusement Park

This attraction was abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster.
Pripyat, Ukraine

Abandoned City of Pripyat

The ghost town left by the worst nuclear disaster of all time is being taken over by nature and urban explorers.
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgia

Towers of Svaneti

Fortified homes of highland warriors that are still in use today.