An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

This historic pub is a hidden gem for fans of Lewis Carroll.

Legend says these colorful, invasive residents are the descendants of birds released by Jimi Hendrix.

The beloved beast's taxidermy remains sit in the Natural History Museum's cafe.

This well-preserved Cistercian Abbey in a romantic pastoral setting has inspired artists like the poet Wordsworth.

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

These slanted cubic abodes are a creative if odd solution to a zoning pickle.

The former private quarters and office of Dr. Sigmund Freud now hosts a museum housing the works of the founding father of psychoanalysis.

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

This abandoned Slovenian military barracks has become a punky-political art squat.

A whimsical bridge adorned with decorative dragons.

Legend says this public grazing area hasn't been plowed for thousands of years.

The spot where three Protestant clergymen were burned at the stake during the reign of "Bloody Mary."

This centuries-old pub boasts a collection of more than 4,500 snippets of neckties from around the world.

The medieval legend behind this holy well was one of the inspirations behind "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

The fantastic charm of England's oldest botanical garden has made it a place of writerly inspiration for centuries.

An extraordinary collection of scientific instruments - and Einstein's chalkboard - inside the world's oldest purpose built museum building.

Used as an example in one of the first dictionary entries for "museum" in 1706.

Home to the most complete dodo remains known - one head, and one foot.

Ancient Egyptian wigs, South American feather headdresses, a bounty of anthropological artifacts in Oxford.

J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and other "Inklings" met at the Oxford pub to discuss the now legendary fantasy stories they were writing.