An ancient and majestic fortress that played an integral role in Portugal's road to independence.

The reason for the strange contortions in the trunks of these "drunken" pine trees in Russia is still a mystery.

The country music legend's grave is surrounded by Astroturf because fans kept plucking out the grass.

This unusual piece of Renaissance art depicting the bodily horror of crucifixion and skin disease may have been inspired by fungus-induced hallucinations.

A unique sculpture park that specializes in the huge and bizarre.

35,000 grape hyacinths flow like water down a garden hill.

The humble Hoosier roots of a famed Broadway composer.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

At the center of an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean is a deep chasm ringed by tall waterfalls.

The Cambridge pub where Francis Crick announced that he and James Watson had discovered the DNA double-helix.

A 19th-century subterranean reservoir repurposed as a contemporary art cave.

A poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

A mysterious "wedding cake" castle in the middle of the urban desert.

Hundreds of dwarf beeches create an unusual, haunting forest in the north of France.

In addition to fine dairy products, the world's most beautiful milk shop also offers a feast for the eyes.

The hotel room where Janis Joplin tragically died has now become a makeshift shrine to the singer.