This historic island prison holds one of the dungeons from the Count of Monte Cristo even though it is a work of fiction.

An icy lake tucked among jaw-dropping alpine panoramas.

A cave dwelling that was started by the Celts, expanded by monks, and finished by knights.

A 14th century bridge built as a fortress, where the devil lurks on one of its towers.

This whimsical castle of grottoes was the labor of love of a French postman, and one of the greatest achievements of outsider architecture.

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.

One of the most remarkable caves in all of Iceland was created by a once raging river of lava.

This volcanic cave lake is essentially hard proof that Iceland is the most magical place on Earth.

This natural rock formation features seemingly unnatural vertical ridges that have been blamed on elves.

A modern Nordic Pompeii on the Icelandic island of Heimaey.

A "simple-hearted artist" turned an isolated Icelandic valley into his own art museum.

Cairns built to bring travelers good luck stretch across the land like miniature stone mountains.

This oceanside Reykjavik spot is speckled with recycled sculptures and large stones.

In Northeastern Iceland lies something of an oxymoron: a steaming desert.

Climbing Iceland's highest peak on the rim of the Oræfajökull volcano.

Icelandic folklore says this giant boulder was ripped from the mountains and placed at its current location, where it became home to elves.

This scenic Icelandic lava flow is named for a pair of Berserkers who were murdered, according to a famous Saga.

The Arctic Circle runs through this isolated spot north of Iceland.

Eerie ruins of an abandoned medieval fishing village crumble atop an unforgiving stretch of earth.

These concrete domes were installed on an Icelandic bluff to honor a very specific musical tradion.

The bright red stripes streaking across the rocks are the star feature at this Icelandic waterfall.

Two volcanic lakes in an enormous crater formed in a prehistoric eruption.

The oldest steel ship in Iceland has been beached for years and is now a rusting ruin.

Surrounded by ash fields in Iceland, an impossibly verdant valley looks like something out of a fairytale.