A swath of France so devastated by war it is still forbidden to go there.

A sophisticated astronomical tower built by one of the greatest Persian scholars of the Islamic Golden Age.

Built to test magnetically levitated elevators, the tower also boasts Germany's highest visitor platform.

Two World War II aircraft lie within the jungle around this abandoned runway.

A railway bridge leading nowhere stands lonely in the middle of a meadow.

A unique form of erosion created an uncanny landscape of boulders perched atop slender columns of clay.

The sinister ruins of one of the worst dam failures of the 20th century lie in this astonishing alpine setting.

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

A little-visited waterfall in an otherworldly landscape.

An abandoned railroad tunnel is now filled with bioluminescent bugs.

A dreamy mausoleum honors Persia's most famous poet.

At high tide this strange footbridge appears to have no purpose whatsoever.

Breathtaking Byzantine paintings cover the inside of this 12th-century church.

Sandstone rock formations that look like they belong on the cover of a progressive rock album.

Here, at the "world's longest art gallery," you'll find forty miles of ancient petroglyphs and pictographs.

This is what trains will look like after the zombie apocalypse.

A lonely beacon, precariously perched atop a remote sliver of rock.

A meandering boardwalk across the bogland leads to a "stairway to heaven" with sublime views.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

The hottest, driest, and most scenic desert on Earth.

A beautiful Arctic museum and nature center preserves the culture of the Sámi people.

Hundreds of stones dangle from barren trees in the middle of the desert.

The names Lúthien and Beren can be found inscribed on the shared grave of the famous writer and his beloved wife and muse.