helenmendes's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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San Francisco, California

Hotel Vertigo

A historic hotel that made a cameo in Hitchcock's classic film has no intention of letting guests forget its fame.
Tinajo, Spain

Timanfaya National Park

Visit a surreal landscape so otherworldly NASA actually used it to train the Apollo 17 crew.
Dusseldorf, Germany

Rheinturm

This futuristic German television spire is actually the world's largest digital clock.
Oberwesel, Germany

Burg Pfalzgrafenstein

Tiny castle in the middle of the Rhine made you pay to pass.
Essen, Germany

Zollverein

The Bauhaus-style former industrial complex is considered the world's most beautiful coal mine.
Berlin, Germany

Vestiges of the Berlin Wall

On the Spree bank, discover one of the last reminders of a symbolic wall that divided, and was torn down by the people.
Schwangau, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle

The fairy tale castle of the "fairy-tale king."
Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

Itaipu Dam

As one of the world's largest hydroelectric dams this plant took two countries to get built.
Niterói, Brazil

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum

An art museum with an eclectic design and a scandalous past.
Zurich, Switzerland

Cabaret Voltaire: the Dada House

One hundred years ago this small house in downtown Zürich became the birthplace of the Dada movement.
Zurich, Switzerland

MFO Park

Vines grow up the metal bars in this public park created from an old machine factory.
Rome, Italy

Mamertine Prison

This ancient Roman prison is decorated with an upside-down cross not as blasphemy but as saintly tribute.
Rome, Italy

Lacus Curtius

A mysterious chasm in the heart of the ancient Roman Forum, the Lacus Curtius was once believed to be a gateway to hell.
Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio)

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.
Barcelona, Spain

Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor

Possibly the oldest church in Barcelona, this basilica has its pagan and Christian mythologies all mixed up.
Barcelona, Spain

Park Güell

Gaudí's famously flamboyant architectural style is on full display in this sprawling park and garden.
Barcelona, Spain

Casa Batlló

One of Antoni Gaudí's most classic buildings is well-known for its "dragon-back" design.
Barcelona, Spain

Sagrada Família

Construction of Barcelona's iconic (but controversial) church is expected to be completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.
London, England

K2 Telephone Boxes

The wooden telephone box hidden away in London's Piccadilly was the original prototype of the iconic kiosk.
London, England

Platform 9 3/4

Kings Cross Station pays tribute to its role in Britain's best-selling book series.
Brussels, Belgium

Manneken Pis

A little sculpture with a large wardrobe.
Brussels, Belgium

Comic Strip Route

This collection of over 50 murals celebrates Brussels' rich history as the self-proclaimed home of the "comic strip."
Brussels, Belgium

Délirium Café

Cozy basement bar sports an inventory of over 2,000 beers.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Oudekerksplein

This city square is home to Amsterdam's oldest church and a statue honoring Dutch sex workers.