helm's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Hamburg, Germany

St. Nicholas' Church

Once the tallest building in the world, this abandoned church is now a monument to the destruction of WWII.
Pärnu, Estonia

Pärnu Seawall

Legend says lovers who hold hands while venturing along this stone jetty and kiss at the end will remain together forever.
Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn Kiek in de Kök

This medieval Estonian tower provides access to a series of tunnels that have been home to soldiers, punks, and fine art.
Tallinn, Estonia

Linnahall

An empty relic of the Moscow Olympics crumbles away in Estonia's capital.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Metelkova

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

Bled Island and Castle

This one-time health resort was used by aristocrats around the world.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Biatec Monument

A massive sculpture of an obscure Celtic coin that has become a symbol in Slovakia.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava’s Hidden Bunkers

A line of disused military bunkers built to defend against Nazi invasion lies hidden on the outskirts of the city.
Ravenna, Italy

Arian Baptistry

A medieval, mosaic-lined baptistry built by a heretical Christian sect.
Ravenna, Italy

Baptistery of Neon

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung reported a paranormal experience after visiting this mosaic-lined Roman baptistry.
Ravenna, Italy

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.
Ravenna, Italy

Basilica of San Vitale

This 6th-century church has the largest and best-preserved collection of Byzantine mosaics outside Constantinople.
Rome, Italy

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

One of Catholicism's four major basilicas has a series of papal portraits that are said to predict the end of the world.
Rome, Italy

The Sweating Cenotaph at the Archbasilica San Giovanni in Laterano

Stone memorial that's said to predict the death of the pope and the site of the Cadaver Synod.
Ravenna, Italy

Dante's Tomb

Italian poet Dante Alighieri is entombed in this small mausoleum in Ravenna, and his hometown of Florence has never been too happy about it.
Rome, Italy

Meridian Line of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs

Installed in an act of one-upsmanship, the annual sundial in this church is also a symbolic victory for the Gregorian calendar.
Ravenna, Italy

Flooded Crypt of San Francesco

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.
Verona, Italy

Juliet's Balcony

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Most SNP

This Slovak bridge is known both for its connection to a national uprising and its UFO-shaped eatery.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Cumil the Sewer Worker

This Slovakian statue of an emerging sewer worker might just be a bronze peeping tom.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Slavín

Thousands of slain Soviet soldiers are buried within the shadow of this enormous obelisk.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

'Faces' of Locksmith Street

A trough of 700 strange bronze faces runs through a narrow alley in Ljubljana's old town.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Cyanometer

Martin Bricelj Baraga's monolithic sculpture measures the blueness of the sky, and changes color to match it.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Dragon Bridge

A whimsical bridge adorned with decorative dragons.