melanieshires's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Marrakesh, Morocco

Jemaa el-Fna Square

Fortune tellers, snake charmers, poets, and storytellers all gather on this historic square in Morocco.
Marrakesh, Morocco

Jardin Majorelle

It took 40 years to build this Eden-like garden in Marrakech, later restored by Yves Saint-Laurent.
Barcelona, Spain

Mirador de Colom (Columbus Monument)

A vista of the city and sea from atop the little-known viewing deck on an unassuming Columbus statue.
Barcelona, Spain

Street Performers of Las Ramblas

The iconic boulevard is the perfect place to catch sight of a bicycling skeleton, a levitating Satan, or a chef with his head stuck in a pizza.
Barcelona, Spain

Sant Pau Recinte Modernista

The largest Art Nouveau complex in the world is a Barcelona hospital with a 600-year-long history.
Barcelona, Spain

Casa Vicens

Step inside the first house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, considered to be one of the first Art Nouveau buildings.
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.
Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Lost Third Column

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.
Venice, Italy

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

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.
London, England

Yeoman Warders Club

There's an exclusive Beefeaters pub hidden in the Tower of London.
London, England

Traitors' Gate

The watery entrance for condemned prisoners heading to the Tower of London is still visible along the Thames.
Berlin, Germany

The 'Hand with Watch' Sculpture

Known simply as "The Hand," this famous public sculpture in Berlin was featured in a Depeche Mode music video.
Berlin, Germany

'Stand By Me' Tree

Someone loved this song enough to carve all of its lyrics onto a tree trunk in a Berlin park.
Berlin, Germany

Haus Schwarzenberg Street Art Alley

A narrow passage next to a cafe leads to a courtyard exploding with murals, tags, and paste-ups.
Berlin, Germany

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Thousands of coffin-like pillars make up this controversial Holocaust memorial.
Prague, Czechia

'Il Commendatore' ('Cloak of Conscience')

This spooky statue sits outside a famous Prague theater.
Prague, Czechia

Memorial to the Victims of Communism

Increasingly decayed figures stand as a powerful reminder of the human costs of Czech Communism.
Prague, Czechia

Statue of King Wenceslas Riding an Upside-Down Dead Horse

A mocking tribute to the past and modern leadership of Prague.
Prague, Czechia

The Thief's Arm at Kostel Sv. Jakuba Vetsiho

A 400-year-old mummified arm dangles from the ceiling of St. James the Greater, serving as a warning to thieves.
Prague, Czechia

Brown-Nosers

The risqué mixed-media sculptures are supposedly a metaphor for Czech politics.
Prague, Czechia

Hlava Franze Kafky (Franz Kafka's Head)

A bust of Franz Kafka spins in pieces, reflecting the writer's inner torment.
Prague, Czechia

Sex Machines Museum

The first museum in the world devoted to sexual gadgetry.