A bronze statue of Momo, a girl holding a huge ear, sits waiting to listen to anyone who needs it.

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

The origin of this bizarre, ghostly idol is a local mystery, even to the temple it calls home.

A statue marks the exact spot where The Boy Who Never Grows Up made his first literary appearance.

A statue of an astronomer gazes at the sky as a tribute to Caroline Herschel.

Even though some of the buildings date back to the Victorian era, this research institute is still involved in cutting-edge astronomy research.

A gruesome combat between a hunter and a furious momma bear.

Housed in a stunning Victorian building, this museum has the largest exhibition of knives, blades, penknives, and scissors in Spain.

A uniquely preserved neo-Gothic church that is now home to a collection of art and woodcarvings.

This cozy café is housed in a repurposed pharmacy originally built in 1927.

This unassuming bookstore in the heart of Madrid is one of the oldest in Spain.

A precursor to Taro Okamoto’s iconic Tower of the Sun.

All of the Malaysian sweets at this shop are made daily with a whole lot of love.

Only recently added to the shrine, this googly-eyed snail demon of unknown origin is said to have eye-healing powers.

Some believe that the artist behind this whimsical statue inserted his own likeness as a way to discreetly flip the bird.

This grand gate once marked the entrance to a military barracks.

This house covered in small stones was the work of one man over the course of nearly 30 years.

The oldest building in Madrid.

This third-generation institution is one of the last in London that still cures its own salt beef for epic sandwiches.

This tidal island, a sacred site in early English Christianity, was the target of a notable Viking invasion.

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

This museum is home to 22 panes depicting skeletons dressed in colorful garments.

Inside a London bookstore, a fireplace that once belonged to the illustrator responsible for a famous set of tarot cards.

This historic fountain is a favorite neighborhood meeting point.