story's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Paris, France

Centre Pompidou

An "inside out" building in the historical center of Paris, featuring Europe’s largest modern art museum.
London, England

Natural History Museum of London

Eighty million natural history specimens call this gargantuan museum home.
Gansbaai, South Africa

Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai

An odd little fishing town that is inundated by tourists looking to be locked up in a cage and surrounded by great white sharks, because why not?
Cape Town, South Africa

Chapman's Peak Drive

This road winds through the steep coastal cliffside offering spectacular views for those who brave the drive.
Cape Town, South Africa

Boulders Beach Penguin Sanctuary

This African beach is home to thousands of rare mainland penguins that are known for their annoying voice.
Portland, Oregon

International Rose Test Garden

10,000 flowered plants bloom in the City of Roses.
Portland, Oregon

Mill Ends Park

The world's smallest park was dedicated in 1948 as the only colony for leprechauns west of Ireland.
Portland, Oregon

The Grotto

A beautiful 62-acre Catholic shrine and botanical garden.
Portland, Oregon

Cathedral Park

A heavenly experience, right here on Terra Firma.
Lahaina, Hawaii

Lahaina Banyan Tree

Take shelter from Hawai'i's tropical heat under the massive canopy of largest Banyan tree on the island.
Kula, Hawaii

'Ohe'o Gulch Pools (Seven Sacred Pools)

A series of waterfalls and pools that flow through the 'Ohe'o Gulch and into the ocean.
Pāhoa, Hawaii

Big Island Lava Flow

Watch the newest land on the planet form before your eyes.
Hilo, Hawaii

Mauna Kea

Earth's tallest volcano is sacred to Native Hawaiians, and home to a dozen world-class observatories.
Hawaii

Punalu`u Black Sand Beach

This black shoreline is made up of exploded lava particles.
Havana, Cuba

Finca Vigía

The house that birthed The Old Man and The Sea is now a museum devoted to the old man who wrote it.
Havana, Cuba

Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Once a favorite playground for the world's most illustrious guests, Hotel Nacional's secret weapons and bunkers reveal a more menacing side to its golden history.
Havana, Cuba

La Plaza de la Revolución

A focal point of the Cuban government, this city square features one of the most iconic images in the country.
Havana, Cuba

Colón Cemetery

In terms of history and architecture, this is one of the most remarkable cemeteries in the world.
Pompeii, Italy

Stone Phalluses of Pompeii

The walls and streets of the ancient city are peppered with penises.
Pompeii, Italy

The Brothels of Pompeii

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.
Pompeii, Italy

Thermopolia of Pompeii

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.
Naples, Italy

Porta Nolana

This medieval city gate is now a blend of the past and the modern world.
Capri, Italy

Arco Naturale (Natural Arch)

This clifftop arch is a natural stunner.
Sorrento, Italy

Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.