therealjohnking's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Stazzema, Italy

Monte Forato

A massive natural rock arch gives the Tuscan mountain its own window to the sky.
North Yorkshire, England

Gordale Scar

A long, winding trek rewards you with a gorge so captivating it inspired a painting in the Tate.
Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Old Man of Storr

An ancient Scottish rock formation said to be the gravesite of a giant remains ensconced in legend and intrigue.
Iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur

Strange rock formations tower above the river that snakes through this enchanting Icelandic canyon.
Eaglehawk Neck, Australia

Eaglehawk Neck Tessellated Pavement

This extraordinary geological oddity resembles human-made pavement.
Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Quiraing

Islanders once used this dramatic, otherworldly landscape to hide their cattle from Viking raiders.
Bloomfield, New Mexico

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.
Luderitz, Namibia

Shark Island

This deceptively beautiful island was once home to a German concentration camp and known as "Death Island."
Pompeii, Italy

Stone Phalluses of Pompeii

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

Triangolo Barberini

An abandoned 17th-century baroque hunting lodge with a wonderfully strange architectural plan.
Coventry, England

'Coventry Doom'

This amazing 15th-century mural remained hidden in plain sight for centuries.
Amman, Jordan

Roman Theater of Amman

This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.
Baker, California

Mojave Megaphone

No one's quite sure why there's a metal megaphone bolted on two rocks in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
Constantine, Algeria

Sidi M'Cid Bridge

This dizzying span over the ancient Algerian city was once the highest suspension bridge in the world.
Ramla, Israel

Pool of Arches

You can row a boat through this ancient underground reservoir.
Albany, New York

The Mummy Ankhefenmut

A CT scan revealed the identity of this 3,000-year-old mummy that everyone erroneously thought was female.
Samovodene, Bulgaria

Transfiguration Monastery

Outstanding, eerie frescoes and decorations fill this 19th-century monastery.
Logan, Ohio

The Caves of Hocking Hills State Park

Rare recess caves fill this unbelievably beautiful Ohio park.
Hanover, Germany

The Victims of Fritz Haarmann Memorial

The mass grave of the 27 victims of the "Vampire of Hanover."
Dooey, Ireland

Boyeeghter Bay

A spectacular hidden beach in Ireland has the dark, disturbing nickname of "Murder Hole Beach."
Minions, England

The Hurlers

Cornish legend says these ancient circles were people turned to stone for playing hurling on a Sunday.
Venice, Italy

Palazzo Dario

Those who own or stay at this 500-year-old, allegedly cursed house often meet terrible fates.
Ávila, Spain

Medieval Walls of Ávila

These magnificent city walls rise from the barren sun-baked Spanish plains like something straight out of a fairytale.
Colobraro, Italy

Colobraro

Just saying the name of this town out loud is said to bring bad luck.