travelerwillem's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Milan, Italy

Leonardo's Horse - Il Cavallo dello Sforza

Da Vinci's equestrian statue, 500 years in the making.
Venice, Italy

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.
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

Naples Underground

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.
Rome, Italy

Arch of Gallienus

This Roman arch marks the location of an ancient gate at one of the Seven Hills of Rome.
Rome, Italy

Via Appia

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.
Astana, Kazakhstan

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths.
Astana, Kazakhstan

Bayterek Tower

A modern tower, symbolizing the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life.
Tbilisi, Georgia

Leaning Tower of Tbilisi

The charmingly disheveled clock tower of Tbilisi's puppet theater.
Tbilisi, Georgia

Rezo Gabriadze Puppet Theater

A small but hugely whimsical theater where marionettes play out the "The Battle of Stalingrad."
Tbilisi, Georgia

Jumah Mosque

At this rare mosque in Tbilisi, Sunni and Shia Muslims pray side by side.
Kyiv, Ukraine

House with Chimaeras

An Art Nouveau building covered in animal gargoyles and grotesques.
Kyiv, Ukraine

Golden Gate of Kyiv

A reconstructed medieval gateway that was the magnificent entrance to the capital city dating back to 1037.
Stockholm, Sweden

Olof Palme Memorial Plaque

A golden plaque marks the site of the mysterious unsolved assassination of the former Swedish prime minister.
Malmö, Sweden

Turning Torso

Swedish skyscraper with a 90° twist.
Malmö, Sweden

Øresund Bridge

This chimerical bridge/tunnel appears to dead end right into the sea.
Tromsø, Norway

Roald Amundsen Monument

The great polar explorer is remembered in this far northern town, where he embarked on his final expedition.
Tromsø, Norway

Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen)

This functioning parish church is also the site of many concert performances due to its wonderful acoustics.
Tallinn, Estonia

Old Thomas

The Guardian of Tallinn.
Riga, Latvia

The Three Brothers

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.
Reykjavik, Iceland

Hallgrimskirkja

One of the tallest buildings in Iceland, and perhaps, the most visually impressive.
Helsinki, Finland

Fortress of Suomenlinna

This irregularly shaped sea fortress has defended not one but three different sovereign states.
Turku, Finland

Turku Cathedral

A cathedral resurrected from the ashes of one of Europe's greatest urban fires.