A 17th-century doorway in a small Sabine village is a portal into the mysteries of alchemy.

A medieval house with mysterious alchemical inscriptions on its facade

A museum of alchemy and a basement laboratory all housed in an ancient building in a Gothic tower.

Legend says this mysterious stone head belongs to a woman who was petrified by an alchemist.

The hidden lair of an alchemist rediscovered in a 2002 flood.

The birthplace of an eccentric alchemist and possible inspiration for the fictional reanimator of monsters.

A haunted hot springs hotel that went from healing retreat to asylum before it was restored.

This haunted hotel built on natural springs once served as a hospital for a quack doctor promising a cure for cancer.

In the middle of a remote desert town is a surprisingly opulent hotel.

Nestled amid the peaks and lochs of the Scottish Highlands, this inn and pub has played host to outlaws and ghosts.

This centuries-old hotel hides a network of secret cellars and passages once used by smugglers.

This bizarre hotel on historic Route 66 has been plagued by rumors of paranormal activity.

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.

A mechanized clock where a man fights off a dragon, crab, and rooster.

The oldest stone house in Paris was built by its most famous alchemist.

This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

This foreboding building was the headquarters of the terrifying Spanish Inquisition in Mexico.

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.

This woodland architectural installation acts as a camera obscura for the heavens.

For two weeks every June, fireflies in the Smoky Mountains perform an astonishing light show.

Spectacular mineral formations fill these caves, which have been used for everything from smoking meat to stashing illicit liquor.

This centuries-old Italian chapel hangs midway down a sheer cliffside.

The walls of this medieval church are covered with perfectly preserved frescos, including a pristine example of the Dance of Death.

A public work of art that also provides some relief from the summer heat.