Places 85wombats Wants to Go

A startling, centuries-old subterranean marvel hides in plain sight.

Rainwater transformed this old quarry into a peaceful pond you won't find in most tourist books.

Before 1993, this historic-looking village—King Charles III's pet project—didn’t exist at all.

This tallest folly in the world began its life as an elaborate factory chimney.

This 1,400-year-old abbey was once a powerhouse for music and intellectualism known across Normandy.

Scattered ruins and a tiny cemetery are all that remain of a failed attempt to colonize the inhospitable Desolate Islands.

This roadside attraction has been serving out its fair share of hearty folklore and chaos since 1858.

This enchanting hamlet carved into the rock looks like something straight out of Tolkien's Rivendell.

A centuries-old forgotten underworld lies beneath Malta.

Hidden in the shadow of a rocky fortress is one concubine’s long-forgotten legacy.

A scenic ravine with an astounding collection of rock art created by the Indigenous people of the Great Plains.

Amazingly detailed marble cinerary urns that once held the cremains of Roman elite.

A mesmerizing disco ball-like sculpture along the Sacramento River Walk.

Four-story slides send people whizzing through the math department at this Munich university.

Two identical statues by Fernando Botero, one blown to pieces in a terrorist bombing, the other donated as a gift for peace.

A 17th-century church is nestled within the walls of a 15th-century ruin.

The mastermind behind this palatial hotel perished on the Titanic weeks before its grand opening.

The oldest funicular in Lithuania has been climbing this steep hill since 1931.

The ancient water tanks remain some of the ruined city’s most beautiful architecture.

This wooded grove of beautiful hand-built stone grottos is a hidden gem within a shuttered Franciscan monastery.

A rare surviving example of a pre-WWII Japanese garden, restored after years of neglect.

Ruins of two abandoned stations destroyed by the power they sought to harness.

With lush plants and flowers, huge trees, ponds, and hidden monuments, this place feels a bit like discovering Narnia.

This abandoned stepwell is one of the largest, deepest, and certainly one of the creepiest in India.