Places matthewbartek Wants to Go

Even Henry David Thoreau found this glacial pothole irresistible.

A 150-square-foot masterpiece of American landscape art is the crown jewel of this library and art gallery in Vermont.

A New England curiosity cabinet, one hundred years on.

The place where the great marine explorer first learned to work underwater is not where you'd expect.

Cheap art and political theater in Vermont.

A short nature trail winds through the greatest works of poet Robert Frost.

Geological storytelling.

This ancient tunnel is one of the most important examples of Roman hydraulic engineering in Spain.

A fiery-red region of scooped out land still largely untouched by civilization, tourists or otherwise.

A daily pyrotechnic celebration marks a beloved tradition during Valencia's festival season.

This amazing example of Valencian Art Nouveau looks more like a cathedral than a public market.

Of the many chalices in the running for the Holy Grail, this one in Valencia Cathedral sure looks the part.

From grand battles to daily life, this Spanish museum offers a view of world history in miniature.

This house's itty bitty size means no humans allowed.

This sculpture in Valencia features 22,000 tiny, obsidian blue figures that pay homage to the Lady of Elche.

The odd cement nubs littering this Spanish square are actually the entrances to a series of buried silos.

At night, bats patrol this magnificent 18th-century space in search of book-eating pests.

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.

Located in the thermoelectric factory that once powered the entire city, this Portuguese museum is shockingly fascinating.

This oddly shaped church resembles a rocket.

An early Portuguese serial killer's head is alarmingly well preserved in a jar at the University of Lisbon.

One of the smallest bookstores on the planet.

This museum contains a vast array of puppets and marionettes from all over the world, featuring incredible works by Portuguese creators.

This charming candle shop has been in business since 1789.