Wonsees, Germany
Sanspareil Rock Garden
These 18th century gardens tell a rocky story of the son of Odysseus.
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Wonsees, Germany
These 18th century gardens tell a rocky story of the son of Odysseus.
Grandfontaine, France
A sandstone block marks the alleged spot where the legendary writer was conceived.
Ottrott, France
An ancient monastery, a locked room, and a mysterious book heist.
Lichtenstein, Germany
A striking 12th-century-style castle built on the edge of a cliff.
Oppenau, Germany
This ancient ruined monastery has been destroyed by fire so many times that it seems like God hates it.
Mühltal, Germany
The birthplace of an eccentric alchemist and possible inspiration for the fictional reanimator of monsters.
Heidelberg, Germany
This Nazi-built amphitheater was constructed on a sacred mountain site used by various German cults.
Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg
Once the local rulers had gone these enchanting ruins housed common folk in an almost real life fairy tale.
Orschwiller, France
The castle was reconstructed to fit Kaiser Wilhelm II's romanticized vision of the Middle Ages.
Hallsands, England
The abandoned fishing village was swept right into the sea.
Trethevy, England
A unique waterfall that some believe attracts the fairfolk.
Lostwithiel, England
The ruins of an 11th-century Norman castle with a rare, perfectly circular shape.
Wadebridge, England
This remote castle was built to be a wealthy businessman's palace of vice but is now simply a historic vacation cottage.
Roche, England
This ruined 15th-century hermitage is steeped in myth and mystery.
Ponsanooth, England
A sturdy relic of Britain's once crucial gunpowder industry is now a haunting Cornish ruin.
Botallack, Cornwall
These picturesque ruins crumble beautifully into the ocean.
Oppède, France
These medieval ruins have survived since the 12th century, even providing shelter from the Nazis.
Jadwin, Missouri
Once an ambitious nature spa, these forest ruins now provide a serene monument to failure.
Camdenton, Missouri
European castle ruins in an American state park are actually the product of death and grief.
Woodstock, New York
A once grand hotel is being retaken by the wilderness it once capitalized on.
Whitby, England
The gloomy ruins that inspired Bram Stoker to bring Dracula to life.
Poni, Burkina Faso
These mysterious 1,000-year-old walls have revealed little about their past.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
This futuristically sylvan church is a glass-enclosed marvel of modern architecture.
Rome, Italy
An abandoned 17th-century baroque hunting lodge with a wonderfully strange architectural plan.