Places christophermmarasco Wants to Go

A wunderkammer of gold and silver reliquaries and ancient saintly bones.

A charming 17th-century alley is lined with secondhand bookstores and antiquarian shops.

This spectacular bridge supported by two gigantic hands looks like something out of a fantasy universe.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

Norway has built what may be the world's most beautiful public toilet.

A mesmerizing reservoir nestled at the heart of a pre-Islamic Yemeni village.

The oldest public library in Ireland.

The gorgeous library at Trinity College is home to remarkable treasures of Irish identity.

Accessible only at low tide, the deserted island is dotted with World War II ruins.

This series of Scottish caves has no clear purpose other than baffling historians.

A 18th century graveyard and its astonishing cortege of macabre iconography.

These tiny effigies are believed to represent victims of Edinburgh’s notorious Anatomy Murders.

One of the oldest scientific gardens in Britain, containing more than 13,302 plant species in its core collection.

Ruined 11th century abbey built by King David I in Edinburgh, Scotland.

360° views of the city plus five floors of optical illusions and hands-on science.

There are plenty of wonderful panoramic vistas in Edinburgh, but not many are hidden smack in the middle of the Old Town.

This 17th-century street hidden beneath Edinburgh was once a breeding ground for the black death.

A meandering boardwalk across the bogland leads to a "stairway to heaven" with sublime views.

Western Europe's only representation of a Roman goddess still in its original location sits in an unassuming park.

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

A remarkably well preserved tower dating all the way back to the Iron Age.

This elaborately decorated, fairytale-like Romanian royal palace is one of the most striking castles in Europe.

A preserved block of timber buildings from the city's industrial era in the Middle Ages.