Edinburgh, Scotland
The Scotsman Steps
The colorful stairs are made with marble from the world's major quarries.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Edinburgh, Scotland
David Hume's Statue
Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Miss Jean Brodie Steps
These steps offer a breathtaking view of one of Europe's most besieged fortresses.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Bakehouse Close
This alley off Edinburgh's Royal Mile contains remnants of the city's seedier history.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Innocent Railway Path
The U.K.'s first underground railway line is now a lively thoroughfare for runners and cyclists.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Museum of Childhood
The world’s first museum dedicated to the history of childhood opened in Edinburgh in 1955.
Edinburgh, Scotland
World's End Close
This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Dunbar's Close
A verdant 17th-century-style garden hidden along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Jacob's Ladder
This obscure walkway links Edinburgh’s Old Town with one of the city's prime vantage points.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Blair Street Underground Vaults
A labyrinthine network of chambers with a storied past hides below Edinburgh's South Bridge.
Edinburgh, Scotland
St. Bernard's Well
A beautiful Greco-Roman structure houses a well once believed to have healing powers.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Lauriston Castle
This allegedly haunted 16th-century tower house-turned-museum exhibits thousands of spectacular objects.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Beltane Fire Festival
Summer in Scotland begins with a spectacularly wild and colorful event rooted in ancient pagan traditions.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Sheep Heid Inn
One of Edinburgh's oldest pubs hides a 19th-century skittles alley in the back.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Witchery
Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.
Washington, D.C.
Mummified Bison
The 28,000-year-old specimen is remarkably intact.
Washington, D.C.
Old Stone House
The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.
Washington, D.C.
The Exorcist Stairs
The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
Washington, D.C.
The Presidential Booths at Martin's Tavern
Sit where JFK proposed to Jackie or where Nixon dined on meatloaf at this storied pub.
Washington, D.C.
Dumbarton Oaks
The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Dumbarton Oaks Birthing Figure
This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.
Washington, D.C.
Willard Hotel
Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”
Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Marble Stripe
Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Washington, D.C.
Holodomor Memorial
An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.
