This deceiving white sand beach gets its brilliant hue from the chemical discharge of a nearby factory.

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

A modern Nordic Pompeii on the Icelandic island of Heimaey.

This stunning concert hall has become a symbol of Iceland's national recovery.

Iceland's tribute to its thankless civil servants.

This verdant, tree-lined Reykjavik graveyard is both enchanting and eerie.

One of the tallest buildings in Iceland, and perhaps, the most visually impressive.

An encyclopedic collection of mammal penises.

A bit of the Berlin Wall was gifted to the Icelandic capital to commemorate the 25th anniversary of German reunification.

This oceanside Reykjavik spot is speckled with recycled sculptures and large stones.

Rising from the sea like a stone monster.

Instead of solid circles, the stoplights in this northern Icelandic town have glowing red hearts.

A sulfuric martian landscape that looks far better than it smells.

In Northeastern Iceland lies something of an oxymoron: a steaming desert.

This elegant arc of a waterfall marks a religious turning point.

A church filled with the bones of hundreds of virgins martyrs—or so they say.

Thousands of tourists and residents in Cologne affix "love padlocks" on the Hohenzollernbrücke Bridge to symbolize their affections.

This medieval castle overlooking the Elzbach river looks just like it did hundreds of years ago.

A whale rib was used to advertise the store by the arch that offered exotic goods from far away.

This centuries-old Italian chapel hangs midway down a sheer cliffside.