Places Hopla Wants to Go

An unfinished complex built for children from around the world sits abandoned on the Black Sea coastline.

A mysterious tunnel hidden in the shadows of a colorful, historic sanctuary.

Not far from a popular beach, an unfinished, abandoned mansion for Bulgaria's last communist dictator.

Ruins of an early Roman Christian church dating back to the 4th to 5th centuries.

A flamboyant five-story building in Bulgaria resembles a crawling snail.

This tiny Bulgarian town offers a stunning location in the mountains and a storied history.

This massive concrete sculpture is said to be the heaviest communist monument on Earth.

In between two buildings in Ljubljana, medieval tunnel to nowhere.

A trough of 700 strange bronze faces runs through a narrow alley in Ljubljana's old town.

A whimsical bridge adorned with decorative dragons.

A public work of art that also provides some relief from the summer heat.

This abandoned Slovenian military barracks has become a punky-political art squat.

Strange rumors surround the artist who created these solemn metal guard dogs.

This former railway facility is the oldest in Slovenia, and now houses a museum showcasing the history of steam locomotives.

Nibble as you learn about Slovenia's longstanding tradition of making beautiful honey cookies.

This cutting edge museum details the history of skiing, from its ancient origins to its status as a sport.

A wonderful museum dedicated to the local straw hat industry.

A beautiful drive through the foot of the Alps traces the path of 15th-century Turkish raids.

An otherworldly alpine pasture in Slovenia with historical ties to WWII and architecture that recalls Middle Earth.

The world's oldest grape-producing vine has survived four centuries of turmoil and even has its own anthem.

A moody and picturesque riverside ruin overgrown with vegetation.

An eerie cluster of medieval cave-like tombs carved out of a cliff, hidden in a historic mountain pass.

This futuristic-looking museum was built for the centennial of Japan's most innovative toilet.

The former site of Fukuoka’s legendary ramen joint works hard to guide customers to the “original” original.