Places ilja Wants to Go

An eerie, derelict amusement park in Berlin.

A massive underwater sinkhole made famous by Jacques Cousteau.

The fairy tale castle of the “fairy-tale king,” this was also the inspiration for Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

A quaint Russian village in the middle of a German metropolis.

The 1936 Summer Olympics site is a crumbling remnant of sportsmanship and a history its host country would like to forget.

A century-old shot ball factory tower is open to the public once a year.

From toys to kettles to scientific instruments, this German museum celebrates the beauty of 20th century design.

This World War II bunker now survives as a documentation of the Nazi regime and war crimes.

A tour of underground Berlin takes you through WWII air raid shelters and tunnels used to smuggle people out of East Germany.

This futuristic German spa allows visitors to float in a pool of salt water while zoning out to underwater techno.

A surreal museum of extraordinary industrial objects.

A whimsical and twisted animatronic monster tour beneath the streets of Berlin.