Places Joshua Foer Wants to Go

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

It's hard to believe the dizzying patterns covering this abandoned mine are completely natural.

The state's only comprehensive museum dedicated to the mineral that defined its history and economy.

On rare days, this abandoned castle's gatekeepers open its doors, revealing the eye-popping splendor hidden inside.

This sacred, circular cave is lined with pools so clear and still that it's hard to tell where the water begins.

Visit these gentle, bell-bottomed, exquisite equines at the home of North America's first Gypsy Vanner horses.

The 40-year-old machine serves soda quicker than you can catch it for a mere 75 cents a pop.

A city block packed with whimsical sculptures that seem to be plucked from a tiled fantasy world.

The steepest classic funicular in the world glides along a dizzying incline.

An eclectic treasure trove of maritime marvels.

An unusual assortment of art, furniture, and other curiosities.

This mother-daughter run curiosities shop is a beautifully odd mix of taxidermy and exotic plants.

This plot of old-growth forest is the largest surviving remnant of New York City's original woodland.

An artist sees trees as a medium for sculpture.

These sacred totem houses connect the Fatakulu people with the spirits of their ancestors.

Stretching almost 2,000 feet, this painting is one of the longest pieces of Buddhist artwork in the world.

A remote horde of architectural treasures fit for Indiana Jones.

Where lovers tie birch branches into long-lived knots.

The Victorian-era greenhouse is stuffed with tropical plants, and open 365 days a year.

Made from trees and then abandoned, this fence is still growing along a path in Germany.

The randomness of this wall of lava lamps helps encrypt up to 10 percent of the internet.

For centuries, Germans have been dancing in trees.

This extensive nuclear fallout shelter built from 42 school buses could house 500 people in its tunnels.

A German town is growing a building out of trees.