Places katherineplatt Wants to Go

A secret climbing tree hides along the side of a Costa Rican road.

In Costa Rica's cloud forest, the roots of a woody ficus create a botanical bridge.

Balanced rock sculptures pay tribute to a murdered conservationist and his pioneer wife.

Once the foundation for a mansion, these ruins now offer amazing panoramic coastal views.

One Costa Rican island is so beset by illegal shark poachers that the local rangers have built an entire bridge with their confiscated gear .

This Costa Rican topiary park is a surreal garden of unearthly delights.

This neon blue river gets its color from a unique mix of bacteria and volcano minerals.

Under the desolate and windswept northern coast of Barbados stands a small oasis filled with sea anemones.

A two-way chairlift system between Zugliget and the highest point in the city.

A Trabant car, a kangaroo statue, and a plethora of plants take over this abandoned-factory-turned-bar.

Built in 1870 at the bridge that connected Buda and Pest, this spectacular incline railway was almost lost forever during World War II.

A series of caves under Castle Hill that once held the prisoner Vlad Tepes, better known as Count Dracula.

A trail of iron footwear stands as a monument to the thousands executed along this riverbank during WWII.

This Budapest bar allows drinkers to leave their mark on the walls, floor, and even ceiling.

For more than two centuries, the canopy of this venerable tree has been a haven for songbirds and lovers.

"Portugal's Stonehenge" is made up of nut-like stones aligned with the heavens.

Ring the bell to enter a bar that looks equal parts museum and old curiosity shop.

This charming candle shop has been in business since 1789.

Elaborately carved to showcase the glorious wealth that the age of exploration brought to the Portuguese empire.

This lucky bronze frog was gifted to Madrid by a casino.

The oldest restaurant in the world is this old-world Spanish eatery, still known for its suckling pig.

The only urban monument in the world designed by the great surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.

A whimsical brother of the nearby Fallen Angel statue takes the falling part quite literally.

Blue-green pools and smooth stones comprise one of Spain’s most idyllic hidden wonders.