Places Mathias Van de Velde Wants to Go

This wonderful rock formation constitutes the first geopark in Uruguay.

An Ethiopian cloud forest protects some of the last wild arabica plants.

An otherworldly restaurant perched on the edge of a jagged cliff next to a medieval holy city.

This small island off the coast of Uruguay hosts the largest colony of sea lions and fur seals in the southern hemisphere.

Where sweethearts leave their love locks in the Uruguayan capital.

The design of the Palacio Salvo has been described as "a lighthouse on top of a building."

Because sometimes the most efficient route from A to B isn't a straight line.

An eerie, derelict amusement park in Berlin.

Rusting, graffiti-covered tanks litter the beach of this island, once used by the U.S. military for target practice.

Abandoned museum from the last days of Soviet domination, with a unique Brutalist design.

In the garden of a Georgia museum, without any explanation, is a monumental head of the Communist icon.

This medieval fortress is (or was till 2017) the home stadium of the football club FC Duruji Kvareli.

This old Soviet gas station is in perfect condition, one of the best-preserved mosaics in the country.

A lively circle of dancers in the Georgian capital commemorates an ancient rite of spring.

A beautiful but deteriorating monument of Soviet architecture.

Tower with a double-helix spiral, adorned with letters of the Georgian alphabet.

When the Soviets destroyed the historic Armenian monastery they somehow left its bell tower intact.

Despite being tiny and rural this Georgian airport looks like a sci-fi boondoggle.

Hidden up a dusty track off the Georgian Military Road is this fascinating waterfall with mountainous views.

A gleaming white and undulating tower marks the border between Georgia and Turkey.

With over 10,000 lights, this engineering marvel lights up the city after dark.

Georgia’s answer to Easter Island immortalizes the nation’s great poets, artists, and leaders in stone glory.

Ruins of a former government building destroyed during the Georgian-Abkhaz war in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union.

This extensive collection of vintage Soviet cars is the only one of its kind in the Caucasus.