Places mauricekirschbaum Wants to Go

The remains of St. Lucius of Chur were said to be kept in this crypt for several centuries.

This delightful little museum is dedicated to only one thing: pasta.

A burial vault located under Tiber Island in the middle of the Italian capital.

The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient cult.

In the early Roman Empire, people deemed traitors and criminals were tossed to their deaths from this rock.

This basilica is dedicated to two saints, one of which is known more for his famous quote.

Hidden beneath the famous St. Peter's Basilica is a veritable city of the dead that may hold the remains of St. Peter himself.

The Vatican's secret porn-festooned bathroom was painted in erotic murals by one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.

This historic rec center in the heart of Israel is a bastion of peace and togetherness.

After over 100 years out of service this landmark windmill once again turns as a symbol of Jerusalem's self-sufficiency.

This subterranean funicular is one of the world's smallest subways.

Neighborhood in Jerusalem is home to the ultra-orthodox haredim.

This "Jewish Sistine Chapel" was designed to reinvigorate Judaism's artistic legacy but was almost lost to misguided restoration.

A 2,000-year-old wine press hidden in an overlooked park in Tel Aviv.

Sitting right on the border between East and West Jerusalem this modern art museum is in itself a symbol of Israel's hoped-for unity.

This unique exhibit "Dialogue in the Dark" reverses roles as the visionless become guides and the sighted become ‘blind.’

Submerged ruins of a Neolithic coastal settlement, where houses, wells, graves and skeletons have been unearthed.

This family tattoo parlor has been inking religious pilgrims in the Middle East for 700 years.

The home of the Dead Sea Scrolls is an abstract modernist dream.

The bluer than blue waters in these natural Israeli caves are reached via the world's steepest cable car.

These numerous Israeli caves were dug out over hundreds years for reasons ranging from hideouts to burial sites.

An old Danish political institution where members of government can grab a drink off the record.