Places Edited by Nikki Vargas

A controversial magical figure is hidden within a diorama of the city.

A 12,000-year-old bog boasting rare plants and fauna.

This was once a hall in which a 16th-century royal banquet was hosted by King James VI of Scotland.

The spot where three Protestant clergymen were burned at the stake during the reign of "Bloody Mary."

This ancient jade mask depicting the Zapotec bat god was found in the ruins of the pyramids of Monte Alban.

The portrait of a man from Japan who sent weekly letters to a Dutch hotel he never visited.

Fort Garry was a pivotal post for the Hudson’s Bay Company and a major factor in the economy and political culture of the area.

Abandoned mini-mansions that were once intended for affluent Bangkok families now sit empty.

Dine on food tied to Viking history and legend at this subterranean Stockholm spot.

In one of America’s oldest mountain ranges, a long-awaited section of a scenic highway is now open to the public.

This unassuming tree stump reportedly traces its roots to the famous pharaoh queen's reign.

The sophisticated hydraulic system of the Nazca civilization.

A Christian monastery stands on what was once a holy Incan temple.

Evidence from a brutal 1880s murder is on display at this former infirmary house.

Known as the site of 'El Dorado,' this mysterious lake is rumored to hold gold beneath its waters.

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

The intense competition of the 19th-century fur trading industry played out at this fort in Western Canada.

The only American museum exclusively dedicated to the exhibition of gloves.

The oldest structure in a beachside California city was built to serve eight students.

A remote island settlement off the coast of Tanzania is a storied archaeological site with an ancient past.

A local museum honors the overlooked discoveries of Mary Anning, one of the first professional fossil hunters.

Towering high above the neighborhood of La Candelaria, the church is easily recognizable by its distinctive red-and-white striped facade.

This 12-inch-tall wooden sculpture of a winged Virgin Mary has inspired much devotion and countless replicas.

Hollywood's oldest hotel is the site of the first Academy Awards, the birthplace of Marilyn Monroe's career, and the home of Montgomery Clift's ghost.