Places Edited by Rachel James

A mysterious pre-Incan ruin believed to have miraculous healing powers.

The echoes of a railroad town that solemnly mark the end of the line.

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

A Russian museum dedicated to the household staple, the samovar.

The oldest badlands in North America, Makoshika State Park takes it name from the Lakota words for broken land.

A glowing underwater cliff attracts marine life and divers in equal measure.

Edgar Allan Poe's old dorm is now a shrine to the author's legacy.

One man's real life disfigurement inspired a lasting local legend surrounding an eerie tunnel.

Relax on your veranda and watch the light show.

This medieval fortification has weathered the centuries better than any other structure from its era.

The remains of a 19th century spring, and the site of an infamous unsolved murder.

"World's largest scrap metal sculpture" stands in an outdoor sculpture garden in the middle of Wisconsin.

The oldest continuously operating church in California.

Liquor and flowers mark a holy site for Indian motorcycle riders.

Civil War dumping ground for the bodies of terrorized Union sympathizers.

This famous city eluded concrete detection until the early 2000's.

Stunning wetlands ablaze with pink lotus flowers.

A safe place for the wild donkeys of a hot vacation destination.

Art and armour fill every inch of this rich kid's Italian villa.

An extraordinary library and archive dedicated to the history of the Arctic and Antarctic poles.

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

A salty red wasteland in Tanzania is a breeding spot for endangered flamingos.

The once great capital of Egypt now crumbles forward as evocative ruins.

Modern art commemorates one of the first military actions of World War II.