Places Renard Wants to Go

Two awe-inspiring globes from the reign of the Sun King hang from the ceiling of France's national library.

The northernmost of the 12 surviving feudal castles of Japan is known as a cherry blossom viewing spot.

Visit a speakeasy-like indie cinema specializing in 16mm and 35mm films.

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

Japan Railways' southernmost train station offers a view of a volcano and a mailbox said to grant happiness.

An open-air museum exhibiting a total of 52 century-old buildings, recreating Hokkaido’s “pioneer village.”

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

Enormous underground chamber built to detect 'ghost particles' of the universe.

Transport yourself to the 1980s era of video games at this themed restaurant and bar.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

From the Difference Engine to the Cray-1, all under one roof.

A striking 12th-century-style castle built on the edge of a cliff.

Liechtenstein's royal family calls this medieval alpine castle home.

Despite centuries of architectural innovation, this French castle is being built like it's the 13th century.

The little tuxedo cat survived the trip, then languished in obscurity.

The tallest outdoor elevator in Europe rockets passengers on a dizzyingly precarious ride to the top of a mountain.

A historic observatory precariously perched at the "Top of Europe."

A giant bronze coil of feces is both a tribute to doggie defecation and a reminder to pick it up.

Years of archaeology, just chillin' by the water cooler.

One of the last functioning antique elevators in Chicago.

This $3 million model train takes you through Chicago, Seattle, and the thousands of miles in between.

A century-old hotspot for jazz, frequented by everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Al Capone.

This unchanged Victorian park is rumored to have been the inspiration behind Peter Pan's Neverland.