Places rua Wants to Go

On a small island, a replica of a Finnish village from the Iron Age.

This church also serves as a lighthouse complete with a beacon.

A small island dotted with old, historic Finnish buildings.

An abstract monument to a symphonic composer.

A lovingly curated curio shop in which the taxidermy wear newspaper party hats, and peanut shells are spread across every surface.

A subterranean house of worship carved right out of the bedrock.

The tiny, studious rodents greet visitors to the National Archives of Finland.

Hundreds of signs pointing to the birthplaces of current Helsinki residents form stalactites on the ceiling of the cave-like Kamppi metro station.

This insurance company building reminds customers that witches, bears, and gnomes are out there, best be insured.

Perched on a spindly rock spire in a Greek archipelago, this lighthouse would make a perfect wizard's tower.

Electricians pray for luck at this place where, according to legend, the god of thunder was once trapped.

Over 120 years ago, the original boardgame that inspired Monopoly was invented in this small Illinois town.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

This unusual "magical shrine" honors a legendary raccoon-dog god that stowed away to Japan from some far-off land.

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.

Try maple leaf tempura at the trailside shop that brought it back from oblivion.

One of the world's largest ancient burial mounds.

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

This dazzling three-story shop showcases the art and history of music boxes, a popular novelty in Japan.

A trailblazing sovereign nation tucked in the American state of Wisconsin.

Walk along the medieval fortifications that have been protecting Tallinn since the 14th century.