Places Edited by Sommer Mathis

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

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.

A labyrinth hides in plain sight at each of the city's 270 Tube stations.

This unique competition celebrates an American Indian and Canadian First Nation cultural tradition.

Fourteen curious and controversial white bunnies sit in a circle near Newport Beach City Hall.

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.

The United States' oldest Episcopal church still in active use.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

A former mining hospital is now a vibrant artistic hub.

Nearly 300,000 acres of wildlife, natural splendor, and a hidden ghost town have been designated a national monument.

Ancient ruins hidden underneath a modern luxury hotel.

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.

A 19th-century smallpox cemetery is being reclaimed by scrub forest and sand dunes.

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.

There are many Byzantine-era churches still standing in Athens, but this is the only one with a 2,500-year-old column rising through its roof.

A spiritual sanctuary in a natural cave.

The home of possibly the least-loved U.S. president stands as a sort of unpopular Monticello.

An unusual monument to a gentle giant who became a Kyrgyz hero.

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.

This rare basilica nestled right in downtown Asheville is an architectural marvel, inside and out.

Every week, a festive public jam session breaks out in downtown Asheville.

A wonderful display of arts and crafts handmade by local artisans in the Southern Appalachians.

Gnarled canopies of pink and purple wildflowers arch over the trail to the summit.