Places xavierdesilets Wants to Go

Explore the complex ecology of this multifaceted nature preserve by riverboat.

Once the tallest building in the world, this abandoned church is now a monument to the destruction of WWII.

Slaughterhouse Five opens its dank doors to fans of Kurt Vonnegut.

What was once thought to be a wellspring of unicorn bones is actually just a prehistoric burial site.

The prototype for all Nazi concentration camps.

An elevator into the Baltic Sea.

Between Neo-Pagans and Neo-Nazis, these strange rock formations have a curious cult following and a very strange history.

This historic stone bridge has an entire neighborhood clinging to its sides.

This "floating railway" is one of the world's oldest monorail systems.

Skeletons dressed in extravagant 18th century royal costumes cavort in the aisles of this German basilica.

Ruins of a German castle on top of a towering stone pillar.

This medieval castle overlooking the Elzbach river looks just like it did hundreds of years ago.

The fairy tale castle of the “fairy-tale king,” this was also the inspiration for Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”

This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.

Crosses of all shapes, sizes and colors litter the mountain, the site of a huge yearly Orthodox pilgrimage.

A memorial to the beloved brown bear that served in the Polish army during World War II.

This hidden collection of everyday objects illustrates life within communist Poland.

St. Mary's features one of the most spectacularly decorated cathedral interiors in all of Europe.

Communism's topsy-turvy effect on Poland has been brought to life in this wacky tourist trap.

The site of the first battle of World War II.

This Nazi ruin was the site where Hitler was almost blown up by a suitcase bomb.

This uber-quaint Polish village is known for its habit of painting elaborate floral motifs on just about everything.

The walls and ceiling of this Polish church are decorated with thousands of skulls, with another 21,000 skeletons just below.

Countless stories attempt to explain Poland's mysterious J-shaped trees.