Places Edited by Xavi Pascual

A well-restored ancient archaeology site gives a real feel for life during the Roman age.

The 2,000-year-old Roman columns are hidden within Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

The lengthy skeleton of one of the tallest Spaniards of all time is on display in Madrid.

A rare set of strings by famed instrument maker Antonio Stradivarius is on display in the Royal Palace.

More than 5,000 artifacts donated by the people of the city, plus a room entirely devoted to the band U2.

This restored Portuguese cafe may well be the most beautiful place in the world to grab a Big Mac.

The ruins of an ancient stadium that hosted gripping chariot and horse races.

17th-century merchants in Bristol nailed their deals by placing money on these pedestals.

Hans Christian Andersen for the postmodern world.

The unusual clock on this 18th-century market building has an extra minute hand for "Bristol time."

This elaborately decorated wall is an homage to the history, beauty and lore of the palm tree.

A statue of the original Pearly King is hidden in a church's crypt.

An impressive display of ships and artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean maritime trade.

The world's oldest bookshop still in operation.

The gilded, masterful astronomical clock will calculate time, dates, and planetary positions for thousands of years to come.

Saint Joseph was said to heal the deaf and blind, but it was a much smaller miracle that got him canonized.

A 19th-century subterranean reservoir repurposed as a contemporary art cave.

Thanks to an acoustic anomaly, this unassuming stone bench has heard one hundred years of secrets.

A golden plaque marks the site of the mysterious unsolved assassination of the former Swedish prime minister.

A historic London pub with prison cells in the cellar and a "spy room" on the second floor.

Possibly the oldest church in Barcelona, this basilica has its pagan and Christian mythologies all mixed up.

The medieval castle built as headquarters for the Pope's secretive Knights Templar.

No one knows who painted this mysterious mural in a Penn State basement.

Of the many chalices in the running for the Holy Grail, this one in Valencia Cathedral sure looks the part.