There are countless beautiful destinations to visit around the world. But some places are either too dangerous, too protected, or too mysterious to explore.

Several locations across the globe—from man-made buildings and structures to natural habitats that contain dangerous species, religious mysteries, and secrets—make these areas forbidden to outsiders.

10 The Red Zone
France

Not all scenes in France are made of rolling green hills filled with gorgeous villages. In fact, there is one deserted area that has been forbidden for nearly a century. In a region near Verdun, France, lies a virgin forest known as the Zone Rouge (aka the Red Zone). Nobody lives there, nothing has been built there, and it is actually forbidden to enter.

Before World War I, Verdun was mainly farmland. The area quickly changed during the war after millions of rounds of artillery shells were fired. The ground was churned up, the trees were smashed, and the towns were destroyed by explosives. The war ended in 1918 and left the villages a casualty of war.

The French government considered the cost of rehabilitating the land but ultimately decided to relocate the local villagers. All the shells and munitions were left in the area, and it was deemed Zone Rouge.

The 1,190-square-kilometer (460 mi²) area is still strictly prohibited by law from public entry and agricultural use. Authorities are working to clear the land. However, at the current rate, many believe that it could take 300–700 years to complete or it may never be fully cleared.^[1]

9 Fort Knox
Kentucky

One of the best-kept mysteries in the US is located just 48 kilometers (30 mi) southwest of Louisville. The United States Bullion Depository (aka Fort Knox) is stacked with glittering gold bricks . . . we think. Very few people have entered the “gold fortress,” leaving many unanswered questions about the location.

Construction of Fort Knox was completed in 1936, and it sits on a 109,000-acre US Army post. Gold was shipped in at that time by trains manned by machine gunners. Then it was loaded onto army trucks protected by a US Cavalry brigade.^[2]

Just to be clear: Technically, Fort Knox (the US Army post) is adjacent to the US Bullion Depository. But the term “Fort Knox” is often used to refer to the gold vault building.

The US Constitution and the Bill of Rights were both stored there for short periods. The US government figures that the United States Bullion Depository holds nearly 4,582 metric tons of gold, which is worth more than $175 billion. The facility has one of the most advanced security systems known. What goes on there is mostly a secret, which is how the phrase “as secure as Fort Knox” originated.

8 North Sentinel Island

As hard as it is to believe, there are still “uncontacted” indigenous groups, which means that they maintain no contact with modern civilization. The Sentinelese people of North Sentinel Island are one of those few remaining uncontacted tribes.

In 1991, an outside expedition from India floated coconuts in the water toward the island inhabited by the Sentinelese, who are known to be hostile to foreigners. On two such trips, an Indian team made contact. The Sentinelese wanted the unfamiliar coconuts, but they did not really welcome the outsiders.^[3]

It is estimated that about 80–150 people live on the island, and their language isn’t known to any outsiders. Little is known about the tribe, which keeps them a mystery to many. But we do know that they don’t care much for company.

In 2018, a US missionary attempted to contact the Sentinelese people but was quickly killed by bow and arrow. The group has made it clear for years that they have no interest in making new friends.

In 1896, a convict from the Great Andaman Island Penal Colony escaped on a makeshift raft and eventually washed ashore on North Sentinel Island. His remains were found days later with a cut throat and several arrow wounds. It’s clear that the Sentinelese don’t want any contact, and it’s best to leave it that way.

7 Chapel Of The Ark Of The Covenant
Ethiopia

One of the most sought-after artifacts from the Bible is the Ark of the Covenant. The legendary object was built around 3,000 years ago to house the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. The Ark vanished from history after the Babylonian Empire conquered the Israelites. Nobody really knows if it was destroyed, captured, or hidden.

According to Ethiopian lore, the Ark of the Covenant is located at the St. Mary of Zion Cathedral (aka the Chapel of the Ark) in Aksum. The church only allows one man to see the Ark, and he is a monk who acts as the guardian of the artifact.

Although some reports claim that the Aksum object is only a replica of the Ark, nobody else is even permitted to enter the chapel to study the artifact, making it a forbidden place that you wish you could visit.^[4]

6 Snake Island

Around 150 kilometers (93 mi) south of downtown Sao Paulo is Ilha da Queimada Grande, better known as Snake Island. The island sits about 40 kilometers (25 mi) off the coast of Brazil, and humans are forbidden from entering the island. Snake Island got the name from the various snakes lurking across the island. Researchers believe that there is about one deadly snake for every 0.09 square meter (1 ft²) on the island.

The island is home to the golden lancehead, a unique species of the pit viper, which is known as one of the deadliest serpents in the world. They can grow to be over 0.5 meters (1.5 ft) long, and it is estimated that anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 of these deadly snakes occupy the island.

A lancehead is so venomous that a human would die within an hour of being bitten. These vipers are responsible for more deaths than any other snake in North and South America. It may be best that this island stays off-limits to visitors.^[5]

5 Mirny Diamond Mine

One of the largest man-made excavated holes in the world is found at Mir Mine (aka Mirny Diamond Mine). The enormous pit is located in Eastern Siberia and is the second-largest man-made hole in the world.

The diamond-rich deposit was found in 1955, and it is now more than 520 meters (1,700 ft) deep and more than 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) wide. Joseph Stalin ordered the construction of the mine to satisfy the Soviet Union’s need for diamonds.

During the peak years, the mine produced more than 10 million carats of diamonds annually. Open mining ceased in 2001, but underground mining is continued at the location.

The airspace above the mine is off-limits to helicopters after stories emerged about aircraft being sucked in due to downward air flow. But those claims have never been proved. The town is strictly off-limits to outsiders, though, so don’t expect to get a glimpse of this diamond in the rough.^[6]

4 Tomb Of Qin Shi Huang

Deep in the hills of central China, the country’s first emperor has lain for more than two millennia. The secret tomb of Qin Shi Huang was discovered in 1974 after some farmers stumbled across it while digging wells. They dug out a life-size terra-cotta soldier, but they didn’t realize that it would be just one of thousands of pieces of history at the site.

Archaeologists have excavated the site for nearly four decades and have uncovered about 2,000 clay soldiers. Scientists have not yet touched the central tomb, though, which contains the remains of Qin Shi Huang.

Many believe that the tomb is filled with many other treasures such as precious stones. Chinese authorities are the only ones allowed near the area, and it is up to them to decide if anyone ever gets to enter the mysterious tomb.^[7]

3 Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Halfway between Norway and the North Pole lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. It is tucked away deep inside a mountain on a remote island in Svalbard. It is the world’s largest seed storage and is home to crates of seeds for safe and secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults. The vault holds tens of thousands of varieties of essential food crops and more than 4,000 plant species.

It is a long-term seed storage facility that was built to withstand the effects of man-made and natural disasters. The purpose of the vault is to store duplicates of seeds from the world’s crop collections. If nuclear war or global warming were to kill crops, nations could request seeds from the vault to restart their agricultural processes.

In 2018, the Norwegian government proposed to allocate 100 million NOK (roughly $12.7 million) to upgrade the seed vault to help safeguard the genetic material it contains.^[8]

2 Bohemian Grove

Each July, a group of very rich and powerful men gather at a 2,700-acre campground in Monte Rio, California, for two weeks to hold private meetings, indulge in alcoholic beverages, and who knows what else. Bohemian Grove is the name of the secret campground that belongs to the gentlemen’s club known as the Bohemian Club.

According to rumors, the only way to join the Bohemian Club is to be invited by members or join a waiting list decades long. There is also a $25,000 initiation fee along with yearly dues.^[9]

There are currently around 2,500 members, with many of them showing up to enjoy their down time at the campground that features 118 camps, a man-made lake, and a towering Owl Shrine. Some of the past and present members of the secretive group include Gerald Ford, Clint Eastwood, Bing Crosby, Merv Griffin, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.

1 Surtsey
Iceland

Surtsey is a volcanic island off the southern coast of Iceland. It’s one of the world’s newest islands and was named after the Norse fire god, Surtur. In 1963, it emerged from the Atlantic Ocean after a fiery eruption. Columns of ash were sent into the air almost 9,200 meters (30,000 ft). For nearly four years after the eruption, the volcanic core built up the island with elevations around 152 meters (500 ft).^[10]

The island is now home to a long-term biological research program to study the colonization process of new land by plant and animal life. It was declared a nature reserve in 1965, and in 2008, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Surtsey is restricted to the public and is still only open to a handful of scientists who study the island.

“I’m just another bearded guy trying to write my way through life.” Visit my site at www.MDavidScott.com

Our world is full of breathtaking sights, from natural wonders to man-made landmarks. Each corner of the planet is unique and worth a visit. It’s too bad we’ll never get to see most of it. There’s not enough time, and some places are simply out of our reach. Precious few of us will ever travel to Antarctica, climb Mount Everest, or get to see Earth from space.

But what if we told you that you could do all of that? Right now, this very second? While the miracle of teleportation is still some years away, the Internet offers the next best thing: live webcams. Just one click of a button can instantly take you almost anywhere you can imagine.

So why not visit . . . 

10International Space Station

One of humanity’s greatest achievements to date is sending objects into Earth’s orbit and beyond. Yuri Gagarin became the first person to go to space in 1961. Many others have followed in his footsteps since. On top of that, we’ve launched an increasing number of man-made objects up there, including no fewer than 2,500 satellites.

By far the largest artificial object orbiting our planet is the International Space Station (ISS). Launched on November 20, 1998, the ISS is a true testament to what we can achieve when we bring together technological and scientific expertise from across the globe. The ISS functions mainly as a microgravity science lab. It can be manned by up to six people at any given time.

Only a few chosen ones will ever get to step aboard the ISS. These lucky few will get to see the planet in all its glory from up above. The rest of us? We’ll just have to make do with the high-definition streaming webcams, won’t we? One of these is dedicated exclusively to broadcasting superb, high-quality views of Earth as seen from the ISS. Another one lets you listen in on the crew’s chatter and even see them working when they’re on duty. Whichever one you pick, you won’t be disappointed. It’s quite likely as close as can ever get to living among the astronauts.

Watch the webcams here.

9Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are nothing short of spectacular. These “rain forests of the ocean” house and feed as many as 25 percent of all ocean species, sustaining an impressive biodiversity of life. Coral reefs are typically found in tropical and subtropical waters. The largest and most famous of them—the Great Barrier Reef—has taken an astonishing 20,000 years to take its current shape.

But that’s not why most of us find the reefs so fascinating, is it? No, we simply like their pretty colors and the fact that the protagonist of Finding Nemo lives there. We like them so much, in fact, that the coral reefs generate almost $10 billion in tourism and recreation value each year. The flip side is that tourists are contributing to a potentially irreversible destruction of the reefs. That’s what happens when an excited snorkeler snags a piece of the coral to take home as a souvenir. A single second is all it takes to ruin something that’s taken millennia to form.

So if you ever do visit the reefs, remember to leave them intact for future generations. Or you could go for a bit of virtual tourism and simply check out the many high-definition reef cams online.

Watch the webcams here.

8Antarctica

Antarctica is so remote that only the most dedicated among us will ever travel to the interior of this icy continent. There are permanent research bases in Antarctica, but they’re manned by as few as 1,100 people during the harsh winter months, rising to about 4,400 in the summer.

While humans haven’t established a significant presence in Antarctica, millions of penguins call it home. Just one species of these cute creatures—Adelie penguins—number around 3.8 million breeding pairs. Everyone loves penguins, but most people will only get to see them outside their natural habitats—in zoos and sea parks around the world.

At least that used to be the case. Now, thanks to a partnership between the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a few science foundations, you can watch the Antarctic penguins online from the comfort of your home. The penguin cam itself is only operational during the warmer Antarctic months, from October to end of February. The good news is that the webcam of the Palmer Station—the only US research facility on the Antarctic Peninsula—is online at all times. And it’s just one of the Antarctic exploration cams available. So you are free to observe either the penguins or US researchers braving subzero temperatures.

Watch the webcams here.

7African Safari

Those who prefer a warmer climate are often fascinated by the idea of getting close to the wild animals of Africa. African safaris tend to be at the top of “things to do before you die” lists. The continent teems with species not found elsewhere on Earth.

An African safari is easily the trip of a lifetime for many people. Nothing will ever compare to the feeling of actually being there and seeing the elephants, giraffes, and cheetahs in their natural environment. If you’re lucky enough to have the time, money, and energy to take a safari trip, we’d be foolish to discourage you.

But what if you don’t have such an opportunity? Don’t fret, for there’s a South African company that specializes in bringing you as close as possible to these wild animals using the magic of streaming video. Africam has put up cameras in some of the busiest wildlife spots around Africa. These cameras stream live video and sound 24 hours a day. Thanks to night vision, these feeds aren’t entirely useless—and are perhaps even more exciting—after darkness falls.

Watch the webcams here.

6The Northern Lights

Another bucket list favorite is the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. Northern lights are formed by charged particles colliding with the atmosphere and bursting into different colors. These range from bright green to deep blue to ruby red, depending on the altitude. The different colors mingle and paint curious patterns in the night sky—a sort of nighttime rainbow.

The aurora is one of the most incredible and mesmerizing sights around. To see it, you usually need to travel to regions near the Arctic, like Canada, Alaska, Iceland, or northern parts of Scandinavia. The best time to catch the northern lights is from September to April. Many tour operators offer packages specifically for those chasing this elusive occurrence.

Not up for traveling? Then you don’t have to. Thanks to modern technology, you can not only predict when and where the northern lights will occur but witness this phenomenon without having to tear yourself away from the computer.

Watch the webcams here.

5Prague City Center

The capital of the Czech Republic is one of the oldest and most beautiful places in Europe. Every year, no fewer than four million tourists flock to Prague, making it the 22nd-most-visited city in the world. The center of Prague is filled to the brim with noteworthy old architecture, from the 14th-century Charles Bridge to the Prague Castle—the biggest medieval castle in Europe.

The quaint Old Town district offers many unique sights of its own. It’s also the location of the oldest functioning astronomical clock in the world, hanging on the wall of the Old Town City Hall. Every hour, two square windows above the clock face open, and a procession of figurines makes its way through, popping in and out of the open windows. This brief show is called “The Walk of the Apostles” and draws crowds of gawking onlookers.

All of these sights and many others are available to anyone with access to the Internet. The camera across the astronomical clock even lets you control the viewing angle and zoom in on the action. So why not catch the apostles doing their thing?

Watch the webcams here.

4Jokulsarlon Glacial Lake

Jokulsarlon is as tranquil as it is tough to pronounce. Jokulsarlon literally translates as “glacial river lagoon,” and it’s pretty much exactly that: a charming glacial lake located close to Europe’s largest glacier—Vatnajokull, in Iceland. It is one of Iceland’s must-sees, and numerous operators offer boating tours to the lagoon. As many of these operators won’t stop reminding you, the lake was also used as a filming location for multiple Hollywood movies, including Batman Begins and Die Another Day.

While it’s truly an awe-inspiring natural wonder, Jokulsarlon’s presence is somewhat bittersweet. Its very existence is the result—and continued evidence—of global climate change. The lake formed in mid-1930s, when the tongue-twisting Breidamerkurjokull glacier started to melt and lose chunks of ice. Since then, the retreating glacier supplied more and more ice to the lagoon. As the glacier disappears, Jokulsarlon grows.

A lone webcam bears witness to this gradual transformation. So tune in and watch live streaming video that tells the tale of disappearing glaciers and thriving glacial lagoons.

Watch the webcam here.

3Tokyo Skyline & Skytree Tower

Tokyo is a dazzling, eclectic clash of hyper-modern architecture, high-speed lifestyle, and traditional Japanese culture. It’s the most populated metropolis in the world with 38 million residents. Each year, millions of foreigners visit Tokyo to absorb its unique fusion of the old and the new.

The city’s skyline is dotted with imposing skyscrapers, including the tallest structures in all of Japan. For decades, the Japanese height record belonged to the 333-meter (1,100 ft) Tokyo Tower. As of 2012, that is no longer the case. The recently completed Tokyo Skytree now absolutely dwarfs the Tokyo Tower, standing a staggering 634 meters (2,080 ft) tall. Tokyo Skytree is the world’s highest self-supporting tower and second-tallest building, losing out only to Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Skytree’s primary function is as a communications tower, but it doubles as an eerie, blinking Eye of Sauron at night, looming over the city. Think we’re making that up? Then wait until it gets dark in Japan and see the Tokyo skyline and the Skytree Tower for yourself from a conveniently placed webcam. (On some nights, visibility may be limited, but it’s worth coming back for.)

Watch the webcam here.

2Niagara Falls

Three separate waterfalls on the Canada-US border form the Voltron of waterfalls known as Niagara Falls. Two of these—American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls—are on the US side. The one in Canada is called Horseshoe Falls but is sometimes referred to as Canadian Falls to make sure there’s little doubt as to its location.

Niagara Falls was once the go-to destination for newlyweds, as portrayed in the Niagara movie starring Marilyn Monroe. It is still enormously popular with tourists: About 12 million people come here every year. Not only is it a prominent tourist attraction, but Niagara Falls also serves a more practical purpose: supplying a significant amount of hydroelectric power to US and Canadian homes.

A whopping 3,160 tons of water run over Niagara falls every second—90 percent of that over Horseshoe Falls alone. If you wonder what that amount of sheer force looks like, head on over to the three webcams covering the waterfalls and the Niagara River itself, and see it with your own eyes.

Watch the webcams here.

1Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on the planet and a temporary home to hundreds of brave climbers each year. Since it was first conquered in 1953, an estimated 4,000 people have reached the mountain’s 8.8-kilometer (5.5 mi) summit.

Over recent years, the constant stream of ambitious hopefuls has become a bit of a problem. Some days, there are legitimate traffic jams as dozens of people await their turn to continue the climb. On top of that, the ever-increasing crowds leave behind trash that requires separate expeditions to clean up. As one experienced climber described it, “It isn’t a wilderness experience—it’s a McDonald’s experience.”

With the once-pristine peak setting tourist saturation records, there’s some debate as to what should be done about it. Some suggest limiting the number of climbing permits, while others have proposed installing special ropes to make the climb easier and faster for amateurs.

In the meantime, the rest of us can enjoy the view from a webcam aimed directly at the mountain’s summit. It’s operational from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM Nepal Standard time.

Watch the webcam here.

Daniel’s humor blog may not be particularly exotic, but you can certainly visit it from your couch.

Much of the world remains in lockdown at the moment so there are a lot of places you can’t go. Though the real world is out of bounds that does not mean that you can’t take a little holiday, if you’re willing to get a little creative. Or enter the creative mode of Minecraft.

Minecraft is a simple game with simple rules but the blocky nature of the world in which it is set has not stopped players creating amazingly detailed recreations of both real world and fictional settings. Here are ten of the best places you can visit without leaving your laptop.

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10 Denmark

Most Minecraft players make do with building small homes to keep the Creepers out. The Danish government had rather grander designs.^[1] Using maps they created a scale model of their entire country. This was to make a fun way for people to explore the country – especially those hard to reach places. Because of the way in which the virtual Denmark was generated the buildings were incomplete and flat-roofed. To correct this Danish citizens were encouraged to help build a better simulacrum of their country. The one tool they were not allowed to use was the TNT that makes Minecraft so fun. But alas something was rotten in the state of Denmark.

Alas Denmark did not survive long before it was invaded by the forces of the United States. Players managed to sneak in TNT and set about demolishing the capital city Copenhagen. Large US flags sprung up across the virtual country. Luckily for Denmark it was a simple matter of rolling back to an earlier – Pre-invasion – version.

9 The Acropolis

The buildings, temples, and treasuries of the Acropolis in Athens were considered one of the high points of Greek civilisation. The Parthenon in particular has become an icon of the entire era. It took the ancient Greeks a vast amount of time, gold, and effort to build and rebuilt the Acropolis. After the Persian invasion and destruction of Athens it took around 50 years to complete the famous buildings that stand there to this day. In its Minecraft form it took around 3 months…

In the real world the Acropolis was situated at the heart of Athens but in Minecraft it sits among Elysian fields of grain. Another difference from the Acropolis as it was originally built is that the Minecraft version preserves the current white state of the Parthenon. In reality the buildings of the Acropolis were a riot of, to our eyes, garishly painted colours.

8 Cathedrals

Cathedrals were literal and metaphorical pinnacles of European building in cities. Enclosing vast spaces they were designed to make people look upwards and explore the nature of the divine. Of course building such huge structures out of stone and wood was a complex affair and could take a while. In the case of Cologne cathedral it began in 1248 and wasn’t completed until 1880. The Minecraft version took a little less than the 632 years of the original. The Minecraft cathedral preserves every spire and flying buttress of the original and is richly decorated inside with hanging chandeliers.

If Cologne cathedral is not to your taste you can always visit Notre Dame in Paris. Of course since the real cathedral suffered a tragic and devastating fire it may be some time before the original is open to the public. Minecraft is the next best thing.

7 Babylon

Of the seven wonders of the Ancient World only the Great Pyramid stands in any recognisable form. Some like the Colossus of Rhodes were felled after only a few years and disappeared from history. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were build around 600 BC by king Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife and were just one of the marvels the Babylonians created in their capital city.

The recreation of Babylon in Minecraft includes not only the Hanging Gardens but the fabled Tower of Babel. While that was designed to reach the heavens this tower is limited by Minecraft’s 256 block height limit. The Ishtar Gate that guides you into the city are flanked by winged bulls – a strange but common motif in Ancient Babylonia.

6 Minas Tirith

“Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The White Tower of Ecthelion, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, its banners caught high in the morning breeze.” The capital city of Gondor in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Minas Tirith is a city built on seven levels that clings to the side of a mountain and towers above a plain. In Minecraft fans of the books and films have recreated the city, down to its billowing banners.

While some other sites on this list cannot be visited because they are in dangerous locations or have been destroyed Minas Tirith suffers from the drawback of being fictional. If you want to visit it then Minecraft is your only option.

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5 Hogwarts

Many young people dreamed of being whisked away to a magical world and the Harry Potter universe gave them the perfect opportunity. The Floo Network spent years producing a version of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts school in Minecraft. Every detail of J.K. Rowling’s world from the Shrieking Shack to the Whomping Willow to her love of alliteration is presented for those who want to learn to be a witch or wizard. They even have floating candles in dining hall.

To complete the world they also went to the trouble of building parts of the real world city of London where one of the ways of entering the magical world is found in the books. The Minecraft version of London it must be said is slightly tidier than the real thing…

4 Festivals

Across the world hundreds of events big and small have been cancelled this year. Some of the biggest music festivals will not be taking place for the foreseeable future due to the risk of spreading the Coronavirus. One of the benefits of sitting alone in your room on Minecraft is that you have very little chance of contracting a real illness. So some musicians are turning to Minecraft as a way to connect to their fans.^[2]

While much of the time when Minecrafters get together on servers there can be some destruction and more than a little placing of TNT many gig have now taken place. Other games like Fortnite have hosted musical events but Minecraft with its open worlds and servers gives more scope for bands and musicians to shape their gigs. Admittedly there is somewhat less atmosphere when instead of jumping around in real life you are jostling a rectangular skin up and down.

3 The Earth

At present your options for places to go are limited to Earth or, if you are lucky and incredibly wealthy, low Earth orbit. Why not take a trip to another version of Earth?^[3] It is one that should be comforting for those who cling to the flat Earth theory as well.

There are several versions of Earth available in Minecraft. One is just a little bit smaller than the real one but is still 16200 by 32400 blocks across, making it a 1:1500 scale model. Each area of the planet is recreated in one of the biomes available in Minecraft’s repertoire. For some though this is not nearly close enough to the real thing.

The “Built the World” project is working on making a 1:1 scale model of the Earth in Minecraft. Over 100,000 Minecraft players have expressed interest in helping to build this new world. Given the huge nature of the project different teams will work on different areas and their creations will stitched together at a later date.

2 Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the most visited cities in the world and attracts people to its hustle and bustle. Imagine having it all to yourself? Well now you can, sort of, in Los Angelcraft. Not meant as a perfect representation of Los Angeles it is instead inspired by the city in its style. There is everything from towering buildings that literally scrape the Minecraft world’s sky to little houses in the suburbs. If you’ve ever dreamt of owning property in the City of Angels then this might be your best bet.

Each of the buildings is lovingly furnished inside as well as stunning outside. This was a labour of love for the creator – someone who has never actually been to Los Angeles.

1 Westeros

It’s safe to say that the final season of Game of Thrones was… divisive. If divisive means universally panned. So why not play out your own adventure in a stunningly detailed version of Westeros?^[4]

Coming in at 22,000 by 59,000 blocks it may not be quite the size of the Game of Thrones (in real life) but hundreds of people have created almost every location mentioned in the books or shown on screen. Something like the Wall is relatively easy to build, being just huge blocks of ice. But the capital city of King’s Landing features the Red Keep palace and Iron Throne but it is the city itself that is most impressive. There are precisely 4,788 individual homes in the city and they are all unique. It took 4 months to build the city, and then the creators completely rebuilt it to take advantage of new materials and textures added to the game.

The people running WesterosCraft have a pretty stringent set of rules about what can be built and what the interior design should look like. One commented “Westeros has a literacy rate of 0.1%, limiting it to the upper classes. When I see books in a low/middle class home, I want to gouge my eyes out.” Those readers waiting for George R. R. Martin to finish his next book are used to that feeling…

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Greece is a well-liked travel destination with attractions for all tastes. It will enchant beachgoers, foodies, culture vultures, and history buffs alike. Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Greek Islands rank among the country’s most picturesque locations, but the mainland is also home to rough mountains and intriguing historic sites. To help you plan your itinerary, here are the 26 best places to visit in Greece.

The 26 Best Places To Visit In Greece

1. Santorini

One of the most well-known and top-notch tourist destinations in Greece is Santorini. It is ideal for a romantic rendezvous or honeymoon. The island has blue domes perched high on sea cliffs and whitewashed villages. 

There are beautiful beaches in Santorini complete with red sand, black sand, and golden sand. It is arguably the most gorgeous Greek island. The best times to see scintillating Santorini are from September 1 through October 31 and from April 1 through May 31 when the weather is warm and there are fewer tourists around. Experience the island’s cultural side, explore the archeological site of Akrotiri, and enjoy the infinity pools, the sunsets and other breathtaking views. 

2. Meteora

One of the most stunning tourist destinations in Greece, Meteora, is becoming more well-known. Here you will discover monasteries from the ninth century that were constructed atop enormous rock monoliths. Because of Meteora’s magnificent monasteries, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

400 meter-high sandstone spires tower over the lovely landscape. Meteora formed 60 million years ago, is said by some to be both extraordinary and stunning. Monks constructed monasteries at the top of these massive mountains as a covert retreat where they could live in safety and seclusion and had to scale the walls with ropes and ladders. You can see the monasteries and the Delphi Archaeological Site on a two-day tour.

3. Athens

Spend three days in Athens when you travel to Greece before departing for the island’s golden beaches. The ancient archaeological sites that dot Greece’s capital city blend in surprisingly well with modern-day habitation. The Parthenon, which was constructed between 447 and 432 BC, sits at the center of the ancient Acropolis, which dominates this superb city.  

Veteran visitors can confirm it is a must-see metropolis. Don’t miss the Ancient Agora, the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, and the Temple of Hephaestus, Dine on one of the local rooftop patios too. The best months to visit Athens are March through May and September through November. The climate’s pleasant, crowds are fewer, and discounts abound.

4. Epirus

One favorite location, western Greece’s Epirus is surrounded by the Ionian Sea and Albania. This vast area is ideal for those who enjoy the outdoors. There’s so much to do here you could actually stay for a week.

This amazing region, which has just recently been discovered, is full of mountain villages, breathtaking landscapes, and lovely beaches. If you set up a base in Ioannina, you can easily travel to the Kipina Monastery, the most impressive monastery outside of Meteora, via the magnificent Stone Arch Bridges of Zagori. The spring and summer seasons are the ideal times to travel here. The area is less crowded because fewer tourists travel there than to other parts of Greece. 

5. Ioannina

The City of Ioannina, which is the capital of Epirus, will astound you. It is rich in Byzantine history, has marvelous museums, and a vibrant nightlife. Perhaps the most significant landmarks here are the seven monasteries on the Island of the Lake. In fact, one of Greece’s three most incredibly crucial monasteries, along with Meteora and the Mount Athos Monastery, is the memorable Monastery of the Philanthropists, which harkens back to 1204. The months of May through September are the ideal times to travel to Ioannina. The warm, pleasant weather during these months is ideal for outdoor pursuits like camping, hiking, paragliding, swimming, and seeing the city’s landmarks. 

6. Parga

Greece’s Parga is a stunning vacation destination with a variety of attractions, including white-sand beaches traditional whitewashed buildings, and clear blue waters. The main attraction is Parga Castle, where you can hike up for stunning views of the area. Parga will give you a sense of what a Greek Island vacation is like because it has the feel of a Greek isle despite being on the mainland. 

Sivota, Preveza, and Plataria all have lovely beaches in addition to the nearby Valtos Beach, which is frequently cited as one of the best beaches in the country. Enjoy fresh seafood at a beach bar. This place is fairly famous for its keen cuisine!

7. Zagori

Zagori’s just outside of popular Ioannina. Visit the lovely Averoff Gallery as well as the Katogi Averoff Hotel and Winery to see. It serves as the ideal starting point for exploring all that Vikos has to offer, from its beautiful hiking trails to its ancient monasteries. The Vikos Gorge should not be missed, even though Zagori is best known for its stone bridges.  The Guinness Book of World Records lists this as the deepest gorge on the planet, making it one of the nation’s natural wonders. This picturesque area of Greece is not to be missed because it has hiking trails, beautiful lookouts, and a diverse, attractive array of flora.

8. Zakynthos

Zakynthos (also known as Zante in Greek) is one of the top Greek islands for scuba diving. It has some of the best beaches in the nation. Navagio Beach, a.k.a. Shipwreck Beach is one of the most well-known beaches in Greece. 

It is surrounded by tall, white cliffs and turquoise water.  Shipwreck Beach is even more pristine because it can only be reached by boat tour. The town of Zante is located on Zakynthos’ eastern coast. 

It is a convenient location for traveling and has a lively nightlife. The island has a rich history and delicious Greek cuisine. The best time to see Zakynthos is from March through May and September until early December.

9.Crete

There’s nothing better than island hopping in Greece, and any trip there must include a stop on the stunning island of Crete. The best beaches in Greece can be found on Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands. Additionally, you’ll see the well-known whitewashed homes and standard southern towns.

With its lofty peaks, narrow gorges, and pristine sandy beaches, Crete is a must-see location. Samaria Gorge should not be missed if you enjoy hiking; it’s undoubtedly one of Greece’s natural wonders. The beauty of this national park is among the best in all of Europe. Make sure to visit Elafonisi Beach, which is frequently cited as Greece’s top beach too!

10. Knossos

Knossos is among the best locations on the island of Crete. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace of King Minos is on display here in this outdoor archaeological museum. 

Created by an ancient Minoan civilization, it has been here for over 2000 years. This sizable bronze age archeological site is one of the country’s best and most well-preserved. Visit Knossos in spring or autumn with a guide, explore the old Heraklion, the capital of Crete, and sample some authentic traditional Greek cuisine. Rent a car here and explore off the beaten path to learn more about how the locals live.

11. Pelion

On the Pelion Peninsula in mainland Greece, Pelion is a stunning region of Greece. Tsagarada, Makrinitsa, and Milies are just a few of the picturesque villages on Pelion, which is halfway between Athens and Thessaloniki. Plus, this is the location to be if you want to see where the film *Mama Mia* was filmed. 

A large portion of the motion picture was shot in the coastal community of Damouchari. Jason and the Argonauts lived in Volos, a lovely city on the coast. This is a must-see if you enjoy Greek mythology from antiquity. The best seasons to visit Pelion are spring and fall because of the mild and pleasant weather.

12. Skiathos

Skiathos takes you off the beaten path. This island in the Sporades archipelago in the northwest Aegean Sea evokes memories of Crete or Santorini from the early 2000s. Travel the island by rental car. 

Similar to the more well-known Greek islands, this island has lovely whitewashed houses, sandy beaches, and a laid-back atmosphere. Skiathos is well-liked by tourists due to its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife. The Evangelistria Monastery, built in 1894, is a notable landmark in this area. Spend your evenings unwinding in a tavern on the beach, sipping sparkling wine, and enjoying authentic Greek cuisine. After that, take a stroll along the water to witness the mesmerizing sunsets. 

13. Skopelos

Skopelos, another *Mama Mia* location with stunning scenery, is only a short distance from Skiathos. Numerous beautiful beaches, picturesque monasteries clinging to its coast, whitewashed houses with blue doors, and terracotta roofs are all highlights of Skopelos. Mind you, Skopelos is a stunning Greek island but unless you know someone who has traveled there, it probably would not be on your list of must-see locations in Greece. There are 360 monasteries and churches there, as well as stunning beaches with white limestone cliffs and clear, diving- and snorkeling-friendly waters. The most pleasant seasons to visit Skopelos are spring and fall when the weather is mild.

14. Costa Navarino

Although the beaches on the Greek islands are among the best in the entire country, a number of travel writers consider Costa Navarino, located in the southwest corner of the Peloponnese region of mainland Greece, can compete with the very best of them. Few visitors come to this incredible location in Greece, which is in Messinia on the Ionian Sea’s crystal clear waters. Messinia is one of some frequent flyers’ favorite places to travel in Greece because it is a unique destination with opulent resorts, olive groves, and charming villages. Although Messene in the Peloponnese is less visited by tourists, it’s just as impressive as the ancient ruins of Athens. 

15. Voidokilia Beach

The most stunning beach we’ve ever seen, Voidokilia Beach, is not far from Costa Navarino. Voidokilia Beach is a place of legends because it is shaped like the Greek letter Omega. This beach was mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey, and it was thought that King Nestor, a former ruler of Pylos, frequented it. Some must-see sites around Voidokilia Beach include popular Paleokastro, Nestor’s Cave, and Gialova Lagoon. The summer months of June, July, August, and September are the best times to visit Voidokilia Beach because the weather is warm and there are fewer tourists there. 

16. Messene

Few people have heard of the ancient city of Messene, despite the fact that everyone is familiar with the Acropolis, the Temple of Apollo, and the Temple of Poseidon. This ancient Greek city is a must-see. One of the Best Places in Greece is Messene. 

It withstood numerous sieges by both the Macedonians and the Spartans and is filled with centuries of history. Although it is not nearly as popular as other Greek archaeological sites, it is a favorite of many of those who have been there. Wander through the theater, stadium, and agora of the Greeks. Add Messene to your must-see list if you go to Costa Navarino.   

17. Kalamata

Messenia’s capital is located in the port city of Kalamata. Fans of the arts and theater should definitely go here. That’s because the Castle of Isabeau is the main attraction here. 

Every year, the International Dance Festival takes place here. This location is a huge amphitheater with a view of the whole city. Additionally, you will be able to observe the various influences that both the Venetians and the Turks had on the building’s architecture. 

You can also visit a lot of museums while you’re here. Take your time and thoroughly explore this city. If you’re looking for sun, the best months to visit Kalamata are between June and August. 

18. Thessaloniki

Be sure to visit Thessaloniki. Greek Macedonia’s capital is located in Northern Greece, in Thessaloniki. With Turkish Baths and Byzantine and Roman era monuments, it gives off the impression that you are in Turkey. To see historic locations like the Roman Market, Hammams, and Byzantine Churches, make sure to stroll through the old town. Don’t miss the White Tower, Thessaloniki’s iconic landmark that rises 33 meters above the ground. The months of April through November are the best for travel to Thessaloniki. The warmest months are July and August when highs of 34°C are common. The White Tower, Ladadika, the Ataturk Museum, and Aristotelous Square are must-see attractions in Thessaloniki.

19. Olympus National Park

You must visit Mount Olympus if you enjoy Greek mythology. Journey to Thessaly and hike this mythical mountain. It’s 2,917 meters tall. The legendary mountain feels a long way from civilization as it winds through waterfalls and thick forests.  

You might not be up to ascending “the Mountain of the Gods,” but you simply must hike at least a part of it. If you’re not overly athletic, go to the popular Prionia trailhead for Prionia and just hike down from that point. The best months to travel are July and August. The weather is typically warm, most facilities and roads are open, and numerous activities are available.

20. Mykonos

The Greek island of Mykonos, which is part of the Cyclades group and located in the Aegean Sea, is well-known for its thriving nightlife and for being a gay-friendly destination with numerous businesses that cater to the LGBT community. It is also well known for its famous golden sand beaches that end in clear waters, drawing tourists to its shores for both daytime fun on the beach and nightlife. The island’s stunning windmills, which line the shore, represent the place and are perhaps its most famous feature. With its charming wooden balconies dangling over the water, Alefkandra, a.k.a. Little Venice, used to be a wealthy merchant city in Venice. 

21. Rhodes

The Island of Rhodes is renowned for its history and scenic beauty. The Lindos Acropolis, Rhodes Old Town, the Grand Master’s Palace, and unwinding at Lindos Beach are all noteworthy Rhodes attractions. It has endured wars and earthquakes for centuries, making it among the most fascinating places to visit in Greece. 

It is one of the most well-liked tourist destinations in Greece due to its combination of historic sites, wonderful beaches, and nightlife. The months of May through September are the most pleasant for traveling to Rhodes. The months of July and August are the island’s busiest travel months. The best months to travel are May, June, and September if you prefer less tourism. 

22. Corfu

Corfu is not exactly a hidden gem, and during the summer months, the island can become overrun with tourists. it is one of the best Greek islands to visit, though, if you go when it’s not peak season. Greece’s greenest island is Corfu. 

There are numerous historical sites scattered all over the island. Corfu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is regarded as the historical center of Corfu. The summer months of June to August are the ideal time to visit Corfu because of the warm, sunny weather. The best time to travel here is in September and October if you prefer less tourism. It can get a tad chilly and rainy during the winter. 

23. Delphi

Greece’s Delphi Archaeological Site is a well-known tourist destination. It is breathtaking to see this ancient temple honoring the Greek God Apollo at the summit of Mount Parnassus. Delphi was regarded as a sacred site by the ancient Greeks. 

Delphi, which dates to the eighth century BC, is renowned for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. An incredible scene is created by the ancient Apollo temple complex that is perched atop the tall mountain. The summer months of June to August are the ideal time to visit the Delphi Archaeological Site because they are warm and sunny. The best times to travel are in September and October if you prefer less tourism.

24. Halkidiki

The region of Halkidiki is in northern Greece. The three peninsulas, Kassandra, Sithonia, and Mount Athos, collectively known as “the three legs,” are what make it famous. Mount Athos Monastery is one of Halkidiki’s most fascinating locations. One of Greece’s three most significant monasteries is Mount Athos. One of the best places to travel in Greece, yet many tourists have yet to learn about it in comparison to the tens of thousands of islands in Greece. It is well-liked by sunbathers in Romania and the neighboring country of Bulgaria now, but the rest of Europe will soon follow. June to August is the ideal time to visit Halkidiki for sunny weather.  

25. Athens Riviera

The Athens Riviera is a fantastic place to visit in Greece if you’re in Athens and just plain don’t have time to travel to the islands. enjoyed a long weekend driving along the section of the Athens Riviera outside of the city. From Athens, you can either rent a car or order a taxi. 

Discounted transfers from Athens International Airport might be available through your hotel. The summer months of June to August are also the ideal time to visit the Athens Riviera because of the warm weather. On the other hand, if you book your visit in either September or October, there are fewer tourists.

26. Poseidon’s Temple

Even if you don’t spend the night on the Athens Riviera, you absolutely must take a day trip from Athens to Poseidon’s Temple. This tremendous temple on the shore of the Ionian Sea is situated at the southernmost point of mainland Greece and is well worth the journey. Greek gods were highly revered in ancient times, and Poseidon’s Temple is the most impressive because of its location. The summer months of June to August are the ideal time to visit the Temple of Poseidon because they are warm and sunny. The best times to travel are in September and October if you prefer less tourism. A day trip can be scheduled from Athens.

Most people do not like to think too much about cemeteries. We tend to visit them only as often as we need to and then leave as quickly as is decently possible. This is a shame, because there are some cemeteries that are well worth closer inspection.

Though in modern times, we tend to be somewhat squeamish about the process of death and mortal decay, it has often been celebrated in ways that are endearing, interesting, or, sometimes, downright strange. Here, we look at a few of them.

10 Merry Cemetery

The Church of the Assumption in Sapanta, Northern Romania, serves a small town of only around 3,000 people. Life there is often hard, and the townspeople are mostly poor. Though they may not have much wealth in life, they are guaranteed a lavish and rather unique final resting place.

Since 1935, the buried dead have been interred in Merry Cemetery. Each grave is given a hand-carved headstone, colorfully decorated in, shall we say, a naive style and adorned with a bespoke poem that celebrates their life.

If your Romanian is good, you can wander around the cemetery reading the inscriptions, written in the first person from the dead person to you. Some poems are funny, such as Ioan Toaderu’s, which reads:

One more thing I loved very much,
To sit at a table in a bar
Next to someone else’s wife

And some are sad or even angry, like this one from a three-year-old girl, which is directed at the taxi driver who ran her over:

Burn in hell, you damn taxi
That came from Sibiu.
As large as Romania is
You couldn’t find another place to stop,
Only in front of my house to kill me?

If your Romanian is not so good, you might just enjoy looking at the colorful carvings which sometimes depict the manner of their subject’s dying in a disturbingly comic fashion.^[1]

9 The Hanging Cemetery

For centuries, the people of the mountainous region of Sagada in the Philippines have chosen not so much to bury their dead as to hang them out to dry. The period from death to interment is a relatively long one. The deceased is first placed in a “death chair” inside their home, and the chair is positioned facing the front door so that they can “welcome” visitors. The corpse is covered with rattan leaves and smoked, which serves to preserve the body and also to help rid the home of that just-dead smell.

The corpse remains in the chair for several days before it begins the next stage of its final journey. Traditionally, it is placed in the fetal position, with legs tucked under the chin. Limbs will be broken to accomplish this if necessary, though in more recent times, fewer families are willing to do so. The body is then wrapped in fresh rattan leaves and a blanket and carried by mourners to the cemetery. There is often a large number of people willing to act as pallbearers, since it is considered lucky if any of the bodily fluids leak through the leaves and drip on the mourners.^[2]

Once at the cliffside cemetery, the body is fitted inside a coffin, usually only 1 meter (3.3 ft) wide. The coffin is then nailed to the side of the cliff. The higher the coffin is placed, the greater the person’s position in the tribe was in life. It is believed that the elevated coffins will bring them closer to their ancestral spirits.

The privilege of a hanging coffin is not open to everyone. It is reserved mostly for tribe elders, as it is believed that the corpses of those who died young are considered bad luck.

8 The Underwater Cemetery

An interment at the Neptune Memorial Reef gives a whole new meaning to the saying, “He sleeps with the fishes.”

Found about 5 kilometers (3 mi) off the coast of Florida, the Neptune Memorial Reef has been artificially created in around 12 meters (40 ft) of water. It has several classical-style statues to give it an Atlantis feel and would be a paradise for scuba divers. However, not only has the reef been built to encourage marine life, but it has also been specifically made to hold the cremated remains of those who want to be buried at sea.^[3]

It is hoped that the remains will help to feed the coral and expand the reef. Although the burial of uncremated remains would be more nutrient-rich, they are currently not permitted.

7 Cross Bones

The Southwark area of London, where Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre once stood, was always a rather seedy place. There were a large number of taverns and a large amount of prostitution. During the 12th century, the bishop of Winchester had the right to license and tax prostitutes, who were known as the “Winchester Geese” because of their habit of exposing their white breasts to passersby. The phrase “bitten by a Winchester Goose” meant “contracted a sexually transmitted disease.”

The brothels, known as “stews,” thrived despite periodic attempts to close them down, so they were brought under the control of the Church, and regulations were drawn up requiring that prostitutes be registered, did not work on religious holidays, and did not sleep with anyone for free (presumably so that no one would feel hard done by).^[4]

Although the bishop was content to tax the working girls, he was not prepared to bury them in holy soil. A plot of unconsecrated land, officially called the Single Woman’s Churchyard but unofficially known as the Cross Bones Cemetery, was set aside for their remains.

In the 17th century, Cross Bones became a graveyard for paupers and those without the means to pay for their burial. As a final indignity, their corpses were often stolen by body snatchers.

In 1992, the Museum of London carried out an excavation at Cross Bones. They found bodies crammed in on top of each other and, most surprisingly, discovered that over half of the bodies were from those aged under five years old at the time of their deaths.

6 Napoleon’s Cemetery

The island of San Michele stands in the Venetian Lagoon, and its cemetery is hidden by high walls, although it is open to visitors. The island was inhabited by monks from the 15th century until comparatively recently. Their monastery boasts a domed roof and a magnificent statue of an angel over the entrance.

When Napoleon invaded Venice, he decreed that, because of Venice’s tendency toward flooding, it was unhygienic to bury the dead on the main island. (You can see his point.) San Michele was designated as the official Venetian cemetery, and it is still in use today. The island offers fabulous views in a prestigious location, sitting as it does between Venice and Murano.

The dead may have expected to be able to rest in peace there, but since 1995, overcrowding at San Michele has meant that “inhabitants” can only be granted a ten- or 20-year lease, after which their remains are evicted to make way for new tenants.^[5]

5 The Cemetery Of 200,000 (And 1)

Okunoin Cemetery in Japan contains almost a quarter of a million graves but is the focus of only one. It is the final resting place of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most important people in Japanese religious history. He is said to be resting in eternal meditation while he awaits the coming of the Buddha of the Future.^[6]

While he waits, Kobo Daishi is said to provide help to those pilgrims who ask for it. Visitors must bow before crossing a bridge into the cemetery, which contains 200,000 tombstones, all of which are set out to line the way to his mausoleum. Many prominent people and religious monks chose to be buried here in the hope that being close to his remains will bring them closer to salvation when the Buddha of the Future arrives.

In front of the mausoleum itself is the Hall of Lamps, which contains 10,000 lanterns, which are always lit, and 50,000 tiny statues, all of the great man. Visitors are able to leave Kobo Daishi offerings in the aptly named Offering Hall, though, word to the wise, he is probably okay for a while when it comes lamps and statues.

4 Dracula’s Cemetery

St Mary’s Church at Whitby was built in 1110, and its churchyard dates from around the same time.

The graveyard must have always held a certain amount of Gothic fascination, because it was the inspiration for a scene in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In the novel, the vampire lands at Whitby and leaps from his ship (whose crew is mysteriously dead) and hides himself in an abandoned crypt in a church that very much resembles St Mary’s. Stoker stayed in the town while writing his novel, and he was said to have been very much taken with the atmospheric surroundings.^[7]

Current visitors may find more gore than they were hoping for, however. The pounding of the sea has caused erosion along the cliffs, and subsequent landslides have exposed a number of corpses, though none so far have been sporting elongated teeth and a theatrical dress sense. Work is ongoing to try to prevent the churchyard, and its contents, from slipping into the sea.

3 The Cemetery Of Shame

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in France is a military burial ground dedicated to those killed in action during World War I. There are 6,012 soldiers whose graves are proudly marked in four plots, marked A to D.

However, there is another plot at the cemetery, separate from the others. Plot E can only be accessed through the office of the superintendent. This plot contains 96 unmarked graves belonging to American soldiers who were dishonorably discharged and executed for crimes committed during World War II. None of these graves are mentioned by the American Battle Monuments Commission’s website for Oise-Aisne.

Between them, these men are alleged to have murdered 26 American soldiers. They are also alleged to have raped and/or murdered 71 civilians of other nationalities. The plot was designated as a place of burial for the “dishonorable dead.” The graves are identified only by number, and the dead are set with their backs to the rest of the fallen. The American flag is not permitted to fly over Plot E.^[8]

The only inhabitant of the plot not convicted of rape or murder was Private Eddie Slovik, who was executed for desertion on January 31, 1945, the only man to be executed for this crime since the Civil War. His remains were removed in 1987, and he was reburied next to his wife after his family petitioned President Reagan for a pardon.

2 The Cemetery Of A Million Mummies

In an Egyptian cemetery whose name means, for reasons unknown, “The Way of the Water Buffalo,” archaeologists have discovered a million mummies. Literally.

The burial ground dates from the first to the seventh centuries, and most of its dead were buried without coffins or grave goods of any kind, so those hoping for a Tutankhamen-style treasure trove are likely to be disappointed. The cemetery was used by poor, low-status citizens of Egypt while it was controlled by the Roman Empire.

Although they couldn’t afford the lavish funeral rituals of the pharaohs, great care was taken by mourners in the burying of the dead. Scientists have yet to discover the reason for the incredibly large number of bodies, since it is unlikely that they were all local inhabitants.^[9]

The archaeological dig has uncovered some surprising specimens, including one mummy that was over 213 centimeters (7′) tall and had to be bent in half to fit inside the grave as well as a number of blond and redheaded mummies. It may be that the cemetery authority buried people according to hair color, as clusters of redheaded and blond mummies have been discovered throughout the site. Then again, of course, they may have just buried families together.

1 The Plague Cemetery

In 1665, a tailor in the small parish of Eyam ordered a bale of cloth from London. When it arrived, the cloth seemed somewhat damp, so he put it in front of the fire to dry. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Eyam, the cloth contained a number of fleas. And even more unfortunately, the fleas were carrying bubonic plague.

Within two months, the tailor was dead, along with 42 other souls. The church rector, believing that he had a duty to prevent the disease from spreading to neighboring villages, decided that the entire village should quarantine itself. He told his parishioners that if they agreed to stay, he would remain with them and do everything in his power to relieve their suffering.

Knowing that he may well have been signing all their death warrants, he set up a “cordon sanitaire” around the village. Almost no one tried to escape, even as the death toll mounted. Some people lost almost their entire families to the disease. A woman named Elizabeth Hancock buried her husband and six children in only eight days. She had to dig the graves herself, since none of the villagers wanted to go near her.

The task of burying the dead was a dangerous one. Marshall Howe, who had been infected early on but survived, volunteered for the task, believing that he was now immune. He often helped himself to the deceased’s possessions by way of payment, and it is believed that his wife and two-year-old son probably caught the disease from the stolen items. They were not as lucky as Mr. Howe, and he soon had the job of interring them, too.

The graves of the plague victims can still be seen in Eyam Parish Churchyard. Marshall Howe survived the plague, as did the church rector, though the rector’s wife succumbed after prolonged contact due to nursing the dying. By November 1666, with half the village dead, the plague was eradicated, and the neighboring villages were saved.^[10]

Ward Hazell is a writer who travels, and an occasional travel writer.

One day, once the ‘great re-opening’ occurs, we all hope that international travel with commence again. In that spirit, why not plan a totally off-the-wall, weird tour of Europe? That question was rhetorical…

From magical roads to vampire preventions methods, beer gods to little slices of America, Europe is full of wacky, weird and wonderful attractions, all ready to open back up and accept visitors. Take the list, make your booking (when safe to do so) and get ready to see Europe in a different way.

Top 10 Iconic Places Pictured From Behind

10 Tring Natural History Museum, Tring, England

On the surface, this isn’t all that weird an attraction to visit. This museum is affiliated with the larger ‘National History Museum’ located in London, effectively making the Tring site a regional outpost for one of the world’s best-known museums. But a mere outpost it is not—the museum dates back to 1889, originally built to house the private collection of taxidermy animals amassed by Lionel Walter Rothschild (yes, one of the Rothschilds of banking dynasty fame. Keep your tinfoil hat on…) The museum has maintained an impressive, invaluable number of the Victorian-era exhibits and remains one of the most important collections of taxidermy anywhere in the world.

Not that weird, though, is it? Wait until you see the fleas. The museum’s collection of dressed-up Mexican fleas is quite a sight… if you look really close, of course. Sold as tourist curios over a century ago, these colourful little beasties are quite bizarre.

What would you do with them once purchased, invite guests to look at them through a huge spyglass? Yes, that is exactly what was expected (after a dinner party and good old glug of some laudanum-laced absinthe, most likely). Now you can go to Tring and see an extensive collection of these oddities. Jeez, the things people used to find entertaining, eh? Ok maybe things haven’t improved that much.

9 The Magic Hill, Dundalk, Ireland

Any place with ‘magic’ in the name seems like it’s bound to be lame – probably just an awful kiddies’ theme park with slow rides and washed-up losers parading around in costumes. The ‘Magic Hill’ in Ireland certainly bucks this trend. It is gloriously weird.

The road is found in the countryside beyond Dundalk in County Louth, Ireland. It runs up or down, depending on which side of the road your travelling, and displays a very curious effect – cars that are left in neutral (not in gear) and with the parking break off will start to gently roll uphill. The effect remained unexplained until Dr. Eoghan Sweeny-O’Connor from Trinity College Dublin’s “Department of Celtic Sciences” discovered that it was the combination of residual magical energies emitted by a nearby colony of leprechauns paired with the gasses occasionally emitted by fating banshees passing by that caused the laws of physics to reverse.

Or, if you haven’t decided to write a listicle whilst drinking a bottle of Black Bush whiskey, it’s just an optical illusion; the countryside surrounding the road slopes in such a way as to trick you into thinking the road slopes that way also. In fact, the road goes ever so slightly the opposite way, causing the effect. Still, if you find yourself in Dundalk with time to kill, why not go there, leave your car in neutral* and go up and down the Magic Hill. Calling out “Weeeee!” whilst doing so is a hallowed Irish tradition, and thus obligatory.

*WARNING – expect to get rear-ended by at least 1 tractor when doing the above action

8 Ride And Eat On The Bustronome, Paris, France

Paris isn’t short on nice places to eat. The main issue with all the amazing restaurants in France’s capital is that they don’t move. Enter the Bustronome, a mobile restaurant that lets see the city and eat some pan seared beef cheeks with carrots followed by a lemon and meringue intermezzo, all at the same time… the sites and the food, not the beef and the meringue, that is.

You’ll travel around the ‘City of Light’ in a converted double-decker bus, eating a six course sampling menu (four courses for lunchtime bookings), listening to gentle music and take in the sights. The roof has also been converted to a fully transparent one, making the guest feel as though they are dining on a cruise ship sailing gently through on of the world’s foremost metropolises. Bon Appétit!

7 Mini Hollywood, Tabernas, Spain

What could be more surprising than the fact that Spain has Europe’s only sandy desert? Probably the fact that there is an amusement park with a Wild West style town plonked in the middle of it.

This theme park has a pretty cool history – back in the age of the ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ (the 1960s), the site was used to film such classics as Sergio Leone’s ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ and ‘A Few Dollars More’. It was also used to film (the far less impressive) ‘A Town Called Mercy’ episode of the re-booted ‘Doctor Who’ series in 2012.

The park boasts a panoply of live-action stunt-based events every day – a bank raid, gunfights and even a re-enactment of the death of famed Old West bandit Jesse James. There’s a zoo, a swimming pool and a play barn for the kids. Plus, mercifully for parents, a saloon. No opium dens or bordellos; the period specific authenticity only stretches so far, it seems.

6 Spreuerhofstraße, Reutlingen, Germany

There are plenty of streets in major cities all over the globe where it would be prudent for a person to take a deep breath and hold whilst walking – there are some pretty polluted, unsanitary places around. In Reutlingen, a beautiful medieval city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, there is a street where a sharp intake of breath is required for a very different reason—it’s 31cm (12.3 inches) wide. The narrow lane was built in 1727 as a part of a reconstruction in the city after a fire had raised large tranches of it the previous year. A better city planner may have decided against building this titchy walkway, but hey, it’s there.

Now, according to the Guinness Book of World records, this is the narrowest street in the world. But there is a street in France – ‘L’Andouno’ in the commune of Gassin – which is 29cm at its narrowest point. But a shiny, annual almanac has deemed the German street as the narrowest there is, so that’s the one you should visit… as long as you don’t down several steins of beer and a couple of bratwursts before you try to, that is.

5 Rynek Underground, Kravov, Poland

Underground museum with innovative light projections on smoke? Awesome. Preserved cemetery with an exhibit on anti-vampire burial customs? Uh… how many stairs are there to climb back out?

Your entrance to this popular museum is pretty unspectacular – a nondescript little door. But as you descend, your welcomed by a short film projected onto a wall of smoke that gives an overview of the site and its history. That’s more like it!

The exhibits make heavy use of modern tech, with touch screens and holograms everywhere. This modern approach to curation contrasts with the fact that you are not really in a museum – you’re walking around an archaeological dig site, albeit a fancily packaged one. The place is vast and dimly lit, so older visitors or families with small kids may want to steer clear. Medieval history buffs, prospective Van Helsings and Indiana Jones wannabes? This is the museum for you.

Located in one of Europe’s most amazing cities, this cool museum is a great place to visit in order to shake up your city break – nice meal, historic architecture, subterranean vampire-deterring graveyard experience. Not exactly a trip to the Louvre, is it?

4 Fekete SasPatikamúzeum, Székesfehérvár, Hungray

From an uncovered historical site found underground, we now go to a preserved historical site found on a normal Hungarian street. Back in 1688, just after the nation’s liberation from the Ottoman Empire, the first ‘modern’ pharmacist (‘modern’ insofar as he was a guy who didn’t try to cure your plague after consulting chicken entrails) set up shop in the central Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár. After changing hands a few times over the centuries, the site continued to operate right up until 1971.

A few years later, it passed to the King István museum. The shop was restored and renovated, the beautiful baroque wood carvings polished and patched, and the centuries of collected pharmaceutical artefacts collected and put on display. As you walk around, you can marvel at the ornate carvings and wonder if that was one of the last sights some ill Hungarian saw before getting prescribed some powdered mummy to cure his TB.

This place is really stunning, a glimpse of a bygone era and a lost world – a world emerging from the middle ages into the age of reason.

3 The Visnes Statue of Liberty, Karmoy, Norway

This is the perfect place to visit if you like classic Americana but also value your respiratory health. Or hate bagels. It’s a little slice of freedom near the village of Visnes up in Europe’s frozen north. A scaled down Lady Liberty. God bless, uh, Norway!

So why is this here, near a small village in northern Europe? Was Abraham Lincoln a fan of pickled herring? Did Martin Luther King Jnr support Tromsø football club? Was Donald Trump actually born in Bergen (please, run with that one conspiracy theorists – it’d be hilarious)?

The truth, although still cool, is a good deal more mundane. It had been rumoured for decades that the copper used in the making of the New York statue came from the French-owned mine in the area. At the centennial celebrations of the statue, researchers uncovered that the copper had indeed come from the Visnes mine. By 1986, tests had been conducted on samples of copper from the statue, confirming that it was indeed from Norway.

2 Statue Of Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton Boulevard, Pristina, Kosovo

A Wild West theme park and randomly located Lady Liberty not American enough for you? How about a giant statue of the good ole’ US of A’s greatest ever president (according to numerous studies conducted by experts at the Clinton Foundation)?

But if chest-clutching, tear-jerking patriotism isn’t your thing, maybe badly rendered statues of famous people is. Since Blackpool, England’s main attraction – no not the tower, the beach or the theme park, we mean ‘Louis Tussaud’s House of Wax’, the single worst wax museum ever—decided to ditch their crappy old waxworks in favour of ‘realistic’ models, this statue in Kosovo can help you scratch that hilariously unrealistic itch. It really looks nothing like him. And that’s just wonderful.

1 The Altar Of Ragutis, Vilnius, Lithuania

Beer is god to many people nowadays. It seems that this was true for ancient Lithuanians too, given that central Vilnius still has an altar to the God of Beer found in a small park. Well, Ragutis is one god of beer – there are 2 more in Baltic paganism. I Sveikata!

This may not be the most razzle-dazzle, spectacular entry on this list, but after a good night out in downtown Vilnius, having sampled the beverages the Lithuanian capital has to offer, you can stumble over to thank the god that allowed you to enjoy by lighting a candle at his alter. Just take care not to stand too close, especially if you’ve spilled half your libations on your sweater over the course of the night. Ragutis may unleash a fiery Armageddon if he receives a human sacrifice.

Top 10 Stunning Photographs Of Hidden Gem Destinations

About The Author: CJ Phillips is a storyteller, actor and writer living in rural West Wales. He is a little obsessed with lists.

Have you ever read a book that described a location so vividly that you wished you could visit it? Well, sometimes you can. Often authors are inspired by real-world places when crafting their book settings, whether based in our world or a fantasy one. This means that readers who have been bitten by the travel bug can set off on real adventures to explore some of their favorite locations from literature.

This list rounds up 10 UK locations from classic books that you can actually visit, providing a literary tour of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They are listed from “loosely related” to “basically identical.” So even if you aren’t a bookworm, this list likely includes a true classic or a more modern work that you love with an accompanying destination worth exploring.

Related: 10 Rude-Sounding British Places With Unbelievable Backstories

10 Glamis Castle and Cawdor Castle: Macbeth (1606) by William Shakespeare

Although Macbeth is based on the life of a real Scottish king, Shakespeare was no historian, and his version is highly fictionalized. Macbeth is described as the Thane of Glamis and the Thane of Cawdor, but these castles weren’t actually built until around 300 years after Macbeth’s death. Both castles have fostered this literary connection, though.

Glamis, which looks like an ornate French chateau, has a walking trail that features wooden carvings of the main characters from Shakespeare’s play and a grand hall named after one of Macbeth’s victims, King Duncan. Of course, it has its own history of murder and witchcraft, too (as do the majority of Scottish castles).

Cawdor is a medieval fortress built around a holly tree (now petrified at the base of the old tower) due to a vision apparently experienced by the Thane of Cawdor (the real one, not Shakespeare’s Macbeth). He was instructed in a dream to let a donkey roam and then build a castle wherever it lay down to sleep. Like Glamis, Cawdor takes advantage of the Shakespeare connection and has previously staged a production of Macbeth.^[1]

9 Llandudno: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll

Alice Pleasance Liddell (now known as the real “Alice” in Wonderland) spent summer holidays with her family in the Welsh seaside town of Llandudno. The Liddells were close friends with Charles Dodgson, better known by his pen-name, Lewis Carroll, and the story goes that he was inspired by Alice’s adventures in Llandudno.

The Welsh town has made the most of this association, beginning with a White Rabbit statue installed in 1933 and continuing with a number of Wonderland Town Trails. These trails cover much of the Victorian resort town, which has the longest pier in Wales, and feature statues of characters from Carroll’s fantastical novel. You can now even explore the trails with augmented reality.^[2]

8 Unst: Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson

While there is no record of exactly which island inspired Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson certainly had a few to pick from. His father was a lighthouse engineer, and Stevenson would often accompany him on visits to various islands. There are around 900 islands surrounding mainland Scotland, but Unst has a particularly strong claim.

Stevenson traveled to Unst, part of the Shetland Islands and the UK’s most northerly inhabited island, with his father in 1869. Beautiful and relatively isolated, it is easy to see why this island would spark a story about pirates. Paula Williams, the curator of the Maps, Mountaineering, and Polar Collections at the National Library of Scotland, explains that the outlines of both islands resemble each other “complete with corresponding inlets and [the] small islet Skeleton Island, [as it is called in the novel], or Uya [its real name].”^[3]

7 Edinburgh: The Harry Potter Series (1997–2007) by J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling created the Wizarding World while living in Edinburgh, and the city’s grand architecture and cobbled alleyways are reflected in the books. Candlemaker Row features a plaque and mural to mark it as the inspiration of Diagon Alley. But if you type “Diagon Alley” into Google Maps, it will send you to Victoria Street, which feels just as wizardly with its colorful shops and secret stairways.

Another link between the Scottish capital and Harry Potter can be found in Greyfriars Kirkyard, a 17th-century cemetery. The cemetery features the gravestone of Thomas Riddell, which only slightly differs in spelling from the birth name of Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle.

You can also visit places where parts of Harry Potter were written. The earlier books were largely written in The Elephant House café, and the series was finished in a room (now named The J. K. Rowling Suite) at the Balmoral Hotel. The suite features subtle Harry Potter decorations, but it isn’t cheap, costing almost £2000, or $2700, for a one-night stay.^[4]

6 Haworth: Various Novels by the Brontë Sisters

This entry covers books written by the Brontë sisters, primarily Charlotte’s Jane Eyre (1847), Emily’s Wuthering Heights (1847), and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). The sisters lived in the Yorkshire village of Haworth, which is surrounded by dramatic moorland, and they set their novels in the area, which is now known as Brontë Country.

Their family home has been turned into the Brontë Parsonage Museum, which houses the largest collection of Brontë manuscripts, letters, and early editions of poetry and novels. Around the area are various properties which inspired buildings from the novels. Top Withens, a ruined farmhouse located on the moors near Haworth, inspired Wuthering Heights, while Gawthorpe Hall and Wycoller Hall served as Ferndean Manor in Jane Eyre. There is even a 44-mile trail called the Brontë Way, which links key locations from the books.^[5]

5 Antrim Coast and County Down: The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956) by C. S. Lewis

In fiction, the world of Narnia is accessible through a wardrobe; in reality, it is located in Northern Ireland. C. S. Lewis’s fantasy world was inspired by the landscapes of the Antrim Coast and County Down. In a letter to his brother, he declared, “That part of Rostrevor which overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia.” And in his essay “On Stories,” he stated, “I have seen landscapes (notably in the Mourne Mountains) which, under a particular light, made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.”

It is easy to see how the rugged vistas of Northern Ireland inspired Lewis. The ruins of Dunluce Castle, perched on a cliff above the sea, would fit comfortably within the world of Narnia. The hexagonal basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway feel infused with the magic which Lewis saw in the country. Legend has it that the giant Finn McCool built the Causeway as a bridge over to Scotland. Although New Zealand was the filming location for the movies, the closest you can get to Lewis’s idea of Narnia is Northern Ireland. ^[6]

4 Oxford: His Dark Materials (1995–2000) by Philip Pullman

There are many magical locations visited in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, but the story starts in an alternate version of Oxford. Pullman attended the University of Oxford during the ‘60s, and it clearly left an impact on him because his main character, Lyra, grows up at the university. All of the college buildings spread throughout the city look impressive, but the basis for the fictional Jordan College was probably Pullman’s alma mater, Exeter College. When filming the TV series, though, New College was used as a substitute for Jordan.

There are many Oxford landmarks mentioned throughout the books. You can visit the Covered Market, which sells far more than just the fish mentioned in The Golden Compass; The Pitt Rivers Museum, which Lyra explores in The Subtle Knife; and Jericho, a neighborhood with canals where Pullman’s Gyptians moor their narrowboats.^[7]

3 Birmingham: The Lord of the Rings (1937–1949) by J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien, like his friend C. S. Lewis, was inspired by where he grew up when creating the fantasy world for his novels. Though, again like C. S. Lewis, the adaptations of his works were filmed in New Zealand. Tolkien grew up in and around Birmingham, and the area inspired his descriptions of Middle Earth.

The Shire, the idyllic home of the hobbits, was based on Sarehole, Tolkien’s childhood home, which he described as a “kind of lost paradise.” The peaceful English village was composed of old-fashioned cottages (now gone) and an old mill (which is now a museum). Close by is Moseley Bog, a densely wooded area that is reminiscent of the Old Forest on the edge of the Shire.

Landmarks in the city of Birmingham also inspired the author. For instance, Perrott’s Folly and Edgbaston Waterworks Tower helped Tolkien conjure up his Two Towers. The industrialized Black Country of Birmingham was expanding into his beloved countryside and can clearly be seen as a version of the hellish Mordor.^[8]

2 Whitby: Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker drew extensively on Transylvanian folklore when he was researching Dracula. Still, while the novel starts at Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, key elements of the Gothic story did not come together until he visited Whitby for a vacation in 1890. He then chose the English seaside town as one of the novel’s central locations.

Dracula, in the form of a wolf-like creature, runs up the 199 steps that wind up to the impressive ruins of Whitby Abbey. St. Mary’s Churchyard was featured as the location where Lucy is first attacked by the vampire. Whitby’s atmospheric scenery was not the only thing that inspired Stoker, though. He heard of a Russian ship, the Dmitry, which was wrecked on Tate Hill Sands in 1885, and this made it into his novel in the form of Dracula’s ship, the Demeter, meeting the same fate.

In the public library, he read a book that mentioned Vlad Tepes, known as Vlad the Impaler or Dracula. He added the note “Dracula in the Wallachian language means Devil,” and thus, he found the name of his Count. Before this, Stoker had planned to call his vampire Count Wampyr, a name so bad that it probably would have doomed the novel to obscurity.^[9]

1 Ashdown Forest: Winnie-the-Pooh series (1925–1928) by A. A. Milne

If A. A. Milne’s childhood classic books featuring Winnie-the-Pooh and friends adventuring in Hundred Acre Wood captured your imagination as a child, then I’ve got good news for you! Hundred Acre Wood is real, and it’s called Ashdown Forest. Christopher Milne, son of A. A. Milne and inspiration for Christopher Robin, wrote in his autobiography that “Pooh’s forest and Ashdown Forest are identical.”

In 1925 the Milne family bought a holiday home near Ashdown, located only 30 miles from London, in East Sussex. Their time among the pine trees and heathland inspired the classic children’s books. You can even visit the footbridge where Christopher and Pooh play Poohsticks. In the nearby village of Hartfield, you can find Pooh Corner, the village sweet shop that the family visited, which is now a Pooh-themed tea room and museum (called the Pooh-seum).^[10]

There’s something about an underground tunnel that I personally love. It’s dark, spooky, full of spiders and low-hanging pipes—and sometimes, there are dead people. It’s romantic and educational! (I was not the average thrill-seeker as a child, okay?)

When I think of crypts, catacombs, and underground cities, I jump to antiquity first. There are the necropolis under the Vatican Basilica and the burial crypts of ancient Egypt. Don’t forget the famous Catacombs in Paris and Palermo. By definition, a crypt is a “chamber, such as a vault, wholly or partly underground especially: a vault under the main floor of a church.” It makes sense we would associate crypts and underground cities of bones with our European counterparts and ancient ancestors. It’s not something we think could exist under our feet in cities in the U.S. like Boston, New York, or even Seattle.

So here’s a look at some of the American crypts and subterranean cities you can visit (and I recommend it) if you’re into winding tunnels, mystery, history, and sometimes just centuries-old dead guys. No judgment here.

Related: 10 Bone-Chilling Facts About the Catacombs of Paris

10 Seattle, WA

Believe it or not, Seattle, Washington, has an entire secret underground city that burned down in a large fire in 1889. The new city was simply rebuilt on top of the old ruins, which are still open to tours today. Between 1890 and 1907, the old ground floor continued to be used. Merchants either carried on business on the bottom floors that had managed to survive the fire or the new above-ground layer. Pedestrians then used the now-underground levels with sidewalks lit by the pavement lights above.

As you can imagine, the Underground level led to the seedier businesses. In 1907, the city condemned the Underground out of fear of the bubonic plague that was spreading along the West Coast at the time. Underground Seattle became abandoned and left to deteriorate and for use as storage. All the new abandoned space under the city became tempting accommodations for vagrants, illegal gambling, prostitution, opium dens, and speakeasies.

Today, you can visit the Seattle Underground on one of many tours. There are still artifacts and relics down there from decades past. It’s creepy and supposedly haunted, as most underground cities reportedly are.^[1]

9 New York, NY

If a more somber tour of a crypt is your thing, I would recommend popping over to New York City. Right off Mulberry Street, you’ll find St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, with the only active Roman Catholic cemetery in Manhattan outside its doors. Some of the inhabitants are over 200 years old. The cathedral itself was the largest in the United States when it was completed in 1815, and it was the seat of the first Bishop of the Diocese of New York. Much of the wooden cathedral interior burned to the ground in 1866 in a fire set off by a kitchen stove.

Step inside today and walk down into the basement, however, and you can take a “candlelight” (It’s an LED flashlight, you know, because of the fire) tour of the crypt beneath the church. You won’t see any visible bones, but you will see lined hallways with ornate vaults and notable inhabitants. There’s Countess Annie Leary, the Delmonico family, and “Honest John” Kelly, to name a few. Oh, and upstairs, you’ll see where Francis Ford Coppola filmed the baptism scene in The Godfather.^[2]

8 Indianapolis, IN

Indiana is not a place where you’d think an underground catacomb tunnel network would exist, but it does. And it so happens that it’s very creepy to behold if you’re by yourself. Trust me on this one.

In 1886, the city of Indianapolis constructed two public buildings on Market Street designed by architect Dietrich Bohlen. These buildings were: City Market and Tomlinson Hall. City Market remains a thriving and beloved part of the downtown community of Indianapolis. Tomlinson Hall, however, disappeared from the cityscape in January 1958 when a fire ravaged the area. The city took down the remains later that year.

Today only its iconic arch and basement, known as the Catacombs, mark this once vibrant space. You can tour the catacombs as well! According to the city, the Catacombs qualify as both a ruin and a redevelopment opportunity, and they welcome visitors to explore the city’s past, present, and future. They have gone on record to say that Indianapolis’s Catacombs don’t contain bones or crypts (that they know of) but rather scores of brick barrel-vaulted arches. Nonetheless, it’s a cool space to visit if you get the chance. If you do find bones, high tail it out of there.^[3]

7 Atlanta, GA

Let’s talk about The Crypt of Civilization at Oglethorpe University. You’ve probably never heard about it unless you were really into the Guinness Book of World Records in the early ’90s or lived in Atlanta at some point. So, for background, I grew up in Atlanta and once went on a field trip to Oglethorpe University, where I saw The Crypt of Civilization. As a 10-year-old kid, I was intrigued and invested in opening this crypt and pretty much have been ever since.

There are no bodies (we think) inside this crypt. They also claim there are no valuables, gold, or jewelry inside this crypt. So, what is it? Very few facts exist about The Crypt itself. According to the University, “The Crypt of Civilization at Oglethorpe is the oldest millennial time capsule in conception and the largest in the world. In 1936, detailed plans were executed to build an extraordinary time capsule—one designed to store records for over 6,000 years, done on what could perhaps be described as an epic scale never before conceived. The visionary of this improbable quest was Oglethorpe University president Dr. Thornwell Jacobs, who has been called ‘the father of the modern time capsule.’” Jacobs was convinced that his generation could be the first to perform what he later called “our archaeological duty.” This was an obligation to provide for future historians “a thorough and accurate record, scientifically selected and preserved, of life in the twentieth century.” Some more facts to include:

• The Crypt of Civilization was sealed on May 28, 1940
• It is not to be opened until May 28, 8113
• No, you can not go inside; but you can visit the sealed stainless steel door

A lot has changed in the world since 1940. Oglethorpe has access to a lot of human archaeological archives. What’s in this crypt? Your guess is as good as mine. We’ll have to wait until National Treasure 3 or the end of the world to find this one out. I recommend going to look at the door if you’re in town. It’s as ominous and mysterious as you’d think.^[4]

6 Waterbury, CT

This is the only catacomb I’m truly scared of. Holy Land, USA is a religious “theme park” in Waterbury, CT, and nothing really says fun for the family like getting tetanus or succumbing to a deteriorating cave-in.

The park was originally opened in 1955 by John Baptist Greco, a totally normal lawyer, but it closed to the public in 1984 and was subsequently vandalized. It was also the site of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in 2010. It was subsequently purchased by a local non-profit and reopened on September 14, 2014, with an inaugural Mass and access to ruins of the grounds. So, what’s the story about the catacombs here?

At the height of the park’s popularity, there was once an attraction called “Catacombs: A History of the Church.” But it now serves as a stark warning of the deterioration of the space. According to a local review: “Any foray into these ancient burial chambers would likely end with a slip down a hidden staircase with your forehead impaled on a plank of rusty nails.” Nope.

Originally, it ran about 200 feet along the old parking lot in a series of corridors. Viewed from the parking lot, it appears to be underground but is actually all above the surface. On the far end, a small entrance contains a sign: “The Pictorial Life of Christ—From the Cradle to the Cross.” Another crudely hand-lettered sign lists every pope up to 1978. The area is open to the public during daylight hours. I would not recommend tempting your fate and going after hours. There are plans to reopen the park in its former glory. ^[5]

5 Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati has a lot of old European architecture engrained into the heart of the city, from the restaurants to apartments and even down to where it buries its dead. It’s not often that a group of families comes together to request their long-dead relatives remain buried together. But that’s exactly what happened at Over-the-Rhine’s St. Francis Seraph Church. The original church was called Christ Church and was built in April of 1819 by the first Catholics of Cincinnati. In March 1822, Edward Fenwick, first bishop of Cincinnati, took possession of Christ Church as his cathedral. Later that year, the new bishop had Christ Church moved to a location downtown.

The cemetery remained while the city grew up around it. In November 1858, the cornerstone was laid for the present St. Francis Seraph Church. The remaining bodies were entombed in a crypt, Poets’ Corner–style , below the altar of the new church, which was consecrated on December 18, 1859.

There they stayed for more than 100 years, inaccessible to everyone except the inhabitants of the friary, which remained cloistered until the 1970s. Now, thanks to the American Legacy Queen City Underground Tour, you can see the crypt in person.^[6]

4 Newark, NJ

In 1937, Father Mateo Amoros was working as the assistant pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Newark, New Jersey. Father Amoros reportedly took a trip to Montreal that same year, saw some catacombs, and decided that his church should also have them. The problem? The state of New Jersey generally frowned upon opening a new burial chamber beneath the church and told him no. However, Father Amoros had a much grander (and, honestly, creepier) vision in mind for his catacomb.

Instead of human remains, he would have wax corpses of saints and martyrs. By doing this, he opened America’s first wax museum, and you can still visit this “crypt” today. You can see some of the greatest hits, including St. Tarsicio, a 12-year-old altar boy who was beaten to death for refusing to surrender his Eucharist. Also, St. Genaro, who was “thrown into a lighted oven” and “thrown in with wild beasts” for choosing Christianity over paganism. Nearby lies St. Ines, “obedient girl and role model,” who refused to marry a Roman—she said she was already married to God. She then escaped vengeful murder because she was a virgin. So she was dragged to a brothel, deflowered, and then vengefully murdered.^[7]

By the way, this catacomb was also listed on a site as a top place to visit for Catholic field trips. Lovely!

3 Columbia, SC

You can’t buy a ticket to tour the Columbia catacombs, but if you’re brave enough, you can see the mysterious tunnels that all the residents know about. However, no one has an explanation for why they really exist.

“Elaborate brick arches. A two-century-old phenomenon. Cypress floors. Confederate gold. Beautifully crafted brickwork. Underground architectural wonder. Clandestine passageways for state officials. Part of the Underground Railroad.” These phrases include some of what Columbia residents use to describe and explain the tunnels. Built in the 1800s, their original purpose remains a mystery.

Chris Robinson, a professor at USC, has visited and written about the catacombs extensively. He’s even taken artifacts in hopes of finding answers as to why they’re there. So far, no bodies have been found, but the tunnels are miles long—as long as they are ornate. If you’re the adventuring type, go see for yourself and try to answer the centuries-old mystery.^[8]

2 Washington, DC

D.C. has a little bit of everything. You can drop by the White House and try to catch a glimpse of the sitting President, grab some food over at Ben’s Chili Bowl, and even visit the truly breathtaking catacombs and gardens at the Franciscan Monastery. Wait, what?

Built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Franciscan Monastery served as a place for Americans to go when travel to the Holy Land was difficult. Exploring the catacombs makes visiting the monastery feel like a unique adventure, unlike a typical trip to a museum. The designers of the monastery even traveled to the Holy Land and consulted travelers to capture every detail. They wanted a visit to the Franciscan Monastery to feel as authentic as possible. And since the 1920s, the catacombs have been home to the bones of a young child, Saint Innocent, the martyr, that came from the Catacomb of St. Callistus.^[9]

1 Boston, MA

If you’ve been to Boston, you’ve probably stopped by the Old North Church. At the very least, you’ve heard the story of Paul Revere making his famous ride. It’s a rite of passage living in America, I think. What you probably didn’t know is that the Old North Church has a very elaborate crypt underneath it, and there’s plenty of space if you still want to be buried there today. It’s a lot cheaper than you’d think, and you don’t even need to kick out the dusty neighbors. (However, you would have to be cremated!)

Old North Church houses in its basement a crypt containing approximately 1,100 burials. From 1732 to 1860, the church interred congregants below its very floorboards. Since the church has plenty of space beneath and little space above ground, they decided to make the most of what they had to meet the burial demands of the congregation. In the basement, 37 separate brick vaults comprise the tombs in each of which 20 to 40 full coffins could be deposited.

The crypt tour is dark, dusty, and full of history, as you’d probably expect. If you’re tall, you’ll have to watch out for those low-hanging pipes. You’ll be able to see an open vault with an 18th-century coffin still intact. There might even be a ghost or two lingering around, but what else do you expect for the city where it started?^[10]

The majority of bridges are relatively commonplace and utilitarian, but some rise above the rest. From feats of impressive engineering to creative designs, there are some bridges that draw thousands, even millions, of tourists each year. Of course, everyone is familiar with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Still, there are many less well-known but equally fascinating bridges to visit on your next trip.

Here are 10 of the most unusual bridges from around the world that you need to visit.

10 The Moses Bridge, the Netherlands

Most bridges chart a course over the water or space they are crossing, but the Moses Bridge in the Netherlands cuts directly through the water instead. The bridge provides access to Fort de Roovere, the largest fort on the West Brabant Line, a defensive line that used moats to deter attackers. A restoration project required a bridge to be built across the moat, but this was not advised as it would have ruined the site’s appearance.

The solution was to create a bridge that cuts through the water like a trench, rather than crossing over it, thus being less visually disruptive while still allowing people access. Built in 2010, the bridge was originally called Loopgraafbrug but is now known as the Moses Bridge because it appears to part the water like the biblical prophet Moses. Although the waterline sometimes looks precarious, the height of the water is controlled by dams, so the sunken bridge cannot be flooded.^[1]

9 The Golden Bridge, Vietnam

The Golden Bridge in Vietnam is designed to look like it is being held up by two giant stone hands. The weathered hands, which dwarf the pedestrians using the bridge, look as though they have been standing for centuries, but in reality they are made of wire mesh and fiberglass and have only been in place since 2018. The bridge offers a vista of the mountainous terrain below, but it is itself an impressive sight.

Located in the Bà Nà Hills resort near Da Nang City, the bridge links the gardens to a cable car station. The cable car currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest non-stop single-track cable car ride, stretching across 19,000 feet (5,791 meters). The Golden Bridge may not hold any records, but it is an impressive addition to the resort, which Forbes describes as “a cross between Disney’s Epcot, a French ski resort, and a Buddhist mountain retreat.”^[2]

8 Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world’s oceans, and despite its huge size, there is actually a bridge that crosses it. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge was first put up in 1755 to allow fishermen to cross from mainland Northern Ireland to a small offshore island. Spanning a 98-foot (30-meter) deep and 65-foot (20-meter) wide chasm, the bridge might not cross a particularly large portion of the ocean, but it does technically cross it.

A more modern bridge now spans the gap, enabling tourists to say they have walked over the Atlantic. Carrick-a-Rede isn’t the only bridge with such a claim, though; Clachan Bridge on the west coast of Scotland achieves the same feat but over a shorter distance. The small arched bridge crosses a narrow channel, both ends of which connect to the Atlantic.^[3]

7 The Euro Banknote Bridges, the Netherlands

Euro banknotes feature images of fictional bridges instead of real ones in order to not unfairly prioritize certain countries. However, Robin Stam thought, “it would be amazing if these fictional bridges suddenly turn out to actually exist in real life.” He reached out to the city council of Spijkenisse, where he was born, and “before I knew it, there was a whole team working on my idea.”

Between 2011 and 2013, the bridges were made a reality in Spijkenisse. Each of the seven banknotes, which symbolize the cooperation between European countries, depicts a different style of architecture. For instance, €20 is Gothic, and €50 is Renaissance. The real bridges are smaller than the art denoted on the banknote, but they are brightly colored to match their respective notes. Five of the bridges were built using colored concrete, and the remaining two used steel.^[4]

6 Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, South Korea

Banpo Bridge is the upper half of a 3,740-foot (1,140-meter) double-decker bridge, sitting atop Jamsu Bridge, which crosses the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. In 2008, fountains were installed along both sides of Banpo Bridge, earning it the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge fountain in the world. Amazingly, 380 nozzles line the sides of the bridge, shooting out 60 tons (54 tonnes) of water every minute.

During the day, the water cascades down in different elegant patterns, but it is best seen at night. LED lights illuminate the water jets in rainbow colors, and the movements are synchronized to music. As Banpo Bridge is suspended above Jamsu Bridge, spectators can even stand on the lower bridge to view the 20-minute show from below.^[5]

5 Kinzua Bridge, USA

Most bridges do not offer a view of what they will look like when they are destroyed, but that’s exactly what the Kinzua Bridge in Pennsylvania does. For a short period of time, it was the longest and tallest railroad bridge in the world, clocking in at 2,053 feet (626 meters) long and 301 feet (92 meters) high. In 2003 restoration work was being done on the structure when it was partially destroyed by a tornado.

It was determined that rebuilding the bridge would be too expensive, so instead, the remaining structure was converted into a pedestrian walkway that opened in 2011. Six of the still-standing support towers were used in the construction. Although the bridge no longer crosses the gorge, it does lead to a platform from which people can take in the chilling view of the eleven destroyed towers which were blown down and remain twisted at the bottom of the valley.^[6]

4 The Bastei Bridge, Germany

The Bastei is a spectacular 636-foot (194-meter) tall jagged rock formation that looms over the Elbe River in Germany. Neurathen Castle used to sit on top of the natural towers until it was burned down in 1484. Although no longer home to a fortress, crowds still visit in droves to see the impressive rocks. In the early 1800s, a wooden bridge was built to link the pillars, and around 1850, it was upgraded to the sandstone bridge that still stands today.

Walking the bridge provides a close-up look at the pillars as well as a sweeping panorama of the surrounding mountains and valley below. The dramatic medieval-looking bridge is as much of a draw to the area as the sandstone towers themselves. The view of the bridge nestled between the pillars looks like something straight out of The Lord of the Rings.^[7]

3 Las Lajas Sanctuary, Colombia

Las Lajas Sanctuary is a Gothic revival-style church that sits across a gorge in Colombia. The building juts out from one side of the canyon, 330 feet (100 meters) up from the bottom, and is connected to the other side by a 160-foot (49-meter) long bridge spanning the Guáitara River. The current church was built between 1916 and 1949, but a less grand shrine existed before then due to the location supposedly being the site of a miracle.

Local legend has it that in 1754, a woman and her deaf-mute daughter sought shelter from a storm in a cave and witnessed the appearance of the Virgin Mary, after which the child could speak and talk. People began making pilgrimages to the cave to ask for miracles, and at some point, an image of Mary supposedly appeared on a slab of stone. This stone is now part of the altar inside the impressive church.^[8]

2 The Tianjin Eye on Yongle Bridge, China

The Tianjin Eye in China is unusual compared to other Ferris wheels because it is the only one to be suspended over a river, specifically the Hai River. It stands 394 feet (120 meters) tall, meaning it is dwarfed by the Ain Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which stands at a staggering 820 feet (250 meters) and is currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. However, no other observation wheel is attached to a bridge, making the Tianjin Eye and Yongle Bridge unique.

The wheel opened to the public in 2008 and can accommodate 384 riders at one time in its 48 compartments, taking 30 minutes to complete a rotation. It is attached to the bridge via visually dramatic tri-pronged struts. At night it is lit up with colorful neon lights, making it an impressive sight for pedestrians crossing the bridge below.^[9]

1 Living Root Bridges, India

A living root bridge is a suspension bridge formed from the living roots of trees, usually rubber trees. These living bridges are particularly common in the Indian state of Meghalaya, where the dense jungle means that building roads and bridges from common materials like concrete and steel is impractical. More than 100 living bridges have been formed in the province to enable tribal communities to cross the many rivers in the area.

The living bridges are formed by stretching bamboo across the river and then teasing the aerial roots into position. As the trees continue to grow over the years, the bridges become stronger and can accommodate more people crossing. They are currently on Unesco’s tentative list for world heritage site status because they demonstrate “a distinct ethno-botanical journey rooted in profound culture-nature reciprocity and synthesis.”^[10]

We’ve told you before about some of Earth’s strange corners that you can’t set a foot on. However, it turns out there’s no shortage of such locations, so here are 10 more forbidden places you’ll never be able to visit.  

10. Only memories of tragedies live on North Brother Island

The desolate North Brother Island lies near one of the biggest cities in the world: It’s in the East River, between New York City’s Riker’s Island and the Bronx. It’s also the location of two famous historical tragedies and an untold amount of human suffering. It’s arguably most famous as the home of Mary “Typhoid Mary” Mallon, the symptomless Patient Zero of many a typhoid fever outbreak. Mallon spent the last 23 years of his life detained and quarantined on the island, believing all the while that she was a victim of great injustice. 

However, the island claimed its greatest death toll as the nearest landmass to the General Slocum disaster of 1905, where the massive steamship went ablaze near North Brother Island. Over 1,000 people died, and only 321 survived. After these tragedies, the hospital located on the island was put to use after World War II, first for veterans of the war and then for heroin addicts. 

The hospital was closed and left to rot in 1963, and it is now officially forbidden to visit the North Brother Island. However, this isn’t because the island is haunted by the ghosts of the people who met their horrifying fates there (as far as we know). It’s simply because the North Brother Island is home to one of the largest Black-Crowned Night Heron colonies, and as a result, the place is a bird sanctuary. Pretty anticlimactic, huh?

9. Bhangarh Fort is officially haunted at night

To be fair, you can visit the Bhangarh Fort in India’s Rajasthan pretty much whenever you like… as long as you do it in the daytime. After dark, the place is strictly off limits, but it’s not because the officials fear that tourists steal trinkets or start bonfires. It’s because they fear the tourists will be eaten by vengeful ghosts. 

Yes, the Bhangarh Fort is considered to be so haunted that the area’s officials have strictly forbidden all visits to the area at nighttime, making it possibly the only historical building (or at the very least one of the precious few) in the world that is legally haunted. There are many stories surrounding the place, but the most common is that a wizard once cursed the fort for all eternity because they had disobeyed his order to avoid building taller buildings than his dwelling. That seems a bit petty, but hey, that’s wizards for you. Still, whether you believe in ghosts or not, the locals certainly have plenty of chilling stories about people going missing and strange voices in the night — and whenever the sun starts setting, tourists are promptly packed in their buses and vans. 

8. The mysterious closed town of Mezhgorye

The town of Mezhgorye has been around since 1979. It was initially less-than-invitingly called Ufa-105 or Beloretsk-16, but was granted a proper name when it received a town status in 1995. Located near the Ural mountains in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, the town is closed and evidently highly classified despite the warm welcome sign at its border. 

Mezhgorye is thought to house a little under 20,000 people who work for the nearby top secret base called Mount Yamantau. This is thought to be a massively deep and unfathomably large underground construct, which Russian officials have described as “a mining site, a repository for Russian treasures, a food storage area, and a bunker for Russia’s leaders” depending on who you’re asking, but everyone else seems to be convinced the base has a whole lot to do with nuclear weapons.

7. Setting foot on Pravcicka Brana is strictly forbidden

You’d be forgiven to think that the Pravcicka Brana arch in the Czech Bohemian Switzerland National Park seems somewhat familiar. After all, the giant natural stone arc is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the country, and has been prominently featured in movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

You’d also be forgiven to want to walk the arch and admire the stunning scenery of the national park all around you, and maybe even take the most Instagram-worthy photo in history by standing on the arch and having a friend photograph you from a lookout point. However, this is something you absolutely can’t do. In fact, even official, otherwise affable visitor guides straight up tell you to not even think about it. The combined forces of erosion and thousands and thousands of tourist feet would play merry hell on the fragile arc, and the risk of collapse is a very real one. You’re welcome to enjoy the Pravcicka Brana from afar (at a price, of course), but actually setting foot on it is strictly, strictly forbidden. 

6. Svalbard Global Seed Vault: No doomsday tourists allowed

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a hyper-secure doomsday vault that stores the seeds of various crops and plants for that tragic day in the future when nature may need a backup. As an iconic place and an imposing Bond villain lair design, the vault is a source of fascination for a certain type of tourists, and operators NordGen often receive requests for visitation. Understandably, they’re not too keen on having tourists wandering the halls of what may one day become humanity’s last hope for survival and looking for souvenirs, so all private visits to the vault are strictly forbidden.

It’s not all bad, though: NordGen is fully aware of the photogenic nature of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and they are completely cool with private visitors who want to pop by and take a selfie in front of the famous entrance… as long as they don’t expect to be let in. 

5. Only monkeys may walk on Morgan Island

South Carolina’s Morgan Island is home to a breeding colony of 3,500 Rhesus monkeys, which were moved there by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources after they started causing outbreaks among the locals in the Puerto Rico research center that was their original home. The monkeys have been there since the 1970s, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases uses them for life-saving research while also maintaining, feeding and generally taking care of the colony. 

For obvious reasons (and also because the Institute wants to keep the island clean of human interaction), visiting the island is strictly prohibited. However, it is completely cool for boats to sail near the shores to laugh at the Rhesus monkeys’ many amusing beach antics.

4. Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is so deadly it can’t be explored

You might be familiar with the Chinese terracotta warriors uncovered from a vast imperial tomb. Those, you totally can visit — the terracotta army is housed in a museum built on the site they were discovered, and some of them even tour the globe as art museum exhibitions. 

The thing is, they’re not the entirety of the imperial tomb. They’re just the figures guarding the tomb. The actual tomb, a.k.a. The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, is a giant, 22-square-mile complex that has multiple buildings, courtyards and even a secret palace — and we may never get to visit it. While the construct is buried by soil and kept dry and intact by a surprisingly advanced ventilation system, even archeologists think it may be too dangerous to fully explore and excavate. Emperor Qin was a paranoid and superstitious sort of fellow, and he constructed his palace to be a full-on Indiana Jones maze full of deadly traps that may or may not still work. While some scientists point out the Hollywood-style traps may just be the product of historians’ imagination, the Chinese government still seems content just sitting on the discovery until they develop sufficient technology to venture in the tomb without destroying anything (and, presumably, to avoid getting a faceful of mercury-laced arrows). 

3. Good luck reaching Heard Island

To be fair, it’s not entirely forbidden to witness the unique, lush ecosystem of Heard Island with your own two eyes. You can totally visit the island if you’re willing to jump the hurdles and obtain the correct documents and permits. Good luck getting there, though: Though Heard Island technically belongs to Australia, it’s actually nearly 250 miles to the south of Western Australia and just 62 miles from Antarctica. Flying is a no-go, as the vast majority of the island is occupied by a tall, steep volcano called Big Ben.

There are no commercial tour services to take you there. The only way to get there is by boat, which according to Australia’s Antarctic Division means that you have to endure some two weeks of sailing “through some of the roughest seas on the planet” — and then do that again to get back to Australia. Also, the island has no permanent residents, so you have absolutely zero backup during your stay there. 

2. Niihau is Hawaii’s “forbidden island”

Hawaii enjoys a reputation as a famously welcoming and chill place, but it also has its secrets. Niihau, Hawaii’s “forbidden island,” was bought by Elizabeth Sinclair from King Kamehameha V in 1864, and the King had only one resquest for her: To keep the place in good condition for its people. 

The island is now owned by Sinclair’s descendants Bruce and Keith Robinson, and the family has kept their promise with a vengeance: The island is a lush, pristine habitat for many endangered species and a peaceful home to the people who live there. Its peacefulness is largely thanks to the family’s policy of keeping tourists as far away as humanly possible. The island gained its “forbidden” nickname in 1952, when a polio epidemic was ravaging Hawaii and the family decided to protect Niihau by forbidding entrance without a doctor’s certificate and a two-week quarantine period. The tactic worked, the nickname remained, and for decades, only members of the family and the roughly 130 natives living on the island were allowed there. People who want to visit the island as their dying wish? Mick Jagger? Billionaires and members of royalty? All have requested; all requests have been denied.

In recent years, however, the Robinsons have gotten a little fed up with the constant barrage of requests and started allowing a small number of carefully controlled tours to the north end of the island. So, it remains to be seen just how “forbidden” the island will be in years to come. 

1. The Chernobyl sarcophagus will irradiate you

When the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster happened, its aftermath left the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a large, technically forbidden zone that nevertheless is visited pretty much all the time. While the radiation levels in large parts of the area, including the town of Pripyat, are more or less survivable, there are still some zones that are strictly forbidden to visit on pain of (very painful) death. 

The most obvious of these forbidden locations, both physically and by common sense, is Reactor 4, the reactor whose meltdown caused the whole disaster. The reactor is now covered by a hulking concrete sarcophagus designed to keep both radiation in and people out. The sarcophagus itself is a crumbling old thing that will be dismantled by 2023, but its successor is already in place: The massive 354-foot-tall steel structure called New Safe Containment, which covers both Reactor 4 and the sarcophagus, was finished in 2016.