mrowestmiddle's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Mafra, Portugal

Mafra Palace Library

At night, bats patrol this magnificent 18th-century space in search of book-eating pests.
Portugal

Covão dos Conchos

This gaping hole in the middle of a remote mountain lake looks like a portal to another dimension.
Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal

The Village of Monsanto

Houses are tucked between, on, and underneath giant boulders.
Porto, Portugal

Livraria Lello

One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world hides a neo-Gothic interior behind an art nouveau facade.
Colares, Portugal

Convent of the Capuchos

The verdant mossy ruins of a Franciscan monastery lie in the remote Sintra hills awaiting exploration.
Sintra, Portugal

Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors)

An ancient and majestic fortress that played an integral role in Portugal's road to independence.
Colares, Portugal

Praia da Ursa

In Portugal, a secluded stretch of untouched natural beauty hides at the bottom of a steep hill.
Sintra, Portugal

Pena National Palace

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.
Edinburgh, Scotland

World's End Close

This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.
Washington, D.C.

National Public Radio's Honey Bee Hives

Atop this media building, two hives containing more than 30,000 bees keep the surrounding area vibrant.
Washington, D.C.

Hecht Company Warehouse

Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

National Capitol Columns

The United States Capitol's former columns still stand.
Washington, D.C.

National Bonsai Museum

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.
New York, New York

Preserved Remnants of 17th Century New York

Under a glass sidewalk lie the remains of some of Manhattan's oldest buildings.
Brooklyn, New York

Wyckoff Street Mosaic

Detailed facade of a brownstone in Boerum Hill.
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Townhouse Secret Subway Exit

This innocent-looking townhome is actually a subway exit.
New York, New York

Barthman's Sidewalk Clock

A clock set into the concrete outside a Manhattan jeweler has been telling time underfoot for over a century.
New York, New York

The Gardens at St. Luke in the Fields

A quiet and contemplative oasis in the middle of New York's bustle and riot.
Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Tomnadashan Mine

Monty Python fans will recognize this abandoned mine as the Cave of the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.
Atrani, Italy

Atrani

This seaside Italian village doesn't just look Escher-esque, it actually inspired the mind-bending artist.
Ischia, Italy

Poor Clares Convent Cemetery

Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.
New York, New York

New York Federal Gold Vault

More gold than anywhere else, ever.
Le Castella, Italy

Castello Aragonese (Aragonese Castle)

This scenic fortress dates back at least 2,400 years to the time of Magna Graecia.
Washington, D.C.

Jefferson Pier Marker

A tiny monument to the unsuccessful attempt by Thomas Jefferson to place the prime meridian in Washington.