benalexa's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Saltville, Virginia

Great Channels of Virginia

This maze-like slot canyon is a unique gem within an already fascinating geological area.
Marion, Virginia

The Octagon House

An eight-sided home built during a brief octagon craze in the 1850s.
Fayetteville, West Virginia

Nuttallburg

Hikers can still stroll beneath the long conveyer of this abandoned mining facility hidden in a West Virginia river gorge.
Fayetteville, West Virginia

New River Gorge Bridge

One day a year it is legal to jump off of this astoundingly tall bridge that spans an Appalachian gorge.
Ansted, West Virginia

Mystery Hole

The "mysteries" of this quintessential roadside oddity were almost destroyed by neglect but were saved by fans of kitschy wonder.
Naples, Italy

Naples Underground

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.
Vatican City

Vatican Necropolis

Hidden beneath the famous St. Peter's Basilica is a veritable city of the dead that may hold the remains of St. Peter himself.
Vatican City

Stufetta del Bibbiena

The Vatican's secret porn-festooned bathroom was painted in erotic murals by one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
Rome, Italy

Ludus Magnus

The ruins of the largest gladiatorial school in Rome are largely hidden under modern streets.
Rome, Italy

Nymphaeum of Egeria

Roman politician Herodes Atticus built this nymphaeum to honor his wife, whom he may have murdered.
Torre Annunziata, Italy

Ruins of Oplontis

Buried next to Pompeii, this lesser-known Roman villa was the opulent vacation home of Emperor Nero's wife.
Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii Thermopolium

Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.
Province of Salerno, Italy

Valle delle Ferriere

Amalfi's pre-industrial history is slowly being engulfed by the lush vegetation of the Ferriere Valley.
Conca dei Marini, Italy

Grotto dello Smeraldo

A limestone grotto where daylight filters in from below and turns the water a beautiful turquoise. Also home to a small underwater nativity scene.
Ravello, Italy

Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone

Beautiful views and Roman-style statues on the Italian coast.
Atrani, Italy

Atrani

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

Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto)

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.
Sorrento, Italy

Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.
Portici, Italy

National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa

The first Italian factory to produce locomotives is now a marvelous museum.
Ercolano, Italy

Herculaneum

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.
Ercolano, Italy

Osservatorio Vesuviano (Vesuvius Observatory)

The oldest volcanology research center in the world.
Pozzuoli, Italy

Phlegraean Fields

A sulfuric hellscape in southern Italy.
Pozzuoli, Italy

Flavian Amphitheater of Pozzuoli

Italy's third-largest Roman arena gives a peek into the underground operations beneath the ancient spectacles.
Naples, Italy

Gaiola Island

This magical-looking island is notorious for the misfortunes suffered by its owners.