claresmith's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Saint Davids, Wales
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Places visited in Pontarfynach, Wales
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Leiden, Netherlands

Burcht van Leiden

This 11th-century castle sits so low you can't see it behind the surrounding buildings.
Leiden, Netherlands

The Wall Poems of Leiden

The works of poetry's biggest names grace the walls of the city of Leiden, all carefully painted by hand.
Zaandam, Netherlands

Hotel Inntel Zaandam

Colorful and chaotic stacked hotel in North Holland.
Damme, Belgium

Damme Canal

Also known as Napoleon's Canal, this waterway was created on the orders of the general, and construction was interrupted by Waterloo.
Ghent, Belgium

'Jonas'

An unsettling sculpture of a boy hanging out in a street in Ghent has been baffling visitors for years.
Ypres, Belgium

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

In the shadow of a former battleground, the resting place for nearly 2,000 soldiers who died in World War I.
Ypres, Belgium

Menin Gate Memorial

A moving memorial to the fallen and missing from WWI trenches.
Ypres, Belgium

In Flanders Fields Museum

This memorial museum chronicles the apocalyptic destruction of the First World War.
Beaune, France

Ramparts of Beaune

These ramparts, once lined with towers, were constructed in defense of Beaune.
Manitowaning, Ontario

Manitou Lake

Lake within a lake.
Rennes-le-Château, France

Rennes-Le-Château

French commune at the heart of conspiracies.
Annecy, France

Palais de l’Île

A fortified palace in the shape of a ship on the Thiou river.
Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg Cathedral's Antique Graffiti

Visitors dating back to the 1600s carved their marks in the stones of the iconic tower.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France

Pont de Gau Ornithological Park

Thousands of flamingos and other bird species flourish in these Camargue wetlands.
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, France

Fontevraud Abbey

Guests can stay at a hotel in the former French abbey where lie the tombs of King Henry II and King Richard the Lionheart.
Les Trois-Moutiers, France

Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers

A 2017 crowdfunding campaign saved this historic castle from being destroyed.
Blois, France

Mechanical Dragon Clock

A beautiful and classically designed villa, with an hourly infestation of monsters.
Clermont-Ferrand, France

Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral created from volcanic rocks.
Cahors, France

Pont Valentre

A 14th century bridge built as a fortress, where the devil lurks on one of its towers.
Aigues-Mortes, France

Salin Aigues-Mortes

This salt marsh in Southern France is as pink as the flamingos that inhabit it.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Largest Street Art Mural in the World

Eduardo Kobra’s breathtaking 32,300-square-foot graffiti wall took over Rio’s Olympic Boulevard.
Paris, France

'Les Spécialistes' Fake Door

This banal Parisian entranceway is not what it seems.
Reims, France

Joan of Arc Statue

An image of the legendary saint stands in the shadow of a cathedral she liberated.
Montreux, Switzerland

Freddie Mercury Statue

This statue pays tribute to the iconic musician in the place where he recorded his final studio album.