JamieKeen's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Riga, Latvia

First-Ever Public Christmas Tree Marker

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.
Riga, Latvia

Freedom Monument

This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.
Riga, Latvia

House of the Blackheads

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.
Bucharest, Romania

Arcul de Triumf

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.
Bucharest, Romania

Memorial of Rebirth

This memorial to the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 is often compared to a potato on a skewer.
Bucharest, Romania

Palace of the Parliament

This communist behemoth is the heaviest building in the world and a legacy of a brutal regime.
Bucharest, Romania

Relics of Zlătari Church

The preserved arm of a third-century sorcerer is believed to have the power to lift curses and spells.
Bucharest, Romania

Curtea Veche (Old Princely Court)

The bust of Romania’s most notorious ruler, Vlad Dracula aka "Vlad the Impaler," keeps watch over the ruins of his medieval court.
Bucharest, Romania

Cărturești Carusel Bookstore

This once-derelict building is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.
Nazca, Peru

Nazca Lines Observation Tower

This metal tower in the desert provides views of a handful of Nazca geoglyphs.
London, England

Street Cat Bob Memorial Statue

This life-size monument honors the legacy of a famous literary feline.
London, England

Get Stuffed

Taxidermied animals galore, by appointment only.
London, England

Walthamstow Market

Though it's not the largest, this one-kilometer outdoor market is reportedly the longest in Europe.
London, England

The Ancient House

One of London's oldest houses contains a mixture of both old and modern features.
London, England

Strawberry Hill

In Twickenham sits a small whitewashed castle that inspired Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein.'
Chicago, Illinois

Palmer House Hilton

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.
Chicago, Illinois

Couch Place (The Alley of Death)

This alley in downtown Chicago held the bodies of over 600 people after the fateful Iroquois Theatre fire.
Chicago, Illinois

Wooden Block Alley

All of Chicago's wood-paved streets are long gone but two alleys remain.
Chicago, Illinois

Crown Fountain

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.
Brussels, Belgium

Jeanneke Pis

Brussels' favorite peeing boy has a sister.
Brussels, Belgium

Zinneke Pis

Meet the bronze beloved pet to a family of famous peeing statues.
Antwerp, Belgium

Brabo Fountain

A man throwing a giant severed hand towers over Antwerp’s main square.
Antwerp, Belgium

Nello and Patrasche

This statue dedicated to the story of a Flemish boy and his dog was relatively obscure in Belgium, but a cult sensation in Japan.
Bruges, Belgium

Basilica of the Holy Blood

Christ's blood allegedly preserved in a Belgian town.