tapia's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Schiphol, Netherlands

Planes@Plaza

This old KLM airplane cut into three parts was transformed into an eclectic airport gift shop.
Tokyo, Japan

Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio

Only recently added to the shrine, this googly-eyed snail demon of unknown origin is said to have eye-healing powers.
Tokyo, Japan

Gotokuji Temple

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.
Fairbanks, Alaska

Lend-Lease Monument

This super-sized statue is the only public memorial to the deal that ended America's neutrality during World War II.
Brussels, Belgium

The Atomium

Climb inside an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times its normal size.
Padua, Italy

Padua Astronomical Clock

One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.
Venice, Italy

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.
Verona, Italy

House of Romeo

Not far from the more famous House of Juliet, visitors will find the supposed residence of her lover.
Verona, Italy

Scaliger Tombs

These elaborate gothic monuments honor Verona's medieval lords.
Verona, Italy

Juliet's Balcony

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.
Florence, Italy

Il Porcellino

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.
Florence, Italy

Gipsoteca Bartolini

A slightly creepy gallery of plaster cast models in the same museum as Michelangelo's David.
Los Angeles, California

Old Zoo Picnic Area

The abandoned zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.
Rome, Italy

Sisinnius Fresco in the Basilica San Clemente

A rather vulgar example of the transition from Latin to the Italian vernacular.
Rome, Italy

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.
Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.
Kyoto, Japan

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Kyoto, Japan

Rokuon-ji Temple

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.
Osaka, Japan

Dotonbori Hotel Front Pillars

Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.
Mexico City, Mexico

Chapultepec Castle

The only castle in North America to ever house European sovereigns.
Mexico City, Mexico

Death Mask of Pakal the Great

The striking jade death mask of an ancient Maya king is displayed in a replica tomb in Mexico City.
Mexico City, Mexico

Xochipilli

The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.
Mexico City, Mexico

'Las Razas y La Cultura' Mural

This stunning and ethereal mural symbolizes the beauty, unity, and diversity of humankind.