Ursa Major's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Paris, France

Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France)

This massive library holds what was once the largest book collection in the world.
Paris, France

Basilique Notre-Dame-des-Victoires

A 400-year-old church covered floor to ceiling in ex-voto offerings from the faithful.
Paris, France

Le Passe-Muraille

This surreal statue brings a famous French novel about a supernatural cad to arresting life.
Paris, France

Montmartre Cemetery

A horde of stray cats rule in this secluded Parisian cemetery under a bridge.
Paris, France

Temple de la Sybille (The Temple of Sybille)

This structure atop a craggy cliff in one of the most beautiful parks in Paris boasts an unbeatable view.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Stara Elektrarna (The Old Power Station)

A relic from the Industrial Revolution got a second life as a contemporary performing arts space.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana Mosque

Slovenia's first mosque is a striking mix of Islamic and modernist architecture.
Postojna, Slovenia

Olm

The "dragon babies" of southeastern Europe.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Neolog Synagogue Memorial

Dedicated to a synagogue that was destroyed after having survived World War II.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Hans Christian Andersen Statue

A sculpture of the beloved author surrounded by characters from his fairy tales.
Bratislava, Slovakia

The Pamätné Kamene of Bratislava

Brass plaques embedded in pavement preserve the memories of those who lost their lives at the hands of Nazis during World War II.
Bratislava, Slovakia

Schöner Náci

A sculpture of a beloved local figure, who tipped his top hat to everyone he passed on the streets of Bratislava.
Ljubljana, Slovenia

'The Area With Ljubljana's Own Weather'

A public work of art that also provides some relief from the summer heat.
Paris, France

Musée de la Vie Romantique

Down a cobblestone alleyway is a museum dedicated to Romanticism, with a secret garden.
Paris, France

Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint)

The oldest continuously operating mint in the world that has been making coins since the 9th-century.
Angers, France

La Maison d'Adam (Adam's House)

A medieval house adorned with enigmatic carvings, including one of a man displaying his masculine attributes.
Reims, France

Joan of Arc Statue

An image of the legendary saint stands in the shadow of a cathedral she liberated.
Paris, France

Maison de Victor Hugo

A museum dedicated to one of Paris’s most famous residents, tucked into a corner of one of the city’s most famous squares.
Paris, France

'Jeune Éléphant pris au Piège' ('Young Elephant Caught in a Trap')

This emotive sculpture was originally created for the 1878 World's Fair.
Arromanches-les-Bains, France

Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches

Remains of the artificial harbours invented for the Allied invasion of Normandy can still be seen at sea.
Paris, France

Statue Le Rhinoceros

A beautiful Victorian statue shows France's enduring love of the rhinoceros.
Bayeux, France

Bayeux Tapestry

This enormous "cloth of the conquest" depicts the Norman invasion of England in mind-blowing detail.
Paris, France

Execution Site of Jacques de Molay

The approximate spot where the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was put to death.
Paris, France

Mascarons of Pont Neuf

If you look closely at the oldest bridge in Paris, you might notice hundreds of ugly faces leering from its sides.