olaobrien's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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London, England

Site of the Tabard Inn

The location Geoffrey Chaucer and tale-telling pilgrims set off for Canterbury in April 1386.
Wrocław, Poland

The Train to Heaven

A 90-ton, gravity-defiant steam locomotive shoots for the skies in this bizarrely beautiful public artwork.
Wrocław, Poland

Wrocław’s Former City Prison

This ex-prison dates back to the Middle Ages.
Wrocław, Poland

Monument In Honor of the Slaughtered Animals

In the center of Wrocław's old meat market stands a somber tribute to the city's livestock.
Wrocław, Poland

Wroclaw Dwarves

The silly symbol for an underground protest group is now scattered around the city.
Milan, Italy

Crypt of San Sepolcro

Saint Borromeo often prayed in this austere crypt during the 16th century.
Milan, Italy

The Devil's Column

The mark of the Devil's horns on a marble column in Milan.
Milan, Italy

'Saint Bartholomew Flayed'

This grisly effigy displays an early Christian martyr who was skinned alive and beheaded.
Milan, Italy

Milan's Duomo "Dinosaur"

Milan's duomo is covered in beautiful carving including a curious "dinosaur-like" beast.
Milan, Italy

Loggia dei Mercanti Whispering Gallery

The secret medieval communication system will whisk your words above the noise of the crowd.
Bergamo, Italy

Visconti-Sforza Tarot Cards

Beautifully decorated tarot cards from the Middle Ages.
Bergamo, Italy

Cappella Colleoni

If you ever wanted to touch a medieval mercenary’s three testicles, look no further.
Xagħra, Malta

Ta' Kola Windmill

This is one of the very few intact windmills built by the Knights of St. John in the island nation of Malta.
Kerċem, Malta

Gozo Aqueduct

This 19th-century aqueduct provides insights into how water was supplied to Victoria on the island of Gozo before modern plumbing.
Valletta, Malta

Mysterium Fidei

After 400 years of being closed to the public, this monastery's underground tunnels and secret garden are now a museum.
Valletta, Malta

Casa Rocca Piccola

Dynastic Home of the De Piro Family.
Valletta, Malta

Church of St. Paul's Shipwreck

This church is named for one of the most dramatic tales in the early Christian church.
Xagħra, Malta

Ġgantija Temples

These temples are among the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world.
San Lawrenz, Malta

The Inland Sea

The fishing boats that moor in this small lagoon enter and leave through a tunnel to the sea.
Valletta, Malta

St. John’s Co-Cathedral Skeleton Tombstones

The floor of this spectacular Baroque sanctuary is covered in memento mori.
London, England

Statue of James Henry Greathead

This statue of one of the engineers who created the London Underground hides a ventilation shaft for the tube lines that run under the street.
London, England

Floris Perfumery

A storied London perfume shop that supplies scents for royalty has been operating out of this storefront for nearly 300 years.
London, England

Modern Martyrs

The niches over the western entrance of Westminster Abbey honor individuals from the 20th century who gave their lives for their Christian beliefs.
London, England

Alexandra Palace Transmitter Mast

The first regular high-definition TV transmissions were made from this seemingly out-of-place mast located on one corner of a Victorian-era entertainment venue.