alessandralee's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Wattens, Austria

Crystal Worlds

Swarovski's museum/theme park is a fake diamond fantasia overlooked by a giant.
Graz, Austria

Murinsel

Resting in the middle of an Austrian river, this sci-fi "island" lets people cross in neon style.
Vienna, Austria

Brennpunkt°

A history of heat is on display at this unique Austrian museum.
Höhe, Austria

Pyramidenkogel Observation Tower

This spire on an Austrian mountain is wrapped around a long spiral slide and has the world's tallest wooden observation deck.
Festenburg, Austria

Festenburg Fortress

Home of controversial poet priest who penned the words for the Austrian national anthem used in the 1930s.
Graz, Austria

The Stairs of Reconciliation

Double spiral staircases are not unheard of, but they are very rare.
Salzburg, Austria

Almkanal of Salzburg

The medieval network of canals hidden underneath the city is opened to explorers each year.
Innsbruck, Austria

Chamber of Art and Curiosities

Archduke Ferdinand II's collection of rare objects is considered one of the oldest museums in the world.
Vienna, Austria

Austrian State Archives

More than a millennium's worth of municipal records preserve the political history of Austria.
Vienna, Austria

Ampelpärchen

Vienna's diversity-themed traffic lights were inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest.
Vienna, Austria

Palmenhaus

Dine amidst exotic plants at this former royal greenhouse.
Vienna, Austria

Justizcafe

A rooftop restaurant hides in plain sight atop Vienna's Palace of Justice.
Salzburg, Austria

'Gurken'

Amidst medieval and baroque buildings, five human-sized gherkins stand tall.
Vienna, Austria

Hofpavillon Hietzing

An ornate private entrance to the Vienna subway built specifically for the emperor.
Salzburg, Austria

The Catacombs of St. Peter's Abbey

These 12th-century catacombs carved into a mountainside were a place of mysticism and Christian hermitages.
Vienna, Austria

Römermuseum

This museum is dedicated to the little known ancient Roman history of Vienna.
Gmunden, Austria

Klo & So Museum of Historic Sanitary Objects

These are probably the most beautifully-crafted toilets you've ever seen.
Obertraun, Austria

5 Fingers Observation Deck

A breathtaking viewing platform over the Alps.
Los Angeles, California

Highland Park Bowl

L.A.'s oldest operating bowling alley is a beautifully restored homage to its speakeasy days.
Chicago, Illinois

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center

You can take a class, browse the library, or visit the lavish lair of an international men's humor society.
Chicago, Illinois

Poetry Foundation Library

The 30,000-volume library is one of the world's most impressive poetry collections.
Chicago, Illinois

Leather Archives & Museum

Chicago's museum dedicated to the history of bondage and fetishism is more textbook than titillation.
Chicago, Illinois

Quimby's Bookstore

The beloved home to all publications indie, erotic, and punky.
Chicago, Illinois

Terra Cotta Row

In a quiet north Chicago neighborhood rests a stunning relic of the golden age of earthenware design.