This selection presents urban locations including historic churches, public gardens, libraries, museums, and markets. The sites range from underground salt mines to rooftop gardens, from historic bookstores to converted railway stations. Many of these places are situated away from regular tourist routes.
London, United Kingdom
This public garden occupies the former site of a Christopher Wren church, damaged in 1941. Plants grow through stone arches and window frames.
Berlin, Germany
The lake features rowing boats for rent and a restaurant on its shore. Water birds nest on small islands within the water body.
Philadelphia, USA
This folk art space contains mosaics made from tiles, bottles, bicycle wheels, and mirrors. The indoor galleries and outdoor labyrinth span half a block.
Luang Prabang, Laos
This garden houses native butterfly species in enclosed spaces near mineral-rich falls. Visitors can observe the complete metamorphosis stages in the breeding station.
Colmar, France
The historic district features half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries along the water canals of the Lauch.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Built in 1908, the station building now houses restaurants, offices and an event space under a preserved railway bridge.
Hamburg, Germany
The 19th-century port complex comprises warehouses built on oak poles, connected by bridges and narrow canals.
Singapore
The theme park, opened in 1937, displays over 1000 statues and 150 dioramas depicting Asian cultural scenes and moral stories.
Macau, China
Stone remains of a 17th century Catholic church displaying Portuguese architecture with Chinese motifs.
Heidelberg, Germany
A stone amphitheater built in 1935 on Holy Mountain, surrounded by trees and wild plants.
Colorado Springs, USA
A natural park with red sandstone rocks rising up to 300 feet high and 15 miles of marked trails.
Berlin, Germany
A 400-foot hill made of war rubble with an abandoned NSA listening station at its summit.
Buriram, Thailand
The Khmer temple stands on an extinct volcano and was built in the 10th century as a Hindu sanctuary.
Sintra, Portugal
The 20th century palace features underground tunnels, initiation wells and gardens with symbolic meaning.
Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
A 17-story cylindrical building with a pink dragon sculpture winding around its exterior.
London, United Kingdom
A collection of neon installations and signs from four decades of artistic creation.
New York City, USA
This 150-foot tall construction contains 154 flights of stairs with 2,500 steps. The metal structure provides multiple viewpoints of Manhattan.
Mexico City, Mexico
This public library spans 409,000 square feet. The transparent walls and suspended bookshelves create an unusual interior space.
Berlin, Germany
The gallery extends along 1.3 kilometers of wall featuring over 100 paintings by international artists from 1990.
Stockholm, Sweden
The 13th-century church serves as a burial site for Swedish monarchs. The tower reaches a height of 90 meters.
Bagan, Myanmar
A historical site from the 9th to 13th centuries containing more than 2000 religious structures spread across 40 square kilometers of plains.
Lyon, France
Historical passageways from the 4th century crossing through buildings, used by silk merchants and later by resistance fighters.
Cape Town, South Africa
A navigation tower built in 1859, situated 238 meters above sea level at the southernmost point of the African peninsula.
Lisbon, Portugal
An 18th-century square by the Tagus River featuring yellow facades, arcades and the Arco da Rua Augusta triumphal arch.
Samut Songkhram, Thailand
Vendors sell products directly on railway tracks and quickly clear their merchandise when trains approach on this functioning railway line.
New York City, USA
Public green space built on a former elevated freight rail line extending through Manhattan West and Chelsea neighborhoods.
Paris, France
Waterway with nine locks connecting River Seine to Canal de l'Ourcq through the 10th and 11th arrondissements.
Cape Town, South Africa
Historical district with distinctively painted houses in multiple colors and strong Malaysian cultural influence.
Copenhagen, Denmark
An autonomous community from the 1970s with alternative housing, art workshops and social projects on a former military site.
Venice, Italy
A 19th-century cemetery island containing the graves of Igor Stravinsky and Ezra Pound among other notable figures.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
A former 1919 theater building with original stage elements, frescoes and balconies, now operating as a bookstore.
London, United Kingdom
A 2800 square meter rooftop garden featuring Spanish, Tudor and English garden sections plus a pond with flamingos.
Porto, Portugal
This 1906 bookstore features carved wooden staircases and ornate stained glass windows in neo-Gothic style.
Wieliczka, Poland
The salt mine extends across nine levels to a depth of 327 meters and contains chapels and statues made of salt.
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 16th century Ottoman mosque contains calligraphic decorations and a tall minaret in classical style.
London, United Kingdom
The hidden 17th century courtyard houses independent shops in buildings with blue, red and yellow facades.