The tiny Croatian town of Hum—which is located on a hilltop in the Istria region—prides itself on being the smallest town in the world. Even though Hum has not officially been deemed the smallest town in the world by any record-keeping organization, the fact that it is far less than a mile long and wide…
In 1995, the jewelry company Swarovski celebrated its 100th anniversary by creating a theme park/museum in Wattens, Austria—not far from the exact spot where Swarovski was founded in 1895. Artist Andre Heller crafted a green Giant with sparkling crystal eyes whose lair houses an ever-expanding “Chamber of Wonders” known as Crystal Worlds—or Kristallwelten—that showcases the…
One of Italy‘s most magnificent hidden beaches is located in the charming Italian town of San Nicola Arcella. Travelers often pass by secluded Arcomagno Beach without knowing what they have missed. Arcomagno Beach is home to a towering natural arch that leads to a secret pebble beach. Viewing the pristine aquamarine waters of the Tyrrhenian…
The Wave—a colorful rock formation in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument that looks like a stone wave—has become so wildly popular in recent years that visitors must enter a lottery to receive a permit to visit the area. If you’re unable to secure a permit for The Wave, a stunning collection of rock formations that resemble…
Even people who have never set foot in the Western United States are well acquainted with the towering rock formations of Southern Utah’s Monument Valley thanks to their inclusion in numerous classic films. Visitors can drive to Monument Valley and pull over around marker 13 to stand in the same spot where Forrest Gump—the beloved…
It’s no surprise that a trio of colorful crater lakes at the summit of Kelimutu Volcano in Indonesia are steeped in myth. Locals claim that the Tiwu Ata Mbupu, Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai, and Tiwu Ata Polo serve as the resting place for the spirits of deceased elders, young people, and evil spirits. The…
Since shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the charming fishing village of Clovelly has been privately owned. Once the property of William the Conqueror, Clovelly alternated between royal and private ownership until the village was inherited by the Hamlyn family in the late 1800s. Descendants of the Hamlyn family still run Clovelly…
In the 12th century, a group of Christians built an ornate wooden church in Luster, Norway, adorned with carvings that fused Norse and Christian symbolism. Nearly 900 years later, the Urnes Stave Church still stands on the shores of the placid Lustrafjord. The Urnes Stave Church is Norway‘s oldest stave church— a wooden church constructed…
