The commercial building known as the “Crooked House” in Sopot, Poland is a popular landmark for tourists and photographers. Built in 2004 by the design team of Szotynscy & Zaleski, this 4,000 sq meter building is part of the Rezydent shopping center. The inspiration for its unusual shape came from Polish fairytale illustrations by Jan…
The phrase “faceless bureaucrat” is not typically a compliment, but in Reykjavik, Iceland, these anonymous workers are honored in art. This statue is unique as it is literally faceless, with a large slab of Icelandic volcanic basalt where the head and torso would be. The statue, created by sculptor MagnΓΊs TΓ³masson in 1994, leaves interpretation…
The Magdeburg Water Bridge is an architectural masterpiece that was completed in 2003. It spans over the Elbe River in Magdeburg, Germany and is 918 meters long, consisting of six spans. The middle four spans are the longest, each measuring 158 meters, while the two end spans measure 128 meters each. The Water Bridge was…
Urup is an uninhabited volcanic island located in the south of the Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The island is home to four active volcanoes: the Kolokol (Bell) group, Rudakov, Tri Sestry (Three sisters), and Gora (Mountain) Ivao. The climate on Urup is extreme, with the highest…
Papafragos Beach in Milos is an idyllic spot that offers visitors an impressive natural landscape. The beach is located at the base of a towering rock formation, which looks like a huge natural swimming pool carved out of the cliff’s side. To reach the beach, visitors must take a small path that leads to the…
Vardzia is a unique architectural wonder located in the south of Georgia, near the town of Aspindza. Vardzia is a cave palace and monastery built by Georgians in the Caucasus in the late 1100s to serve as a sanctuary to resist foreign invasions. The underground fortress spanned 13 levels and contained 6000 apartments, a throne…
The Katskhi Pillar is a towering structure that stands 40 meters tall in the hills of Central Georgia. It resembles a giant’s club and has had a mythical presence since human settlement in the area. Before the arrival of Christianity, the pillar was a pagan holy site and was likely used for fertility rituals. In…