Histria, named after the Thracian river god, lies on an arid promontory near the mouth of the Danube River on the Romanian coast of the Black Sea. The city was founded by settlers from Miletos in the 7th century BC and maintained its Greek character throughout its history, even d … | Continue reading

Soviet mosaics are perhaps not what one would expect to see in the city of palaces, yet this is one of its most famed public art pieces. The Potsdam mosaic was created in 1972 after the design of Fritz Eisel, who used it to decorate three sides of an otherwise boring socialist bu … | Continue reading

Most parking garages are purely functional spaces, but beneath Rotterdam Market Hall lies one with a unique twist—a history lesson of the city’s past. Dig beneath an old city, and you’ll often find layers of discarded history. That’s what ‘de tijdtrap’ (or ‘The Stairs of Time’) t … | Continue reading

While the Golden Temple in Amritsar is a world-famous symbol of Indian Punjab, Sikhism is not the only religion that was founded in the state. In the late 19th century, the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam was founded in the small town of Qadian. The Aqsa Mosque was built at what was then … | Continue reading

Kappabashi Street, affectionately known as Tokyo’s “Kitchen Town,” is a culinary wonderland that serves as a magnet for anyone with a passion for food. The street is lined with an array of shops catering to every aspect of kitchens, cooking, and culinary culture, from professiona … | Continue reading

Inside a gated driveway off the Great Chertsey Road in Chiswick, London, lies an unassuming little house that has become a major landmark for fans of British comedy. In the 1920s, the orchards and meadows occupying the meander of the Thames south of Chiswick’s Grove Park neighbor … | Continue reading

Built in 1934, POST was built as a depot adjacent to Houston's Grand Central Station. The building was designed by Wilson, Morris, Crain and Anderson—the same architects behind the Astrodome—and later served as the headquarters for the U.S. Postal Service in Houston. It still fea … | Continue reading

While one might not expect to find natural springs in central London, a few arise within the urban landscape. One such spring is located near the southwest corner of Kensington Gardens. This spring is commonly described as being an “ancient spring,” but it was only given the name … | Continue reading

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. Shivsrushti, a large theme park in Pune, now stands in honor of his legacy. Visitors are welcomed into a grand, fort-like building. The theme park is divided into multiple sections based on various as … | Continue reading

Taiwan is an island of divided and conflicting memories. Since the end of martial law, the country has slowly moved toward transitional justice, with many symbols of the authoritarian past removed or relocated—like those sent to the well-known Garden of the Generalissimos in Taoy … | Continue reading

Opened in 1927, this bathhouse named Bain généreux was at the heart of a working class neighborhood. Back then, most residences in Montreal did not have access to a bath or a shower. In an effort to increase workers' hygiene and to control illnesses, many public baths were opened … | Continue reading

From 1874 to the mid 20th-century, the Utrecht Maliebaan station connected the city of Hilversum to Lunetten, which is still in use today. Back then, Lunetten was only a station where passengers could transfer to a different train towards the city of 's-Hertogenbosch, as there wa … | Continue reading

Far from the more touristic routes of Tuscany, the church of the Holy Spirit of Indicatore has recently become an attraction for mosaic mavens, art lovers, and curious travelers. The church was put on the map by an ongoing public art project that has transformed the local church … | Continue reading

While train travel remains a common form of transportation in Vietnam, the Dalat Railway Station lived a short life—from just 1932 to 1968. However, the station is still a beauty. It’s easy to access and entry is about 10,000vnd (about $0.50). Inside the station, visitors can pur … | Continue reading

While Amsterdam is known for its museums of fine art, particularly the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the art on display at STRAAT is far less conventional. Conceived of in 2015 and opened in 2020, STRAAT features the artistic works of a broad range of internationally-renow … | Continue reading

The East Van Vodville might be easy to miss if you’re not looking for it: a small, unassuming window is embedded into the boarded-up facade of an otherwise plain building. Visitors can peer through the little windows, as though they have snuck into the theater, where they will be … | Continue reading

In 1960, Jane Goodall was sent to Gombe National Park (then called Gombe Stream Game Reserve) to research an unstudied wild group of chimpanzees. Despite Goodall's world-famous work, Gombe only receives about 2,000 visitors per year and has no more than 15 to 25 visitors at any g … | Continue reading

At the site of the first iron furnace on the west coast, the Oswego Furnace, lie some relics known as “salamanders.” These plugs of pig iron once threatened to clog up the works of the iron foundry and had to be removed with great effort. Named after a mythical amphibian that ros … | Continue reading

In a suburban area on the edge of Kiel, northern Germany, lies a hidden, disused waste incinerator that was abandoned in the late 1980s. This site quietly draws the curious and creative—urban explorers and graffiti artists frequent the location where factory ruins and encroaching … | Continue reading

The hordes of visitors thronging the Citadel of Salah al-Din come for the medieval fortifications, historic mosques, and panoramic views over Cairo. Few tourists visitors think to enter the National Military Museum tucked away in a rose-pink building at the edge of the site. But … | Continue reading