Hello Viatorians, Viatorites, and Viatorinians!

Sorry for the long delay, but I am happy to announce that the next installment of Atlas Obscura’s wonder-inspiring, off-the-beaten-path places that don’t make it into traditional guidebooks is here! This week’s theme is appropriately halloweeny, three Cemeteries, each bizarre and creepy in its own way!

Highgate Cemetery, London

The Merry Cemetery, Romania

The merry cemetery in Săpânţa, Romania is unusual in the candor of its gravestones. Displayed on the wooden crosses in bright pictures and annotated with limericks, are the illustrated lives and deaths of almost everyone who has passed away in the town of Sapanta.

Illustrated crosses depict soldiers being beheaded, a townsperson being hit by a truck, and a man drinking himself to death. The epigraphs reveal a surprising level of frankness. “Underneath this heavy cross. Lies my mother in law poor…Try not to wake her up. For if she comes back home. She’ll bite my head off.”

Merry Cemetery, Sapanta - Romania

Another reads “Ioan Toaderu loved horses. One more thing he loved very much. To sit at a table in a bar. Next to someone else’s wife.”

Highgate Cemetery, London

The story of Highgate Cemetery in London is so outlandish, you couldn’t make it up if you tried. Once one of London’s nicest Victorian burial grounds, by the 1960s it was a dilapidated mess. Used as a location for the infamous Hammer horror films, the site became the focus of a modern “vampire hunt” after witnesses claimed to have seen one.

Two magicians led a battle of one-upmanship to find and kill the supposed vampire. Though no vampire was found the hunters dug up real tombs, staked actual dead bodies and left beheaded (already dead to begin with) corpses strewn throughout 1970s London. It culminated on Friday the 13th in 1973 when a mob of ‘hunters’ from all over London swarmed over gates and walls into the locked cemetery, despite police efforts to control them.”

St. Sebastian’s Cemetery, Salzburg

St. Sebastian’s Cemetery, Salzburg

Medieval Europe had a thing for death. Called “memento mori” and meaning “Remember that you are mortal,” it was a standard theme for churches, paintings, and most of all cemeteries. The St. Sebastian’s Cemetery in Salzburg, Austria has memento mori in spades, covered in skulls with snakes coming from their eyes, bony figures holding hourglasses, and winged skulls, it is a true treat for anyone with a morbid streak.

Among the luminaries buried in this macabre cemetery are Mozart’s wife and father, Archbishop Wolf Dietrich who was disgraced by the church, denied burial in the Cathedral crypt and so is buried here, and Theophrastus Paracelsus alchemist, mystic, scientist and sometimes called “the father of modern medicine.”

-The Atlas Obscura Team

In the past I’ve always stayed in or near the old town (Grad). The walled old city is so spectacularly beautiful that to wake up in the morning and look out the window at all that history is magical. I’ve stayed at the Hilton, which has a great location and lovely old building; at the Excelsior which has waterfront and great views of the sun setting over the old town; and in a private apartment inside the walls with a terrace where we could hear the conversation of people walking the walls.

Dubrovnik - follow your bliss

These private apartments are easy to find as many savvy residents leave town for the summer and earn some money from rentals while escaping the crowds.

Far from the maddening (ice cream) crowd

But there are downsides to being this close to the old town: crowds, heat and expense. Especially in summer. In July and August, fighting your way down the main street, Stradun, through meandering ice-cream licking tourists – many of them there for a day off cruise ships and not even sure what country they are in – while the sun bounces fiercely off the white marble that is everywhere (buildings, pavings) and waiters try to entice you to sit and drink the most expensive coffee in Croatia, can be a little tiring.

Radisson Blu

So this time I got out of town, to a village called Orasac and the new Radisson Blu hotel. Many Dubrovnik hotels are a bit away from the old town, a lot on the Lapad Peninsula. But I figure if you’re going to be out of town, head not for the suburbs of Dubrovnik but for one of the villages. You’re still close enough to make regular easy trips into the city, but far enough to be insulated from the madness.

The bonus is a beach on your doorstep, and in the heat and humidity of Croatian summer, regular dips in the Adriatic become your favourite thing.

Orasac

Orasac sits on a little bay and the hotel, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens, is beside the beach with the village perched on the hill behind. I walked up the many, many steps to the village one day to have coffee with people I met on the beach and trust me, this terrain is steep! Do not make the climb at midday as I did – madness.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit one of Orasac’s main attractions: an old-fashioned olive oil press still horse-driven! Apparently, they also make great homemade cheeses and prsut – the local ham. But, I’m a vegetarian anyway – luckily I eat fish though because ham and seafood are specialties of the region.

Eating at Gverovic Orsan

Staggering back down the hill, I fell into the sea. I’ve never actually stayed at this type of resort before - an upmarket mixture of hotel and residence apartments with a street of shops, restaurants, a spa, pools with bars, the beach – for a whole week I could happily have not left, not seen a car, not had to think. Just gazed at the view of the beautiful Elafati Islands from my balcony.

Perhaps hopped on a boat out to the island of Lopud and the beach of Sunj (pronounced Shoon) which I’m told is one of the most beautiful in Croatia, with shallow water out for a long way making it a total kids’ paradise and a couple of simple beach cafes making it a parental godsend.

But I did leave. One night a Croatian friend took me to Gverovic Orsan, a great little restaurant in the next town, Mali Zaton. Right on the water, they cook fish: fresh fish, only fish. No menu, just what was caught that day. A few tables line the water in front of what used to be the owner’s grandfather’s fishing hut. For the last two generations it’s been a restaurant. And so friendly; the owner sat with us for a while chatting. A group of men paddled in from their yacht and sat at the next table. A family brought their dog to sit at their feet while they ate.

Exploring Dubrovnik’s old town

The next day I caught the shuttle boat into Dubrovnik old town. Approaching by sea gave way to flights of fantasy about being a Venetian sailor in centuries gone by. These walls have stood and looked just like this literally for centuries! With red roofs peeping over the top, the old fort to one side (now used for theatre: Hamlet this summer I believe) and the bare hills rearing up behind for a majestic backdrop.

As well as my moment of fantasy time-travel, the advantage of arriving by boat was avoiding the summer traffic which can get pretty jammed in the narrow streets, and arriving on a dock right next to a gate in the walls – a few steps and I was in the thick of the meshing of history and modern life. These days the city has pretty well turned itself over to cafes, souvenir shops and boutiques, but there is still a supermarket and a great bookshop Algoritam with a good English-language section so I haunted these two in my hunt for things to take back to my beach retreat.

Opening of the Dubrovnik festival

The other visit I made to the old town was for the opening of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which brings jazz, theatre, music to about 70 venues all around the city every year (in 2010 the festival runs July 10 – August 25). I was lucky enough to be with someone who had tickets to the actual opening ceremony and performance.

We squeezed into the area in front of the gorgeous St Blaise’s Church and listened to the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and German soprano Nadja Michael, watched a performance by the local folklore ensemble Lindjo, and then watched the raising of the Libertas festival flag while the choir of the Croatian National Theatre sang the local hymn of Dubrovnik. Totally fabulous – to hear such music in that historic place was amazing.

Then we all walked through the town – following closely the President of Croatia and his bodyguards – and up to the local museum where we stood on a roof terrace eating local seafood while being mesmerised by fireworks. The whole town had turned out to watch and there were people everywhere. Every corner you turned in the old city brought you to another square full of chair and tables, jazz bands, pop concerts, fashionistas in from their yachts to sip cocktails.

What to do when it rains? Go to the spa

The next morning I woke to hear booms outside my window and in my half sleep I thought I was still at the festival opening – but where was my cocktail dress? Luckily only a dream and a thunderstorm, mind you a pretty spectacular one, probably because the sound and fury bounces off the steep mountains that back the Croatian coast.

Anyway, the heavy grey clouds meant I couldn’t follow my usual day plan of breakfast, beach, swim, reading on a sun lounger, swim, lunch, lounging under an umbrella, swim, coffee – well, you get the idea. But what to do under a cloudy sky? Then the beacon lit up in the gloom: the spa.

Now my biggest decision was hot rocks massage or private bath. I went for the bath and felt like a total princess soaking in an aromatic oil and water filled tub in the middle of a white room with a window to a courtyard. The whole fantasy was only enhanced by the fact that the spa building is surrounded by a moat, with chairs and couches to lounge on, post-treatment, and stare at the sea and the islands. It’s a wonder they ever got me out of the place.

Realising that too much idle bliss can be too much of a good thing (can that be true, really?), one day I took myself off for a (long) day tour of Montenegro, south along the Adriatic. Exhausting but totally worthwhile. Montenegro is a country just finding itself after a century of upheaval. In the last hundred years, it’s gone from Kingdom – King Nikolas was exiled to France at the end of WWI – to part of communist Yugoslavia, to war-torn in the 1990s, to independent once more in 2006.

Now it feels a bit like a teenager - a little rebellious and wanting attention. With all that beauty, it’s going to get attention. Mountains, fjord, history, beaches – it’s got a lot to offer and tourists are discovering this in the thousands. Especially the well-heeled Russians. Budva, the main tourist resort town, felt a little like the St Tropez of the east. I was glad I went but I was mighty happy to get to my own little peaceful paradise on the other side of the border.

Back in Orasac, I fell into the sea, floating on the extra salt that makes the Adriatic so relaxing. I thought about my flight home. I looked at the islands some more. Thought about home. Half an hour later I had changed my flight to two days later. Really! That’s how addictive this place is. And surely life is about following your bliss, right?

-Philippa Burne

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Dubrovnik tours and Croatia tours & sightseeing tours.

But a bustling metropolis it is not. It’s the kind of town you get to know in a day. And on the second day, you meet everyone who lives there. Everyone. So unless you intend to travel outside of Reykjavik and commune with nature, there’s not much point in being in the Icelandic capital for more than a long weekend. There are only so many times one can ambulate downtown’s main street, Laugavegur, before it starts getting really old. And nobody likes vinarbrauð (Iceland’s version of a Danish, filled with marzipan and icing instead of fruit) and coffee that much.

Pylsur - the national food of Iceland. Yes, it's a hot dog.

Nevertheless, Reykjavík’s viking-meets-water-nymph eccentricity is utterly charming and if you’re aware of her greatest hits before you get there, three or four days will fly by. Try not to expect too much from Reykjavik, and she will treat you to a fine long weekend indeed.

Reykjavik on foot

First up, you need to orient yourself as Reykjavik is a town that can easily be seen on foot. Use Hallgrímskirkja (the towering Lutheran church at the top of Skólavörðustígur) as a starting point. Venture up the tower for an impressive bird’s-eye view (400ISK for adults, 100ISK for children 7-14) then walk down Skólavörðustígur to sample some of the local arts and craft shops and cafes (Mokka and Babalú are great pit-stop points).

At the bottom of the hill, Laugavegur to the right and Bankastræti to the left provide a paradise of clothes boutiques and eateries worth exploring. The day doesn’t start in Iceland before coffee has been consumed. The locals take their java juice seriously (almost as seriously as their coffee breaks which are frequent and protracted). Hjólmalind, resident hippie café, makes a sensational soy chai latte. Tíu Dropar’s cakes and coffee are a welcome treat after navigating Laugavegur’s foot traffic and the grandma’s parlour atmosphere attracts hipsters and older locals alike.

My parents went to Iceland and all I got was this lousy…

For unique Icelandic shopping, pick up something made from Icelandic wool, pop into Naked Ape (the nu-rave outfitters of the north), Rokk og Rósir (flawless vintage), or Aftur, for an utterly Icelandic look.

From there, you can either head downhill towards City Hall and Tjörnin (The Pond) and its surrounding gardens, or steer yourself seawards for a stroll along the shore. The Sun Craft sculpture, separated from Mount Esja by a choppy bay, makes a wonderful photograph; the rusting shipping vessels propped up getting fresh coats of paint are endlessly fascinating.

The Sun Craft sculpture

From here, you can venture down to the Maritime Museum in the old harbour, dubbed the Fishpacking District due to the new artist and recording studios and offbeat boutiques springing up there (vintage refurbished bicycles at Kria, and unique clothing, accessories and giftware with a macabre twist at Vopnabúrið).

Reykjavik bars & clubs

Don’t assume that after a day of walking the only way of unwinding is in a hot tub. The nightlife is well worth rugging up for. Since the 2007 closure of legendary bar Sirkus (famed for its rafter-hanging, all-night, celebrity-packed antics) other favourites Boston, Kaffibarrinn and Karumba have stepped up to fill the void.

Friday and Saturday nights are wild affairs downtown… one good reason to choose a hotel slightly off the beaten track if partying isn’t your thing. Gutsy local English-language newspaper The Grapevine elucidates on the issues of the day as well as listing special events and gigs worth attending. If you are lucky enough to be in town when Sigur Rós, Múm, FM Belfast, Reykjavík!, or Gus Gus are on the bill, take my word for it and go along.

Please don’t stare at Björk

While on the subject of homegrown talent, given Reykjavik’s diminutive size, there’s a good chance that a night out will see you lining up for a Brennivín or a Víking beer alongside local or even international celebrities. If you feel the urge to whip out your camera and start snapping, please resist. Most bars operate a “no photography” policy so that the privacy of their patrons is respected.

Street art in Reykjavik

My first “Björk encounter” (everybody here’s had one) was puzzling. I assumed the woman everyone was studiously ignoring was an enthusiastic lookalike rather than the genuine article. Despite being clad head to toe in white lace, she wasn’t getting a single wayward glance. Upon mumbled inquiry, I discovered it was indeed the Swan Dress Lady in all her doilied glory.

That’s just the way Icelanders treat native talent. They treat them as they would a fishmonger. Or the Prime Minister. As equals. The experience was repeated when I found myself soaking in a hot tub opposite Magnús Scheving (AKA Sportacus from LazyTown… those of you with kids will know who I’m talking about). We swapped smiles, pleasantries, and then got back to soaking.

While we’re on the subject, Iceland’s water culture definitely rates a mention and no Icelandic adventure is complete without it. The options are numerous – local pool and spa complexes, tourist haven the Blue Lagoon, or some of the naturally occurring hot springs further afield. Check out my blog on Getting Soaked in Iceland for more information.

What to eat in Reykjavik? Fish of course. And hot dogs

There’s no escaping the fact that Reykjavík is a fishing town. Unsurprisingly, the seafood here is fresh, affordable and delicious. Visit Sægreifinn (The Sea Baron) on the dock where whale watching boats and whaling vessels moor, incongruously, side by side. It’s not the cheapest fish in town, particularly given that it’s served on Styrofoam plates, but their lobster soup is touted by gourmands of repute as the world’s best. (I can’t comment due to a shellfish allergy, but all the visitors I’ve taken there have raved.)

OSushi (upstairs at Iða bookstore on Lækjargata) offers sushi-train japery. If you’re feeling adventurous, let the fish roll by and instead hop on board with whale sashimi or (brace yourselves…) foal sushi.

The menu at local favourite þrir Frakkar incudes smoked puffin, whale, reindeer, plokkfiskur and many other traditional Icelandic dishes.

If, however, your budget leans more towards paper napkins than linen tablecloths, head straight for Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur across the road from the Kolaportið carpark to sample the Icelandic national food… hot dogs. Even hole in the wall vendors offer a good product but the pylsurs here set the standard. Bill Clinton ate here during his visit in 2004 (just mustard, hold the onions and ketchup). Shame. Those crunchy fried-onions and sweet relish are what make the Icelandic pylsur truly great.

Art & culture in Reykjavik

Open from 11am-5pm every Saturday and Sunday, Kolaportið Flea Market is another worthwhile destination. It is a genuine trash and treasure affair, particularly since last year’s financial crash when Icelanders realised they should be focussing on frugality rather than futures funds.

Just a few blocks away on Tryggvagata you will find Listasafn, Reykjavik’s Art Museum. Despite its grand semblance, it presents an easily absorb-able number of works – large scale paintings, photography and installations – making it viewable in under an hour. Entry is free; save your kronur for the upstairs café serving good coffee and a selection of soups and sandwiches, all coming with a complimentary side order of sea view.

If Iceland’s Viking past interests you, the National Museum of Iceland has a comprehensive collection of artefacts and historical information – presented in Icelandic and English.

Day trips from Reykjavik

There are a handful of good day trips from Reykjavik. The Golden Circle tour of south-eastern Iceland is imperative. Either hire a car or join one of the many Golden Circle tours on offer. The Golden Circle tour is an excellent way to sample Iceland’s natural beauty in a day: Þingvellir National Park, the site where the European and American tectonic plates meet, Gulfoss waterfall, and Geysir (which faithfully shoots a jet of steaming water skywards every four minutes).

Some of Reykjavik’s closer attractions - such as Perlan, the site of the city’s hot water storage and a fancy revolving restaurant; the geothermally heated beach Nautholsvik; and the hot tubs at Seltjanarnes - are all reachable by bus. Tickets, routes and timetable information can be found online or in person at the central bus stop Hlemmur.

-Maggie Rays

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Iceland sightseeing & things to do in Iceland suggestions, including Iceland day tours and things to do in Reykjavik. Also check out Kelly’s previous blog about Iceland.

We could have gone for more, but here are five of the best Madrid day trip options in central Spain.

Madrid day trip: Córdoba

Inside the Mezquita, in Cordoba

High-speed rail has opened up amazing possibilities in Spain – especially for those who want to see a lot but have limited time. Seville is often cited as a major beneficiary – the high speed train journey takes two-and-a-half hours, meaning it’s possible to do a day trip there from Madrid (click here for Madrid Toledo tours on Viator.)

But don’t overlook Córdoba. It’s closer (around one hour and 45 minutes on the train), and there’s a reason that it often crops up on Best Destination lists when readers vote in travel magazine polls.

Córdoba is packed with history – it was once the seat of an all powerful Islamic caliphate, and was regarded as the most advanced, enlightened city in Europe.

In the 10th century it was arguably the biggest city in the world, with an estimated 500,000 inhabitants. Architecture spans the ages – from Roman times to when there was a thriving Jewish population. The Jewish quarter is hugely atmospheric, and it leads to what is undoubtedly Córdoba’s star attraction.

The Mezquita is a cathedral that was once a mosque – and it’s a must-see, even for people who hate touring around cathedrals. Inside is an eye-popping series of red and yellow archways. There are hundreds of them, and it has a mesmerising effect as you wander through. (Note Viator has a highly rated 4-day tour of Spain from Madrid that includes Cordoba.)

Madrid day trip: Segovia

Segovia is another city that has benefited from the high speed connection to Madrid – it’s now just over half an hour away from the Spanish capital. It’s a spectacularly located city, sitting above the parched, dusty plains, and it’s loveable from the moment you first set eyes on the aqueduct.

The Roman-built aqueduct is Segovia’s most iconic image, and an astounding feat of engineering. It’s made entirely without cement or concrete, and consists of a series of narrow, spindly archways towering over the rooftops.

Segovia, from the top of the Alcazar

The second major attraction is the Alcazar, which can be found at the other end. The tale goes that this was the building on which the castle for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty was based. It certainly has fairytale looks, and the views from the top of the tower are awesome.

But it’s just as impressive inside – the rooms are lavishly decorated, and the one that is ringed by busts of Spain’s kings and queens is particularly intriguing.

For foodies, however, the Alcazar and aqueduct will be of secondary importance. Segovia is renowned for its suckling pig and lamb. Vegetarians will not be too impressed, but the more carnivorously inclined should brace themselves for huge plates of some of the most tender meat they will ever encounter.
It’s a good job that it’s a fair walk from the aqueduct to the Alcazar – it’s possible to walk off some of that extra bulk on the way. (Note: Viator has a popular day trip from Madrid to Segovia and Avila.)

Madrid day trip: Alcalá de Henares

Part of Madrid’s surrounding area (or Comunidad), Alcalá is essentially a suburb of the Spanish capital. It’s an instantly likeable place of cobbled, winding streets and large public squares. In terms of architecture, its grand cathedral and university buildings are enough to draw in the punters who aren’t there for literary reasons.

Segovia's famous aqueduct

For the book lovers, however, the major reason to visit Alcalá de Henares is that it is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes. The famous Spanish author is often regarded as the second greatest of all time after William Shakespeare, and his classic Don Quixote is regularly cited as the best book ever written.
Those wanting to find out more about Alcalá’s most famous son can visit the Cervantes birthplace museum but a better bet is to turn up in April.

Cervantes died on April 23rd, 1616 - coincidentally the same date Shakespeare died - and this has been declared UNESCO World Book Day. In Alcala, it becomes a major event, coinciding with the awarding of the Cervantes Prize. This is given out by the King of Spain to the author of the best book in the Spanish language from the preceding year. It’s all highly prestigious, and the satellite town takes on a whole different air.

Madrid day trip: El Escorial

Approximately 45km to the north-west of central Madrid, El Escorial is arguably Spain’s most impressive royal site. It’s in the Sierra de Guadarrama, the mountain range that forms the natural boundary for the community of Madrid. The range is excellent for walking in (and even skiing in winter) but El Escorial is the high point for most.

It’s split into two parts – a huge monastery and a royal hunting lodge – although it’s the monastery that most associate with the name. Inside are some fabulous artworks, including the Hall of Battles where frescos commemorate memorable Spanish military victories.

Statue at El Escorial monastery

The most important part, however, is the Pantheon of the Kings. This is where all Spanish kings and queens are buried, and it looks suitably grand. The marble walls are adorned with gold-plated bronze. The monks – an Augustinian order – still live at El Escorial and help to maintain it. (Check Viator’s tours from Madrid to El Escorial for more day trip options.)

Madrid day trip: Toledo

Madrid may be the current Spanish capital, but Toledo used to be. And for heritage junkies, Toledo makes a perfect day trip from Madrid. It has strong Jewish, Muslim and Christian heritage, with the synagogues, mosques and churches being amongst the more obvious sights. The cathedral, in particular, is a highlight. It’s an enormous Gothic structure, and lavishly decorated inside.

The Alcazar (or fortress) is the other big set piece. It has been, in turn, a royal palace and an infantry training academy. It’s now home to the army museum.

For art fans, the place to go to is the Museo El Greco. Although born in Crete, El Greco is widely considered to be the finest Spanish artist of all time, and the museum plays host to much of his work.
The most endearing thing about Toledo (providing you don’t arrive on a day when it’s crammed with tourists), however, is simply ambling along the narrow, winding streets. The city is a little maze-like, but tremendously atmospheric.

-David Whitley

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Madrid tours & things to do in Madrid and Madrid day trips.

It was a dark and blustery day in this dirty old town. Time was ripe to do something dangerous, weird and sinister. Well, perhaps I would just go and listen to something like that. I love all the crazy stories of London – if you have read Dickens you will know it have always been a throbbing hub of criminality and destitution. It still often feels that way as many of the buildings are remnants of times gone by, good and bad.

London’s full of nutters

So looking to satisfy my craving, I was able to get onto a tour which both intrigued and scared me… ye olde Jack the Ripper tour of London. I was a bit early for it, so I went and hung out at Trafalgar Square, which was super entertaining, and the entertainment was free! I tried taking photos of people taking photos of people on big black lions; also I tried to photograph a fella on a plinth dressed as a Raj and throwing about a vampire on a fishing pole.

Jack the Ripper tour of London? Don't be scared.

This last statement may require explanation. And if it does not, you might want to consult a doctor. But the Raj man…This is all part of the fourth plinth project of Trafalgar Square – which has been empty for some time, and normally has on it commissioned projects. Well, the one at the moment is Antony Gormley’s “One and Other”, which allows people two hours to do whatever they like on the plinth. Some are very odd, and some are beautiful and interesting and some…well, downright bizarro. (Sadly the project ended October 14, so you just missed it!)

Jack the Ripper, it’s a mindset thing

Now I know some people who are well into this kind of thing – serial killers and the like. Well not really me – I have already worked in Mental Health, and some of my friends are a bit mad, so I don’t feel the need to get to know insanity any further.

However, there are those among us who love this kind of stuff; love getting into the mindset, or just the mystery of these kinds of events and people. And our host for the evening was evidently one such type. Full of vim, vigour and a good Scottish accent to heighten the senses, our guide John started off fairly quietly and ended with a good bang. We took a bus to the area where all of the attacks occurred, and started on our macabre journey. Starting at the (other) St Paul’s church, John described how it would have been then, and set the scene for our grim tour.

We trolled down these alleyways and backstreets, I would assume to avoid the crowds. The area where the Ripper was doing his bloody business is now a pumping hobo chic area that has lots of students, designers, hipsters (and, on Sundays, the Spitlefields Markets). But prior to this, the area was a run-down dingy place where everyone worked pretty hard for their coin, and a lot of people were still struggling to make ends meet.

Dim, dark, foggy, shivery

We began in Puma Lane, which is fairly narrow and haunting even during the day time. I enjoyed John’s descriptions, and his encouragement to imagine how it was back then. Now, I have read some reviews of this tour, and some people have been a bit persnickety about the ‘imagine’ parts of it.

The Ten Bells pub, one of Jack's former haunts

Really, I just feel sorry that those people who obviously don’t have enough imagination. I was really drawn into the moment…for these streets really would be ominous. There was no electric bulbs at that time, and in some places not even the gas lamps. So when you put together the old brick buildings and the idea of dim, dark and foggy streets…oooh, shivery!

Now as you go through the streets and get your tour, some passersby do throw in comments and try to have a listen in. I know, because I sometimes do it, too. (Don’t hate me.) This just makes you concentrate more on what is being said. It can be quite intense this tour, because it was a grisly rampage the fellow went on; at one point after a description a girl had to have a wee sit down. So that is why the host asked for doctors and nurses in the audience. I must say, the Ripper did quite a nasty job on all of his victims, and it could be a little churning for those on the sensitive side.

But overall, it is not the physical act which is focussed on, but the psychology of the attacker. Of the cunning and skills he had to possess, and the mystery as to why he was never caught. The Ripper dubbed himself in a letter, and carried on his way for quite some time in these dank streets of east London.

Eating & drinking in the Ripper’s footsteps

Thankfully, there is a break in the middle of the tour, where you can grab a drink or a bite to eat. Now, if you are cluey, you can go down to the pub The Ten Bells, which is really a central part of the Ripper story. Inside, is quite cozy and well heeled, and does not retain what I would think the really hardcore working-class-pub feel of what it once was. But that is kind of this whole area. But take a beer during the break at this pub, and you will get to have the full experience, if you can imagine how it would have been over a century ago. Grime on the walls, everything pretty smelly, and beer in tankards with wenches a-plenty.

So we were on the last leg of the tour, the final victim and her story, which funnily enough started at the Ten Bells. We visited where her house would have been and heard the story, which was admittedly quite gory. And the best thing I liked about this part was one of the audience members who was eating ice cream while listening to the wicked and bloody tale. I commented, and she replied ‘oh I don’t mind, I’m a nurse’. Now I understand my sister a lot more (she is also a nurse).

So after the final story, we piled back in the bus, and John went through the theories of the time as to who the killer was, for he was never caught. I liked the one about the bonny Prince someone or other. We disembarked from the bus, assured by host and driver that the streets of London really are very safe and to have a lovely night. In fact a bloody marvellous night (pun intended).

-Tina Grace

Planning a tour? Browse Viator’s things to do in London, including London walking & biking tours such as the Jack the Ripper tour of London.

The Gasometer

Another stop along the Ruhr’s industrial heritage trail is this enormous gas cylinder in Oberhausen. It has been converted into one of the most bizarre – and striking – exhibition spaces you are ever likely to see. The current exhibition – lasting until at least March 2010 – is about the solar system. Inside, there are retrieved satellites, displays on the history of astronomy and some amazing space photography blown up in gigantic proportions.

Gasometer in Oberhausen

The highlights, however, are the ‘sun’ in the middle of the ground floor exhibition area and ‘The Largest Moon on Earth’. The latter is a sculpture dangling from the top of the Gasometer and has a diameter of 25m. It’s also possible to get a lift up to viewing platforms at the very top of the 117m-tall Gasometer. From there, the views over the whole region are rather spectacular – if rather heavy on the old smoking chimneys.

Wunderland Kalkar

Wunderland Kalkar in North Rhine-Westphalia was originally designed to be Schneller Brüter, a multi-national nuclear power station shared between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. For a variety of reasons, however, it was never turned on.

So what do you do with a big, useless nuclear power plant? Turn it into a theme park, of course.
Looking out over the Rhine river, the rollercoasters, big wheels, hotel and conference centre are given a somewhat surreal look by the giant, brightly-painted cooling tower. And for those slightly worried about the park’s history, never fear, its owners guarantee it’s “radiation free”.

Hitler walking tours

It may sound a little tasteless on the surface, but the Third Reich walking tours are one of the most fascinating ways to discover Munich and its dark Nazi-era history. The Nazi party was formed here, and it was where Adolf Hitler rose to prominence. The tours, led by keen historians, take in the Hofbrauhaus – where Hitler held his first major political rally. Also included are the spot where his attempted beer hall putsch was halted and the sites of former Nazi headquarters.

Strangely, it’s the more insignificant bits - such as the photographer’s studio where Hitler met Eva Braun and the buildings he painted as a struggling artist – that really stick in the memory. (From Munich Viator also offers a tour to the Dachau Concentration Camp; if you’re in Berlin, the Third Reich walking tour covers similar chapters in Nazi history.)

Colditz Escape Museum

Continuing the Second World War theme, Colditz Castle in Saxony is arguably the most famous prisoner of war camp in history. Part of it has now been turned into an ultra-modern youth hostel, but the rest is a museum devoted to the numerous escape bids that Allied POWs attempted. The museum goes into the defences that led to the camp being dubbed ‘unescapable’ – think lots of barbed wire, men with guns and snarling dogs.

But most entertaining are the ingenious methods that the captured officers used in an attempt to get out. Unusually, all were photographed by the Nazis in a bid to train guards about what to look out for – and these photos make up the bulk of the museum.

There are pics of would-be-escapees dressed as women, electricians and German guards. There are also dummies that were used to stand in at roll call, while it’s possible to walk through a tunnel that a group of French POWs painstakingly dug.

Landschaftpark Duisburg-Nord

The Ruhr region is particularly notable for converting old industrial plants into something a bit odd, and the Landschaftpark Duisburg-Nord, in Duisburg, is a classic example. A former ironworks has been transformed into a rather odd-looking public park, where the buildings have been converted into bistros, concert halls, bars and an information centre.

View from halfway up the blast furnace at Landschaftpark Duisburg-Nord

It’s also possible to clamber up to the top of the blast furnace, go free-climbing up the walls of the ore bunkers and have diving lessons in a giant gas cylinder. There’s also a large play area for kids and a series of cycling tracks where the train lines used to run.

The German Occupational Health and Safety Exhibition

Despite sounding like a shoo-in for the title of ‘most boring museum in the known universe’, this enormous maze of workplace wonders is surprisingly engrossing. It’s located in Dortmund, and is utterly bewildering. There’s way more to it than displays on how to lift up boxes properly.

Amongst the many, many things on offer are playful robotic arms, interactive games that mess with your visual perception, aircraft cockpits to sit in and mock-ups of a power station’s control room.

All manner of machinery is on display, from weaving looms and printing presses to helicopters used to repair power lines. There are lots of buttons to press, computers to play with and enormous contraptions to control. All information is in German, so you might not understand what’s going on most of the time if you don’t speak the language, but the sheer scale and ambition of the exhibition make it worth visiting.

Salt mine tour

Having been operational for nearly 500 years, Berchtesgaden’s salt mine is now a tourist attraction. And one that packs in as many forms of novelty transport as it can possibly manage. Visitors dress up in miner’s clothing, whizz down miner’s slides and get into the mine on a miniature train. Once inside, there are chapels made of salt, exhibitions on the mining process and impressive light shows to contend with.

Speeding through the Berchtesgaden salt mine on a miniature train

The trip continues with a raft trip on an eerie underground lake and a funicular railway back up to the top. It’s like a series of theme park rides, an art gallery and an industrial heritage centre all rolled into one. (You can book a joint tour to Berchtesgaden and Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest fortress on Viator.)

Propeller Island hotel

If, after completing your bizarre tour of Germany, you’re looking for somewhere suitably weird to stay, then it’s hard to look past Berlin’s Propeller Island. The brainchild of musician and artist Lars Stroschen, the rooms at Propeller Island are all wildly individual. At best they’re mind-blowingly weird; at worst they’re completely impractical.

One of the most notorious rooms is the upside down room, which has everything – the bed, the chests of drawers, the works, suspended from the ceiling. The real bed can be found hidden in the floor, incidentally. Others include The Mirror Room, which as the name would suggest is entirely surrounded by mirrors. The kaleidoscope effect is nicely complimented by silvery bedsheets…

-David Whitley

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Germany tours, things to do in Berlin, Munich tours, and more.

London's Columbia Road flower market

Now, I’m not like some kinda roving cheap taco joint with a bad kitchen hygiene policy that’s wiling to spill the beans anywhere, anytime, no mate. I’m all sewn up with the truth bagged inside and well, that was where it was going to stay, with my good selfy-self self (sorry feeling a bit childish there, haven’t had my piece of organic 70% cocoa dark chocolate today).

London’s markets, like a Christmas tree at a power station

But anyway, just the other day I saw something that broke my little blackened stone heart, a person, with no map, and a keen fashion sense now you come to mention it, wandering about, clearly in need of somaething to purchase, in an outdoor setting – and you know what? Theys were looking (sniff) Lost. Brought a tear to my little sun-cracked eye it did, all hardened by the coming and going of highways and outback byways, the endless nights alone, without a copy of the Financial Times, Afternoon edition, for a blanket.

Anyway, sorry Miss Jane, back from my little red-dirt spacewalk… Yeah, so I pulled out my mohair/llama poncho, whipped up a quick lo-fat frappachino and took their little sad hand and led them down to the first little Sunday market we came across. You should have seen their sweet little Japanese-cartoon-Manga-oversized eyes light up, like a Christmas tree at a power station.

So rather than keep up this pose of having a stone-hardened exterior, I thought, dear reader, I would take you too by the beret-wearing hand, and lead you merrily down the garden path to London market happiness. Hold your friends hand too, now there, and no wandering off…

London market trifecta

Rather than the slow lead-in with a mighty peak mid-story, just like in “Deliverance”, I thought we’d start at full-speed white-noise market intensity and see where it goes from there. The London mega-trifecta was what I had in mind: Columbia Rd Flower Markets, Brick Lane Sunday Markets and segue straight to Spitalfields, no chaser.

Synopsis: this is like Berlin’s Mauerpark Sunday Markets and Darwin’s Mindil Beach Sunset Markets (thought I would chuck in the random tropical reference as it boosts my urban appeal) combined. All that but like with the front lowered, the back jacked up and the stereo up loud, maybe with a miniature dog and a bit of “-on-crack” (the drug not the amply visible backside variety) thrown In for good measure (except possibly “miniature dog-on-crack” cos someone might get hurt or lose an ankle or something like that).

If you’re making your way down from Hackney, Shoreditch or Dalston, then the first, Columbia Rd, is best left for last, for reasons that will become more obvious in a bit, so cut round the back and make for the shambolic Brick Lane Sunday experience.

Brick Lane Market

This is the ideal place for the discerning shopper who can’t decide if they want quality or some piece of crud that some other fella doesn’t want cos its squeezing something else out of their burgeoning pointy shoe collection. Some are so confident of the quality of their merchandise that they don’t even put a white sheet under the stuff in case a policeman comes round the corner and they need to run away, cos you can then tell that this stuff is staying put on the footpath until it’s all sold, sold, sold.

Brick Lane, pret a porter

The diversity of oddness is half the appeal, slipping down a crowded street with fashionable cafes as a back drop, beigel (should that be bagel or beagle?) shops that sell smoked salmon and creamed cheese numbers for £1.30 (and a pasty for just 75p) – the cheapest snack you will see round here. There’s the odd diamond in the rough, a classic piece of design something or other, a record you can’t live without, something not-so-old but stylish but not priced as an antique, give it a go and enjoy the charm.

If you feel like queuing you can get into the Vintage Markets, too. The buskers here will probably have you in stitches, my highlight was the fella with the tiny amp and Hendrix-style Fender electric guitar with a snare/hi-hat on the right foot pedal and the tiny bassdrum on the left – havin’ a bit of trouble doing the playing and two foot drumming at the same time but full marks for balls-out Rock’n.

After you’ve headed down the ambling Brick Lane barrel of surprises and you’ll come out round Hard Wax, a totally serious old-style record shop – this is The Place to get that piece of vinyl you have been dribbling over or hard to find on import – the staff are friendly, know a truckload about music and they have got Loads of Stuff.

Out the door and then comes the grand challenge - first the outdoor section of this ‘n’ that food to eat, like a best- of of all the outdoor market fare world over, and then the indoor Spitalfields. Even if the possibility of working up to having a busy Sunday in London feels as easy for you as swimming against the weekly tide, then this is quietly one of the most intensively fast laid-back Sunday experiences you’ll get – a hundred different sets of speakers playing 20 types of drum ‘n’ bass, raga, reggae, and a verisimilitude of stuffness, all accompanied by shirts, clothes, bags, every kind of food you can imagine and a bunch of stuff more that wouldn’t fit into your head on a Sunday.

One guitar, two feet, three markets

For the short-sighted it’s a cavalcade of close-up delights that’ll have you head slowly swiveling all the way through. When you’re done, out past the food and back onto Brick Lane and up for some flowers.

Columbia Road Flower Market

If you’ve timed it right you’ll be getting up to Columbia Road round 2 or 3pm, the slightly tired fellas’ll be shouting “£6 for 1 or 2 for £10″ as you approach and you’ll know things are warming-up in the get-a-cheap-buncha-flowers stakes. As you work your way through the riot of colour the prices will start a droppin and the flowers will be ready for your shopping, the later it gets the prices will halve at least once and then maybe again. Its not eBay so get em while they’re hot, don’t wait til they wilt and then you’re set to get em home still smelling like a dream for the week.

For those with more power to ride, head round toward London Fields for the Broadway Markets – quite different and a bit more classy and spacious than Brick Lane or Spittafield - more the style of an open air deli. Mainly food and with the odd rack of vintage gear, you can get your organic half-latte megaccino with a twist of chorizo just in time to wake up and head down to London Fields for a beer, procured from the local off license, while you sit in the sun.

The range of drinkin’ the sun possibilities are pretty good as a matter of fact, and you could probably spare a pound or two for an organic cider for your decaffeinated miniature dachshund-cross-corgi, giving you more time to dodge the outdoor interpretative tai-chi classes or kids on new bikes that are so hot they practically scream “just stolen”. Enjoy the weekend and for a cheap price you can fall of the back off your own personal truck, and that’s no lie.

-Jack Brown

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s London tours & things to do in London, including Weekend market & shopping tours.

When I first arrived I wandered gingerly into the fort and found myself in a sand-covered courtyard. The place had the distinct vibe of a training ground. In one corner little sacks tied to ropes were hanging from a wooden pole. I couldn’t imagine what their use was but thought – ah, gladiator training equipment!

Laurence prepares for battle!

At that moment a man dressed like a senator wandered past me hurriedly, he greeted two ladies dressed in the evening dresses of ancient Rome, helping each other adjust their earrings. Not long after another character appeared - this time in full Centurion battle dress, chain mail included. I had arrived early and wondered what was taking place – it was full of Italians immaculately dressed in the various ranks of the ancient citizens of Rome.

They looked so ‘at home’ in their ancient dress that it became clear that this was more than just a fancy-dress party.

Sledge hammers in the name of mercy

Ancient Roman evening dress

A lady looking a bit rougher than the rest (with frightening black paint over her face - it turned out to she was a barbarian) came up to me. I explained I was early for my training and she apologised, explaining that it was a little chaotic that day as a whole group of them were preparing to attend some kind of political demonstration. She said there would be a small delay and offered to take me on a tour of the little museum at the back of the training ground.

What followed was a lively explanation of life and war as a Centurion, as half the museum is dedicated to life as a Roman soldier. Then we moved onto life as a gladiator. She explained that there were two levels of gladiator – the professionals and the slaves.

The fundamental difference between the two? As a professional you stopped after the first “blood wound”; as a slave you were destined to fight to the death, slave against slave.

Apparently dying takes some time. So once one of the slaves was bloodied and struggling, a special executioner was called to dispatch the defeated. He had a creepy leather hat and would crack the losers head open with a large sledge hammer (in the name of mercy, of course). There is a full-size model of the executioner and his hammer in the museum.

The gladiators assemble

Soon more trainee gladiators arrived, an American family and two retired ex-US Navy men, with their wives and friends as spectators. Each of us are handed a beautifully pressed red tunic and told to change. Our trainer is Alex, dressed in period costume including some great Roman sandals. From the beginning we are drilled with cool military precision. The first exercises involve warming up both physically and mentally to get our concentration up.

Soon enough we are onto the hanging sand bags. Alex gets them all swinging haphazardly and we have to try our best to run through them without getting hit, then we leap over a small log at the end. It’s more fun than it sounds. The smallest of our group – a little boy - tries to run through them in one go, but it ends in disaster as he tangles himself up in the ropes (don’t worry, he survives). If forward wasn’t hard enough then we have to dodge the swinging pendulums in reverse. This is the last exercise in the warm up.

Gladiators, to combat!

Gladiator gear, ready for the students

True combat training begins. We are issued with little wooden paddles roughly the same size and shape as real Roman swords. We are split into two sides – one side attacks and the other defends.

Thankfully it is not a free for all. With military-like discipline Alex, in his Roman sandals, drills us in four attack moves and four defensive moves. Under the hot Roman sun we repeat them sequentially over and over again. It’s fun – you start to feel like a genuine warrior as the sequence of attack and defence maneuvers becomes more complicated.

Each of thus then mounts a frenzied attack on large a wooden pole with a specific sequence of attack moves – it’s hilarious as peoples coordination fails them. The scene is more like something out of a Woody Allen movie than Russell Crowe in Gladiators.

Next up - real swords!?!?

Thoroughly drilled in the ways of the wooden sword, we are then issued with the real thing! Heavy steel swords and shields are handed out, plus a whole amazing collection of replica Gladiator helmets.

It’s time to concentrate and hope your sparring partner has a caring side (these swords can do real damage!). With the helmets on it’s hot and you can hardly see a thing – the spectacle of the other trainees with their helmets on is slightly surreal. We don’t look like tourists anymore, but strange ancient warriors with sneakers on.

Soon we are at it again – clunking our heavy steel swords against each other and banging our shields in a completely new move. It’s hot work but hugely enjoyable and you start to get an idea of what ancient combat must have been like. Alex then brings out la rete (the net) and a trident, and pits one of us against two attackers. I manage to completely cover the little-boy gladiator with the net and fend off the other attacker with my trident. Success!

We are now gladiators

We end with a highly competitive sword fight with foam swords. A little low on sheer aggression, I don’t fare so well but it’s fun nonetheless. As the winner is cheered we are provided with juices and water to hydrate. We all rest except for father and son who continue a frenzied private combat. Finally Alex the trainer hands us out our certificates declaring in Latin that we are now citizens of Rome and we all shake hands and pat each others backs.

Gladiators, ready for battle!

The training is roughly two hours. In full summer it must get pretty hot, especially once the helmets are on, but there are plenty of breaks with refreshments provided. It’s very hands-on and physical and not for those unable to take a bit of discipline (all in the interest of safety and historic accuracy).

I had a great time. The whole experience was fun and very competently put together. If you go in late summer I would recommend you bring some mosquito cream especially if you are wandering around the little museum or sitting in the audience seats.

-Laurence Belgrave

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Rome tours & things to do in Rome, including the Roman Gladiator School. You can also read more reviews of the Roman Gladiator School and see more photos of the Roman Gladiator School over on the Viator website.

Copenhagen offers up several for public viewing – Amalienborg, Rosenborg, and Christiansborg being the three biggies. For those able to venture a little further afield, there is a host of castles and palaces to see, including the impressive Kronborg Castle, immortalized as “Elsinore” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Fredensborg Palace

For over 1000 years the Houses of Oldenborg and Glücksborg have reigned over their Danish subjects, the present day royalty being direct descendants of the latter clan. Living in the manner of Kings and Queens (not surprisingly), they preside from the comfort of a royal flush of palatial residences, making their selection depending on the season or their regal fancy. Some palaces were built for purposes other than actual occupation, such as the Hermitage Palace, which is dedicated mainly to feasts after royal hunts. And some of them, such as Schackenborg, where Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra reside, are not open to the public at all. But the majority of royal properties at least offer sections for public viewing, most of which have sensational gardens attached that can be visited year-round.

Amaliensborg Palace

Amalienborg

The current winter residence of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince Consort is Amalienborg, located conveniently within a stone’s throw of the bustling tourist district of Nyhavn. Consisting of four palaces centred around an open courtyard, this stunning monument to Rococo design has been the royal winter residence since 1794. An enduringly popular tourist pastime is to bear witness to the changing of the guard, which takes place daily at midday.

Two of Amalienborg’s four palaces are open to the public, Christian VIII’s Palace and Christian VII’s Palace. The former offers a museum of the Glücksburg dynasty, while the latter, used by the Queen to receive foreign heads of state, offers occasional guided tours and special exhibitions. Amaliehaven, the stunning sculpted garden adjoined to the residence, is always open.

Kastellet

A nearby green space well worth a visit, is Kastellet, one of the best preserved fortifications in Northern Europe, still a functioning military garrison, a cultural museum, and a park. In my humble opinion, the best evidence of the effectiveness of this pretty fortification comes from the army of snapping swans loitering in the hope of snaffling tourist snacks. Be warned!

Rosenborg Palace

I have waxed lyrical about Rosenborg Palace in a previous jotting (link to Copenhagen Top 10 blog), so I won’t repeat myself. Except to reiterate that it is a must-see for any Royalophile blessed with a half decent imagination. When I was there, I was a spoilt Rococo princess for an hour. I pictured myself straddling the silver lions flanking the royal thrones, scenting myself with delicate oils in the hand-painted bathroom, and chucking a palatial-sized tantrum in the china room. Just for the heck of it. Wonderful fun.

Rosenborg Palace

The Palace and its adjoining gardens, Kongens Have, are open most days from 10am - 4pm. Admission to the Castle and Treasury is free for children and 70DKK for adults. Guided tours of the regular and special exhibitions are available for a whisker under 1000DKK and must be booked at least two weeks in advance.

Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace is the home to the Danish Parliament (or “Folketing”), the office of the Prime Minister and the Danish Supreme Court. The Royal Reception Rooms, the Queen’s Library, and the Palace Chapel can also be found there. Located on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, it is open to the public year-round. Visitors can attend when the Folketing is in session, or partake in guided tours. Admission to parliament and the chapel is free. Seeing the Royal Reception Rooms will set you back 70DKK (35DKK for children), but it is well worth it, if just to see the stunning Queen’s tapestries decorating the walls of the Great Hall, depicting Denmark’s colourful history, from the Viking Age right up to the present day. There is even one depicting the future. Not surprising given the Danes’ propensity for modern design.

Fredensborg Palace

Take a train from Central Station to Hillerød, then change to the local PP005 train and in no time, you will be in Fredensborg, location of the Royal Family’s most frequented palace. A baroque inspired masterpiece built in the 18th century, Fredensborg Palace is where Queen Margarethe, Prince Henrik and their regal brood spends spring and autumn. The stunning gardens are the jewel in the botanical crown of the royal estate, being one of the finest examples of baroque landscaping in Denmark.

Rosenborg Palace - Silver Lions

The imposing state function rooms are the site for many of the state visits and royal events, and the palace church is where Crown Prince Frederik was confirmed in 1981 and his daughter Princess Isabella was christened 26 years later. Maybe it’s just me, but I find there’s something comforting in the thought of generations of royals attending the religious rites of passage of their children and children’s children on common ground. Unless you’re desperate to pop in when the royals are at home, the best time of year to visit is in July, when they are at Marselisborg or Gråsten, meaning that Fredensborg’s reserved gardens right next to the palace are open to the public. The rest of the garden is open year-round, a special feature of which is the eerie assembly at Nordmandsdalen (Norwegian Valley) of 70 statues of Norwegian and Faroese peasants and fishermen. Distributed evenly across three sharply profiled grass terraces, the peasants stand as if guarding the striking amphitheatre. Don’t blink or they might attack…

Frederiksborg Palace

While no longer a royal residence, Frederiksborg Palace is today the site of the Danish Museum of National History and still a fine example of a Renaissance palace. In fact, it is Scandinavia’s largest… if superlatives and quantifiers are what floats your boat (on your moat). The oldest parts of the castle were constructed in 1560 when King Frederick II was in power.

Frederiskborg Castle

Today, apart from viewing the museums collection of portraits, decorative art and furniture, you can also meander through the gardens, past the Bath House Castle (today used by Her Maj for occasional luncheon parties) and Christian IV’s fabled stone which he evidently laid as a melancholy memory of the day he was refused admittance to his wife’s boudoir. Do pop into Café Havehuset for a sandwich and a coffee when your legs need a rest. The setting on a sunny day is fit for a king (on a page’s wage).

Kronborg Castle (Hamlet’s Castle)

If it is superlatives you’re after, look no further than Kronborg Castle, known world-wide as Hamlet’s Castle “Elsinore”, and one of the most important Renaissance castles in Europe. For 90DKK you get access to the royal apartments, chapel, Danish Maritime Museum and the Telegraph Tower. My advice is to skip the latter two and instead buy a 65DKK ticket covering just the apartments and chapel. Oh, and take your walking shoes. Because this is a castle designed in times before access ramps were a necessity. Filled with steep staircases, narrow hallways, and a myriad other tripping hazards, you need to watch where you’re going, and be in fairly good shape to get there. But that all adds to the fun, in my opinion. Particularly stumbling into the dangerously dark nooks of the underground cellars which house, among other things, a fabulous statue of sleeping Holger the Dane. The myth tells us that when the kingdom is under threat from a foreign enemy, Holger will pull a Pinocchio and turn to flesh and blood, bounding up with a Viking roar ready to defend the fatherland. Stumbling across him in the gloom, the myth isn’t half as unlikely as it sounds.

Hamlet Castle

If you’re looking for an end to this fairytale, there really isn’t one… the list of Denmark’s castles and palaces go on and on like the Tin Soldier’s drumbeat. There’s not a high probability you’ll be able or willing to visit every one of them. Let’s face it, seeing how the other half lives when they live so damned well can hold a limited appeal. But do make time to visit at least one or two of them. Because who’s to say a Handsome Prince(ss) won’t pluck you form obscurity? Just look at Princess Mary…

-Maggie Rays

Planning a trip to Denmark? Browse Viator’s Denmark Tours, Sightseeing & Things to do, from a City tour of Copenhagen to a Copenhagen City and Harbor Tour, or wander further in the Danish countryside to discover Denmark’s Castles. Or take a Sweden Day Trip from Copenhagen to enjoy Helsingborg, Lund and Malmo.

For those of you anxiously awaiting this next installment of wonder-inspiring, off-the-beaten-path places that don’t make it into traditional guidebooks. This week’s Atlas Obscura theme is self-built temples (in Italy), castles (in the U.S.) and cathedrals (in Spain)!

Temple of Damanhur, Italy

Detail of a stained-glass windown at Temple of Damanhur

The Temple of Damanhur has come to be known as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Beneath a suburban house in northern Italy lies a massive underground temple built entirely in secret by a group of non-architects, working around the clock for 15 years.

Dug out of the rock without building or excavation plans, the Temple of Damanhur is a massive underground temple winding for “over 8,500 cubic metres on five different levels, connected to one another by hundreds of metres of corridor.”

And somewhat unbelievably, its creation was all overseen by a middle-aged, former insurance broker…

Bishop’s Castle, Colorado USA

They say a man’s house is his castle, and for Jim Bishop, this couldn’t be more true. A frontier spirit, when Jim decided it was time for him and his wife to get a house, he figured he would build it himself. What started as a one-room stone cottage in Colorado would soon grow to astounding proportions: Bishop’s Castle may be the largest one-man architecture project in the world.

Bishop's Castle, Colorado

Today, Bishop’s Castle reaches over 16 stories high, has three large cathedral windows, wrought-iron walkways and a steel fire-breathing dragon. Jim Bishop is 63 and is still building. It is unlikely he will stop anytime soon.

Don Justo’s Self Built Cathedral

Don Justo in his self-built cathedral

Finally, the last of our self-built projects — though by no means the last of the self built projects, many more can be seen on the Atlas Outsider Architecture page — is a cathedral that can rival the great cathedrals of Rome, with one notable difference.

This one was built by a single, determined man.

It is, at its simplest, an ex-monk’s act of faith. After eight years in a Trappist order — and just prior to taking his vows — Don Justo Gallego Martinez was obliged to leave, considerably weakened by tuberculosis.

Out of the order but wanting to do right by God, Don Justo began laying the foundations of a great cathedral, without formal permission or permits and with his own hands on a plot of land bequeathed to him by his parents.

Today the frame of a large building, with a 40-meter-tall dome modeled on St. Peter’s in Rome, towers over the town of Mejorada del Campo, about 20km outside Madrid. Like the cathedrals of old, it will not reach completion during the lifetime of its 81-year-old architect.

What will happen to the building after Martinez’s death remains an open question. No one has yet stepped up to take over the project.

-The Atlas Obscura Team