Lucifer of Liège: The Devil in the Cathedral

Inside St Paul’s Cathedral in Liège, Belgium, a remarkable marble figure sits beneath the arches of the church. With bat-like wings, chains around his body, and a troubled expression, the sculpture looks unlike the usual images of the devil. He is young, handsome, and almost sorrowful. This unusual figure is Le Génie du Mal, or The Genius of Evil, created by Belgian sculptor Guillaume Geefs in 1848. It is often known as the Lucifer of Liège. The sculpture has an unusual story involving two brothers, a controversial earlier statue, and a religious message about the triumph of virtue over evil. Its beauty is perhaps the most surprising part of all.

Guillaume Geefs’ Le Génie du Mal, the famous Lucifer sculpture inside St Paul’s Cathedral in Liège.

The Green Lagoon of Charco de los Clicos, Lanzarote

Charco de los Clicos (also known as Charco Verde or Green Lagoon) is one of the most unusual natural attractions in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain. This stunning lagoon is located inside a volcanic crater adjacent to a black sand beach, close to the coastal village of El Golfo. Its bright green water is a striking contrast against the dark volcanic rocks, red cliffs and deep blue Atlantic Ocean.

The emerald-green waters of Charco de los Clicos contrast with Lanzarote's black volcanic coastline.

Vale da Lua, Brazil: The Incredible Moon Valley of Goiás

In the heart of the Brazilian cerrado, there is a landscape that looks like it is from another planet. Vale da Lua, or Moon Valley, is an impressive rock formation in the state of Goiás, close to Alto Paraíso de Goiás. It is one of the most unusual places to visit in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, with strange sculpted rocks, narrow channels, natural pools and smooth curves.

The name comes from the rocks' appearance. Over thousands of years, flowing water has carved the ancient stone into rounded shapes and winding grooves. Standing among them, it is easy to understand why visitors compare the landscape to the surface of the Moon.

Vale da Lua is famous for its unusual rock formations in Goiás, Brazil.

Lake As Pontes: The Artificial Lake of Spain

Nestled in the lush, green landscapes of northwestern Spain, Lake As Pontes (Lago de As Pontes in Spanish, Lago das Pontes in Galician) is one of Europe’s most notable examples of ecological restoration. Once a large open-pit lignite coal mine located in the municipality of As Pontes de García Rodríguez, Galicia, it has been transformed into Spain’s largest artificial lake—a magnificent 865-hectare body of freshwater that represents a transition from industrial activity to environmental renewal.

Lake As Pontes is a remarkable artificial lake in Galicia, Spain, created on the site of a former open-pit mine.

Texas Horned Lizard

Survival traits and conservation of the Texas Horned Lizard? The "horny toad" is a well-known term for the Texas horned lizard, which is one of North America's most iconic reptiles. A flat-bodied animal that thrives in the arid prairies, brushlands and semi-desert areas of the U.S. southwestward into Mexico depends on its extreme adaptations to survive harsh climates and intense predation patterns.

The Texas horned lizard utilizes sharp cranial horns and earthy camouflaged scales to stay hidden from desert predators.

The Willamette Meteorite

The Willamette meteorite, referred to as Tomanowos or "Spirit Power" by the Clackamas Chinook people, is the largest space rock found in North America and one of the biggest iron meteorites in the world. It weighs about 15.5 tons (14 metric tonnes), which is equal to roughly 31,000 pounds or 14,150 kilograms. This large interstellar object is approximately 10 feet in length, 6.5 feet in width, and 4.25 feet in height. Its composition includes over 91% iron, 7.6% nickel, and small amounts of cobalt, gallium, germanium, and iridium. It is believed to be a fragment of the metallic core of a differentiated planetesimal that formed in the early stages of the solar system's development.

The Willamette Meteorite, also known as Tomanowos, is a massive iron meteorite.

Spiral Jetty: The Famous Spiral Earthwork in Utah’s Great Salt Lake

Spiral Jetty, Utah, is one of the most unusual and recognizable works of land art in the United States. Built from rocks, mud, and salt crystals, this enormous spiral-shaped sculpture extends into the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Created by American artist Robert Smithson in 1970, the work has become an important landmark in the history of contemporary art and one of Utah’s most fascinating attractions.

Unlike a traditional sculpture displayed inside a museum, Spiral Jetty exists within a constantly changing natural landscape. Water levels, weather, sunlight, and the lake’s salty environment can dramatically change its appearance. Sometimes the structure is partly or completely underwater, while during drier periods its dark rocks and bright salt deposits become clearly visible.

Spiral Jetty stretches into the Great Salt Lake on Utah’s remote northeastern shore. [Image-Source]

Devil’s Kettle Waterfall: Minnesota’s Mysterious Vanishing Waterfall

In the deep part of the forest in the U.S. state of Northern Minnesota, there lies one of the most fascinating natural mysteries known—Devil’s Kettle Waterfall. The unusual waterfall is located in Judge C.R. Magney State Park, near the town of Grand Marais in northeastern Minnesota. Unlike ordinary waterfalls, Devil’s Kettle divides into two streams: one continues down the valley as usual, while the other falls into a large circular hole called the Devil’s Kettle and vanishes without a trace.

The unique Devil's Kettle Waterfall on Minnesota's Brule River. [Photo | Source]

Witches' Broom: The Mysterious Tree Growth

Have you ever looked up at a tree and noticed something that seems like a huge, abandoned bird’s nest hanging in the branches? While it might look like a perfect home for birds, it is usually not a nest at all. But it’s not a parasite. It’s a special natural phenomenon known as a witches' broom, a dense mass of twigs and shoots that develops when a tree’s normal growth is disrupted.

Witches' broom growing on a forest tree—Photo | Source

Methuselah Tree: The 5,000-Year-Old Tree

Discover the fascinating story of Methuselah, one of the world's oldest living trees. Learn how this nearly 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine has survived in California's White Mountains for millennia.

Hidden high in California's remote White Mountains, an ancient tree has silently stood watch over Earth for nearly five millennia. Known as Methuselah, this remarkable Great Basin bristlecone pine is one of the oldest known living non-clonal trees in the world. Long before famous empires were founded and centuries before many of history's greatest monuments were built, Methuselah had already begun its incredible journey.

The Methuselah Tree is a famous ancient Great Basin bristlecone pine in California’s White Mountains.