The Roman Walls of Lugo, Spain

The Roman Walls of Lugo surround the historic centre of the Galician city of Lugo, in the province of the same name in Spain. The walls have also held Spanish monument status (Bien de Interés Cultural) since 1921. It is a wall that completely preserves the old part of the city and serves as a ride for tourists and locals. The ancient Roman town of Lucus Augusti was founded by Paulo Fabius Maximus on behalf of Emperor Augustus in 13 BC, with the aim of uniting the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula with the Roman Empire. This town was first a Roman camp that evolved into a city equipped with walls, which have remained until today with very few reforms and changes.

Roman wall / Muralla romana, Lugo. 

Trampe CycloCable: The World’s First Bicycle Lift

In Trondheim, Norway, cyclists have an unusual way to tackle a steep hill: instead of getting off the bicycle and pushing, they can use a small mechanical lift built into the road. Known as the Trampe Bicycle Lift and later as CycloCable, this remarkable piece of cycling infrastructure helps cyclists climb Brubakken more easily.

The Trampe CycloCable bicycle lift carries cyclists up the steep Brubakken hill in Trondheim, Norway

Jur-Jur Falls | Waterfall of Crimea

Jur-Jur Falls or Djhur-Djhur Falls - The full-flowing waterfall of Crimea, located on the territory of Alushta region in the vicinity of the village Generalskoe in the gorge Haphal, formed by the action of the waters of the river Ulu Uzen East at an altitude of 468 m above sea level. On the limestone ledge height of 15 meters, a five-meter wide stream of water falls into a deep pit and rapidly tends down the riverbed. Jur-Jur - its long-term average water consumption of 270 liters per second . It does not dry out even in the dry season.

Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall in Crimea.

World Leaders Recreated As Hipsters By Amit Shimoni

The illustrator of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel, Amit Shimoni created this spectacular series of illustrations entitled "Hipstory", which re-imagines world leaders as hipsters. In his project 'HIPSTORY' Shimoni gave the leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Che Guevara change maverick image to present them with spiffy hairstyles and alternative style clothing, fashion accessories, placing them almost perfectly in the crowd of today.

Route of the Faces: Spain’s Stone Sculptures

What would you do if you were walking through a quiet pine forest and suddenly came across a giant human face carved into the rock? That is precisely the kind of surprise waiting on the Route of the Faces, or Ruta de las Caras, near Buendía in Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region. Instead of finding the usual gallery walls or museum halls, visitors follow a simple trail beside Buendía Reservoir, where human faces, symbolic figures and strange characters have been carved directly into the sandstone.

A stone face carved directly into sandstone along the Route of the Faces near Buendía in Cuenca, Spain.

The Magnificent Marble Caves of General Carrera Lake, Chile

Marble Caves of  Patagonia, South America —  Patagonia lake is the deepest lake in South America and famous for its trout and salmon fishing. The lake is shared by two countries Argentina and Chile. Lake Buenos Aires Argentina side  and The General Carrera Lake Chile side. The total surface of lake is 1,850 km² with 586 meter maximum depth and the maximum size of the lake is  970 km² are in the Chilean Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region, the biggest lake in Chile and 880 km² in the Argentine Santa Cruz Province, and the fourth largest lake in Argentina. The lake is of glacial origin and is surrounded by the Andes mountain range.

Plain of Jars — Laos

The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Phonsavan, Laos. Scattered in the landscape of Xieng Khouang, Laos, are thousands of megalithic jars. These stone jars appear in clusters, ranging from a single jar or a few to several hundred jars at lower foothills surrounding the central plain and upland valleys. The Xieng Khouang Plateau is located at the northern end of the Annamese Cordillera, the principal mountain range of Indochina. 

The Ancient Villages in Mesa Verde National Park, USA

Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site Located in the area known as the Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet, Mesa Verde is the only national park in the U.S. devoted exclusively to archaeology. One glance at the intricately constructed multistorey homes in the rocky cliffs shows why. With close to 4,000 known archaeological sites, it’s the largest such preserve in the United States.  Mesa Verde is best known for cliff dwellings, which are structures built within caves and under outcroppings in cliffs — including Cliff Palace, thought to be the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The Spanish term Mesa Verde translates into English as "green table". It is considered to contain some of the most notable and best preserved archaeological sites. The members of the Ancestral Pueblo culture "formerly known by the name Navajo "Anasazi", which was developed in this place between 6th to the 12th century, created astounding masonry buildings in alcoves in the canyon walls. Storage rooms and kivas, circular underground chambers, accompanied the living quarters. Many of the alcoves face south, allowing them to capture precious sunlight in winter and avoid the summer glare. Residents grew corn, beans and squash, using dry-land farming techniques and left-behind pottery painted with delicate geometric designs.

Cliff Palace - Mesa Verde National Park. Image credit Jim Frazee

Princess Juliana International Airport and Maho Beach

In the northern ridge of the Eastern Caribbean islands is the island of St. Maarten. Its northern part belongs to France and South - Netherlands. During the Second World War on the Dutch side of the island was built airfield, which is now the Princess Juliana International Airport. Currently, it is considered the busiest airport in the Caribbean. In this regard, which is in close proximity to the airport Maho Beach Resort many was referred to as "the world's best place to watch the planes." Plane comes in to land from the sea, flying over the beach strip, then on the highway, where the posted signs warning of very-low-flying aircraft, and immediately hit the runway.

The Mysterious House, Elliðaey Island

Elliðey is one of the Westman Islands, off the south coast of Iceland, and is part of a group of islands called 'veiðihúsið' (Vestmannaeyjar), which means 'night'. A small islet that protrudes from the cold North Atlantic Ocean that is exclusively populated by sea birds that use the island as a nesting site. What makes this small island interesting is a mysterious house on it. 

Ellidaey Island off the Westman Islands.

Tierra Santa | The first religious theme park in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The first religious theme park in the world dedicated to the Holy Land is Tierra Santa, the religious theme park in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thrill travelling through a town full of faith. Transported to the beginning of the Christian era, 2000 years ago, you can witness the life and work of Jesus, which is unique in the world, reflecting the different stages of his life, from his birth to his crucifixion and resurrection. The park, located in an area of seven hectares in Costanera Norte, is formed by a giant model of the city of Jerusalem that can be travelled and used to know the places that Jesus journeyed during his lifetime. Furthermore, in the park, there were different cultures that lived in that city, such as Christians, Jews, Romans, and Arabs.

Kawazu-Nanadaru, Japanese Double Loop Spiral Bridge

Kawazu-Nanadaru, Japanese Double Loop Spiral Bridge — An excellent example of this is a section of the Japanese road called Highway 414, which rises up the mountain. Raising the road up the mountain is not a trivial task, and there is no standard approach. In some countries, the road is paved with gentle zigzags up the mountain. This method is one of the easiest, but it also has some drawbacks. 

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct | The Longest and Highest Aqueduct in Britain

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham County Borough in north Wales. Completed in 1805, it is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain; it is the first navigable cast iron aqueduct in the world and a Grade I Listed Building and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The aqueduct, built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, is 1,007 ft, or 307 metres, long; 11 ft, or 3.4 metres, wide; and 5.25 ft, or 1.60 metres, deep. It consists of a cast-iron trough supported 126 ft, or 38 metres, above the river on iron-arched ribs carried on eighteen hollow masonry piers (pillars). Each of the nineteen spans is 53 ft, or 16 metres, wide and has undergone a recent renovation. In 2007, it was reopened, allowing for daily sightseeing cruises along the entire route.

Pontcysyllte aqueduct on the llangollen canal. Pontcysyllte is pronounced 'pont-ker-suth-tee'. Image credit: Gareth Davies

Nubra Valley: Ladakh’s High-Altitude Cold Desert

Nubra Valley is one of the most remarkable landscapes in Ladakh, where barren mountains, green villages, river plains, and dunes exist surprisingly close to one another. Located between the Ladakh and Karakoram ranges, the valley is known for Diskit Monastery, Hunder’s dunes, double-humped Bactrian camels, ancient caravan routes, and its distinctive high-altitude landscape. The Ladakh administration places the valley at an average elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) above sea level.

The dramatic cold-desert landscape of Nubra Valley between the Ladakh and Karakoram ranges.

The Vizcaya Bridge | The World's Oldest Transporter Bridge

The Vizcaya Bridge, also called Vizcaya Bridge, Suspension Bridge, or Bridge Palace (Bizkaiko Zubia, in Basque), is a transporter bridge conceived, designed, and built by private initiative between 1887 and 1893, linking the two banks of the Nervion River in Vizcaya, and was inaugurated in 1893, the first of its type in the world. 

Consuegra Windmills: Spain’s Famous Don Quixote Windmills

On the crest of Cerro Calderico in Castilla-La Mancha, twelve white windmills stand above the town of Consuegra. Their sails, rounded wooden bodies, and hilltop setting make them one of the most recognisable sights in the Spanish countryside.

White Horse of Uffington, England

Everyone knows or has heard of the Nazca Lines, ancient geoglyphs found in Peru. They are hundreds of large figures traced on the ground by the ancient culture of the same name, visible only from the air.

But perhaps what many do not know is that there is also something similar in Europe. Specifically in the United Kingdom, there are what are called hill figures. They are not very numerous, but they are old; one of them is from prehistoric times, and the rest of those that survive are from a few centuries ago. And like the Nazca Lines, not much is known about them. Neither what they mean nor who made them.

Uffington white horse

Duquesne Incline | The oldest funicular of USA

The Duquesne Incline is an inclined plane railroad, or funicular, located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington. Designed by Samuel Diescher, the incline was completed on 20 Nov. 1877 and is 800 feet or 244 meters long, 400 feet or 122 meters in height, and is inclined at a 30-degree angle. It is an unusual track gauge of 5 ft (1,524 mm). Originally steam-powered, the Duquesne Incline was built to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington in the late 19th century. 

The single-car of the Duquesne Incline prepares to enter the station on Grandview Avenue. 

Skógafoss Waterfall: Iceland's Legendary Curtain of Water

The first thing you notice at Skógafoss isn't the waterfall. It's the sound — a low roar you can hear from the parking lot, long before the falls come into view. Then you round the bend, and there it is: a flat, rectangular sheet of water dropping 60 metres off an old sea cliff near the village of Skógar. On a sunny afternoon, the spray throws rainbows across the whole scene. It is one of the most photographed locations on Iceland's South Coast, and once you have stood in front of it, the reason becomes clear.

Skógafoss, seen from the base of the falls

Pamban Bridge Rameswaram: History, New Bridge & Engineering Marvel

The Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. The bridge refers to both the road bridge and the cantilever railway bridge, though primarily it means the latter. Opened in 1914, it was India's first sea bridge and was the longest sea bridge in India until 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but it has a double-leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through. On 24 February 2014, the Pamban Bridge marked its 100th anniversary.

Pamban Bridge, Rameswaram: India’s historic railway connection and modern vertical-lift sea bridge.

San Boldo Pass, Italy

San Boldo Pass or Passo San Boldo is a small amazing mountain pass located in the Italian Veneto region between the towns of Trichian and Tovena. The mountain pass was previously known as Passo Sant’Ubaldo and Umbaldopass. The mountain pass lies at the southern edge of the Alps and links the Val Belluna with the Val Mareno over a height of approx. 706 meters. The mountain pass is named the SP 635 (former SS), through the so-called Canale della Scala or San Boldo (in dialect Canal de San Boit) has considerable historical importance, and only one lane is drivable, the traffic is controlled by several sets of lights. There is a speed limit of 30 km/h (19 mph) and a height limit of 3.2 m (10.5 ft.), after buses were frequently stuck in the tunnel. The five tunnels blasted into the rock with hairpin turns or loops, and six bridges.

Italian sheperd Luigino Balzan and his flock are reaching San Boldo pass. The pastor Luigino Balzan leading the flock towards the last curves of the pass san Boldo, between the province of Treviso and that of Belluno. Image credit giancarlo rado Bighugelabs

Barra Airport | The Beach Airport of Scotland

Barra Airport, one of the most unusual airports in the world – Barra is located in the north of Scotland in the UK, on the small island of Barra, which belongs to the Outer Hebrides archipelago. A feature of this airport is that its runways are located directly on the beach of the Gulf Traigh Mhòr, and the flight schedule is tailored to the tides. At high tide, water hides the airfield runways, making takeoff and landing impossible. 

Inkerman Monastery of St. Clement, Ukraine

The Inkerman Monastery of St Clement is a cave monastery in a cliff rising near the mouth of the Black River, in the city of Inkerman, administered as part of the seaport of Sevastopol. It was founded in 1850 on the site of a medieval Byzantine monastery where the relics of St Clement were supposedly kept before their removal to San Clemente by Saints Cyril and Methodius. The early Christians are supposed to have kept the relics in a grotto, which could be visited only on the anniversary of his death. William Rubruck described it as a church "built by the hands of angels".

Clifton Suspension Bridge: Brunel’s Iconic Bristol Landmark

High above the Avon Gorge in Bristol, England, the Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of Britain's most recognisable historic bridges. Its towers dominate the gorge, and huge iron chains suspend the road, a scene closely associated with the city of Bristol.

Clifton Suspension Bridge spans the Avon Gorge in Bristol and is one of the most famous surviving works associated with Isambard Kingdom Brunel.