A selection for lovers of natural and historical mysteries, as well as for those who simply appreciate beautiful unusual places. Welcome to 66 corners of the planet that make you think about the irrationality of the world, feel like an explorer and get a dose of adrenaline.
1. Easter Island, Chile
This small piece of land in the Pacific Ocean (area - 163.6 km², population - about 6,000 people) is known all over the world for its mysterious stone idols - moai. Nearly nine hundred statues stand around the perimeter of the island like sentries. Who made them? How were multi-ton boulders moved? What was the function of the statues? Europeans have puzzled over these questions for decades. And although it is believed that Thor Heyerdahl solved the riddle, the locals still believe that the moai contains the sacred power of the ancestors of the Hotu Matu'a clan.
2. Aokigahara, Japan
It is a dense forest at the foot of Fuji on Honshu Island. The place is ominous: rocky soil, tree roots are entwined with rocky debris, there is "deafening" silence, compasses do not work. And although scientists (it seems) have found an explanation for all these phenomena, the Japanese believe that ghosts live in the forest - the souls of weak old people who were left there to die in times of famine. Therefore, during the day Aokigahara is a popular vacation spot, and at night it is a “haven” for suicides. Books and songs have been written about this place, films have been made, including documentaries.
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3. Racetrack Playa, USA
In Death Valley, California, there is a dried-up lake that would be commonplace if not for a phenomenon that scientists have been racking their brains over for many years. On its clay bottom, 30-kilogram stones move. Slowly, but without the help of sentient beings. The lumps leave long, shallow furrows behind them. Moreover, the trajectory of their movement is absolutely arbitrary. What is pushing the stones? Different versions were voiced: the specifics of the magnetic field, wind, seismic activity. None of the guesses received sufficient scientific evidence.
4. Roraima Plateau, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana
Roraima is a mountain on the border of three countries. But its top is not a sharp peak, but a gorgeous plateau covered with a haze of clouds with an area of 34 km², with unique plants and picturesque waterfalls. This is how Arthur Conan Doyle envisioned The Lost World. According to the beliefs of the Indians, Roraima is the petrified trunk of a tree that gave birth to all vegetables and fruits on the planet. The Indians also believed that the gods lived there, so no one climbed to the top before the arrival of the Europeans. Modern travelers say that people in Roraima are seized with a sacred delight.
5. Valley of the jugs, Laos
At the foot of the Annamsky ridge, giant pots are scattered: up to three meters in height and weighing up to six tons. Archaeologists suggest that the jugs are about two thousand years old, but they cannot understand how the ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Laos used them. Lao legends say that these are the utensils of the giants who lived in the valley. They also say that the jugs were ordered by King Khung Chung to make a lot of rice wine and celebrate the victory over the enemies. Historians have their own versions: they could collect rainwater in pots or store food in them. Or maybe they were funeral urns?
6. Bermuda Triangle
In the Atlantic Ocean, in the "triangle" between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, there is an anomalous zone where over a hundred ships and aircraft have "evaporated" over the past hundred years. The most famous incident happened in 1945. Five Avenger bombers took off from a US Navy base and disappeared. The planes that went in search of them also disappeared without a trace. Skeptics say the blame is shallows, cyclones and storms. But many tend to believe in more mystical versions: for example, abduction by aliens or inhabitants of Atlantis.
7. Shilin, China
In the province of Yunnan, the "Stone Forest" is spread over an area of 350 km². Ancient rocks, caves, waterfalls and lakes create the atmosphere of a fairy-tale world. According to legend, one young man decided to save the people from drought and build a dam. The wizard gave him a whip and a rod to cut and move boulders. But the tools had magical powers only until dawn. The young man did not finish his work, and the huge monoliths remained scattered across the valley. Scientists believe that 200 million years ago there was a sea on the site of the "Stone Forest". It dried up, but the rocks, striking in their grandeur and beauty, remained.
8. Glastonbury Tower, UK
In the English county of Somerset there is a 145-meter hill topped with the tower of the medieval church of St. Michael. According to legend, there was the entrance to Avalon - the other world, where holy people, fairy-tale creatures and magicians were born, where special laws of time and space operate. King Arthur and his wife Guinevere were buried on this hill - in 1191, the monks of Glastonbury Abbey allegedly found sarcophagi with their remains. This is not the only legend about Saint Michael's Hill and King Arthur. Perhaps these are just myths, but visitors to the sight claim that the hill has a powerful energy.
9. Whale Alley, Russia
There is an ancient Eskimo sanctuary on the Chukchi island of Itygran. Huge bones and skulls of whales are dug into the frozen shore. The alley was opened in 1977, but its riddles have not yet been solved. There is an assumption that in the XIV century this place was used by whalers for ritual meetings. Judging by the multitude of "meat pits", the gatherings were accompanied by feasts, and the holes in the tops of the whale "pillars" indicate that, perhaps, the whalers also arranged games, hanging prizes on bones. But in folklore there is no information about the purpose of the alley. But there is a legend about the battle of the "flying shamans" that took place there.
10. Fly Geyser, USA
It is hard to believe, but this "fountain", as if descended from the pages of a science fiction book, is not on Jupiter, not on Mars, but on Earth, in the state of Nevada. The "flying" geyser spews out streams of hot water to a height of 15 meters, forming a "mini-volcano" around itself of mineral deposits. Scientists claim that this is how the surface of our planet looked like millions of years ago. The geyser is located on the territory of a private ranch, and you need permission from the owner to admire it. But this does not stop tourists. People believe that if you wash yourself with water from a geyser, life will be bright and happy.
11. Richat, Mauritania
In the west of the Sahara there is the "eye of the Earth". These huge circles drawn by an unknown force really resemble an eye. The Richat structure is an ancient geological formation, the age of one of the rings of which is about 600 million years. The "Eye" is perfectly visible from space - in orbit it is used as a reference point. There are different versions about the nature of this formation. For example, that it is a crater from a meteorite fall or a landing site for aliens. But the most scientific hypotheses are those suggesting that this is the mouth of an extinct volcano or the result of erosion on the uplift of a section of the earth's crust.
12. Nazca Lines, Peru
The Nazca plateau, like a canvas, is lined with gigantic patterns. A hummingbird, a monkey, a spider, flowers, a lizard, geometric shapes - there are about 30 neat drawings in the valley in total. Geoglyphs on the Nazca plateau were discovered almost a century ago, but scientists still argue about who, how and when created them. Some believe that this is an ancient irrigation system, others - that these are the "holy paths of the Incas", and still others claim that this is the oldest astronomy textbook on Earth. There is also a completely mystical version that the lines are a message from aliens. There are many theories, but none has been scientifically confirmed.
13. Pidhirtsi Castle, Ukraine
The 17th century palace in the village of Pidhirtsi, Lviv region, would have been an ordinary historical landmark (a perfectly preserved vivid example of Renaissance architecture, the place where D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers were filmed), if not for the anomalies noticed there. According to legend, one of the owners of the castle, Vaclav Rzhevuski, was terribly jealous of his beautiful wife Maria. So much so that he walled it up within the walls of the palace. The keepers of the Podgoretsky castle claim that they have seen the ghost of the "White Lady" more than once and constantly hear the sound of heels on the marble floor.
14. Tower of the Devil, USA
The Devil's Tower, or Devils Tower, is a columnar mountain in Wyoming. It resembles a tower assembled from individual columns. It is hard to believe that this is a creation of nature, and not of human hands. The indigenous population treated the tower with awe, because at the top, strange light phenomena were observed many times. Legend has it that the devil sits at the top and beats the drum, causing thunder. Due to its bad reputation, the mountain is avoided by climbers. But she appears in Steven Spielberg's film "Close Encounters of the Third Degree" - this is where the meeting with aliens takes place.
15. Gaiola Islands, Italy
In the Gulf of Naples, off the coast of Campania, there are two small islands of wondrous beauty. A bridge connects them to each other. One of them is uninhabited, on the other a villa is built. But no one lives in it - the place is considered cursed. All its owners, as well as some members of their families, died under strange circumstances, went bankrupt, ended up in prisons and psychiatric hospitals. Due to their bad reputation, the islands have no owner, the villa is abandoned. Only occasionally daring tourists, photographers and journalists drop in on Gaiola.
16. Bran Castle, Romania
In the picturesque town of Bran, there is a magnificent 14th century castle. According to legend, Count Vlad III Tepes-Dracula often spent the night here. This man became the prototype of the most famous vampire in pop culture. The nickname "Dracula" was awarded to the count for his incredible cruelty: he killed innocents for fun, took baths of blood, could put a person on a stake and eat in the presence of a corpse. The people hated and feared him. Bran Castle is currently a working museum. It is believed that although Vlad III did not live there permanently, the place is saturated with his negative aura.
17. Catatumbo River, Venezuela
In the place where the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo, a unique atmospheric phenomenon is observed: almost every night the sky is illuminated by lightning without thunder. There are over a million categories per year. Zarnitsa can be seen hundreds of kilometers away. Scientists have found out the reason for the phenomenon, but its extraordinary beauty still gives rise to superstitions and legends. In 1595, Catatumbo lightning saved the city of Maracaibo. The pirate Francis Drake decided to seize the city, but because of the light of lightning, the locals saw the approach of his ships from afar, had time to prepare and fought back.
18. Body, USA
In California, on the border with Nevada, there is a ghost town named after the gold digger William Bodie. In 1880, the population of the city was 10,000. They had 65 saloons and 7 breweries, there was even a “red light district” - crime, drunkenness and debauchery flourished in the city. When the gold rush subsided, the people left. It is now a historical park. But tourists do not go to Bodie out of interest in history: the city is considered a haven of ghosts. Anyone who takes even a stone from there will be pursued by misfortune. The park keepers constantly receive parcels with the return of "souvenirs".
19. Trolltunga, Norway
The Trolltunga, or Trolltunga, is an unusual rock ledge at an altitude of 350 meters on Mount Skjeggedal. Why language? And why a troll? According to an old Norwegian legend, a troll lived in those parts, who constantly tempered fate: he dived into deep pools, jumped over precipices. One day he decided to check whether it was true that the rays of the sun are deadly for trolls. At dawn, he stuck his tongue out of his cave and … petrified forever. The rock attracts modern adventurers like a magnet: to sit on the edge, do somersaults, take pictures. There is no troll, but his work lives on!
20. Brocken, Germany
This is the highest point of Mount Harz (1,141 m), where, according to legend, witches held a Sabbath on Walpurgis Night. At the top you can observe a natural phenomenon of rare beauty and mystery - the Broken ghost. If you stand with your back to the setting sun, then a large shadow with a rainbow halo around the head will appear on the surface of the clouds or in the fog. Sometimes there is even a feeling that the "ghost" is moving. The phenomenon was first described by Johann Zilberschlag in 1780 and since then has been repeatedly mentioned in the literature about the Harz mountains.
21. Golosov ravine, Russia
Golosov ravine was once a desolate gloomy outskirts of Moscow. Now it is a beautiful place shrouded in legends in the Moscow Museum-Reserve "Kolomenskoye". One of the legends tells of a strange green fog. Allegedly, there were cases when people wandered in an emerald haze, as it seemed to them, for several minutes, but in fact, decades passed. Also in the ravine are stones that in the old days had a sacred meaning: the Goose-stone patronized the soldiers, giving them strength and luck in battle, and the Maiden's Stone brought happiness to the girls.
22. Stonehenge, UK
130 km from London, in Wiltshire, there is a bizarre structure of huge boulders. It is one of the most popular archaeological sites in the world. The researchers found that the construction of the complex lasted almost two thousand years and took place in several stages. However, it is still unclear who built it and why. According to popular legend, huge blue stones have magical powers, and the construction was built by a wizard named Merlin. There are also versions that Stonehenge is a Stone Age observatory, a druid's sanctuary or an ancient tomb.
23. Goseck Circle, Germany
The Gosek circle refers to concentric ditches with a diameter of 75 meters and log circles with gates. Through them, on the days of the summer and winter solstices, the sun enters the circle. This gave rise to the theory that this Neolithic structure is the oldest observatory in the world. Supposedly it was built in 4900 BC. e. It seems that the creators of the ancient "celestial calendar" had a good knowledge of astronomy. It is noteworthy that similar prehistoric structures exist not only near Gosek, but also in other places in Germany, as well as in Austria and Croatia.
24. Machu Picchu, Peru
At the top of the mountain range, at an altitude of 2450 m, among the clouds above the valley of the Urubamba River, the ancient "lost city of the Incas" rises majestically. Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century, but palaces, altars and houses were abandoned in 1532. Where did the residents go? According to historians, the elite of the Inca empire lived in Machu Picchu, and with the fall of the empire, the inhabitants simply left in search of a better life. According to popular belief, most of the population was sacrificed to the gods to save the empire, while the rest scattered across the valley. But there is no definite answer.
25. Well of Thor, USA
A natural sinkhole with a diameter of 5 meters in the strait of Cape Perpetua was named after the god Thor. But more often it is called "the gate to the underworld." The spectacle is really hellishly beautiful: during the tide, the water quickly fills the well, and then abruptly "shoots" up a six-meter fountain, forming a whirlwind of spray. As if a monster lives at the bottom, which is angry at the streams of water pouring on it and pushes them back. But to find out what is actually inside the funnel has not yet been possible - diving there is too dangerous.
26. Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand
Huge stone balls up to two meters in diameter are "scattered" along the Koekohe beach, which is not far from the village of Moeraki. The surface of some of them is absolutely smooth, while others resemble the shell of a turtle. Some of the boulders are intact, while others have split into pieces. Where they came from is a mystery of nature. According to the popular version of the Maori, this is a potato waking up from a mythical canoe. There are also opinions that these are fossilized dinosaur eggs and the remains of alien aircraft. Scientists believe that these are geological formations that formed on the ocean floor millions of years ago.
27. Champ Island, Russia
Another place with mysterious stone balls is Champ Island, located in the central part of Franz Josef Land (Arkhangelsk Region). The entire coast is literally strewn with spherical stones ranging in size from a few centimeters to three meters. Where did they come from on a deserted island? It is believed that due to the melting of glaciers, stones fell into natural pools and were ground off by water. But why only on this island? Among the supernatural versions - the intervention of aliens and the fact that the stones are artifacts of some lost civilization.
28. Gold Stone, Myanmar
On the edge of the Chaittiyo cliff ledge lies a granite boulder 5.5 meters high and about 25 meters in circumference. The boulder has been balancing on the edge of the abyss for several centuries and, contrary to the laws of physics, does not fall. According to legend, the Buddha gave the hermit monk a lock of his hair. To preserve the relic, he put it under a huge stone, set on the rock by Burmese spirits. The stone is covered with gold leaf and is one of the main Buddhist shrines. It has not yet been possible to find a scientific basis for the phenomenon of the Chaittiyo Pagoda. Is it really necessary?
29. Beelitz-Heilstätten, Germany
40 km from Berlin there is a sanatorium that was once considered the best in Germany. At first it was a hospital for tuberculosis patients, and then a military hospital. In 1916, a young soldier, Adolf Hitler, was "licking his wounds" there. After World War II, the hospital was at the disposal of the Soviet government. Now many horror stories are associated with the Belitz sanatorium. Allegedly, strange sounds are heard there, and letters from soldiers are still found in the walls of the building. Speculation and nothing more? Probably. But visitors say: the longer you stay there, the more tired and depressed you feel.
30. Mystery Spot, USA
"Mystery Spot" is translated from English as "Mysterious place". In the middle of the twentieth century, businessman George Prater decided to build a house. I chose a place on the hillside, bought land, but could not build a building. The house came out crooked, although the drawings were correct and the builders were sober. It turned out that the laws of physics were violated on the hill: the balls roll up an inclined plane, the broom is unsupported, the water flows up, people are in an inclined position. Scientists say that these are nothing more than optical illusions, but many are inclined to see a mystical trace in what is happening.
31. Pyramid of Cheops, Egypt
The largest and most mysterious of the great Egyptian pyramids, located on the Giza plateau. Its height is 138.8 meters (due to the lack of cladding at the present time), the length of the base is 230 meters. Built in the XXVI century BC. e. The construction of the pyramid lasted more than 20 years, colossal resources were involved: 2.5 million multi-ton limestone blocks, tens of thousands of slaves. It would seem that the Cheops pyramid has already been studied along and across, but the controversy among scientists does not subside. How was the construction going? How was this gigantic structure used? There are still more questions than answers.
32. Newgrange, Ireland
An ancient stone structure is located 40 km north of Dublin. It is 700 years older than the Egyptian pyramids. According to legend, Newgrange is the home of the Celtic god of wisdom and the sun, Dagda. According to archaeologists, this place served as a tomb. There is also a version that this is one of the first observatories: during the winter solstice, the morning rays of the sun penetrate the hole above the entrance and illuminate the room from the inside. But the researchers still have more questions than answers: where did they come from and what do the inscriptions on the stones mean, how did the builders achieve such accuracy, what tools did they use?
33. Heizhu, China
In the south of China there is one of the most powerful anomalous zones in the world - the Heizhu Valley, which means "Black Bamboo Hollow". Here, under mysterious circumstances, accidents occur and people disappear in the thick fog. Nobody can find the objective reason for what is happening. Some believe that plants that emit toxic substances grow and rot in the forest. Others believe that the cause of strange events in the strongest geomagnetic radiation. Mystics say that there is a portal to a parallel world in the valley.
34. Horstail Falls, USA
In Yosemite National Park, on the eastern slope of Mount El Capitan, there is a 650-meter waterfall. Most of the year it is unremarkable, but in February the falling water flows turn into "lava flows". An amazing natural phenomenon is associated with the fact that at sunset the sun's rays are reflected in the waterfall, creating a visual illusion that hot metal is flowing down from the rock. According to legend, at the top of the mountain was the house of a blacksmith who made the best horseshoes for horses in the area. But because of the heavy rain, the forge was washed off the cliff. Since then, the waterfall once a year "reminds" of this tragic event.
35. Chillingham Castle, UK
In the north of England, in the county of Northumberland, there is a magnificent 12th century castle with a watchtower. At one time it was of great strategic importance, but in the 17th century it became the seat of the aristocracy. Within its walls, dramas and intrigues unfolded, which claimed many lives. Perhaps that is why Chillingham is the most popular haunted castle in the UK these days. There are at least three of them: The Radiant Boy (appears in blue robes), The Tormentor Sage (seen in the torture room) and Lady Mary Berkeley (emerges from her portrait in the Gray Room).
36. Mercado de Sonora, Mexico
One of the most unusual markets in the world is the dream of magicians and mediums of all stripes. The place, if not mystical, then definitely atmospheric, saturated with many legends. Most tourists drop by the witch's market just out of curiosity. Where else can you see bizarre ritual objects, masks, dried snakes, spider legs and rare herbs? Local sorcerers - brujo - can tell fortunes, cleanse the aura and “cure” ailments. Mexicans often drop in on the market - they take sorcerers quite seriously.
37. Restaurant T'Spookhuys, Belgium
Horror Restaurant, House of a Thousand Ghosts - it's all about T'Spookhuys in Turnhout. The restaurant was conceived as an attraction for lovers of mysticism: a gloomy interior, fog swirling on the floor, moving pictures, creaking doors, skulls instead of plates, an extraordinary menu and waiters in the role of vampires. At first, the black humor of the owners brought success - there was no end of clients. But a few years later, the restaurant became notorious, and it was rumored that ghosts had really settled there. Now the institution is abandoned, but the atmosphere and ominous aura have been preserved.
38. Loch Ness, UK
Loch Ness is a deep lake in the highlands of Scotland, where, according to legend, a monster lives. Allegedly, this is a creature resembling a prehistoric lizard. One of the eyewitnesses described it as follows: 40 feet in length, 4 fins, the body gradually merges into an elongated neck with small tubercles. There are quite a few people who claim to have seen the Loch Ness monster. More than three thousand cases have been recorded. There are even photo and video evidence. But there are enough skeptics. The dispute about whether there is a monster in the lake has been going on for decades and flares up from time to time with renewed vigor.
39. Lake Kara-Kul, Russia
The Russian counterpart of the Loch Ness monster, according to legend, lives in the Kara-Kul lake of the Baltasinsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. It is an elongated reservoir with an average depth of 8 meters and an area of 1.6 hectares. Translated from the Tatar “kara-kul” means “black lake”. It is believed that the reservoir was previously surrounded by a dense forest, which made the water look black. The locals have a legend about the bull-like water snake Su Ugez. If it appeared to people, expect trouble - fire or hunger. There is no documentary evidence of the presence of the monster in the lake. But superstitious people prefer to bypass him.
40. Lake Hillier, Australia
The lake is surrounded by a eucalyptus forest, and a narrow strip of land separates it from the ocean. But the main feature of the lake is that it is pink. The reason for such an unusual color of the water is not understood. It was assumed that the matter was in specific algae, but this was not confirmed. But there is a beautiful legend, as if a crippled, but shipwrecked sailor ended up on a desert island. He suffered from pain and hunger and asked heaven for deliverance, until finally a man came out of the forest with jugs of milk and blood. He poured them into the lake and it turned pink. The sailor plunged into the red water and got rid of pain and hunger. Forever and ever.
41. Hvitserkur, Iceland
It is a 15 meter high rock on the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula. In shape, it resembles a dragon drinking water. But, according to popular belief, this is a troll that came out to the sun and turned into stone. Scientists believe that Khvitserkur is the remnants of an ancient volcano washed out by salty waters and destroyed by cold winds. To prevent the sea from completely destroying the figure, its base was reinforced with concrete. People from all over the world come to admire this rock. And sometimes the northern lights observed there give it additional mystery.
42. Manpupuner, Russia
Other names are Weathering Pillars and Mansi Doodles. These are mountain outliers from 30 to 42 meters high on the territory of the Pechora-Ilychsky nature reserve. It is believed that 200 million years ago there were high mountains in this place, but due to snow, frost and winds, only small pillars remained from them. Many legends are associated with them. According to one of them, the leader of the tribe of giants wanted to marry the daughter of the leader of the Mansi tribe. Having been refused, the giant attacked the village. It's good that the beauty's brother arrived in time: he saved the village by turning the giants into stones with the help of a magic shield.
43. San Zhi, Taiwan
Sanzhi was to become the city of the future. The elite residential complex consists of futuristic buildings resembling "flying saucers". An elegant staircase leads to each of the "plates", and, according to the architects' idea, you can go down from the second floor directly into the ocean or the pool along a water slide. Huge money was allocated for the construction. But the company that built San Zhi went bankrupt, and accidents at the construction site gave rise to bad rumors. The complex was completed, but advertising could no longer change the glory of the "damned place". The city is abandoned. The authorities wanted to demolish it, but the locals were against it. They believe that San Zhi is the home of lost souls.
44. Singing dune, Kazakhstan
Not far from Alma-Ata there is a three-kilometer dune 150 meters high. It offers a beautiful view of the Ili River and the purple mountains. In dry weather the dune makes melodious sounds like an organ. According to one of the legends, the shaitan, who wandered around the world and built intrigues for people, turned into a dune. According to another version, Genghis Khan and his associates are buried in the sands. The dune "sings" when the soul of the khan, "exhausted from mental anguish, tells his descendants about his exploits." It is noteworthy that the dune does not wander across the plain, but for millennia has stood still, despite the unsteadiness of the sand and strong winds.
45. Kolmanskop, Namibia
A ghost town located in the Namib Desert, 10 km from the port of Luderitz. In 1908, railway worker Zakarias Leval found small diamonds in the sand. He showed the find to his foreman, and he established the place from where the wind brought the precious stones, and became a multimillionaire. A city was formed in that place: big houses, a school, a hospital, a stadium. But the supply of diamonds quickly dried up, and living in the desert is rather difficult. Residents left the city. Now Kolmanskop is a museum city with half-filled sand buildings, casting a slight chill of gloom and mystery.
46. Zone of Silence, Mexico
An abnormal desert on the border of the states of Durango, Chihuahua and Coahuila, where reception and registration of radio and sound signals is impossible. There the receivers go out, the compass does not work and the clock stops. Scientists have tried several times to establish the cause of the anomalies, but their conclusions boil down to something like this: something suppresses radio waves. The area, also dubbed "The Tethys Sea" after the ancient ocean, is associated with many mysterious incidents, from the disappearance of planes and the fall of rockets to reports of strange travelers leaving scorched grass behind them and the landing of UFOs.
47. Winchester House, USA
525 Winchester Boulevard in San Jose is notorious. Three floors accommodate 160 rooms and 6 kitchens. At the same time, many doors lead to a dead end, steps go to the ceiling, and windows to the floor. Not a house, but a labyrinth! This architectural "miracle" was created by Sarah Winchester. Her father-in-law made weapons, for which, according to the woman, a curse was imposed on their family. On the advice of a medium, she built a house for the souls of people whose lives were taken by the inventions of old Winchester. According to rumors, ghosts have actually settled in house no. 525. But even without them, the gloomy layout causes frost on the skin of visitors.
48. Valley of Mills, Italy
In the heart of Sorrento, at the bottom of the gorge dividing the city into two parts, there are the ruins of a medieval city, the "highlight" of which were the watermills. Hence the name of the valley - Valle dei Mulini. The walls of the old mill have almost collapsed, the wheel is overgrown with moss - in the middle of the modern city it is like a fragment of another world. Perhaps that is why the Valley of Mills is one of the favorite attractions of fans of mysticism. They believe that the mill has otherworldly inhabitants. Allegedly, laughter is sometimes heard from the gorge, and a strange light is seen from the windows of the building.
49. Dancing Forest, Russia
An unusual coniferous forest is located 37 km from the Curonian Spit (Kaliningrad Region). The tree trunks are bizarrely curved and twisted into spirals. The forest was planted in 1961, and it is still unclear why the pines started dancing. According to one version, the trunks of still young trees are damaged by caterpillars of the wintering shoot. On the other, the reason lies in the geomagnetic impact of a tectonic crack. Ufologists see in everything the intervention of an alien mind. In 2006, new trees were planted in the forest to see if they bend. While the seedlings grow straight.
50. Pluckley, UK
This is a place in the English county of Kent, where, according to legend, there are at least a dozen ghosts. On the way from Pluckly to Multman's Hill, a carriage drawn by four horses appears from time to time, the spirit of a colonel wanders through the pasture, and on one of the streets you can stumble upon a gallows phantom. Each of the 12 ghosts has its own story. Local residents say that they are used to their “neighbors” from the other world and are no longer afraid of them. But many believe ghosts are a publicity stunt to attract tourists. True, to prove this, as, indeed, the presence of ghosts, has not yet been possible.
51. Catacombs of Jihlava, Czech Republic
Jihlava is a city in the south-east of the Czech Republic. One of its main attractions is the 25-kilometer catacombs. Once these were mines for the extraction of silver, then they began to be used for household needs. In 1996, archaeologists worked in the catacombs, who recorded that the sound of an organ was heard in the place indicated by legends, and in one of the passages, researchers found a "luminous staircase" emitting a reddish light. Archaeologists were examined - mass hallucinations are excluded. The reasons for the mysterious phenomena are unknown.
52. Temehea-Tohua, French Polynesia
Statues of strange creatures were found on the island of Nuku-Hiva, part of the Marquesas archipelago, in the town of Temehea-Tohua. Disproportionate torsos, elongated heads with large mouths and eyes. Archaeologists date the creation of mysterious idols approximately to the X-XI centuries. Why did the aborigines make them? According to the official version, these are monuments to priests in ritual masks. But it is strange that the masks themselves were not found on the island. Hence the assumption that Nuku Hiva was once visited by aliens, and the locals captured their appearance in stone.
53. Great Blue Hole, Belize
It is a huge funnel with a diameter of 305 meters and a depth of 120 meters. Located in the center of Lighthouse Reef. In 1972, Jacques-Yves Cousteau established that originally it was a system of limestone caves that originated in the Ice Age. When the ocean level rose, the roof of the cave collapsed and a karst sinkhole formed. But it is believed that the flooding could not provoke destruction - too large, too regular round shape. There had to be an external impact, for example, a meteorite fall.
Nastya Raduzhnaya
