Strange Real World Locales to Inspire You

[Piratecat]

What's the scale on the Richat Structure? That's amazing.

30 miles wide.

More pictures here: Earth’s Bulls-Eye, the Eye of Africa, Landmark for Astronauts (14 PICS)

 

[Kaodi]

That mountain would make a truly awesome fortress.

 

[Rhenny]

When I was a teen, I hiked up to the monastery on Montserrat outside of Barcelona, Spain. When we got to the top, the two friends I was with took off their clothing and stood naked on the desolate part of the mountain. I have no idea why they did that. I wonder if adventurers would do the same?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I wonder if the monks went blind...

 

[Huw]

Tianzi Mountains, China

I want to climb that. True, I'm twice the weight and twice the age I was when I was at my rock-climbing peak, but that - is inspiring.

 

[GameDaddy]

Cappadocia, Turkey

Thursday Salute to Originals: The Cave Dwellings of Cappadocia

Derinkuyu, Turkey
https://www.google.com/search?q=Derinkuyu&hl=en&client=opera&hs=NBK&rls=en&channel=suggest&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ormoT6FpipbaBffCvKYC&ved=0CHsQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=958

Ancient Underground Cave Dwellings
The Ancient Underground Cave Cities of Turkey


Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia
https://www.google.com/search?q=fairy+chimneys+in+cappadocia&hl=en&client=opera&hs=zkJ&rls=en&channel=suggest&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=PrOoT5TsHsPQ2wXMn7imAg&ved=0CIYBELAE&biw=1920&bih=958



Ajanta Caves, India

Photos of Soygaon (Maharashtra), INDIA PICTURES 266


Various Caves
Beautiful Nature Underground | Travel Blog Direction & Places to Visit


Ellora Caves, India
https://www.google.com/search?q=elloracaves&hl=en&client=opera&hs=zHz&rls=en&channel=suggest&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=PraoT4_iN4SA2wXcr5ymAg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CA4Q_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=958

Abu Mena, Egypt
https://www.google.com/search?q=abu+mena&hl=en&client=opera&hs=bge&rls=en&channel=suggest&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MbeoT-7dHaOL2AW-nZ2mAg&ved=0CH4QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=958


Ouadane Oasis, Mauritania

Motor Club de Guimarães

...and

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&hs=ege&rls=en&channel=suggest&biw=1920&bih=958&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Ouadane&oq=Ouadane&aq=f&aqi=g2g-S1&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0l2j0i24.129764.131191.0.132164.7.6.0.1.1.0.149.579.5j1.6.0...0.0.G2c4miPmzcY

Cyrene

File:Cyrene8.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Meroe Pyramids in the Sudan

File:Sudan Meroe Pyramids 2001.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Plenty more... Just Google "List of World Heritage Sites"

 

[nedjer]

Bang Pa-In

Fingal's Cave

 

[vonmolkew]

Always thought this place was cool....

Mount Roraima - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It was Conan Doyle's inspiration for The Lost World

and nearby is this place: Roraima - Wikimedia Commons
Check out El Foso....looks like a great entrance into The Underdark

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

This is chilling...literally:

Race against the tide, risking death under huge blocks of ice - Human Planet: Arctic - BBC One - YouTube

 

[RangerWickett]

The Chalice Well, tied to various tales of the Holy Grail.

Located near Glastonbury Tor.

The symbol is the Vesica Piscis, which captured my attention because I saw the well cover while taking a class on semiotics, where the signifier and the signified do not always perfectly overlap. I worked some concepts of that into my modern fantasy campaign (before it went off the rails with vampire King Arthur and using the holy grail to heal Michael Jackson).