Random Real Mythological Places (16 items)

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  (#1) Mount Olympus, Home of the Mighty Greek Gods

  Mount Olympus, widely known as the home of the 12 Greek gods and goddesses, won't disappoint mortals visiting for either a glimpse of mythology or a nature retreat. It's easy to imagine Zeus stepping out onto the rocks of the mighty structure in ancient times and hurling his powerful thunderbolts.

  A part of the mountain serves as the Mount Olympus National Park, showcasing rich flora and fauna. In fact, the park is one of the most important bird areas of Europe. The 9,573-foot-tall mountain is hikeable, but serious endurance is required to reach the peak.
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  (#2) Alepotrypa Cave, Gate to the Underworld

  At first glance, the beauty of the Alepotrypa cave isn’t how one might imagine the gate to hell. It’s a place that mythological Greek gods descended upon to visit Hades, the god of the underworld. The cave is located in Diros Bay, Mani, in southern Greece, an area dense with mythological sites.

  The huge cave features the remains of an old village, burials, artifacts connected to Hades, and a chamber that held blazing rituals more than 5,000 years ago. The cave, which had been hidden for centuries, was discovered in 2012 and is now open for tours.
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  (#3) Acropolis of Athens

  • Europe

  The Parthenon, a temple which rests on the Acropolis of Athens, is cherished for its association with Greek mythology. In fact, the temple was dedicated to the city’s patron, the goddess Athena. For thousands of years, the structure has held countless religious festivals, cult gatherings, and even political protests.

  The 228-foot-long building is surrounded by 46 columns of brilliant white marble, supporting the grand structure on a hill where it can be seen from anywhere in the city. Unfortunately, a significant part of the temple was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BCE and again by the Venetians in 1687.
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  (#4) Valley of the Kings

  • Theban Necropolis, Egypt

  While the Pharaohs laid to rest in this ancient burial ground are indeed real, the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt, has its share of mythological connections. Most of the 63 royal tombs and chambers discovered in this area are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology, portraying the ancient practices, ritual, and worship to the gods.

  The valley has gained much more popularity since the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, which inspired rumors of the curse of the pharaohs. Apparently, the curse says that anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian will be doomed.
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  (#5) Bran Castle, Dracula's Domain

  Bran Castle, on the border of Transylvania and Wallachia in Romania, is one of the most famous real-world places associated with Dracula. It's believed the castle inspired the setting for Bram Stoker's novel about the fictional blood sucker.

  While the towering enclave doesn't house any actual vampires today, it serves as a museum where visitors can explore the impressive interior of the 2,500-foot-tall building tucked away in the lush greenery of the surrounding mountains.
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  (#6) Xibalba, Mayan 'Place of Fear'

  This secret site of the Mayan underworld dates back to 750-850 BCE. It's located in on the Yucatan Peninsula, and its believed that this cave was constructed to mimic the Mayan underworld. The entire Mayan civilization, which mysteriously collapsed in the 10th century, stretched from southern Mexico to northern Belize.

  The area is filled with caverns, underground rivers, natural pools, and dark recesses. According to Mayan mythology, sinkholes and caves serve as sacred entrance portals to the other world, Xibalba, roughly translated as "place of fear," where all the gods and blood-thirsty predators lived. 
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  (#7) Troy, Site of the Great Trojan War

  In the war against Troy, the Greek warriors hid in a giant wooden horse and left it at the gates of Troy. The Trojans assumed the Greeks had fled and the horse was a gift of surrender. When the people of Troy took the wooden statue inside the city to celebrate victory, the Greek soldiers emerged from it by surprise and destroyed the city.

  Now, archeologists believe an area near Turkey’s Northeast coast is where the deadly 10-year-long war occurred. The 4,000-year-old temples and ruins in the archeological site, including a reconstruction of the Trojan horse, is regarded as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  (#8) Winchester Castle, a Real-Life Camelot

  Despite his debated historical existence, legendary British leader King Arthur has inspired many folklore and modern-day tales. King Arthur was a mighty warrior who defended the land and people of Britain from enemies, both human and supernatural.

  King Arthur is thought to have resided at Camelot, a kingdom regarded as the capital of his realm. The Winchester Castle in Hampshire, England is a medieval building that's been dubbed the real-world Camelot. Inside, visitors can glimpse a round table hanging on the wall inscribed with the names of King Arthur’s knights carved around the edge.
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  (#9) Matsue, Closed Entrance to the Underworld

  According to Japanese mythology, Izanagi and Izanami were the first male and female gods. After the death of his wife, Izanagi’s grief caused him to visit his wife in the underworld known as Yomi-no-kuni. He descended to the underworld, where Izanami asked him to wait while she asked the lord’s permission to return with her husband. 

  However, Izanagi grew impatient and entered the underworld, anyway. That made his wife furious and she ordered evil hags to chase him. He managed to escape and closed the gate to the underworld with a boulder. The entrance to the underworld closed by Izanagi is still standing and can be visited in the city of Matsue.
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  (#10) Cyclops Riviera, Odysseus's Epic Journey

  Featured in Homer's epic Odyssey, the Cyclops Riviera stretches along nearly eight miles of Sicily's beautiful eastern coast. The area features seaside towns, orchards, mountains, and other sites where Odysseus stopped on his voyage home after the Trojan War.

  The Cyclops Riviera was named after the savage one-eyed giant who trapped and killed several of Odysseus's companions. For visitors, the site can serve as a base to travel around Sicily or simply a place to soak up the sun on the lava beaches and piers along the sea.
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  (#11) Gates of Guinee, Voodoo Portal to the Spirit World

  In Voodoo mythology, Guinee is known as the spirit world, where the dead roam around and their souls never rest. It's said that there are seven gates to Guinee in New Orleans. If you open them all in the correct order, you're taken to Guinee, where you can mix and mingle with the dead. But if you do it wrong, you've just given a bunch of ghosts free passage into our world. It's unclear which gates are part of the seven, but legend has it you can find a new of them in the local graveyards.
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  (#12) Shangri-La, a Himalayan Utopia

  British novelist James Hilton first mentioned “Shangri-La” in his novel The Lost Horizon as a mythical utopia in the Himalayas, where humans live a long, healthy life. Since the novel was published in 1933, several communities in the Himalayas have claimed to be the novel’s inspiration.  One city renamed themselves in 2001 after the fictional place.

  While no one knows if the city is indeed the earthly paradise depicted in the novel, the town formerly known as Zhongdian in Yunnan Province, China remains a fascinating place to visit. The high-altitude haven is home to the Pudacuo National Park. The Songzanlin Monastery, a historical temple with remarkable views and artwork, is also a big tourist attraction
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  (#13) El Dorado, Golden City at Bottom of Lake Guatavita

  The myth of the golden city El Dorado started with the tale of the golden man. One day, a Colombian native tribe chief covered himself with gold dust and dove into the water of Lake Guatavita as part of a ritual. The rest of the tribe also took part by throwing gold objects into the lake as an offering to gods.

  Other legends depicted El Dorado as an entire city made of gold. Either way, archeologists have found artifacts made of gold and silver at the bottom of the Lake Guatavita in the Andes, connecting the nearly 50-acre-wide Colombian lake with the shimmering myth. 
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  (#14) Kilauea Volcano, Home of Hawaiian Goddess Pele

  While Hawaii is best known for its fabulous beaches, its volcanoes are also important to the local culture. Hawaiian mythology honored Pele as the goddess of volcanoes, as well as the creator of the Hawaiian islands. According to legend, the goddess lives in the Halemaumau crater in the Kilauea volcano.

  The volcano, located in the modern-day Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, is one of the world’s most restless volcanoes. Several parts of Kilauea are accessible to visitors, while other areas can only be observed from the Jaggar Museum lookout. 
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  (#15) Barnsdale Forest, Home of Robin Hood

  English folklore depicted Robin Hood as a hero who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. While his existence is still the subject of debate, some places associated with him prevail as tourist attractions.

  The Barnsdale Forest in South Yorkshire, England, is often mentioned in literature as the area where most events surrounding the heroic figure took place. The area features such sites as Robin Hood’s Well, the Church at Skelbrooke, and the Sayles Plantation, all mentioned in early writings about the hero. 
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  (#16) Old New Synagogue, Home to the Golem of Prauge

  A golem is a mythical human-like creature with magical powers in Jewish folklore. One tale took place in Prague, where a golem was summoned to protect the Jewish people who lived there. However, with its increasing power, the golem grew evil and began terrorizing the city.

  Eventually, a Rabbi managed to kill the golem and stored the remains in the attic of Prague’s Old New Synagogue. Now a tourist attraction, the synagogue has an impressive Gothic style and was one of the very few Jewish relics spared by the Nazis during World War II.

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