Imagine a place where the Earth hisses, belches sulfur, and constantly exhales white plumes of steam into the sky. A place where black eggs are boiled in volcanic springs and eaten to gain extra years of life. Welcome to Owakudani—one of Japan’s most unusual and naturally hostile locations, and one that feels like it sits right at the edge of the spirit world.

There are cities that remember history. And then there are cities that live it. Old Québec, nestled within the walls of Québec City, is the kind of place where every step echoes with the past, where cannons guard the cliffs and church bells sing over ancient plazas.