500 Adrenaline Adventures (Frommer's) - Lois Friedland [257]
Plenty of spine-tingling relics are on display at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago.
International Museum of Surgical Science, 1524 N. Lake Shore Dr. ( 312/642-6502;www.imss.org).
When to Go: Year-round.
O’Hare International (15 miles/24km).
$$ Hotel Allegro, 171 N. Randolph St. ( 800/643-1500;www.allegrochicago.com).
Skulls & Bones & Catacombs
If your taste in adventure runs toward the dark side, few places will satisfy your macabre impulses more than a visit to an old catacomb, tomb, or ossuary. Some go back to ancient times, while others were in operation as recently as the 1970s. Because these are often underground tours through miles of human remains, they’re not recommended for the claustrophobic, the squeamish, or for anyone—kids or adults—who may have nightmares as a result. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. —ML
Les Catacombes de Paris, France: After many generations, the graveyards of Paris were filled to overflowing—literally. By the late 1700s, bodies spilling out of many graveyards had become a public health menace, so city officials decided to move the remains into the city’s vast underground network of tunneled quarries. For decades, the city’s graveyards were emptied and the bones were interred in these tunnels, which have been open to the public since 1810. The entrance to the Catacombs is near the Denfert-Rochereau Metro stop in the Montparnasse area. After walking through a simple museum, you’re free to wander through stacks and stacks of dried bones and artfully arranged skulls. www.catacombes-de-paris.fr.
The Catacombs of the Capuchins, Palermo, Italy: A mysterious preservative found here acts as a natural mummifier, maintaining human remains in a startlingly lifelike way. The Sicilians found here are well-attired and smartly coiffed, as if expecting visitors. Rosalia Lombaro, who was buried when she was just 2 years old, is one resident visitors never forget. She still has all her hair tied back in a faded ribbon and is so well preserved that she appears to be napping, giving her the nickname “Sleeping Beauty.” Azienda Autonoma Turismo ( 39/91-6058111).
The Skull Tower, Nis, Serbia: In 1809, Serbian rebels fighting the Turkish Ottomans advanced toward Nis, only to be thwarted on Cegar Hill by the much stronger Turkish forces. Rather than surrender, Serbian troop leader Stevan Sindelic fired at his own gunpowder supplies; the resulting fireball killed Sindelic, his troops, and the Turks. As a warning to other Serb rebels, the Turkish commander had the rebels’ bodies decapitated and their skulls built into the walls of a tower, with Sindelic’s skull at the top. In 1892, after the tower deteriorated from exposure to the elements, a chapel was constructed to enclose the tower. It remains a moving monument to the sacrifices of war. www.ni.rs.
The Catacombs, Rome, Italy: There are dozens of catacombs in and around Rome, but most are closed to the public. Those that allow tours are usually operated by religious orders and have limited operating hours. The Catacombs of St. Domitilla stand out; after entering through a sunken 4th-century church, you’ll see the actual bones of the deceased and an impressive 2nd-century fresco of the Last Supper. In the Catacombs of St. Sebastian, highlights include early Christian mosaics and graffiti. The biggest, most popular, and most crowded site, the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, has a vast network of galleries that house the crypts of 16 popes, as well as early Christian statues and paintings. www.catacombsociety.org.
Veliki Tabor, Zagorje, Croatia: Sometimes