Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira

In the town of Sintra, the beautiful (if a bit eccentric) Quinta da Regaleira estate was built in 1904 by a wealthy Portuguese businessman. 

The ornate gothic grand house plays anchor to a network of gardens, tunnels, grottos, and two wells, all steeped in symbolism of ancient secret orders and other mysteries. 

The famously overgrown Initiation Well—a 90-foot-deep arcaded spiral staircase—was intended not for water collection but rather for ceremonies like Tarot initiation rites. It contains several small landings, the spacing of which, along with the number of steps, is inspired by the Tarot.

The estate has been abandoned for years but is now a UNESCO World Heritage site within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra." Although it is managed by the state and maintained as a tourist attraction, the moss and vegetation continue to creep up the walls of this mystical space.