Munich in $460s-$530s RT

Munich has no shortage of well-designed buildings. But there's one that stands out, especially to fans of weird local legends: the Frauenkirche.

When you step inside the central hall of this gorgeous Gothic cathedral, you're greeted by an apparent paradox. Although the hall is flooded with beautiful natural light, there's only one visible window, way over at the far end of the church. So where is the light coming from?

The illusion reveals itself only after you walk forward and shift your perspective. Each step further exposes more of the windows that line both sides of the church, carefully placed to be hidden behind the massive pillars holding up the roof. It's as if the building is laying bare its architectural secrets, one step at a time.

According to legend, this design choice stems from a deal that architect Jorg von Halspach made with the Devil. Old Scratch would put up the, well, scratch for construction, and in return, von Halspach promised to build a church dedicated to darkness, with no windows at all. When the Devil realized he had been fooled by the pillars, he supposedly stamped his foot in a rage.

To this day, a single black footprint remains melted into the floor of the Frauenkirche's central hall. Apparently, Satan wears a size 9 shoe