From countless religions to cult shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the idea of reaching hell through a portal on Earth has been around for thousands of years, reports Daily Mail.

Almost every faith features the concept of an underworld, where the souls of sinners are banished.

Some believe that the afterlife is a spiritual place reached after death – but others have thought that hell can be reached more directly through an entrance on Earth.

Atlas Obscura collected a series of these purported gates to hell – and some of their locations are somewhat surprising.

There’s a purported gate to hell in the otherwise pleasant town of Hellam Township in Pennsylvania, but the traditional hell of Christian scripture can apparently be reached through places in Greece, Ireland and Rome.

Or you could travel to a Mayan cave, Japanese swamp or a fiery pit of lava in Iceland.

Regardless of whether you believe the legends, take a look at some of the stunning locations around the planet that people thought (and some still do) lead straight to hell.