I've spent countless hours exploring damn near all of Skyrim's vast amount of dungeons, ruins, caves and other locations. Exploring these places is my favorite thing to do and there's nothing better than coming across a location with its own mini quest and secrets. I'm looking for a reason to explore some of these places again and some of the better ones I've forgotten the location and name.

So this is where I ask you to provide me with some of your favorite locations so I can head there and explore them once again.

Kagrenzel is one of my favorites, because it's WAY off any paths, is mysterious, and doesn't have any quests attached to it. It's just a random Dwarven ruin way up in the mountains, and I love that.

I also liked stumbling onto that ruin between Dawnstar and Morthal, involving the Pale Lady. Great introduction, with the woman rushing out with a bunch of bandits chasing her, and turned out to have an awesome surprise deep down inside it.

Abandoned prison was pretty memorable, too. And another Dwarven ruin, the one in the southern Rift, where you have to return the lexicon you get from the crazed Argonian in Riften. That was pretty cool. Oh, and those two connecting Nordic towers in the mountains south of Riverwood. I can't remember the names, I just know they had a tunnel connecting them and a wispmother was outside one of 'em.

I know I'm forgetting some others, because there are TONS of awesome places to just stumble onto and explore.

Now that you mention it, I don't think I ever explored the Abandoned Prison. I'm sure I came across it but was on the wrong side of a river and was too busy on a quest to find a way across. I always meant to go back. Pretty excited to go check it out now.

It isn't particularly big or anything, but it's a neat little location that adds a lot of flavor to the world, I think. It's also not as abandoned as the name would imply, but I'm sure that isn't surprising lol. It does have a very short little story to go with it, though.

Just remembered, I like that ruin east of Windhelm, Yngol's Barrow I think it's called. Only because I was not at all prepared for those unique little blue-green light balls that follow you throughout it (I'm fairly certain they might be the ghosts of Yngol's crew). And the fact that there's only one hostile enemy in the whole thing, which is neat. The unique helm is also nice.

I really enjoyed exploring the Abandoned Prison. Great little story line to it as well.

I also enjoy the Pale Lady, I actually did it today on my Skaal warrior. It has been awhile and I totally forgot about till I helped the female bandit out in battle.

I seem to never do all the quests on character and after two or three months they are forgotten and bam! There they are again and enjoying them like it was the first time.

Vanilla:

Japhet's Folly - It involves a nice storyline and has some interesting mechanics.

Giant's Grove - Nice and secluded, it just feels different then the rest of the world.

Labyrinthian(Shalidor's maze) - A funny little maze, with some nice rewards.

DLC:

Ancestor Glade: Just a nice veiw to take in.

Bloodskal Barrow: A different kind of dungeon with a unique weapon.

There is another one for the dlc, it is from dragonborn, a secondary location containing

It's an interesting find.

There are so many more that I cannot remember at this time, but maybe I will remember and post again.

Another nice place to explore is Shriekwind Bastion. Nice visuals, lots of loot and plenty undead to shank :3

explore the unmarked areas...

Find the skeleton handcuffed to a flag near the beach... wonder what their story was.

Stuff like that hidden all through the world, if you go looking for it.

There was a place, more in the north I believe, where outside and in there were ghosts that would attack you and while doing it they would seem apologetic as if they were being forced to do it. It was a small dungeon where you fell through a hole in the ground and landed in a cage placed in the middle of a room where a necromancer lived. Anyone know the name of this place by chance?