These abundant, over-the-top monuments are so widely scattered that they define the entire compact capital cityscape, often leading to jokes about whether there are more statues than residents.

In the hometown of the Catholic saint and Nobel Peace Prize winner, a memorial dedicated to her legacy.

A Brutalist architectural gem hidden among Skopje’s neoclassical buildings.

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.

This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.

A scenic UNESCO site that doubles as a habitat for various forms of wildlife.

Monasteries on rock pillars, once accessible only by frayed ropes.

This 13th-century monastery chiseled into the side of a mountain is equipped with a bridge that can be lifted to protect against raids.

One of the most photographed locations in the entire city.

A late 4th-century BC archaeological wonder located just outside the suburbs of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Meant to be a lavish presidential home, the palace became a symbol of the fall of South Vietnam.

This French colonial post office is arguably the grandest in all of Southeast Asia.

This historic spot was where America's involvement in the Vietnam War officially came to an end.

A nightmare for the claustrophobic lies hidden in Southeast Asia.

Showcasing some of the best-preserved temples of the Champa Kingdom.

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

The notorious "Hanoi Hilton" where Vietnamese colonial subjects and later American POWs, including John McCain, were imprisoned.

Home of the unusual art of water puppetry, one of Vietnam's oldest curiosities.

This time-honored eatery near Hoàn Kiếm Lake serves the classic pairing of rice vermicelli soup and savory sticky rice.

This steamed rice crepe specialist has been rolling up its namesake dish for over 30 years.

Ho Chi Minh's perfectly preserved body has been on display here since 1975.

Monument to a brutal, ineffectual US bombing campaign and a sobering reminder of the human cost of the Vietnam War.

Ha Long Bay's "Cave of Surprises" houses a popular phallic rock formation.

Historic medieval fortified city in southwest France.