Stripes of human ashes cover a back lawn in the most sought-after burial grounds in Paris.

The oldest and smallest cemetery in Paris is only open to the public twice a year.

A 16th-century fountain marks the site of a lost medieval cemetery once filled with mass graves.

This tiny hotel perched atop a 50-foot tower really puts things into perspective.

19th-century scientists would make the pilgrimage here to verify the precision of their measuring sticks.

This gorgeous reading room houses the oldest and largest art history library in the Netherlands.

Its front wall is striped with a menagerie of fantastic beasts and magnificent monsters.

These ancient sunken lanes were naturally tunneled into the soft ground by countless footsteps.

Romans built the world's tallest artificial waterfall in 271 BC.

The world's largest grapevine has produced a delicious harvest at Hampton Court Palace for almost 250 years.

Exquisite wall sculptures carved in secret by an early quarryman in an obscure corner of the Paris Catacombs.

Deep in the countryside lie the remains of one of the grandest Roman dwellings in Britain.

This charming railway is one of the oldest and steepest funiculars in England.

An 80-year-old plane tree is devouring an iron bench at Ireland's oldest law school.

This romantic, decaying 13th-century ruin on the edge of Sherwood Forest is reputedly one of England's most haunted places.

All unmarked mute swans on the Thames are owned by the Queen per a tradition that began in the 12th century.

Richard III supposedly disposed of his nephews' bodies here in an effort to seal his claim to the throne.

The ruins of a medieval castle linked to the murderous French lord that inspired the famous legend of Bluebeard.

All that remains of the fishing-vessel-turned-warship is its weathered hull.

This beautiful example of Victorian engineering is the oldest water-balanced funicular anywhere in the world.

A plaque marks the underground site of one of London's "lost rivers."

This tiny business claims to be "the smallest pub on the planet."

This hidden green space is the city's second largest conservatory.

A medieval replica of King Arthur's legendary table, the Round Table hanging in Winchester Castle was decorated by Henry VIII.