This former Nazi castle was built as a school to train what would have been the future of the Third Reich.

An eerie ghost village hidden in the forests of the Eifel, frozen in a strange postwar limbo.

These enormous, stern-faced statues greet visitors with lanterns, and sometimes costumes.

This insurance company building reminds customers that witches, bears, and gnomes are out there, best be insured.

A collection of collections ranging from dentistry to minerals.

Architecturally stunning library serves as the hub of Finnish scholarly life and culture.

The tiny, studious rodents greet visitors to the National Archives of Finland.

Dedicated to the outnumbered Finnish forces who pushed back Soviet forces during the conflict.

Finland's oldest astronomical observatory once played a crucial role in seafaring and timekeeping.

A lovingly curated curio shop in which the taxidermy wear newspaper party hats, and peanut shells are spread across every surface.

What was once a bustling mining installation is now a bustling hub of contemporary art.

This bike path traverses the treetops.

Six turbines towering over a wide road for passersby.

The "stairway to heaven" lookout tower was built to resist weather, arson, and the laws of physics.

A giant bug impaled on a 75-foot-tall needle.

This whimsical statue dumps water on its head to symbolize knowledge flowing into his brain. Or maybe booze.

A 20-meter (65-foot) robot towers over Tokyo Bay.

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

This lesser-visited gallery in a corner of the Tokyo National Museum complex is an architectural beauty dedicated to the ancient treasures of Hōryū-ji.

This site commemorates the life of a Japanese scientist who dedicated his life to the discovery of diseases.

Unbeknownst to many, an ancient burial mound hides in plain sight in Ueno Park.

Students pray here in hopes of entering one of Japan’s most prestigious universities.

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.