Switzerland's oldest public observatory is an important part of the Zurich cityscape.

The steepest classic funicular in the world glides along a dizzying incline.

A 30-foot-high stream of chocolate flows continuously at the Lindt Home of Chocolate.

Explore the five senses depicted on this protruding Gothic window.

While this monument tile is shrouded in mystery it also marks the end of the longest ever human chain.

This micro-nation may be some sort of prank, but its constitution sure seems official.

Over time, this castle grew to encompass the entire island.

A century-old prison in the heart of Vilnius is now a lively bar, dance club, and artist residency.

This former KGB building is now a museum memorializing the people who suffered during the Soviet regime.

A 15-foot-tall statue of the head of the Sopranos family greets passengers at a train station in southeastern Lithuania.

An abandoned masterpiece of Soviet Brutalist architecture.

Travelers who fall victim to this mermaid's charms are destined to stay in Užupis forever.

Plaques celebrating Lithuanian writers freckle a wall of this picture-perfect path.

Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte fell in love with this Gothic church.

A miraculous three-handed portrait of a saint can be found inside this church.

This enigmatic artifact remained buried in a churchyard for years.

A preserved oak tree about 3,500 years old found in Riga, Latvia.

A former Latvian headquarters of the brutal KGB secret police is now open as a grim reminder of their atrocities.

This charming Latvian lane doubled as Baker Street on the Soviet Union’s version of Sherlock Holmes.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.

This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.

A statue built to honor the elite soldiers who fought for Latvia during World War I.