A tragic legacy of the attempt to beautify Skopje and line the pockets of corrupt politicians

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

This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

This 3,800-year-old site contains markers used to study the movement of the sun and moon and create a lunar calendar.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

Taking the subway here means doing so over a bridge located in the middle of an estuary.

One of the newest mosques in a city filled with thousands.

A mosque with distinctive modern features.

Resting place and mausoleum of the founder and first president of Turkey.

The ruins of a Roman temple from 1st Century BC with the only preserved inscription of “The Deeds of the Divine Augustus.”

A collection of over 700 chess sets in a beautiful historic building.

Heralded as one of the prettiest castles in all of Czechia.

The oldest hydroelectric plant in Czechia is now a museum.

An ornate plague column – built to celebrate life – claimed the lives of numerous artisans during its construction.

Tiny communists hammer away on the Olomouc Astronomical Clock.

"Medieval" castle built in the mid-20th century by one family.

This Hungarian stilt village is built in a lake that never freezes over due to the power plant that that uses it as a cooling pond.

From Austrians to Nazis to Soviets, this historic Budapest fortress has a history as complex as the city itself.

This memorial to a murdered empress took 20 years to design, then spent 30 years hidden away in storage.

On Gellért Hill, this statue depicts the tragic tale of lovers divided by the Danube.

A triumphant marble and bronze fountain depicting a 15th-century Hungarian king and his hunting party.

Built in 1870 at the bridge that connected Buda and Pest, this spectacular incline railway was almost lost forever during World War II.