The Renaissance-era courthouse is a relic from the fortified town's centuries of Venetian rule.

Croatia's "hairy stone" fortress is one of the most well preserved Istrian castles.

This truly palatial work of Communist-era architecture now sits crumbling on a Croatian beach.

This Roman monument is surrounded by more recent construction, offering a stark contrast between ancient architecture and the modern urban landscape.

This historic floating crane became an unlikely symbol of the port of Trieste.

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

This ornate Victorian marketplace was the setting for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in the first ‘Harry Potter’ film.

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.

In the past, Renaissance sex workers were encouraged to entice customers on this bridge.

This lesser-known Frank Gehry building houses a treasure trove of cinema history.

Part of this hotel resides in Switzerland, the other in France, and the border splits the honeymoon suite.

Florentine Renaissance style building in Switzerland, home to the world's largest taxidermy Great White Shark.

Breathtaking and huge 430 year old maps of Italy.

Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.

The world's longest and deepest train tunnel.

Lucerne's central prison was converted into a tourist hotel with a bare minimum of changes.

This historic covered bridge contains a series of macabre paintings that communicate one thing: everyone dies.

According to tradition this is the oldest church in Venice, but its actual age is a mystery.

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

The pile of books behind the dignified writer gave the statue a most undignified nickname.

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.

This Roman statue is missing a limb from when the Venetians stole it from Constantinople during the Crusades.

A poem by Arthur Rimbaud is inscribed on the wall of a street that, while it is only one block long, plays a key role in multiple novels.

A simple plaque on the facade is the only reminder that the treaty ending the American Revolution was signed inside.