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

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

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

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

A black cat protests the City Guild in Riga's Old Town.

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

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

Built to ward off Napoleon's army, this city-sized abandoned Russian fort is now perfect for urban exploration.

This Latvian shot factory is still used twice a year to manufacture bullets the old-fashioned way.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

An 18-meter-long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.

Looking for a unifying history, Uzbekistan finds its answer in a 14th Century Turco-Mongol conqueror... despite the fact he wasn't Uzbek.

The oldest continuously operating fish market in the United States.

Home to items never before seen by the public.

This plaque celebrates the sister city relationship between Fredricksburg and Fréjus.

This war hero's old shop remembers the fine line between medicine and quackery during the Revolutionary War.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.