Places jonstarbuck Wants to Go

Catering to broken dolls for almost 200 years, this repair shop is now a charnel house of doll parts.

This elaborate Byzantine-style building was designed for a not-so-pretty purpose.

This small chapel is built of human bones and decorated with a golden skeleton.

Decorated with a staggering 1,380 ladybugs, the installation has turned what was once a grim, forgotten nickel mine into a landmark and a statement.

Nestled at the southern end of the Bay of Vlore in Albania resides ruins that contain Illyrian, Greek, and Roman influences.

One of 200 religious buildings recognized as a “culture monument.” 

A temple dedicated to the 13th-century Alevi Turkish dervish credited with bringing Islam to the Balkans.

In this town's main square resides a statue of none other than the 43rd President of the United States.

This beautifully preserved Ottoman house is steeped in history.

Climb into Albania's communist history while enjoying a spectacular ocean view.

A scenic UNESCO site that doubles as a habitat for various forms of wildlife.

This abandoned prison was so notorious that its name has become a metaphor throughout Albania.

In the heart of Tirana, this underground nuclear bunker has been transformed into a museum.

A museum dedicated to secret surveillance.

Once a safe haven for locals engaged in blood feuds, this 400-year-old fortified tower is now a museum showing what life was like for those lying in wait within its walls.

The largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans once held over 20,000 people, but managed to lay hidden for hundreds of years.

According to a local legend, this old castle could only be built after a woman was immured in the walls.

The elliptical citadel resisted the advance of the mighty Ottomans several times, thanks to the military prowess of the "Dragon of Albania."

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.

This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.

An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.

Iron Age grave stones and Viking burials, a short drive from Gothenburg.

Sweden's southernmost prehistoric rock art is hidden just outside Gothenburg.