Monuments don't get much more metal than these three giant viking swords planted in a Nordic hill.

The convergence of two currents makes this a surprisingly pleasant getaway in the Arctic Circle.

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

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

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.

Buried next to Pompeii, this lesser-known Roman villa was the opulent vacation home of Emperor Nero's wife.

This amazingly well-preserved villa just outside Pompeii boasts rare examples of ancient Roman paintings.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

The walls and streets of the ancient city are peppered with penises.

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.

A former Roman town that was once the home of Scipio Africanus.

This medieval city gate is now a blend of the past and the modern world.

San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, greets pedestrians between these narrow city streets.

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

A vast museum devoted to North Korea's victories against its imperialist enemies.

A highly symbolic tower in honor of Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung's personal philosophy.

Captured in 1968, the Cold War spy ship is the only U.S. Navy vessel being held by a foreign government.

North Korea's massive "hotel of doom."

A prestigious learning institute of old Shanghai.

Beijing's expansive subterranean hiding spot now crumbles away as a tourist destination.

The embalmed remains of the communist leader lie within a custom crystal coffin.

An ancient Chinese temple where even the emperor dressed like a farmer in the name of the harvest.

The burial grounds of a Chinese eunuch who served his way into the highest levels of Imperial government.