This lonely minaret with an unusual decorative symbol is all that remains of a historic Ottoman mosque.

A scattered cemetery of medieval tombstones, each carved with indivdual patterns and scenes, overlooking a bright blue lake.

This virtually windowless mass of smooth concrete is the only Catholic church in the city.

Its frescoes depict the likeness of Marshal Tito, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels burning in hell.

A curious cave church carved into the face of a cliff.

The hairpin turns in this mountain road take the shape of a letter—is it a coincidence or a symbol of love?

A curious little museum dedicated to the furry feline in the cat haven that is Old Town Kotor.

These historic defenses ensured the city within would survive hundreds of years of occupations, sieges, and invasions.

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.

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

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?

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

A memorial to the atrocities of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.

Once the fallout shelter of a dictator, this sprawling bunker is now a combined history museum and contemporary art gallery.

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

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

These caves secretly held national treasures during World War II.

This ancient Greek place of assembly and marketplace is being revealed layer by layer below the modern Athens cityscape.

Legend says it was constructed with the destroyed pillar of an ancient Greek Temple.

An ancient octagonal weather station named for the eight Greek gods of wind.

Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

Heralded as the world's first theater, these ruins are often overlooked as they reside in the shadows of the Acropolis.

An ancient Greek monument and a Byzantine church coexist inside this cave.

The Cycladic architecture makes this Athens neighborhood feel like an island paradise hidden in the shadow of the Acropolis.