Places Matt Ablewhite Wants to Go

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.

A preserved oak tree about 3,500 years old found in Riga, Latvia.

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

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 beautiful collection of taxidermy birds and rare pomological wax models.

Soaring over 6,000 feet in the Bavarian Alps, this beer garden was once Hitler's 50th birthday present.

The fairy tale castle of the “fairy-tale king,” this was also the inspiration for Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”

This impressive castle looms over small German town.

The prototype for all Nazi concentration camps.

The scars of World War II are preserved on its walls.

Golden cobblestones remember a time when this small alley was used to avoid having to give a Nazi salute.

Daily jousts and dancing barrel makers in Munich's mechanical clock.

The patron saint of spinsters grasps a container of dried blood.

A museum dedicated Germany's favorite drink and most well-known festival.