These enormous, stern-faced statues greet visitors with lanterns, and sometimes costumes.

An alien church provides much needed silence in the midst of a Finland shopping center.

A subterranean house of worship carved right out of the bedrock.

This endearingly discomfited urinating statue commemorates the sneaky pees had by us all.

Latvia's symbolic mountain-shaped national library is home to millions of cultural tomes.

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

A subtle memorial marks where a human chain protested Soviet control in 1989.

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

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

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

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

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

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

With a design inspired by traditional Latvian textiles, this monument honors the Latvian people who suffered under Soviet occupation.

A statue built to honor the elite soldiers who fought for Latvia during World War I.

This magnificent Art Deco church is a reflection of Lithuania’s turbulent history.

A memorial to the murdered Jews of Kaunas.

This museum houses and extensive collection of technology contributed by the Polish people.

Complex tile installations designed by a renowned Polish artist in a Warsaw subway.

An enormous and lavish Gothic church in Czechia.

A church of bones, decorated with 40,000 human skeletons.

This ex-prison dates back to the Middle Ages.

In the center of Wrocław's old meat market stands a somber tribute to the city's livestock.

It’s a painted window that looks completely real, hiding on a building in the market square.