The untimely death of a dignitary's daughter led to this fort being abandoned before it was ever finished.

The fight to make Bengali an official language started in this stunning university hall.

The "lost friend” is the most famous of the six moai statues that were removed from Easter Island.

Giant, friendly pelicans in Central London, the most unlikely of places.

Six ravens are kept captive (but well-fed) at the Tower of London to prevent the fall of the Crown.

A brutalist gem towering over the heart of Milan.

This grisly effigy displays an early Christian martyr who was skinned alive and beheaded.

Artistic tombs, monuments, and a beautiful "Hall of Fame" lurk inside this cemetery.

Milan's duomo is covered in beautiful carving including a curious "dinosaur-like" beast.

This giant middle finger statue sends an unambiguous message to Italy's bankers.

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.

The secret medieval communication system will whisk your words above the noise of the crowd.

A waterfall runs right through the middle of this Taiwanese shrine to the hundreds of workers killed while building a nearby highway.

An extraordinary natural landscape of mountains, waterfalls, and rocky cliffs riddled with tunnels.

White beach sands made of the remains of tiny, star shaped creatures.

This monumental intersection commemorates the day Okinawa switched to driving on the left.

The seat of the lost Ryukyu Kingdom has survived numerous fires and wars over the centuries.

One of Mexico's least-visited archaeological sites is tucked away inside a theme park.

Still standing despite its considerable slant, this tilted lighthouse has become a local symbol of resilience.

An exhibition devoted to the life (and posthumous taxidermy form) of the last known representative of the Pinta Island Tortoises.

Since the 1700s, this old barrel has acted as a post box that relies on the kindness of travelers.

This museum’s collection includes rescued birds, fine art, and a collection of shrunken heads.

An Ecuadorian haberdashery that sets the record straight about the so-called "Panama" hat.

This historic street in Quito is known for its seven stone crosses—and one presidential assassination.