Places NixOfNowhere Wants to Go

An abandoned sanatorium building from the early 20th century sits in the forest of the Rila mountains.

While it would not look out of place among Serbian spomeniks, this massive Bulgarian monument commemorates one of their defeats.

One of the largest mines in Bulgaria is now home to a vast museum more than 100 feet underground.

A flamboyant five-story building in Bulgaria resembles a crawling snail.

"Unity, Creativity, Beauty."

A collection of art from Bulgaria's time as a communist state.

The famous springs of this small town still flow outside this historic building.

Bizarrely shaped rock formations in northwest Bulgaria come with equally bizarre legends.

The second-largest Jewish temple in Bulgaria was deserted after World War II, seized by the communist government and then abandoned again.

The ceiling of Prohodna Cave in northern Bulgaria affords a peek at the sky via two deity-sized-eye-shaped holes.

A massive cave once a secret military base is now home to thousands of bats.

An homage to the medieval rulers of Bulgaria.

The social hall of this former factory is a Communist-era time capsule.

Rebuilt several decades ago, its striking murals prevent it from being reconsecrated as a church.

A decaying, yet still functioning, work of communist architecture.

Outstanding, eerie frescoes and decorations fill this 19th-century monastery.

A mysterious tunnel hidden in the shadows of a colorful, historic sanctuary.

This massive concrete sculpture is said to be the heaviest communist monument on Earth.

Crossing a suspension bridge above a forest is the only way to reach this 12th-century monastery.

A Soviet-style monument, built after transferring the remains of heroes from their graves.

Mysterious standing stone formations looks like a petrified forest.

This once-grandiose behemoth of a monument from the socialist era now sits quiet and closed up.

Massive, unfinished broadcasting station stands as a monument to the fall of communism.

This massive stone and steel monument remembers a century-old battle that cost thousands of lives and nearly destroyed the city.