One artist's collection of homemade handicrafts doubles as a monument to 20th-century material culture.

A majestic hotel for dreamers rises from the center of a fairytale wood.

Countless grotesque faces stare out from this eerie Prague art wall.

The hidden lair of an alchemist rediscovered in a 2002 flood.

A collection of anatomical samples from one of the first anthropologists to suggest that humans reached North America by crossing the Bering Strait.

Kings Cross Station pays tribute to its role in Britain's best-selling book series.

Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.

Ruined 11th century abbey built by King David I in Edinburgh, Scotland.

This bustling Italian plaza is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater.

Elaborately carved to showcase the glorious wealth that the age of exploration brought to the Portuguese empire.

A king's pet, a pope's gift, an artist's inspiration, and a tragic shipwreck.

The world's oldest bookshop still in operation.

Every equinox this Maya pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show.

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.

Every hour the doors open to reenact the legend of the heroic mayor who saved his town by drinking a gallon of wine.

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

A vast Communist-era exhibition space in the Bulgarian capital.

Eastern Bloc nostalgia, anybody?

A Bulgarian monument to Russia's role in World War II is constantly being painted in pop culture protest.

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This bar and museum are devoted to the controversial comic book work of Kája Saudek.