A beautifully preserved and hidden 16th-century alleyway, tucked behind an unassuming door.

This statue dedicated to the story of a Flemish boy and his dog was relatively obscure in Belgium, but a cult sensation in Japan.

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.

A mystery of a buried artist and a 14th-century church.

This stone tower was built to protect Crete from incoming pirates.

Ruins of a 13th-century fortress perched above a breathtaking Mediterranean bay.

A cave network located at the southernmost tip of mainland Greece was once believed to be an entrance to Hades.

The historic tower houses of this nearly abandoned Greek town have been compared to the spikes on an iguana's back.

This cave complex might provide a link between the Neolithic and the Classical Greek period.

This town named for the ancient God of War is home to fewer than a thousand people, but it's the birthplace of the Greek Revolution.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.

A historical western settlement that is known as one of the three most disappointing sights of Japan.

A faithful reconstruction of what was once the only window into Japan.

The birthplace of the Japanese idiom "wet clothes" meaning “false accusation."

In the oldest zen temple stands a descendant of the very tree that introduced tea to Japanese culture.

Some of the specimens on display at the Leiden University Medical Center have been helping educate physicians since the 17th century.

An ancient Egyptian temple sits within a modern European museum.

The oldest statue in the Netherlands has survived relocation, bombardment, and burial.

A set of parking garage escalators doubling as a historical overview of Rotterdam.

Hidden within a Netherlands crater is a stone bed that lets those who lie in it see the sky as a curved surface.

A buried bunker offers both a scenic view and a melancholy reminder of Duindorp’s wartime past.

A monument to the bloody fight against fascism in Slovakia during World War II.

An ornate plague column – built to celebrate life – claimed the lives of numerous artisans during its construction.