Places rigor Wants to Go

This symbol of Yugoslav liberation decorated with 620 carved heads of mythical creatures is now a forlorn relic of another time.

A grand Yugoslav memorial to the group of partisans who fought and died resisting western Serbia’s Nazi occupation.

A sinuous path among steep cliffs creates a stunning sight in southwestern Serbia.

Serbia's master of striking memorials erected a forgotten, hidden gem in the hills outside a tiny village.

This memorial park stands on the site of one of the largest mass executions of the Second World War.

The bizarre rocks of Đavolja Varoš are the result of natural erosion.

Two distorted Romanesque columns hold aloft a mine cart in honor of laborers who died during WWII.

A futuristic, brutalist masterpiece that is also strangely prison-like.

Space-age monument to an early 20th-century uprising.

Stone pillars and a petrified wedding party in the hills of North Macedonia.

This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.

Celebrated example of Ottoman architecture that also served as a site for brutal massacres.

A war-torn Olympic relic is being overtaken by graffiti and nature.

A bridge destroyed three times: once as a ruse, then in an actual attack, and finally for the movies.

These warring psychedelic crags commemorate an unsuccessful military operation.

There's a mini version of Iguazu Falls hidden in the Balkans, and it's got a rope swing.

This cluster of little wooden huts once ground local farmers’ wheat into flour during the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This brutalist monument is inscribed with 9921 names of Yugoslav partisans who perished during WWII.

Legend has it fairies gathered at the site of this medieval castle.

This huge metal monument is slowly being stripped to its concrete skeleton.

Longest fortress system anywhere in Europe.

A musical instrument played by the sea.

The remains of a sunken military ship wreck visible through clear water.