Nestled at the southern end of the Bay of Vlore in Albania resides ruins that contain Illyrian, Greek, and Roman influences.

One of 200 religious buildings recognized as a “culture monument.” 

Gigantic water vessel, permanently grounded in Southern Albania.

This virtually windowless mass of smooth concrete is the only Catholic church in the city.

Its frescoes depict the likeness of Marshal Tito, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels burning in hell.

A tiny church on a man-made island in the Adriatic.

A curious little museum dedicated to the furry feline in the cat haven that is Old Town Kotor.

These historic defenses ensured the city within would survive hundreds of years of occupations, sieges, and invasions.

One of the world's oldest olive trees, thought to be over 2,000 years old.

On top of a resort town as old as the Bronze Age sits an incredible war memorial statue overlooking the beaches below.

This abandoned prison was so notorious that its name has become a metaphor throughout Albania.

Once a safe haven for locals engaged in blood feuds, this 400-year-old fortified tower is now a museum showing what life was like for those lying in wait within its walls.

According to a local legend, this old castle could only be built after a woman was immured in the walls.

Decorated with a staggering 1,380 ladybugs, the installation has turned what was once a grim, forgotten nickel mine into a landmark and a statement.

See how paper is made the old-fashioned way.

This lonely minaret with an unusual decorative symbol is all that remains of a historic Ottoman mosque.

A 14th-century Serbian Orthodox church that was once converted into a mosque under the much-disfavored Ottoman Empire.

A temple dedicated to the 13th-century Alevi Turkish dervish credited with bringing Islam to the Balkans.

The elliptical citadel resisted the advance of the mighty Ottomans several times, thanks to the military prowess of the "Dragon of Albania."

Explore a traditional Albanian dwelling that pays tribute to the region's rich history.

In this town's main square resides a statue of none other than the 43rd President of the United States.

Once the fallout shelter of a dictator, this sprawling bunker is now a combined history museum and contemporary art gallery.

The largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans once held over 20,000 people, but managed to lay hidden for hundreds of years.

One of the best examples of a Byzantine period monument in Albania.