This stoic bronze soldier stands as a symbol of Russian sacrifice or Soviet oppression, or maybe both.

The Guardian of Tallinn.

An underground nightclub helped spark a "Singing Revolution."

This striking memorial is one of Estonia’s most controversial Soviet leftovers.

Relics from an era long gone, sit idle outside this Estonian museum.

Only a fragment of this 15th-century Dance of Death survives today.

This medieval Estonian tower provides access to a series of tunnels that have been home to soldiers, punks, and fine art.

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

A former Latvian headquarters of the brutal KGB secret police is now open as a grim reminder of their atrocities.

This controversial statue once honoured a Russian Field Marshall, before ultimately being dismantled in a push to remove symbols of Russian influence.

A statue built to honor the elite soldiers who fought for Latvia during World War I.

This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.

This charming Latvian lane doubled as Baker Street on the Soviet Union’s version of Sherlock Holmes.

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.

Buried in the Laos jungle is a sanctuary for bears that would have otherwise been milked to death by poachers.

Thousands of effigies of Buddha watch from caves set high above a legendary river, plus whiskey.

This tiered waterfall is so pretty it may cause visitors to cry tears of their own.

Buddha shrines hide within dark tunnels at this unique forest temple.

This sprawling concrete suburb of Kraków was designed by the Soviet Union as the model proletarian city.

This watchtower once presided over the Berlin Wall.

An imperial church bombed to ruins during WWII now stands as a jagged memorial.

Tiny memorials honor individual victims of the Holocaust.

The final resting place of many of Germany's most famous communists.

One of downtown Berlin's last reminders of its Communist past.