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

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.

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

With a design inspired by traditional Latvian textiles, this monument honors the Latvian people who suffered under Soviet occupation.

Latvia's symbolic mountain-shaped national library is home to millions of cultural tomes.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

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

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

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

Museum celebrating the ocean, with the largest wunderkammer dedicated to sea exploration.

This statue of the great Argentinian car driver is located near a famous curve of the Monaco Grand Prix.

This massive blockhead sculpture hides an entire library.

This saucy statue once caused outrage among locals.

It's just another skyscraper, but it's shaped like '90s cell phone.

A 63-foot-tall swinging ball hypnotizes passersby, and proves to any remaining doubters that the Earth is spinning.

A 300-foot-long Cold War submarine floats in a Chilean River as a maritime museum.

This dark, damp, perilous tunnel is the only passage from north to south Tajikistan.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

Once a luxurious flagship of the Soviet Union, this Brutalist structure remains a landmark of Tashkent’s communist past.

An underground world of gorgeous, palatial metro stations designed as a nuclear shelter complex.

Prowl through this sprawling bazaar under a massive Soviet-era dome for delicious eats.

Visiting dignitaries and Hollywood stars once stayed at this 1920s hotel, alongside ghosts that are said to haunt its corridors.

This stone complex marks the urban center of a lost civilization.

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.