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

This former Nazi labor camp is now a poignant memorial, complete with giant Soviet-style monuments.

This ornate church has survived Nazi and Soviet occupation, including a short stint as a Soviet-era gymnasium and cinema.

This enigmatic artifact remained buried in a churchyard for years.

The mile-long pier stretches from a ruined fortress out into the Baltic.

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

Built to ward off Napoleon's army, this city-sized abandoned Russian fort is now perfect for urban exploration.

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

Mysterious heaps of stones dot these otherworldly woods.

The widest waterfall in Europe is a natural wonder and one of the only places where fish are caught in the air.

A railway bridge leading nowhere stands lonely in the middle of a meadow.

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

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

These crumbling Latvian forts make for some haunting seaside ruins.

A black cat protests the City Guild in Riga's Old Town.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.

Visitors can sit and study the board with this Estonian chess legend and International Grandmaster.

These two strange cones are actually a system of old nautical navigation beacons.

The first designer power line in Estonia.

Dedicated to the untimely death of American balloonist and parachutist.

Legend has it that not even Stalin could pull down the 2015 European Tree of the Year.

A wealthy aristocratic family built this Disney-worthy, fairy-tale castle.

The first monument in Estonia that was made by an Estonian sculptor.