The competition: breathe deeply as long as you can.

America's oldest Eastern European synagogue provided the immigrants of crowded Lower East Side tenements a space of sanctuary.

Lie in a hammock where George Washington stood.

A quiet and contemplative oasis in the middle of New York's bustle and riot.

Manhattan's lighthouse, erected at the insistence of the unsinkable Molly Brown.

Behind a bodega is a small museum of relics and ephemera showcasing the history of New York.

The walls are decorated with whimsical murals painted by the creator of the Madeline franchise.

Try not to get slimed in Tribeca.

The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they’re spectacular.

One-time largest man-made structure in the world will be a park in 30 years.

This gallery commissioned by Cardinal Spada is known for its magnificent optical illusion.

Brass cobblestones mark the places where individual Holocaust victims were taken from their homes.

An 18th-century post box used to alert the church of sick and ailing foreign pilgrims.

These hut foundations are believed to be the residence of Romulus, founder of Rome.

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.

This small, ancient Roman temple was once a church dedicated to the patron saint of penitents.

This curious, round temple is the oldest still-standing marble building in Rome.

The "Great Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.

This statue is the only female representation of Rome's "talking statues."

The only remaining arch of the oldest stone bridge in Rome stands in the middle of the Tiber.

This is the oldest Roman-made bridge in the city still existing in its original state.

A secret hatch containing two parchments was discovered in this statue over 40 years after its installation.

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.

What appears to be an ancient Roman temple is actually a Catholic church.