Nine centuries-old fortresses guard the walls of this medieval Romanian city.

This hauntingly beautiful cemetery outside a medieval citadel is full of winding paths and ivy-covered graves.

A medieval church built up to defend its village.

This snug medieval lane is one of the narrowest streets in the world.

A fire once nearly devoured this gorgeous 14th-century Gothic cathedral.

The European towns of Brașov and Râșnov each have proud signs reminiscent of the Hollywood sign.

The possible imprisonment of Vlad the Impaler here earned the medieval castle its nickname, "Dracula's Castle."

This once-derelict building is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

The preserved arm of a third-century sorcerer is believed to have the power to lift curses and spells.

This communist behemoth is the heaviest building in the world and a legacy of a brutal regime.

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

The masses at this church incorporate enough moonshine and animal sacrifice that they are no longer recognizably Catholic.

Three small rooms in the jungle house the most elaborate and intact murals of the Mayan world.

The ruins of an ancient Mayan city, beautifully preserved and only accessible by boat.

This former ghost town high in the mountains of northern Mexico is now a pilgrimage site.

A beautiful example of 18th-century engineering still standing tall.

This fishing contraption sits on top of a series of spindly wooden stilts.

A medieval Italian village is fighting depopulation with this vibrant annual street art festival.

This building has a giant piercing through one of its corners.

The intricate geometry inside this Baroque-style dome was designed to create "terror of the human soul."

One of the oldest and most significant collections of Ancient Egyptian archeology outside of Egypt.

The astonishing collection of an infamous criminologist.

This building was designed to celebrate Italy's victory in World War I.

This fountain is dedicated to the workers who perished constructing the Fréjus Rail Tunnel.