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

This endearingly discomfited urinating statue commemorates the sneaky pees had by us all.

A subterranean house of worship carved right out of the bedrock.

Six times a day a train runs right through the middle of this Thai street market, sending vendors scrambling.

This charming wooden church was disassembled and moved not once but twice before settling in this Prague garden.

Folklore says this medieval fortress was plopped atop a portal to hell to trap the demons below.

No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.

Every equinox this Maya pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show.

This "Jewish Sistine Chapel" was designed to reinvigorate Judaism's artistic legacy but was almost lost to misguided restoration.

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.

The legendary cliffside castle of three-time Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad the Impaler.

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.

This former Roman Catholic Church still contains the embalmed hearts and organs of 22 popes.

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

The patron saint of spinsters grasps a container of dried blood.

The prototype for all Nazi concentration camps.

This ancient Greek place of assembly and marketplace is being revealed layer by layer below the modern Athens cityscape.

150 or so scrounged-up lamps, chandeliers, and lanterns light up this alley in central Athens.

The hallucinogenic center of the ancient world.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

This elephant kraal is the only one remaining in Thailand, dating back to the 16th century when these massive mammals were integral players in war and trade.

A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.