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

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

A muddy alien landscape that is home to rare species of exotic plants.

This elaborately decorated, fairytale-like Romanian royal palace is one of the most striking castles in Europe.

This solitary monastery may hold the remains of Vlad the Impaler (but probably not).

17th century palace once a meeting place for politicians.

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

This memorial to the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 is often compared to a potato on a skewer.

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

One of the most controversial statues in Romania is an emperor with no clothes.

A forgotten remnant of the Soviet Union, Transnistria is an unrecognized country hidden behind a heavily militarized border between Moldova and Ukraine.

This 13th century Orthodox monastery is built right into the Moldovan cliffside.

Seventy-five miles of limestone caves host more than a million bottles of wine beneath a sleepy Moldovan town.

There is a mouldering Jewish cemetery hidden away in the capital of Moldova.

A statue dedicated to the founders of communism.

This abandoned Soviet circus is slowly being restored to its Communist-era glory.

Once the tallest building in Chisinau, this unique tower is a relic of Soviet architecture.

The largest wine cellar in the world is a 150-mile network of underground caves near the capital of Moldova.

Kuwait City's uniquely designed water towers look straight out of a retro sci-fi cityscape.

A surreal statue honoring Prague's favorite literary son.

A bust of Franz Kafka spins in pieces, reflecting the writer's inner torment.

This tipsy office building in downtown Prague was originally called “Fred and Ginger.”

Oldest Museum of the Netherlands is a true cabinet of curiosities.

This towering church is home to a world-famous organ and a treasure trove of medieval art.