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

Luminaries of all stripes have sipped strong Greek coffee at this cafe since 1839.

According to legend, this ancient column contains healing properties.

An often overlooked ancient site in downtown Athens with substantial history (and nature).

Gladiators once walked this ancient, subterranean passage.

A man's head is enshrined beneath a statue near the first building constructed for the modern Olympic Games.

This small museum once served as a royal hunting pavilion for King Otto Friedrich Ludwig.

A grotesque collection of wax limbs depicting the symptoms of venereal disease.

Large collection from the 3rd millennium BCE.

This small 16th-century church in Athens is almost entirely surrounded by a modern building.

Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

Heralded as the world's first theater, these ruins are often overlooked as they reside in the shadows of the Acropolis.

The oldest cemetery of modern-day Athens blends the modern and ancient worlds.

An ancient octagonal weather station named for the eight Greek gods of wind.

This mystical orb covered in strange symbols is thought to have been used in ancient Greek magical rituals.

This ancient hydrological marvel is now the base of a modern outdoor cinema.

The Cycladic architecture makes this Athens neighborhood feel like an island paradise hidden in the shadow of the Acropolis.

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

A 2,000-year-old computer demonstrates remarkable engineering and astronomical precision.

Visitors can explore the role of mysticism throughout the ages inside this interactive museum of magic.

Europe's largest collection of matchbox designs is a fascinating exploration of the cultural history of the world.

In Portugal, a secluded stretch of untouched natural beauty hides at the bottom of a steep hill.

An early Portuguese serial killer's head is alarmingly well preserved in a jar at the University of Lisbon.

An early work of the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, these swimming pools blend into the beach.