Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.

These steps offer a breathtaking view of one of Europe's most besieged fortresses.

This alley off Edinburgh's Royal Mile contains remnants of the city's seedier history.

The U.K.'s first underground railway line is now a lively thoroughfare for runners and cyclists.

The world’s first museum dedicated to the history of childhood opened in Edinburgh in 1955.

This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.

A verdant 17th-century-style garden hidden along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

This obscure walkway links Edinburgh’s Old Town with one of the city's prime vantage points.

A labyrinthine network of chambers with a storied past hides below Edinburgh's South Bridge.

A beautiful Greco-Roman structure houses a well once believed to have healing powers.

This allegedly haunted 16th-century tower house-turned-museum exhibits thousands of spectacular objects.

Summer in Scotland begins with a spectacularly wild and colorful event rooted in ancient pagan traditions.

One of Edinburgh's oldest pubs hides a 19th-century skittles alley in the back.

Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.

The 28,000-year-old specimen is remarkably intact.

The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.

Sit where JFK proposed to Jackie or where Nixon dined on meatloaf at this storied pub.

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.

This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.

An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.

Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.