A memorial museum to the political prisoners who were held at Sighet Prison, once one of the most feared places in Romania.

A small town Romanian cemetery filled with darkly humorous gravestones.

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.

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

Gigantic Romanian salt mines used to heal respiratory conditions.

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

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

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 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).

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

Rebuilt several decades ago, its striking murals prevent it from being reconsecrated as a church.

An homage to the medieval rulers of Bulgaria.

An abandoned saucer-shaped monument in the Bulgarian mountains.

The remarkably well-preserved final resting place of a powerful ancient Thracian king.

Said to be the only museum in the world dedicated to the most classic of all blooms, the rose.

UNESCO-protected ancient burial ground.

This ancient theater, restored in the 20th century, lives on as a venue for dramatic and musical performances.

Sofia's legislative center is continuously reinventing itself.

This historic black and white monastery is one of Bulgaria's architectural jewels.

"Holy Wisdom" overlooks the city that became its namesake.

This living labyrinth made entirely of thorns is filled with art.