Dark, eerie exhibits make for a surreal exploration of the subconscious.

A replica of the straw hut where Vladimir Lenin lived in hiding, disguised as a hay farmer, in 1917.

A little church on a tiny island looks like something from a fairy tale.

The tiny, studious rodents greet visitors to the National Archives of Finland.

This stoic bronze soldier stands as a symbol of Russian sacrifice or Soviet oppression, or maybe both.

Remnants of the city's Soviet history hover over this modern fast-food outlet.

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan.

This extraordinary, multi-pillared monument depicts the fascinating history of Georgia.

This neon lit Georgian cave claims to hold the boulder Prometheus was chained to.

A literally moving statue of stacked metal giants just continually trying (and failing) to find love.

The first skyscraper to include a Ferris wheel built into the facade.

Fast food feels like fine dining at this award-winning modern Georgian building.

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.

The most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia once held a saint in a pit for 13 years.

This little medieval church hidden in the center of Yerevan was lost and rediscovered—twice.

Huge stairway leads to this massive gallery.

This virtually windowless mass of smooth concrete is the only Catholic church in the city.

Its frescoes depict the likeness of Marshal Tito, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels burning in hell.

These slanted cubic abodes are a creative if odd solution to a zoning pickle.

A little sculpture with a large wardrobe.