Snow-capped peaks, colorful waterfalls and stunning vistas on the edge of the Himalayas.

Stretching almost 2,000 feet, this painting is one of the longest pieces of Buddhist artwork in the world.

Monks turned this mountain into a temple by digging grottoes, tunnels, and a huge pagoda-like hall.

The tallest stationary dunes on Earth also happen to sing.

Are these prehistoric metal pipes evidence of alien plumbers? Nope, but they are amazing nonetheless.

A bright turquoise river cascades beautifully down stepped terraces in southern China.

Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.

The ancient remains of this natural fortress can still be found along the Silk Road looking surprisingly preserved.

A part of the world's largest marsh seems to be growing bright red Martian grass.

This ancient sword lay in a waterlogged tomb for 2,500 years, but managed to remain relatively untarnished and impressively sharp.

An atmospheric, medieval-themed book store hides in a 13th-century underground space.

The ruins of a Duke's bucolic dream, where camels once roamed alongside "Dutch" windmills and faux-Italian vineyards.

The industrial architecture honors the laborers who brought the Exposition Universelle of 1900 to life.

Medieval museum built over Roman baths that features famous tapestries of a lady and a unicorn.

An overlooked marble is the only surviving in-place 18th century example of the measurement that changed how we define distance.

The Sun King's military models, saved from the Louvre.

This charming cobbled backstreet is the most Instagramable street in Paris, much to the residents' annoyance.

A scandalous Art Nouveau collaboration that set Paris all atwitter at the turn of the century.

Exquisite wall sculptures carved in secret by an early quarryman in an obscure corner of the Paris Catacombs.

The famous winding walk at Chartres is surrounded in mystery and myth.

In this Parisian garden's grotesque former life as a zoo it fed exotic animals to the bourgeois and put humans on exhibit.

Ivy-covered Medieval tunnels cut through this charming town in France's Loire Valley.

A medieval house adorned with enigmatic carvings, including one of a man displaying his masculine attributes.

Do these monsters look familiar? The gargoyles on this church are all from pop culture.