This Armenian monastery was carved out of cliffs and named after the spear used to stab Jesus.

In the foothills of the lesser Caucasus, a centuries-old fortress still stands.

Armenia's premier center of astrophysical research was established during the Soviet era.

Hundreds of intricately carved Armenian stone crosses can be found within this huge cemetery.

Local legend says that whoever burns down this 2,000-year-old tree will only have seven days to live.

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

A magnificent, glittering building tucked into a tiny Bulgarian mountain town.

A mountain pass in Bulgaria's Balkan Mountains was the site of four historic battles.

Outstanding, eerie frescoes and decorations fill this 19th-century monastery.

This apartment is a true time capsule of local life in Bulgaria during the Soviet regime.

UNESCO-protected ancient burial ground.

An abandoned saucer-shaped monument in the Bulgarian mountains.

These cascading falls resonate throughout the Bulgarian forest.

An autonomous republic of Orthodox monks.

An ancient Thracian city where fire rituals were practiced on the largest cult altar in Southeast Europe.

In a long-dry lake bed, these groups of massive stone pillars bear a striking resemblance to clumps of everyone's favorite fungi.

A massive cave once a secret military base is now home to thousands of bats.

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

The ridged layers that make up this river canyon represent Earth's geological history.

Bizarrely shaped rock formations in northwest Bulgaria come with equally bizarre legends.

This rose and lavender oil distillery still operates as it did more than a century ago.

An architectural marvel that spans the Arda River, and has stories of a haunted past.

At this 16th-century monastery in rural Bulgaria, visitors can also spend the night.

The ceiling of Prohodna Cave in northern Bulgaria affords a peek at the sky via two deity-sized-eye-shaped holes.