The bust of Romania’s most notorious ruler, Vlad Dracula aka "Vlad the Impaler," keeps watch over the ruins of his medieval court.

This once-derelict building is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

A towering spire in the fortress of Kalemegdan honors the victorious armies of Serbia during their struggles against the Ottoman Empire.

A pair of connected skyscrapers form this symbolic gateway.

Sofia's legislative center is continuously reinventing itself.

Eastern Bloc nostalgia, anybody?

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

A vast Communist-era exhibition space in the Bulgarian capital.

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

A Bulgarian monument to Russia's role in World War II is constantly being painted in pop culture protest.

This Hungarian castle was built out of cardboard and wood until it proved so popular that it got upgraded to stone.

A public work of art that also provides some relief from the summer heat.

A whimsical bridge adorned with decorative dragons.

A much-loved sculpture depicting the hero of a 1956 anti-Soviet uprising.

The holes in this wall provide a glimpse into Jewish life in Budapest, both past and present.

In the hometown of the Catholic saint and Nobel Peace Prize winner, a memorial dedicated to her legacy.

This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

A museum dedicated to secret surveillance.

An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.

A bridge that has seen many reiterations over its lifetime.

These lights mark the area of Rotterdam that was bombed and burned in 1940.

This unique museum focuses on the Siege of Sarajevo through children's eyes.

This enormous abstract sculpture is part jungle gym, part elaborate noise-making machine.

This historic timepiece is thought to be the only public clock in the world that keeps lunar time.