In the most arid desert on the planet, the world's leading telescope allows astronomers to see more than has ever been seen before.

What was once a unique system of urban elevators is turning into a mechanical ruin.

Uninhabited islet in the Caribbean is the sanctuary of giant lizards.

The capital of the Cayman Islands is a center of offshore banking, but gets battered by blistering hurricanes.

The floor of the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas is entirely covered in sand.

The solemn exterior conceals an opulent interior of this 17th century church.

The Habsburgs' royal collections of art and wonders.

An exquisite Baroque church in Vienna's old town.

Baroque celebration of the end of the Great Plague of Vienna.

Built to give thanks for the passing of a plague epidemic, this cathedral is a one-of-a-kind architectural hybrid.

The final resting place for the remains of 143 Habsburg royalty.

An abandoned 1970s theme park that has been turned into a space for waterfront walking.

A 98-room castle in the middle of Toronto that bankrupted a 19th century electricity multimillionaire.

San Francisco's oldest operating hotel, with a Victorian atmosphere and a "haunted" fourth floor.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

This curious, round temple is the oldest still-standing marble building in Rome.

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.

A fortified medieval basilica on the Caelian Hill preserves extraordinary frescoes and one of Rome's most beautiful hidden cloisters.

One of Catholicism's four major basilicas has a series of papal portraits that are said to predict the end of the world.

A detailed pachyderm supports Rome's smallest Egyptian obelisk.

The best preserved Paleochristian basilica in Rome hides a number of oddities and secrets.

This ancient Roman prison is decorated with an upside-down cross not as blasphemy but as saintly tribute.