This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

Castle and secret tunnel withstood a siege until its owner was killed by the Holy Roman Empire, while sitting on the toilet.

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.

Generations have refused to move this doll from its dusty resting place to preserve a castle from a watery fate.

Twice a year, this floating library delivers thousands of books to the remote islands of Stockholm’s archipelago.

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

This Irish museum in a historic 19th century market pays tribute to the glory of butter.

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

A museum honoring Germany’s cucumber mecca offers a great dill of gherkin history.

A cluster of granite granaries perched on stilts.

This restored Portuguese cafe may well be the most beautiful place in the world to grab a Big Mac.

Tracking the 1,500-year history of Korea's star cabbage.

This small-town Connecticut restaurant gives each diner a free book from its vast library.

Because sometimes you need to make a batch of frites even when the stores are all closed.

Burbling away in refrigerators are 105 sourdough starters from around the world.

For more than 50 years, an iconic sign has greeted visiting “fudgies” to the Traverse City area.

Dine on food tied to Viking history and legend at this subterranean Stockholm spot.

You haven’t properly toured a winery until you’ve slept in an actual wine barrel.

The last street in Pittsburgh that's paved with wood.

One of the steepest streets in the United States makes an intriguing challenge for cyclists.

There aren't too many operational funiculars around, but Pittsburgh has two!

The United States’s oldest funicular railway glides up and down a steep Pittsburgh street.

This eccentric mansion museum holds a impressive collection of rare and automatic instruments.