Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.

Named for the biblical warrior, the largest castle in Israel actually dates to the Middle Ages.

The ruins of a medieval castle that once belonged to one of the most powerful families in the Netherlands.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the ruins of this ancient monastic community.

This medieval sanctuary's tree-framed door looks like a portal to a mythical realm.

The interior of this Serbian royal family's mausoleum is covered with exquisite mosaics.

Legends of treasure and spirits flow from this this fairy tale-like oasis.

A creepy statue of a hooded ghost hauls itself up from the water in a historic Lithuanian city.

Popular tourist destination where witches in dark hats sell dried llama fetuses for good luck.

A historic trade hub teeming with gorgeous architecture, colorful goods, and vibrant designs.

Every day is like Christmas on this street where the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene comes to life.

A market built atop boats is one of the few floating holiday markets in Europe.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

A stunning Victorian abbey and walled garden on a lakefront.

This fairy-tale castle would make Dracula (who is said to have been imprisoned there) jealous.

London's creepiest cemetery was once the site of dueling magicians and mobs of stake-carrying vampire hunters.

Preserved Inca city and site of the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish conquistadors.

This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.

Enormous sandstone towers loom within a Czech forest.

This Parisian café sticks almost exclusively to an ethos of reuse.

A counter-culture bookstore like no other hides in plain sight in the streets of Paris.

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

The oldest stone house in Paris was built by its most famous alchemist.

Notorious artist squat renovated into legal studios.