This "preacher's pulpit" once used for pagan ritual, is home to a new, and dangerous ritual.

18th century opera in its original splendor.

Ancient burial grounds of the wealthy.

This trio of stone spires claims to be the only preserved medieval execution site in Europe.

Swedish skyscraper with a 90° twist.

This Swedish automobile graveyard is a beautiful gallery of decay, but woe be to any who would steal a souvenir.

Now a hotel, this former bank was the site of a robbery that spawned a psychological phenomenon.

This chimerical bridge/tunnel appears to dead end right into the sea.

The remains of Alfred Nobel's first nitroglycerine factory can still be found on the shores of a Swedish bay.

Largest island in the Baltic Sea experiences such idyllic weather that roses bloom in the middle of December.

Sweden's "good old days" painstakingly re-created in a model village.

The library's graceful rotunda is like a bibliophile's temple.

The world's first ice hotel is still one of the most elaborate and beautiful.

It houses the remains of a 17th-century version of the Titanic.

Stockholm's decidedly unique public transit system has doubled as the world's longest art gallery for decades.

This abandoned secret city is a crumbling wonderland of Soviet ruins.

An old hill fort covered in over 100,000 crosses is a symbol of Lithuanian nationalism and beliefs.

Just another terrifying garden filled with hundreds of endlessly smiling doll people.

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

A black cat protests the City Guild in Riga's Old Town.

Ecuador's largest Incan ruins show evidence of sophisticated irrigation and diplomacy among the ancient builders.

A fascinating little museum all about the rich history of Peru’s famous plant.

A painting in the historic Cathedral Basilica depicts Jesus and his disciples dining on a traditional Peruvian menu.