A beautiful 19th-century Armenian mansion is preserved above an unassuming cafe.

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.

Mausoleum and Holy Seat of Antiochus I of Commagene.

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

Bold black and white motifs of life and death add a dramatic flair to this 17th-century crypt.

This memorial to the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 is often compared to a potato on a skewer.

17th century palace once a meeting place for politicians.

A memorial museum to the political prisoners who were held at Sighet Prison, once one of the most feared places in Romania.

Check out engineering marvels of the past at this unintentionally retrofuturist museum.

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

A fire once nearly devoured this gorgeous 14th-century Gothic cathedral.

Something's watching you.

A muddy alien landscape that is home to rare species of exotic plants.

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

Conspiracy theories and occult legends surround this mysterious natural rock formation.

Once an opulent Art Nouveau hotspot, the Constanța Casino is one of Romania's most beautiful abandoned buildings.

The possible imprisonment of Vlad the Impaler here earned the medieval castle its nickname, "Dracula's Castle."

This elaborately decorated, fairytale-like Romanian royal palace is one of the most striking castles in Europe.

A small town Romanian cemetery filled with darkly humorous gravestones.

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

This ancient theater, restored in the 20th century, lives on as a venue for dramatic and musical performances.

This historic black and white monastery is one of Bulgaria's architectural jewels.

This massive concrete sculpture is said to be the heaviest communist monument on Earth.