These imposing walls and towers look more like the ruins of a fortress than a monastery.

A miniature village lies nearly forgotten in the forest by the side of a major highway.

A religious-themed park filled with folk art to bring biblical stories to life that fell into disrepair and now being restored.

The ruins of this medieval castle in Northern Ireland have inspired artists from C.S. Lewis to Led Zeppelin.

A six-story-tall golden pyramid, surrounded by a moat.

This quirky outpost and gallery inside a former church is an unexpected trove of handcrafted art.

An unusual bed & breakfast made of papercrete.

An abandoned movie set in the desert of West Texas.

Ghost town with a beer-drinking goat for mayor.

An abandoned quicksilver mining town surrounded by the Big Bend parks.

On this wooded path, a stained-glass window creates a spellbinding forest cathedral.

The mysterious, fantastical woodland inspiration for "The Lord of the Rings."

Once described as the "Eagle's Nest," this ruined ancient city rests on a remote mountaintop.

One of the most exquisite Lycian hilltop citadels in Turkey.

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.

Hidden just under the waters around this Turkish island are the ruins of a once great city.

A Turkish ghost town abandoned in a population exchange with Greece.

Have tea in a cemetery with a dazzling view of Istanbul.

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

Climb a set of vertiginous stone steps to the top of this impressive ancient edifice.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet your wish will be granted.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.