A giant portrait of an ancient king looms over the river.

The romantic botanic tunnel feels like a well-kept secret.

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

The legendary cliffside castle of three-time Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad the Impaler.

A small town Romanian cemetery filled with darkly humorous gravestones.

This solitary monastery may hold the remains of Vlad the Impaler (but probably not).

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

Some call this eerie forest of crooked trees the "Bermuda Triangle of Romania."

This massive underground salt mine now holds a sci-fi theme park in its depths.

Moss and stone turn this waterfall into an otherworldly liquid veil.

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

The medieval ferry service has been going strong since the 14th century.

A unique two-level bridge designed to honor a king.

The oldest arboretum on the Dalmatian coast doubles as the gardens of Kings Landing in "Game of Thrones."

Croatia's towering concrete blossom grows from the site of a World War II concentration camp.

Formerly Yugoslavia's "forbidden island," this sleepy little city still holds the abandoned remains of military strongholds.

Longest fortress system anywhere in Europe.

One of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters is still used today, but for less brutal events.

A wunderkammer of gold and silver reliquaries and ancient saintly bones.

This picturesque medieval monastery guards a small trove of historic treasures.

When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.

A wonderfully strange collection of 500+ stuffed frogs doing people things.

A musical instrument played by the sea.

An ethereal glowing blue ocean cave in Croatia.