Home to three historic ships from the age of Vikings.

This Arctic mining town is home to a cat that's spent years masquerading as a fox.

In the northernmost city in the world, it's illegal to be buried because it’s too cold for bodies to decompose.

Cold storage for agricultural biodiversity.

This museum housed in a former brothel explores the past and present of sex work in Amsterdam.

A public urinal so pretty, it was declared a national monument.

This exclusive resort has completely covered a tiny Balkan island in a 5-star warren of guest rooms.

Museum celebrating the ocean, with the largest wunderkammer dedicated to sea exploration.

This abandoned Soviet circus is slowly being restored to its Communist-era glory.

A forgotten remnant of the Soviet Union, Transnistria is an unrecognized country hidden behind a heavily militarized border between Moldova and Ukraine.

An expansive complex of subterranean tunnels is all that remains of one of Europe's most formidable medieval fortresses.

This former KGB building is now a museum memorializing the people who suffered during the Soviet regime.

An abandoned masterpiece of Soviet Brutalist architecture.

The Frank Zappa fan club erected this monument to their prog-rock hero to mark a new era of post-Soviet Lithuania.

Launch site for nuclear war against Western Europe.

This micro-nation may be some sort of prank, but its constitution sure seems official.

This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.

This charming Latvian lane doubled as Baker Street on the Soviet Union’s version of Sherlock Holmes.

The statue of a legendary giant who carried Christ and shouldered the world's sins.

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.

Guests become prisoners on a visit to Latvian prison.

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

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

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.