A fake medieval village in the middle of Turin.

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

This abandoned island off the Venetian coast has been a radical monastery, a political prison, and a secret Nazi base.

Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.

Rome's ancient Etruscan rival, now a park full of ruins.

A formerly opulent Italian village is now a crumbling ghost town that no one really knows what to do with.

This gorgeous reading room houses the oldest and largest art history library in the Netherlands.

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.

Bell tower juts out from a village buried under a lake.

Dramatic sea stacks adorn the coast of this small village on the Adriatic coast.

Eco-village hidden in the foothills of the Alps that created a massive system of psychedelic underground temples.

A fairytale island floats in the middle of Italy's little-known Lake Orta.

This Italian foot path winds through the mountains via 52 individual tunnels.

The remains of a town so thoroughly destroyed by French forces that the citizens simply left.

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.

Shimmering sea-colored mosaics and Jesus statues cover this opulent building.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.

Berlin's old airport.

Gardens representing parts of Asia, Europe, and the Mid East are tucked away among the Soviet-style buildings in East Berlin.

A minotaur, a labyrinth, and a dubious restoration pull in visitors from around the world.

Perched on a spindly rock spire in a Greek archipelago, this lighthouse would make a perfect wizard's tower.