A tropical paradise just a short trip from the opera house is filled with beautiful winged creatures.

This massive monument was unveiled the day Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.

A 11-foot former president stands on a Kosovo street that also bears his name.

A futuristic, brutalist masterpiece that is also strangely prison-like.

This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

Sofia's legislative center is continuously reinventing itself.

"Unity, Creativity, Beauty."

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

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

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

Nine centuries-old fortresses guard the walls of this medieval Romanian city.

This communist behemoth is the heaviest building in the world and a legacy of a brutal regime.

Something's watching you.

The European towns of Brașov and Râșnov each have proud signs reminiscent of the Hollywood sign.

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

The largest wine cellar in the world is a 150-mile network of underground caves near the capital of Moldova.

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

This 135-year-old weather station studied the effects of the climate on human health.

The big toe of this towering monument to a Croatian national hero is worn from years of superstitious rubbing.

Now harmless, this looming post struck fear into the heart of medieval troublemakers.

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

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

A musical instrument played by the sea.

This abandoned Slovenian military barracks has become a punky-political art squat.