This 14th-century monastery survived Turkish raids, Nazi occupation, and even a stint as a spot to store towels.

The costumes depict the Kurent, the star character of the annual Kurentovanje festival.

A crumbling World War I fort that is reached through a series of concrete tunnels.

A beautiful drive through the foot of the Alps traces the path of 15th-century Turkish raids.

A cemetery for Slovenian notables also serves as a popular recreation space.

The "dragon babies" of southeastern Europe.

This massive subterranean fissure is known as the "underground Grand Canyon."

When Croatia became independent of Yugoslavia, the splintering governments left behind these concrete tunnels.

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

Now abandoned, the world's first torpedo factory is crumbling into the sea.

Large, airy hallways hide within an impenetrable fortress that beckons urban explorers.

An ethereal glowing blue ocean cave in Croatia.

Local legend says the remains of Father Christmas lie within the medieval grounds.

The ruins of a 13th-century monastery that long served as a place of refuge from wars and raids.

This outcropping was once home to a medieval monastery destroyed during the Ottoman conquest.

A miniature train-ride through Slovenia's largest cave system.

The monument honors the mountaineers who were part of Europe’s best anti-Nazi forces.

This small Slovenian town has become a magnet for microbreweries.

A trough of 700 strange bronze faces runs through a narrow alley in Ljubljana's old town.

The walls of this medieval church are covered with perfectly preserved frescos, including a pristine example of the Dance of Death.

The world's oldest grape-producing vine has survived four centuries of turmoil and even has its own anthem.

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

Martin Bricelj Baraga's monolithic sculpture measures the blueness of the sky, and changes color to match it.

An otherworldly alpine pasture with its own unique microculture that recalls Middle Earth.