A reconstructed medieval gateway that was the magnificent entrance to the capital city dating back to 1037.

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

Latvia's symbolic mountain-shaped national library is home to millions of cultural tomes.

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.

A former Latvian headquarters of the brutal KGB secret police is now open as a grim reminder of their atrocities.

Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte fell in love with this Gothic church.

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

Ever-growing collection of devils in art.

These Egyptian statues have survived for 3,400 years and were an acoustic wonder of the ancient world.

One of the largest wooden constructions in Europe was meant to be a casino, but soon became an orphanage.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This street has over a half-dozen names, all at once.

This unique Lady Liberty is one of the only examples of the figure sitting down.

Monumental sculptures guard many of the graves, transforming this necropolis into an open-air fine art museum.

Get past the gatekeeper's apartment and enter an elaborate hoax of a restaurant with a Masonic feel.

A fortress built to pacify local uprising that had a stint as a Nazi concentration camp before becoming a five-star hotel.

The ruins of an abandoned church loom within a picturesque Ukranian village.