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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

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

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

A vast Communist-era exhibition space in the Bulgarian capital.

Sofia's legislative center is continuously reinventing itself.

"Holy Wisdom" overlooks the city that became its namesake.

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

An homage to the medieval rulers of Bulgaria.

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.

After the devastating 2011 earthquake, historic Christchurch begins to recover, starting with the pop-up Re:START mall.

The real life Hobbiton, this sheep farm has been forever transformed since being built for The Hobbit film series.

Major tourist destination known for its bubbling mud-pools and hot thermal springs.

This electric green sulphur lake in New Zealand looks like a cartoonish radioactive dump site.

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.

The world's only complete colossal squid specimen is on display at the Te Papa Museum.

A maritime museum holding the remains of Blackbeard's pirate ship.

This Transylvania County city is home to a rare white squirrel population that is descended from an escaped carnival animal.

Who needs fancy modern water slides when this giant North Carolina rock works just as well?