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.

An ancient knight and a symbol of the city's freedom.

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

Gargoyle head that brings good luck.

A musical instrument played by the sea.

A chain of 16 wondrous lakes formed as a result of the gradual dissolution of soluble layers of bedrock.

A beautiful mountaintop mausoleum devoted to a Montenegrin icon can't seem to make everyone happy.

This exclusive resort has completely covered a tiny Balkan island in a 5-star warren of guest rooms.

A tiny church on a man-made island in the Adriatic.

A curious little museum dedicated to the furry feline in the cat haven that is Old Town Kotor.

These historic defenses ensured the city within would survive hundreds of years of occupations, sieges, and invasions.

Three underground crypts and a pointed arch under the bell tower make this cathedral unique among Romanesque churches.

A new sculpture calls attention to climate change in the centuries-old city it threatens.

Legend says the only thing buried within this magnificent tomb was a dog.

Climb the dead electric pylons of Messina.

This cathedral hides a sculpted dog that determines your fate and an unexploded shell from World War II.

The sunlight passing through the opening of this huge cave system creates a magical effect.

Legend has it this fountain built to symbolize the Pope’s power hides a strange secret concerning Neptune's manliness.

Abandoned cemetery of the former Psychiatric Hospital of Volterra.

This Roman statue is missing a limb from when the Venetians stole it from Constantinople during the Crusades.

A whale rib was used to advertise the store by the arch that offered exotic goods from far away.

Originally a leper colony, the island is now an Armenian monastery that's home to an incredible manuscript library and eclectic museum.