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.

This underground transport hub doubles as an art gallery.

This exquisite, alienesque piece of Soviet architecture is being threatened by modern shopping malls.

340-foot statue built to honour the Heroes of the Soviet Union.

One of the most poignant ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the local football team's stadium has been quickly reclaimed by nature.

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

This unassuming museum's slogan translates to “there is a limit of sadness, anxiety has no limits."

This attraction was abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster.

The ghost town left by the worst nuclear disaster of all time is being taken over by nature and urban explorers.

This Transylvanian church has changed its denomination four times.

This hauntingly beautiful cemetery outside a medieval citadel is full of winding paths and ivy-covered graves.

One of the most controversial statues in Romania is an emperor with no clothes.

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

Romania's triumphal arch looks out over Bucharest.

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

A fire once nearly devoured this gorgeous 14th-century Gothic cathedral.

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

Something's watching you.

This snug medieval lane is one of the narrowest streets in the world.

The bust of Romania’s most notorious ruler, Vlad Dracula aka "Vlad the Impaler," keeps watch over the ruins of his medieval court.

This solitary monastery may hold the remains of Vlad the Impaler (but probably not).