This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.

Gigantic water vessel, permanently grounded in Southern Albania.

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.

An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.

Medical museum that houses most notably the taxidermied remains of Vladimir Demikhov's famous two-headed dog experiment.

The former Field Marshall and Minister of War to the Russian Imperial Army.

This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

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

One of the smaller hillside chalk horses was designed and cut in by a group of local students in 1804.

This bright green structure is the final resting place of the 16th-century leader responsible for building the walls around Harar.

This tidal island, a sacred site in early English Christianity, was the target of a notable Viking invasion.

The statue of a legendary giant who carried Christ and shouldered the world's sins.

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

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.

This enigmatic artifact remained buried in a churchyard for years.

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.

A preserved oak tree about 3,500 years old found in Riga, Latvia.

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.

Dedicated to the untimely death of American balloonist and parachutist.

The oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe.