The Dalai Lama named this New Zealand landscape the "Spiritual Center of the Universe."

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

This impressive collection of rare books on ancient mysticism inspired author Dan Brown.

Dating back almost 400 years, the oldest public collection library in the United Kingdom was once the study hall of Karl Marx.

A Victorian Gothic masterpiece housing a world-class collection of rare books and manuscripts.

Dine on Hungarian-Jewish dishes at this multigenerational, family-run institution.

Once the home of a hermetic monk, this cave now houses a small church.

A former top secret nuclear fallout shelter now operates like a hotel stuck in the Cold War.

A cheeky architectural easter egg.

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.

One man’s collection of photography books has transformed into a charming exhibition space.

The last standing example of an ancient district's teatime tradition.

When the Soviets destroyed the historic Armenian monastery they somehow left its bell tower intact.

The secret room where early Bolsheviks cranked out propaganda fliers on a smuggled printing press.

Luxury hotel turned into a refugee camp, then turned back into a luxury hotel.

Unusual building appears to be haphazardly built from randomly piled bricks.

A festival where people vie to be bombarded by exploding clusters of fireworks.

A tiny park in the middle of some big power politics.

This eatery re-creates dishes from the Ottoman Empire so you can dine like a sultan.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.

Underneath this Byzantinian church lies a necropolis filled with ancient tombs and the ruins of previous churches.

A Bulgarian monument to Russia's role in World War II is constantly being painted in pop culture protest.

A collection of art from Bulgaria's time as a communist state.