This bustling Italian plaza is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater.

Venice's island of the dead.

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.

This ancient theater was once the home of fierce gladiatorial battles.

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.

Rare wooden escalators lead deep down into an otherwise staggeringly monotonous tiled tunnel.

Twelve grave-faced marble angels guard the emperor's tomb at Les Invalides.

Thanks to modern navigational tools we now know that the true prime meridian runs through a park next door.

The handiwork of a underdog clockmaker who solved an impossible problem for an Empire, and forever revolutionized seafaring.

Once forgotten and built over, this historic Black cemetery now houses a poignant memorial.

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.

According to one local tradition, the entrance to the Voodoo underworld can be found in New Orleans through seven gates scattered throughout the city's French Quarter.

This symbolic piece of New Orleans architecture is also home to a few ghastly stories.

The second oldest continuously operating bar in Louisiana.

By day this New Orleans square is for pedestrians, but by night it is a kingdom of kittens.

Once the site of a Native American harvest festival, this humble clearing later played an invaluable role in the birth of jazz.

Parts of the civil rights movement unfolded in this historic eatery, helmed by the "Queen of Creole Cuisine."

A jaw-dropping "megalibrary" that turns book-browsing into a geometric adventure.

This industrial Art Nouveau gem is a historic hotspot for Mexican counterculture.

Many people don't realize there’s a lot going on in—and below—the world’s tallest triumphal arch.

This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

This stately clock was gifted from China's last imperial government to the people of Mexico.

Worm salt and other local ingredients are on the menu at this cult favorite ice cream shop.

The hot chocolate here all stems from small, sustainable microproducers in Chiapas and Tabasco.