These spartan apartments are provided to clergymen visiting Vatican City.

Giant, friendly pelicans in Central London, the most unlikely of places.

The first archaeological site discovered by aerial photography.

Two geological phenomena in one precarious locale: a towering stone window, and a deep blue void.

This psychedelic tromp l'oeil seems to be beckoning drivers to crash into a wall.

This national park on the shore of Lake Michigan features remarkable dunes that lie at the heart of a Chippewa legend.

This prison on the Maltese island of Gozo is almost 500 years old, and they have the graffiti to prove it.

The shortest in the world, this landing strip stretches a mere 1,312 feet before steep cliffs on either end plunge into the Caribbean.

The headquarters of the Mahanikai school of Buddhism, Thailand's largest monastic order.

This town near Nagasaki is flecked with fruit-flavored bus stops.

This naval gun is fired every day at noon, an odd timekeeping tradition the origin of which is local legend.

The world's longest outdoor covered escalator system transports commuters through Hong Kong's hilly terrain.

Climb to the top of the world's largest seated bronze Buddha.

Ho Chi Minh's perfectly preserved body has been on display here since 1975.

Home of the unusual art of water puppetry, one of Vietnam's oldest curiosities.

The notorious "Hanoi Hilton" where Vietnamese colonial subjects and later American POWs, including John McCain, were imprisoned.

A narrow passage next to a cafe leads to a courtyard exploding with murals, tags, and paste-ups.

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.

North Korea's massive "hotel of doom."

A dilapidated amusement park with a million-dollar view.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

This picturesque horseshoe weir was first built in the 1600s to prevent flooding in the town of Bath.

A sinister pyramid in the Frari contains the heart of the famous neoclassical sculptor.

The wing of this deserted Boeing 737 almost touches the Dunkin' Donuts next door.