This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

The abandoned palace stands as a wounded but proud beacon of Afghan hope.

The last operating synagogue in Afghanistan is run by Zablon Simintov, the last remaining Jew in Afghanistan.

What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.

Once an impressive link to Afghanistan’s Buddhist past, now a sad reminder of intolerance towards other cultures.

Splashes of blue in an otherwise monotonous lunar landscape.

The old fire station features a mural that has more to it than first meets the eye.

Open-air museum with a large collection of Soviet-era statues.

The pyramid and dome deep inside the Dzūkija forest are believed to channel divine energy.

This micro-nation may be some sort of prank, but its constitution sure seems official.

Travelers who fall victim to this mermaid's charms are destined to stay in Užupis forever.

Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte fell in love with this Gothic church.

While this monument tile is shrouded in mystery it also marks the end of the longest ever human chain.

The largest coin pyramid in the world is a carefully balanced stack of over 1,000,000 pieces.

These traffic lights celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the women's suffrage movement in Lithuania.

A small monument in Lithuania marks the geographic center of Europe—or at least one of the claimants.

An old hill fort covered in over 100,000 crosses is a symbol of Lithuanian nationalism and beliefs.

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

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

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