Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

This mystical orb covered in strange symbols is thought to have been used in ancient Greek magical rituals.

The Cycladic architecture makes this Athens neighborhood feel like an island paradise hidden in the shadow of the Acropolis.

A 400-foot-tall tall map of Chicago makes this once-ignored building stand out.

The kitsch mansion of the former Romanian president Nicolae Ceaușescu features a golden bathroom.

This memorial to the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 is often compared to a potato on a skewer.

This communist behemoth is the heaviest building in the world and a legacy of a brutal regime.

This once-derelict building is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

The bust of Romania’s most notorious ruler, Vlad Dracula aka "Vlad the Impaler," keeps watch over the ruins of his medieval court.

This elaborately decorated, fairytale-like Romanian royal palace is one of the most striking castles in Europe.

This hauntingly beautiful cemetery outside a medieval citadel is full of winding paths and ivy-covered graves.

Nine centuries-old fortresses guard the walls of this medieval Romanian city.

The names Lúthien and Beren can be found inscribed on the shared grave of the famous writer and his beloved wife and muse.

A journey begins with a single step, and for many, the road-trip of a lifetime started at this Chicago intersection.

Harry Potter once visited this massive limestone cliff, which was carved by an ancient glacial river.

This Welsh village gave itself a ridiculous name in a publicity stunt a century ahead of its time.

Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.

Now famous as the "Harry Potter bridge," this impressive concrete viaduct has long been an icon in its own right.

In the past, Renaissance sex workers were encouraged to entice customers on this bridge.

A lively circle of dancers in the Georgian capital commemorates an ancient rite of spring.

This medieval manuscript collection has some of the most obscure and ancient texts in the world.

A 11-foot former president stands on a Kosovo street that also bears his name.

An abandoned saucer-shaped monument in the Bulgarian mountains.

This historic black and white monastery is one of Bulgaria's architectural jewels.