Wash down heaping platters of meze with raki at one of the city's best taverns.

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

This crucial gathering spot along the "hippie trail" still displays old notes between traveling beatniks and backpackers.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

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

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.

These natural cliffs look like they are a part of an old castle complex.

Not far from a popular beach, an unfinished, abandoned mansion for Bulgaria's last communist dictator.

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

An architectural marvel that spans the Arda River, and has stories of a haunted past.

A crumbling monument to a now locally-extinct sport in Bulgaria's oldest ski resort.

On the outskirts of the small village, an abandoned grassy field glitters thanks to the white stones of an ancient structure.

The Grand Mall in Varna hosts one of the biggest collections of Soviet-era paraphernalia in Bulgaria.

This tiny Bulgarian town offers a stunning location in the mountains and a storied history.

An abandoned pasta factory in the centre of Bucharest, once home to Bulgarian revolutionaries and a hub of crime.

Visit an imposing 13th-century Transylvanian citadel lurking not far from the region's more heavily touristed attractions.

An old spa town in the mountains of Romania where, according to legend, the great hero Hercules once bathed.

This museum offers a journey back to the Belle Epoque era of Romania.

Packed to the ceiling with antique taxidermy and hunting arms.

Something's watching you.

This bone-filled cave got its name after they found 140 bear skeletons inside.

A giant portrait of an ancient king looms over the river.