This small shrine is dedicated to the designer of the first Russian fighter jet and his brother, who became Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.

Armenia's premier center of astrophysical research was established during the Soviet era.

The ruins of a medieval monastery built on a perilous slope.

This little medieval church hidden in the center of Yerevan was lost and rediscovered—twice.

After visiting hours, this picturesque waterfall is essentially turned "off" to be used for hydroelectric power.

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.

The most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia once held a saint in a pit for 13 years.

This Armenian monastery was carved out of cliffs and named after the spear used to stab Jesus.

A geological oddity topped with a 2,000-year-old pagan temple.

A beautiful modern church dedicated to the teleporting patron saint of Andorra.

Decorated with a staggering 1,380 ladybugs, the installation has turned what was once a grim, forgotten nickel mine into a landmark and a statement.

A temple dedicated to the 13th-century Alevi Turkish dervish credited with bringing Islam to the Balkans.

A scenic UNESCO site that doubles as a habitat for various forms of wildlife.

Climb into Albania's communist history while enjoying a spectacular ocean view.

In the heart of Tirana, this underground nuclear bunker has been transformed into a museum.

This abandoned prison was so notorious that its name has become a metaphor throughout Albania.

According to a local legend, this old castle could only be built after a woman was immured in the walls.

The largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans once held over 20,000 people, but managed to lay hidden for hundreds of years.

The elliptical citadel resisted the advance of the mighty Ottomans several times, thanks to the military prowess of the "Dragon of Albania."

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?

An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.