The first hospital in the New World.

This small church was constructed over the ruins of three temples dating to the Roman Republic.

Inspired by the more famous Scrovegni Chapel, Cappella di San Giovanni contains several amazing frescoes.

This church is dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers.

This church houses the tomb—but not the remains—of St. Nicholas, the likely progenitor to Santa Claus.

You thought Santa Claus didn't exist, but it turns out you were wrong.

More than 70 detailed dioramas—including some rather nontraditional ones—fill this charming museum.

A trading post in the North Pole where children send letters.

Inside this casino, visitors are treated to slot machines and a rare German Christmas pyramid.

The holiday spirit lingers year-round in the "Christmas City of the High Plains."

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

The corner walls of a primary school showcase a Mexican version of memento mori.

A place to learn about the history and culture of Mexico's largest Anabaptist group.

In Mexico, an abandoned Scottish-looking castle stands as a tribute to love.

A grand entrance to one of the world's smallest Chinatowns.

In Chapultepec Park there is a pavilion gifted to Mexico from South Korea to honor the 1968 Summer Olympics.

This clock was gifted to Mexico as a show of gratitude for its long history of welcoming Arab migrants.

The grounds of this former dairy hacienda now contain an entire town inspired by Tuscany, Italy.

A statue of the formerly enslaved person considered "the first liberator of the Americas" stands in the town named after him.

A coastal monument honors one of Mexico's most notable immigrant groups.

This iconic sluice gate is a favorite haunt for joggers, fishing enthusiasts, and even ghost hunters.

A rare example of an ancient Japanese hill castle believed to be the fortress of a legendary demon.

A shrine dedicated to a 10th-century samurai emperor, whose head is not buried on site (contrary to popular belief).

A flight of this "ghost staircase" has 40 steps on the way up, but only 39 steps on the way down.