These historic defenses ensured the city within would survive hundreds of years of occupations, sieges, and invasions.

These abundant, over-the-top monuments are so widely scattered that they define the entire compact capital cityscape, often leading to jokes about whether there are more statues than residents.

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?

Once the fallout shelter of a dictator, this sprawling bunker is now a combined history museum and contemporary art gallery.

This ominous Albanian fortress houses tanks and downed planes as a reminder of their victories over Western imperialism.

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

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.

It houses the remains of a 17th-century version of the Titanic.

Stockholm's decidedly unique public transit system has doubled as the world's longest art gallery for decades.

The mummified heart of a saint lives on in this church—after a brief hiatus when it was stolen.

Experience what life was like in Ireland during the Viking and medieval ages.

Dublin's most modern, visually spectacular bridge is modeled after Ireland's national emblem.

These gigantic skeletons tower over visitors and provide insight into the creatures that once ruled over Ireland.

The somber sculptures commemorating Irish Famine on the river Liffey in Dublin.

Dublin's "Dead Zoo" serves as a window to Victorian museum design.

This permanent collection of preserved bodies taken from Irish bogs is one of the leading authorities on such morbid mummies.

One of Ireland's most infamous prisons for rebels including men, women and children.

The gorgeous library at Trinity College is home to remarkable treasures of Irish identity.

A solemn memorial in a majestic setting that honors a 1692 tragedy.

A remarkable feat of Victorian engineering across the Firth of Forth.

This extinct volcano rises above Edinburgh and is special for its panoramic views over the city.

A six-ton wedding present for the King of the Scots.

The heart of a Scottish legend had a centuries-long journey before reaching its final resting place.

Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.