A Parisian boutique devoted to la Sape, the elegant Congolese fashion subculture rooted in European colonization.

Collection of antique taxidermy and natural specimens, near one of Paris's oldest flea markets.

One of the last umbrella repair shops in Paris upholds the nostalgic art of umbrella making.

Where the high court feasted, frolicked, and high courtesans put their royal lovers' diamonds to the test.

Hidden away in a modern library are the remains of one of the 18th century's most celebrated wunderkammers.

A unrivaled and rather horrifying collection of wax dermatological models.

France's national museum of scientific and industrial instruments.

This house's itty bitty size means no humans allowed.

Replicas of fossils unearthed during renovation work reveal how this area would have looked millions of years ago.

This fascinating and poignant museum chronicles every imaginable aspect of Spanish colonialism in the Americas.

Madrid's last horchata kiosk is a blue-and-white beacon of refreshment.

This small museum tucked within a subway station holds pieces from Madrid's past.

The remains of the second-oldest zoo in Europe can be seen within these library gardens.

This small and often-overlooked museum holds some of Spain's finest artistic treasures.

Among the oldest structures in Madrid, these Moorish walls once guarded the medieval city of Mayrit.

The little church's beautifully frescoed ceiling has earned it the nickname “the Sistine Chapel of Madrid.”

A stone slab in Madrid marks the point from which the distances of Spain's national roads are measured.

This funky former tobacco factory is one of the most striking examples of Madrid's cultural diversity.

Earth's rocky history has rarely glittered so brightly as it does in this Spanish museum.

In the fictional world of Kcymaerxthaere, celestial wonders marked a portal to a powerful route of travel at this site in Madrid, Spain.

The earliest known map to show America, discovered by accident at a Paris bookshop.

The morbid items in this small and hidden museum are not for the weak stomached.

Over two centuries old and counting, Madrid's massive botanical garden contains one of Europe's only desert environments.

A lush indoor jungle fills this bustling Madrid transportation hub.