Visitors flock to see this church tower's unintended feature: It happens to resemble a giant chicken from multiple points of view.

Gargantuan home of Russian science.

Replica of mosque destroyed by Russia in the 16th century.

The tallest hotel in Europe.

A scale model of Russia so big visitors are offered binoculars to rent so they can see the whole thing.

Monastery, army base, and infamous Soviet Gulag in the far Russian north.

A man-made island fort that has housed soldiers, scientists, and ravers.

Immortal combat in a Moscow museum.

Stunning examples of Russia's 18th-century wooden architecture.

An open-air museum in a mountain valley features works designed to blend in with—and disintegrate back into—their natural surroundings.

The former Nazi concentration camp stands as a museum to remember this dark chapter in European history.

Monasteries on rock pillars, once accessible only by frayed ropes.

The European towns of Brașov and Râșnov each have proud signs reminiscent of the Hollywood sign.

Once an opulent Art Nouveau hotspot, the Constanța Casino is one of Romania's most beautiful abandoned buildings.

Nestled in a peaceful valley, this Armenian monastery may have been saved from Mongols thanks to the eyes of God.

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.

Unusual building appears to be haphazardly built from randomly piled bricks.

Rock-hewn monastery complex with hundreds of cave structures tucked away into the mountainside.

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.

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

Celebrated example of Ottoman architecture that also served as a site for brutal massacres.

A bridge destroyed three times: once as a ruse, then in an actual attack, and finally for the movies.

Bridge that died in war and was resurected.