This pair of gilded girls atop an Art Deco building in Copenhagen were built to function as a weather indicator.

This bridge's unique architecture honors nautical heritage and encourages self-awareness.

In the days before house numbers, these colorful signs held clues about various buildings' purposes.

A hidden church in a hidden courtyard tells the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

Tucked in the back of a flower shop, its collection details the fascinating history of the Netherlands's iconic symbol.

A Dutch passageway's artistic, aquatic-themed makeover pays tribute to the capital city's famed waterways.

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

Beatlemania is still going strong... at least in Kazakhstan.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

Looking for a unifying history, Uzbekistan finds its answer in a 14th Century Turco-Mongol conqueror... despite the fact he wasn't Uzbek.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

The unexpectedly beloved remnants of a controversial thermal power plant.

This home designed for chocolate magnate Antoni Amatller is an exquisite treasure-box of Catalan Modernism.

The oldest giants in Catalonia are now displayed in a 14th-century Gothic church.

A vista of the city and sea from atop the little-known viewing deck on an unassuming Columbus statue.

Turntable anonymously received orphans, alms, and groceries.

Gaudí's famously flamboyant architectural style is on full display in this sprawling park and garden.

A beautiful but toxic fountain of mercury.

Construction of Barcelona's iconic (but controversial) church is expected to be completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.