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

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?

The elliptical citadel resisted the advance of the mighty Ottomans several times, thanks to the military prowess of the "Dragon of Albania."

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

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

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.

A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.

One of the world's oldest olive trees, thought to be over 2,000 years old.

A tiny church on a man-made island in the Adriatic.

A curious cave church carved into the face of a cliff.

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

A curious little museum dedicated to the furry feline in the cat haven that is Old Town Kotor.

The only monument to name all of the passengers and crew who died on the RMS Titanic.

This historic orchard contains Northern Europe's largest collection of paradise apple trees.

A tribute to an iconic act of defiance from the Croatian War of Independence involving a small car.

Croatia's "hairy stone" fortress is one of the most well preserved Istrian castles.

The complex has been abandoned since the Croatian War of Independence, barring a stint as a set for 'Game of Thrones.'

Large, airy hallways hide within an impenetrable fortress that beckons urban explorers.

Now abandoned, the world's first torpedo factory is crumbling into the sea.

This picturesque medieval monastery guards a small trove of historic treasures.

The big toe of this towering monument to a Croatian national hero is worn from years of superstitious rubbing.

When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.

This beautiful Croatian fortress is haunted by legends of forbidden love.