Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen

Established in 1843, Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark is an old world amusement park that is highly popular with travelers and Danes alike. If you want to get a feel for how people had fun before Disney, Copenhagen's Tivloli is the place to go.

Reykjavik's Hallgrímskirkja

The Hallgrímskirkja is one of the leading landmarks in Reykjavik, Iceland. Historically a Danish territory, the Republic of Iceland was established in 1944, and Reykjavik was chosen its capital. Construction on this church began in 1945 and was completed in 1986. The statue in front is of Leif Ericson and was a gift from the government of the United States. At 244ft, the church's tower dominates the Reykjavik's skyline, and there is a public observatory which provides vast views of the Icelandic countryside.

Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal

St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal is a Roman Catholic basilica in Montreal. Its dome was modeled after the dome at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and is considered to be the second largest in the world, after St. Peter's. Located near the top of the great expanse Mount Royal, its dome is the highest point in the city of Montreal. (As a result, aviation lights have had to be placed on the exterior of the dome.)

St. Joseph's is considered a church of miracles, that is, a healing church. More than two million people visit the church every year, many of them pilgrims in search of a healing miracle. There is a public display inside the basilica which is comprised of thousands of crutches which were brought into St. Joseph's by the sick, but left behind because they were no longer needed. Pope John II officially recognized the healing power of St. Joseph's in 1982.

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Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal

Montreal's Notre Dame Basilica was designed by James O'Donnell of New York and was built in the Gothic Revival style that was popular in the 19th century. At the time it was built, it was the largest church in North America.

The true beauty of Notre Dame, however, is the work of designer Victor Bourgeau, who is responsible for the interior design. Notre Dame is possibly the most beautiful church in North America. The color scheme is interestingly dominated by sky-blue and sky-gold, and it is accented with a lot of timber expertly crafted by local artisans. The artwork attempts to tell both the story of the Bible along side the story of Montreal, with images of the saints right along sides images from the Canadian frontier.

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Sofia's St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Sofia is a city of about 1.3 million and the capital of Bulgaria. One of its leading tourist attractions is the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is one of the world's largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals. Oddly, the cathedral, which surprisingly dates to 1912 was officially dedicated to the memory of the Russian soldiers fought and died in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 which freed Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire and resulted in the creation of the modern Bulgarian state.

All Saints Church in Moldova

All Saints Church dates to 1830 and is located in the Moldovan capital city of Chisinau. Part of the Imperial Russian Empire during most of the 19th century, part of Romania between the World Wars, and the USSR after WWII, Moldova declared its independence in 1991.

Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest

After hundreds of years of Ottoman, Hapsburg, and Imperial Russian rule in the region, the Kingdom of Romania was established in 1881, and Bucharest was chosen its capital city. In 1888, a new concert hall called the Romanian Athenaeum was built. It was just one of many new French-inspired buildings constructed in Bucharest in those years as its people strove to define their new capital. Unfortunately, many of those buildings were destroyed by the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu.