The birthplace of the ferocious William the Conqueror, this castle is awash in medieval history.

A quaint medieval millhouse hovers surprisingly above the waters of the Seine.

Dedicated to the history and culture of smoking, this small museum now includes a vape lounge.

A 2017 crowdfunding campaign saved this historic castle from being destroyed.

The video game-themed street art first popped up in the French city.

The post-apocalyptic remnants of a bucolic town ruined by a plane crash.

A centuries-old complex of hand-dug stone chambers has sheltered locals in times of trouble.

An isolated 17th-century chapel on a remarkable site once dedicated to Celtic sun worship.

Hundreds of prehistoric stones, arranged in perfect lines in a French field.

Trek into the depths of the cave where 17,000-year-old paintings exist alongside 400-year-old graffiti.

The 16th-century church was kept in its ruined state as a reminder of the casualties of World War I.

This ancient theater was once the home of fierce gladiatorial battles.

Hundreds of secret cabinets built into the walls of legendary poisoner's private work room.

Tables of secondhand books fill the inner courtyard of this 17th-century stock exchange.

Sleep in a climate-controlled plastic bubble for the night.

The deserted pirate-themed restaurant still entices explorers.

A tiled, multi-level garden of survival in Lyon.

An ancient monastery, a locked room, and a mysterious book heist.

This French castle is said to have once held the Holy Grail but is now a gorgeous mountaintop ruin.

Since ancient times these picturesque springs have been providing bathers with healing waters.

A medieval church with largest and oldest collection of Renaissance frescoes in France.

There has been an astronomical clock on this spot since the 14th century.

This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

The only remaining collection of flayed figures made by French "madman" Honoré Fragonard.