Remains of Roman amphitheater hidden in a sleepy quarter of Paris.

A lone cannonball remains lodged in the walls of the Hotel de Sens as a sober reminder of a revolution.

Historic medieval fortified city in southwest France.

The largest underground church in Europe.

An off-the-beaten-path boutique stuffed with an eclectic collection of upcycled goods.

Noirish green neon marks the location of one of the oldest private detective agencies in France.

Two awe-inspiring globes from the reign of the Sun King hang from the ceiling of France's national library.

Where the high court feasted, frolicked, and high courtesans put their royal lovers' diamonds to the test.

The mental institution where Van Gogh created some of his most famous work now allows guests to walk in the artist's footsteps.

Hidden away in a modern library are the remains of one of the 18th century's most celebrated wunderkammers.

This salt marsh in Southern France is as pink as the flamingos that inhabit it.

Science fiction's grandfather has a fittingly marvelous tomb.

Skeletons, medical artifacts, and other obscure and precious treasures all displayed in a wooden pharmacist's cabinet.

This natural French spring has been turned into a magical grotto by Roman and medieval constructions.

At Monet's beloved home you can still see the Japanese bridge, waterlilies, and weeping willows that were the subjects of some of his most iconic paintings.

Natural history museum celebrating biodiversity with a parade of taxidermy animals.

This life-size replica of the Statue of Liberty's flame is also a tribute to Princess Diana by default.

This surreal statue brings a famous French novel about a supernatural cad to arresting life.

Pitié-Salpêtrière was the dumping grounds for women who received the dreaded diagnosis of "hysterical."

This historic island prison holds one of the dungeons from the Count of Monte Cristo even though it is a work of fiction.

An icy lake tucked among jaw-dropping alpine panoramas.

Hundreds of hidden passageways weave through the old quarters of Lyon.

A modern-day Lascaux cave underneath Paris.

A 14th century bridge built as a fortress, where the devil lurks on one of its towers.