A well-preserved medieval village nested on a rocky outcrop and surrounded by a network of cliffs, natural bridges and canyons.

Lyon, France is home to two remarkably preserved Roman theaters, one dating back to 15 BCE.

For hundreds of years, automatons moving to metallic music have been marking the passage of time.

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

A place to see how French aristocrats lived in the early 1900s.

The castle where the Marquis de Sade lived out his darkest fantasies.

This fascinating abbey is considered the oldest monastery in the region.

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

A unique underground structure dating back to the 1st century BC.

Home to fantastic views and ancient graves.

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

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

A cave dwelling that was started by the Celts, expanded by monks, and finished by knights.

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

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

Sacked by Vikings, blessed by William the Conqueror, dealt a fatal blow during the French Revolution—these ruins have seen it all.

Monsters and miniatures are held in equal esteem at this wondrous museum.

One of the greatest maze designer’s greatest mazes.

This whimsical castle of grottoes was the labor of love of a French postman, and one of the greatest achievements of outsider architecture.

The remaining relics of the patroness of Paris lie in a chapel under a striking double spiral staircase.

This frog-themed restaurant was frequented by Picasso, Saint-Exupéry, and more.

A majestic lion statue guards this Parisian botanical garden, and feeds on an unsettling item.

Exquisite wall sculptures carved in secret by an early quarryman in an obscure corner of the Paris Catacombs.

A Parisian cemetery where the elite and artistic are interred beneath an eccentric collection of tombs.