The spiral staircase hidden inside this giant Parisian column was likely built for Catherine de Medici's astrologer.

The world's tallest bridge is also possibly the most elegant.

A series of abstract, silly sculptures represent the works of a great modern classical composer.

In this Parisian garden's grotesque former life as a zoo it fed exotic animals to the bourgeois and put humans on exhibit.

A medieval military street hidden beneath a charming French fishing village.

A 16th-century fountain marks the site of a lost medieval cemetery once filled with mass graves.

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

These quaint French houses dangle precariously over a precipice.

This stunning French estate was so lavish that it landed its original owner in jail for the rest of his life.

This Paris art space celebrates the creativity and ingenuity that springs from abject poverty, especially in Africa.

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

The water-powered carriages are long gone, but for over a century this funicular railway has been the fastest route to the highest point in Paris.

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

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

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

The ruins of a Duke's bucolic dream, where camels once roamed alongside "Dutch" windmills and faux-Italian vineyards.

This statue was given to France by the United States to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution.

A museum on the history of Paris, including a set of Napoleon's toiletries, Proust's room, and relics of the Revolution.

This French ghost town from World War II has been left as a memorial to German atrocities during World War II.

Medieval museum built over Roman baths that features famous tapestries of a lady and a unicorn.

A favorite Paris bar for U.S. expats, including Gershwin, Hemingway, and James Bond.

An "inside out" building in the historical center of Paris, featuring Europe’s largest modern art museum.

A museum of magic with a Sadist past.

This charming cobbled backstreet is the most Instagramable street in Paris, much to the residents' annoyance.