This whimsically named Vietnamese stream is closer to a walkway than a waterway.

Monument to a brutal, ineffectual US bombing campaign and a sobering reminder of the human cost of the Vietnam War.

This massive blockhead sculpture hides an entire library.

This banal Parisian entranceway is not what it seems.

Historic medieval fortified city in southwest France.

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

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

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

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

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

An icy lake tucked among jaw-dropping alpine panoramas.

This former “ante-chamber to the guillotine” has been refurbished to illustrate the brutal history of French justice.

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.

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

The first green space constructed on an elevated viaduct.

This Parisian fountain is a little bit fantasy and a little bit nightclub.

"In the Dark" Restaurant in Paris offers dinner in complete darkness.

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

The very center of Paris is surrounded by a bevy of strange good luck rituals.

Paris' linguistic guide to the international language of, yes, love.

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

A horde of stray cats rule in this secluded Parisian cemetery under a bridge.

The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.