The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.

Legend has it that any woman who kissed this statue would soon be married.

Europe's simulation of the Martian surface uses soil from Mount Vesuvius.

The world's first zoo for microbes collecting the horrible and wonderful things living on and around us.

The world's only museum devoted to the wonders of fluorescence.

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.

An immersive projection art installation uses sound, scale, and light to take visitors inside classic works of art.

How did a French journalist’s grave become the sexiest statue in the cemetery?

Behind the pink curtain, Au Bonheur du Jour, an art gallery of erotic archives.

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

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

France's most famous cemetery, with some of its most curious tombs.

This magical-looking island is notorious for the misfortunes suffered by its owners.

This small, ingenious cannon once helped regulate Parisian life.

Beggars were miraculously "cured" of their fake ailments when they returned home to this 17th century Paris slum each night.

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

Known as the "Dodo Manège," this carousel features a herd of animals that have disappeared—or may be gone soon.