Remains of the artificial harbours invented for the Allied invasion of Normandy can still be seen at sea.

An effigy of a trapped paratrooper dangles from a Normandy church to commemorate one remarkable D-Day event.

This 12th century, partially destroyed, abbey has had several owners and was seized during the French Revolution.

On this romantic tidal island reachable only at low tide the tomb of a famous French writer overlooks the sea.

Ride the rails on a train harkening back to a 19th-century marvel.

An isolated 17th-century chapel on a remarkable site once dedicated to Celtic sun worship.

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

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

Tucked away amongst townhomes lies a restored, early 20th-century tea house and garden, the only remains of a historic estate.

These magnificent city walls rise from the barren sun-baked Spanish plains like something straight out of a fairytale.

These ruins reveal the remarkably intact layout of a Roman marketplace.

This castle-fortress is a living example of the transition from medieval defenses to modern fortifications.

A Christian retreat founded to welcome refugees fleeing from the Nazis during World War II.

This triumphal arch celebrating the Sun King's conquest of Lille is a masterpiece of military architecture.

This 1,400-year-old abbey was once a powerhouse for music and intellectualism known across Normandy.

Tens of thousands of ancient rock carvings hidden in the heart of a French national park.

The castle was reconstructed to fit Kaiser Wilhelm II's romanticized vision of the Middle Ages.

Abandoned blockhouses from Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall erode into the sea on a French beach.

The largest crypt ever constructed in France was built in the 11th century on an ancient Druid sacred site.

Bloodstains can still be seen in this medieval church where two medics saved lives on D-Day.

The birthplace of the ferocious William the Conqueror, this castle is awash in medieval history.

The final resting place of the "father of special effects."

Artist's eccentric property excessively decorated with found objects and work of his own.

The ruins of a medieval castle linked to the murderous French lord that inspired the famous legend of Bluebeard.