Now a memorial, this factory was once used as a concentration camp for artists by the Vichy government.

The eclectic observatory castle of a 19th-century astronomer and explorer.

Sculpture of a legendary French dragon.

A French museum of wrought iron.

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

A tiny, forgotten park of surrealist sculptures in Angouleme.

The somewhat misnamed 'Garden of Shells' lovingly built from found objects.

The ruins of an abandoned cemetery are among the last remnants of the old village of La Boulaye before a wealthy landowner had it relocated.

Small French town or alien garage?

One man's stunning attempt at eco-friendly living.

Visitors dating back to the 1600s carved their marks in the stones of the iconic tower.

Wall after wall of this French seaside neighborhood is intricately decorated with seashells and corals.

For a brief time in 1960s France, families could climb into a tiny submarine and be pulled along an underwater journey.

Medieval Danse Macabre Fresco in Northern Brittany.

A neighborhood church's unusual abstract stained glass was the final project of avant-garde artist Jean Cocteau.

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

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

This Bordeaux parking garage has 712 indoor spaces, and one outdoor.

The world's largest solar furnace uses 10,000 mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays to generate power.

A castle-like sea fort from the 17th century is now a museum to oyster farming.

The man who introduced reinforced concrete to the world demonstrated its genius by using it to build his own house.

The haunting concrete remains of a Nazi pebble crusher can still be found in this small French commune.

For those late-night mollusk cravings.

One of the great treasures of Neolithic art lies within this carefully constructed pile of rocks.