Places JoeBenSimo Wants to Go

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

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

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

This building’s ghostly exterior reflects its former lives as a prison, school, and funeral home.

Sculpture of a legendary French dragon.

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.

A remote hilltop covered in giant monoliths haunts the Brittany countryside.

A colorful piece of contemporary art cheerfully clashes with Lyon's historical architecture.

Fighting the British and making game shows for over 150 years.

A memorial to the nearly 10,000 American soldiers laid to rest on the beaches of Normandy during WWII.

From carts to cars, this leftover Roman bridge in France has managed to survive for centuries.

Legend has it this 11th-century castle was paid a visit from the devil.

To the famous surrealist artist, liberty required two torches held high.

Natural mummies hidden in the crypt of a medieval French church.

An architectural oddity of six stories, accessed by graceful ramps.

The sunken structure looks like the victim of a catastrophic flood.

This ancient theater was once the home of fierce gladiatorial battles.

A quaint medieval millhouse hovers surprisingly above the waters of the Seine.

If they push on just the right spot, even the weakest person can move this titanic boulder.

Statue of a decomposing prince that once held his heart in its hand.

The 16th-century church was kept in its ruined state as a reminder of the casualties of World War I.

The Church of the Annunciation was carved into the face of a cliff, just like the rest of the town of Haute-Isle.

One of the world's most complex timepieces.

A medieval church with largest and oldest collection of Renaissance frescoes in France.