This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.

This enormous "cloth of the conquest" depicts the Norman invasion of England in mind-blowing detail.

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

A sublime medieval path adorns the marble floor of one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in France.

An image of the legendary saint stands in the shadow of a cathedral she liberated.

A swath of France so devastated by war it is still forbidden to go there.

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

The fairy tale castle of the “fairy-tale king,” this was also the inspiration for Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”

A unique bridge with an equally unique view.

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.

This ancient Roman bridge and aqueduct still stands as a wonder of classical construction.

The lost Latin words were reconstructed using the holes from the nails that once pinned them in place.

These "mermaids" that surround a plaza in Segovia are rather sphinx-like.

This lovely, if imposing, piece of Canadian gothic is possibly the most photographed hotel in the world.

This sweet-toothed bear searching for snacks has been a symbol of Madrid for decades.

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.

Elaborately carved to showcase the glorious wealth that the age of exploration brought to the Portuguese empire.

A king's pet, a pope's gift, an artist's inspiration, and a tragic shipwreck.

Puzzles within puzzles hide a golden treasure in this hedge maze.

The largest stone circle in the world has ended up bringing up more questions than it has answered.

Famously misunderstood wonder of the ancient world

The oldest working mechanical clock in the world.

One of its engravings is believed to be among the first representations of medical and surgical instruments.

This ancient structure is widely thought to be the oldest intact pyramid in the world.