Still in Toul, Lionel takes a closer look at the Saint-Étienne Cathedral in Toul. Its construction started in the thirteen hundreds and was completed around 1495.

Astrid gives us a detailed description of the Toul Cathedral, its history, and its special features. Though its gargoyles may look scary, they serve a special purpose: draining rainwater off the roof. A light and sound show takes place every year, highlighting the gargoyles and the cathedral's amazing architecture.

In this episode you will learn how Paris officially became the capital in the sixth century under the reign of Clovis. Paris was not built in a day, and in many respects, Paris is still being built today as many significant events, past and present, are still defining the history of the city.

Join Daniel Benchimol on his tour of the quaint town of Fourqueux. There, you will find a magnificent house where Victor Hugo, the famous French poet and writer, once stayed. Adding to the historic atmosphere, old road markers and vintage hand-painted advertising signs are a great reminder of a colorful past.

Discover Chambourcy with Daniel Benchimol. Chambourcy is a small town on the outskirts of Paris that is full of charming surprises. An interesting garden called Le Désert de Retz will take you back through time with eclectic constructions reminiscent of extinct civilizations.

Lionel takes us to the friendly Butte aux Cailles neighborhood in Paris. Its village-like atmosphere is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the capital. The Butte aux Cailles was formerly part of the small town of Gentilly before being attached to the city of Paris.

Aldo takes us to a very special house on 23 Rue Beauregard in Paris. In that house lived a shady character, Catherine Deshayes, who was responsible for the murder of thousands of infants. She and 36 others were burned at the stake by Louis XIV.

The Paris mayor's office set up an outdoor exhibition at the Bastille recounting events that took place on the site of the famous prison. Most people know that the Bastille was stormed during the French Revolution of 1789, but not many people are aware of other important events that took place before and after the Revolution.

Daniel Benchimol takes us to the town of Poissy, about twenty kilometers from Paris. The town name is derived from the word poisson (fish) due to its once important fishing industry.

Don't miss this rendezvous with Daniel Benchimol in the town of Poissy near Paris. Enjoy a visit to a twelfth-century Romanesque church called the Collégiale de Poissy. You can also visit its priory, which now houses a toy museum to the delight of the little ones.

Daniel Benchimol visits the Memorial of Fighting France on Mont Valérien, west of Paris. He reads us a moving message from an anonymous person who wrote a farewell letter to his family just before being executed by the Germans in 1942.

In the process of relocating its archives, the diocese of Lyon discovered a thousand-year-old parchment dating from the time of Charlemagne.

Daniel Benchimol takes us back to the WWII Mont-Valérien Memorial, just around the corner from the Suresnes American Cemetery. Jenna, the onsite guide, delivers a grim account of how mass executions by the Germans took place, from the reading of the sentence, to the long wait before the execution, to the firing squad and the disposing of the bodies.

Join Daniel on his discovery of Dourdan, a small town in the Essonne department. This charming place is filled with history and boasts a thirteenth-century covered market that has been rebuilt over the years and is still in use today.

Daniel takes us inside the castle of Dourdan, with its belfry, arrow loops, and many fortifications. This castle has a somewhat unusual history: find out why its roof was knocked off and why it was pretty much impregnable.