France

On August 25, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, from Dover to Calais. His second attempt at the feat took him close to 22 hours, and while a straight-line swim would have…

Call Inspector Clouseau! On August 21, 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The case was a mystery for two years until the thief (a museum employee who believed the painting belonged in Italy) was discovered when attempting…

Europe plays host to some of the planet's most breathtaking mountain vistas. Much of this wonderful scenery is accessible relatively easily by vehicle – and therefore by Street View! In this entry, we count down the five highest paved roads on the continent.

On July 29, 1836, the Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated after a lengthy construction process. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and an eternal flame are found beneath the arch. With twelve roads radiating from the monument, the traffic around…

On July 22, 1713, French architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot was born. He is best known for designing a Church originally dedicated to St Genevieve, but which later became the Panthéon, a secular temple where distinguished French citizens are interred. Residents include…

Natural arches - also known as natural bridges - are formed when relatively soft rock is worn away by the action of tides, rivers or weather erosion, leaving behind a bridge-like structure of harder rock. Although there are thousands around…