Étretat

Midway along Normandy's Alabaster Coast, Étretat might not at first seem worthy of a detour. However, its end-of-the-world location, its spectacular stone formations famously immortalized by the Impressionists, and the community itself—a Fisher-Price toy town lined with houses covered in picturesque 19th-century figural carvings—all add up to one of France's most unforgettable destinations. No matter there are no museums here—Étretat itself could be an exhibit.