Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey

This is the oldest church in Paris. And yes, the Vikings tried to burn it down. Six times.

The abbey was founded in 543 by Childebert I, son of Clovis, the first king of the Franks. The bell tower you see before you dates from 1014, making it the oldest in Paris. It rose from a meadow outside the city walls, which is exactly what "des Prés" means: of the meadows. Over the centuries, a whole neighborhood grew up around it, and the monks inside quietly copied manuscripts by hand that circulated across all of Europe.

The Vikings were persistent visitors, raiding and burning the abbey repeatedly, most violently during the siege of Paris in 885 to 886. Each time, it was rebuilt.

The French Revolution brought a different kind of destruction. The church was converted into a gunpowder factory, with saltpeter piled high beneath the vaults and furnaces installed in the chapels. In August 1794, fifteen tons of gunpowder exploded and destroyed most of the surrounding buildings. The church survived, but it was so badly damaged that Paris seriously considered demolishing it. Victor Hugo campaigned to save it.

He won. And now, centuries later, you are standing next to the tower he saved.