Auvergne
Vichy's centrepiece is the huge Parc des Sources, the town's oldest park. Dating to the mid-18th century, the park is lined with chestnut and plane trees…
Must-see attractions in France
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
The Romanesque basilica towering over Orcival is one of the most impressive churches in the Auvergne. With its octagonal tower and broad stone arches,…
Paris
Spectacular views unfold from this 210m-high smoked-glass-and-steel office block, built in 1973. A speedy elevator whisks visitors up in 38 seconds to the…
Grenoble
This ever-evolving museum unleashes a century of regional history on visitors. Suits of armour are back-lit in brightly coloured rooms, 3-D family trees…
Chamonix
The highest peak on the western side of the Chamonix Valley, Le Brévent (2525m) has tremendous views of the Mont Blanc massif, myriad hiking trails…
Versailles
Northwest of Versailles’ main palace is the Domaine de Trianon. Admission includes the pink-colonnaded Grand Trianon, built in 1687 for Louis XIV and his…
Rouen
In a large, circular column on the waterfront, Panorama XXL is a massive 360-degree exhibition offering in-depth exploring of one astonishing landscape,…
Auvergne
Issoire is the proud home of the Auvergne’s most extravagantly decorated Romanesque church. The exterior of this 12th-century edifice is festooned with…
Ajaccio
Unremarkable from the outside, the old-town house where Napoléon was born and spent his first nine years was ransacked by Corsican nationalists in 1793,…
Amiens
Jules Verne (1828–1905) wrote some of his best-known works of brain-tingling – and eerily prescient – science fiction under the eaves of this turreted…
Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-Arts
Ajaccio
Established by Napoléon’s uncle, cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763–1839), Ajaccio’s superb art museum holds the largest French collection of Italian…
Nancy
Once home to the dukes of Lorraine, the regal Renaissance Palais Ducal now shelters the Musée Lorrain. The rich fine arts and history collection…
Épernay
Everyone who visits Moët & Chandon invariably stops to strike a pose next to the statue of Dom Pérignon (c 1638–1715), after whom the prestige cuvée is…
Toulouse
On the eastern side of place du Capitole (the main square) is the 128m-long façade of the Capitole, Toulouse's city hall. This neoclassical masterpiece,…
Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain
Strasbourg
This striking glass-and-steel cube showcases an outstanding fine-art, graphic-art and photography collection. Besides modern and contemporary works of the…
Le Havre
Perret’s masterful, 107m-high Église St-Joseph, visible from all over town, was built using bare concrete from 1951 to 1959. Some 13,000 panels of…
Parc du Marquenterre Bird Sanctuary
Lille, Flanders & the Somme
An astonishing 300 bird species have been sighted at this 2-sq-km bird sanctuary, an important migratory stopover between the UK, Iceland, Scandinavia and…
Languedoc-Roussillon
Founded by Cistercian monks in 1093, Fontfroide Abbey became one of southern France’s most powerful ecclesiastical centres during the Middle Ages…
Chartres
Climbing 350 steps up to the 112m-high Tour Nord (aka Clocher Neuf; New Bell Tower) of the Cathédrale Notre Dame is well worth it. A 70m-high platform on…
Antibes
Picasso himself said, ‘If you want to see the Picassos from Antibes, you have to see them in Antibes'. The 14th-century Château Grimaldi was Picasso’s…
The Jura Mountains
The 30-million-year-old Grottes de Baume are secreted away in the cliffs 2km south of Baume-les-Messieurs. On guided tours, visitors can weave their way…
The Dordogne
Inside a marvellous modern building alongside the cliffs, this museum provides a fine prehistory primer, with the most comprehensive collection of…
Toulouse
This luxurious museum of fine arts and historic design is housed within Toulouse’s most impressive hôtel particulier (private mansion), the Hôtel d…
Honfleur
This museum features superb 19th- and 20th-century paintings of Normandy’s towns and coast, including works by Dubourg, Dufy and Monet. One room is…
Alsace
Ecomusée d’Alsace is a fascinating excursion into Alsatian country life and time-honoured crafts. Smiths, cartwrights, potters and coopers do their thing…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
The tranquil, 4.5km-long Canal St-Martin was inaugurated in 1825 to provide a shipping link between the Seine and Paris' northeastern suburbs. Emerging…
Étretat
To your right and along off to the northwest as you walk onto the beach, the cliff of Falaise d’Amont is dotted with reclining or tottering figures taking…
Musée de Site Gallo-Romain Villa Loupian
Languedoc-Roussillon
Dating from the 1st century AD, this extraordinary Roman villa was built on the Via Domitia road linking Italy and Spain. It was occupied for 600 years…
Strasbourg
Designed by Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi and opened in September 2012, France's biggest mosque (accommodating 1500 worshippers) sits on a bend in…
Corte
Perched on a south-facing promontory immediately below the citadel, and reached via a signposted staircase just outside the ramparts, this free-access…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
This medieval fortress glowers over Volvic from its 600m-high hilltop perch. A watchtower is thought to have stood here since the 10th century, but the…
Paris
Erected for the 1900 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair), the Grand Palais is topped by a huge 8.5-tonne art nouveau glass roof. It hosts some of Paris’…
Paris
Drift up and up but not away – this helium-filled balloon in Parc André Citroën remains tethered to the ground as it lifts you 150m into the air for…
Bordeaux
Gallo-Roman statues and relics dating back 25,000 years are among the highlights at this bright and spacious, well-curated history and civilisations…
D-Day Beaches
This excellent museum has an astonishing collection of restored WWII military equipment from both sides; the human dimension of the war is brought…
Chartres
The west, north and south entrances of the Cathédrale Notre Dame have superbly ornamented triple portals, but the west entrance, known as the Portail…
Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archéologie
Besançon
France's oldest public museum, founded in 1694, is famous for its stellar collection of local Gallo-Roman archaeology; its Cabinet des Dessins, with some…
Côte d'Azur
Perched on a hilltop just outside Monaco that’s visible from all directions, this amazing monument was built by Emperor Augustus in 6 BC to celebrate his…
Nantes
Overlooking the river, this is a magical museum with 1st-edition books, hand-edited manuscripts and cardboard theatre cut-outs. Child-friendly interactive…
Brittany
A short drive from Cancale brings you to this sublime and stormy headland. Rock cleaves the water and fantastic views range over islands and rocks to the…
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