Situated inside the Palais de la Berbie, the astounding Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, showcases hundreds of works by artist Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, who was born in the area. Here you'll find over 1,000 artworks credited to the Albi artist along with a temporary exhibition space and an auditorium.
This wooded hill overlooking the Marne Valley was the site of 1918’s fierce Battle of Belleau Wood, during which US Marines recaptured an area of the woods from German forces. Today, Belleau Wood is home to a vast cemetery and memorial to honor the soldiers who fought and died there, and is an important local landmark for those interested in military history.
Located at the foot of the hill where the fierce Battle of Belleau Wood was fought in World War I, the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial is dedicated to the memory of lost soldiers. Covering 42 acres and home to 2,288 burial markers, it is one of the most important American cemeteries and memorials in France.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal attracts pilgrims from all over the world who come to pray and ask for the Virgin Mary’s protection. It’s believed that a young nun named Saint Catherine Labouré saw several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1830. Following these visions, she designed the Miraculous Medal, based on Mary’s instructions, which visitors often purchase when visiting this magnificent building.
The Château-Thierry American Monument (Monument Américain de Château-Thierry is an important World War I memorial overlooking the Marne River Valley. Built in 1933, it commemorates the achievements of US forces that fought in the region in 1918, notably at the Second Battle of the Marne during the Aisne-Marne and Oise-Aisne offensives.
What Brooklyn is to New York City, some say the 10th arrondissement is to Paris. It’s young, hip, diverse, and filled with inviting restaurants, bars, boutiques, music venues, and theaters. The district is also home to a vast collection of architectural gems, most notably the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est, Paris’ main train stations.
Elton John, Elvis Presley, Edith Piaf, and Shirley MacLaine all graced the stage of the Théâtre du Lido over the years, accompanied by the cabaret’s famous burlesque dancers, the Bluebell Girls. While the legendary cabaret closed its doors in 2022, you can still watch a show at the original 1940s venue along Paris’ Champs-Élysées. Reimagined for the post-cabaret era, the Lido 2 Paris theater swaps classic Parisian entertainment for international musical performances and shows.
Even if you’re not familiar with Pampelonne Beach, you may well know the names of the upmarket beach clubs that line the shore: Club 55, Nikki Beach, La Voile Rouge—ring any bells? Here, rich and famous don their finery (or take it off—topless sunbathing “originated” here) and enjoy languid days in the Tropezienne sun.
The Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux provides a thorough overview of the World War II battles in the northern French region of Normandy in the summer of 1944. Visitors can learn more about this important period through audio-visual archival materials, dioramas, everyday objects, army tanks, and informative boards.
Bordeaux’s world-famous wines take the spotlight at the Bordeaux Wine and Trade Museum, where tours of the 18th-century vaulted cellars lead through the history of France’s largest winemaking region. Along with seeing permanent exhibitions related to Bordeaux’s wine production, visitors can also take part in wine-tasting workshops.
Renowned for its history and grandeur, as well as its association with the Impressionists, the Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise makes a convenient day trip from Paris. Just 30 minutes north of the city, the 17th-century landmark offers architectural splendor, ornamental gardens, and a multimedia art exhibition.
An opera house fit for a king, recently renovated to its original splendor, the Royal Opera at the Palace of Versailles was built for the wedding of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Upon its completion in 1770 under the direction of architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it was the largest concert hall in all of Europe.
Chamonix’s Amusement Park is open year-round and offers plenty of family-friendly fun from giant swings, electric motorcycles, and water games in the summer to skiing, arcade games, and more during the winter months. The park’s most popular attraction is the exhilarating 4,265-feet (1300-meter long Alpine Coaster, which twists and turns down the mountainside.
Few Paris districts are as iconic as the 7th arrondissement, which stretches along the Left Bank of the River Seine from the Champ de Mars to Quai Voltaire. This is where you’ll find the Eiffel Tower, renowned art galleries including the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum (Musée Rodin), and the landmark Les Invalides, home to Napoleon’s Tomb.
Calanque is the French word for “cove,” and Calanque d’En-Vau is one of the country’s many Mediterranean pockets. It's no wide, sandy crescent—instead, picture a small fjord, with towering white cliffs and sparkling, turquoise waters. Stony and gnarled, this serene spot between Cassis and Marseilles is an escape from the urban Riviera.
Immortalized by impressionist painter Claude Monet, Monceau Park (Parc Monceau), located in western Paris' 8th arrondissement, is one of the most elegant public gardens in the city. The 18th-century, English-style landscape garden is famed for its architectural follies, including a picturesque, neoclassical colonnade and a bridge inspired by Venice's Rialto Bridge. Its proximity to many popular Paris attractions makes it a great place to take a break from sightseeing.
Before 1895, photography was cutting-edge technology. Then, the Lumière brothers changed image-making forever with the Cinematograph, which produced the first moving pictures. Visit the birthplace of this radical invention at Lyon's Lumière Institute (Institut Lumière, a museum, cultural space, and theater celebrating cinema's origins.
The Toy Museum (Musée du Jouet), a small, playful space in the heart of Colmar, is aimed at visitors both young and old. Home to a collection of playthings that date from the 19th century to the present day, the museum (housed in a former movie theater) offers exhibits about everything from dolls to model trains to board games.
A must-see for military history enthusiasts, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery pays tribute to the US troops who died in the last great World War I offensive. Covering 130.5 acres (52.8 hectares), it is the largest US cemetery in Europe and holds the remains of more than 14,000 American soldiers and military personnel, plus a chapel and reflection pool.
The St-Tropez Market at Place des Lices is a must for visitors wanting to see a slice of the real St-Tropez, where locals and tourists shop. Sat a couple of blocks from the Old Port, this central open-air market buzzes twice weekly, flaunting a vast range of goods. Provencal food produce, fashion ware to complete any French Riviera wardrobe, and general bric-a-brac are among the finds.
Paris is composed of 20 arrondissements, or districts, arranged in a clockwise spiral with ascending numbers, starting from the 1st arrondissement in the center. Visit the 13th arrondissement to experience the city’s Asian Quarter (Quartier Asiatique), a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood with shops and restaurants specializing in food from across East Asia, and to see the more than two dozen murals that add color to its streets.
An architectural gem on the grounds of one of France’s most dazzling châteaus, the Great Stables (Grandes Écuries de Chantilly) are like no other stables you’ve seen before. According to legend, the Bourbon prince who built them believed he would be reincarnated as a horse, and commissioned architect Jean Aubert to create stables to suit his rank—a design that became this equine palace.
The 12th Arrondissement on the right bank of the River Seine is best known for the Bois de Vincennes, the largest park in Paris. Stroll through its English landscape garden and enjoy its lakes, botanical garden, and arboretum. Foodies can also explore the nearby Bercy Village, a restored wine market with cobblestone streets, and Marché d’Aligre food market. Other highlights include the Bastille Opera House (Opéra Bastille) and Musée de la Cinémathèque, a museum and movie theater.
With its combination of timber-fronted buildings, cobbled lanes, and Gothic churches, a stroll around Troyes transports you back to medieval France. Hidden away in the south of the Champagne region, the atmospheric Old Town is known for its art galleries, striking architecture, and traditional artisan workshops.
Combining Renaissance grandeur with wildlife adventure, this zoo and gardens is located on the grounds of a historic château outside Paris. In addition to animal enclosures with species from around the globe, this zoo features a drive-through savannah with roaming lions and other large animals, giving visitors the thrill of an African safari, right in the heart of France.
Housed in a modernist, glass-fronted building overlooking the water in Le Havre, the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art (MuMa) is a major architectural landmark in its own right. But don’t miss the chance to venture inside, where you’ll find one of the country’s top Impressionist art collections and a rotating cast of temporary exhibitions.
Paris’ 9th arrondissement, also known as the Opéra district, is a fascinating mix of 19th-century architecture and hip 21st-century cultural trends. Notable for being home to the Palais Garnier, or Paris Opera House, this district also hosts plenty of upscale shops, fashionable bars and restaurants, and a handful of museums and galleries. Stay here, and you’ll get a good look at Paris, old and new.
This underground town of chalk quarry tunnels became the Allies’ Battle of Arras barracks in World War I and bomb shelters in World War II. Left largely untouched, the tunnels were rediscovered in 1990 and turned into a WWI museum. Visitors can enter for a glimpse at the underground life of the British and Commonwealth soldiers stationed here.
One of Dijon’s loveliest historical landmarks, the Hôtel de Vogüé dates to the 17th century and was built as a hôtel particulier—a luxurious manor house—for Etienne Bouhier, an adviser to the Parliament of Burgundy. The building is renowned for its stone carvings, colorful roof tiles, grand courtyard, and other ornamental flourishes.
One of the oldest and most evocative streets in Dijon, the picturesque Rue des Forges is located in the city’s historical center. Featuring several hôtels particuliers (historical manor homes), the street also wends its way past the Palace of the Dukes and Burgundy States and connects to the verdant Square des Ducs.
