3 Best Sights in Narbonne, Toulouse and the Languedoc

On a hot summer day, a drive through the vast compounds of this open-air wildlife park can (almost) feel like a real African safari. Lions, rhinos, zebras, and giraffes roam at large while flamingoes, pelicans, and storks nest and soar above the lagoons (don't miss pelican feeding time).

The town's former wealth is evinced by the 14th-century Cathédrale St-Just-et-St-Pasteur—its vaulting rises 133 feet from the floor, making it the tallest cathedral in southern France. Only Beauvais and Amiens (both in Picardy) are taller, and, as at Beauvais, the nave here was never completed. The "Creation" tapestry is the cathedral's finest treasure. Enter from the back side (Rue Gustave Fabre) for an especially impressive look at the unfinished nave and insight into the construction process.

Richly sculpted cloisters link the cathedral to the former Palais des Archevêques, home to collections covering archaeology, art, and history. Note the Donjon Gilles-Aycelin and its late-13th-century keep; climb the 162 steps to the top for a view over the town and surrounding region.