1176 Best Sights in France

For sparkling Saumur wine—including a rare red—try a tour and a tasting at Ackerman.

Art Nouveau genius Hector Guimard built this unique synagogue (also called Synagogue de la Rue Pavée) in 1913 for a Polish-Russian Orthodox association. The facade resembles an open book: Guimard used the motif of the Ten Commandments to inspire the building's shape and its interior, which can only rarely be visited. Knock on the door, and see if the caretaker will let you upstairs to the balcony, where you can admire Guimard's well-preserved decor. Like other Parisian synagogues, its front door was dynamited by Nazis on Yom Kippur, 1941. The Star of David over the door was added after the building was restored.

This former ossuary (a charnel house used for the bodies of plague victims) is a reminder of the \"Black Death\" that devastated Europe during the Middle Ages. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) is said to have been inspired by the ossuary when he was working on his Danse Macabre. The half-timber courtyard—where you can wander at leisure, see an art exhibition, and perhaps grab a coffee at the café—contains graphic carvings of skulls, bones, and gravediggers' tools.

Shaded by plane trees and sheltering a sandy pétanque field, this is a little piece of Provence in a big, glitzy resort town. Every morning except Monday, a flower market paints the square in vivid colors, and, during the weekend arts-and-crafts market (10–6), you can find paintings of flowers. The antiques market shares the space on Saturday and the first Sunday of every month.

After touring the Abbaye Royale, head outside the gates of the complex a block to the north to discover one of the Loire Valley's most time-burnished streets, Allée Ste-Catherine. Bordered by the Fontevraud park, headed by a charming medieval church, and lined with a few scattered houses (which now contain the town tourist office, a gallery that sells medieval illuminated manuscript pages, and the lovely Licorne restaurant), this street still conjures up the 14th century.

Not to be confused with the American Cathedral across the river at 23 avenue George V, this pretty, neo-Gothic, Protestant church was built between 1927 and 1931. It features a pair of Tiffany stained glass windows—a rare find in Europe. Besides ecumenical services, the church hosts architectural tours, free classical and acoustic concerts, and lectures and workshops on well-being and topics of current interest. You can check event listings and download a self-guided PDF tour at the church website.

Rebuilt over several centuries after the sack of Béziers, the cathedral's western facade resembles a fortress for good reason—it served as a warning to would-be invaders. Note the medieval wall along Rue de Juiverie, which formed the limit between the cathedral precincts and the Jewish quarter. Inside the cathedral, look for the magnificent 17th-century walnut organ and the frescoes representing the lives of St-Stephen and others.

Built in 1761, this former grain market serves as a post office today—a rather spectacular building for a prosaic service. The frieze, portraying an allegory of the Rhône and Durance rivers, is the work of Aix sculptor Jean Chaste (1726–93); he also created the fountain out in front. That's a real Roman column at the fountain's top.

At the far-east end of the city loop, Montpellier seems to transform itself into a futuristic metropolis designed in one smooth, low-slung postmodern style. This is the Antigone district, the result of city planners' efforts (and local industries' commitment) to pull Montpellier up out of its economic doldrums. It worked. This ideal neighborhood, designed by the Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, covers 100-plus acres with plazas, esplanades, shops, restaurants, and low-income housing constructed out of stone-color, prestressed concrete. Don't miss Place du Nombre d'Or—symmetrically composed of curves—and the long vista that stretches down a mall of cypress trees to the glass-fronted Hôtel de Region.

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Along with 10,000 fish and a giant tank of small sharks, this attractive space beneath the Trocadéro gardens promises nature documentaries in its cinema space, puppet and magic shows, and workshops for children in animation, art, and dance (these are offered in French, but the staff speaks English). Book tickets online to save money and avoid lines.

Looming majestically over the peripheral highway that loops around the city center, this enormous arch is the centerpiece of the Peyrou. Designed by d'Aviler in 1689, it was finished by Giral in 1776. Together, the noble scale of these harmonious stone constructions and the sweeping perspectives they frame make for an inspiring stroll through this upscale stretch of town. At the end of the park is the historic Château d'Eau, a Corinthian temple and the terminal for les Arceaux, an 18th-century aqueduct; on a clear day the view from here is spectacular, taking in the Cévennes Mountains, the sea, and an ocean of red-tile roofs (it's worth coming back at night to see the entire promenade illuminated).

North of the city center is the Arc de Triomphe, which once straddled the Via Agrippa between Lyon and Arles. Three arches support a heavy double attic (horizontal top) floridly decorated with battle scenes and marine symbols, references to Augustus's victories at Actium. The arch, which dates from about 20 BC, is superbly preserved—particularly its north side—but to view it on foot, you'll have to cross a roundabout seething with traffic.

Leaning against the northern end of St-Siffrein Cathedral, this ancient triumphal arch—a last vestige of this once-thriving Roman town—dates from the 1st century AD and was built to commemorate the victory of Rome over the barbarians. Notice the fine sculpted columns and figures of two captive warriors (said to be a German and a Parthian or a Hellenistic king) carved into either side of the arc.

Explore the myths and legends of the Mont through a sound-and-light show at the Archéoscope. Some exhibits use wax figures fitted out in the most glamorous costumes of the 15th century.

Thousands of important historical documents are preserved inside the Hôtel de Soubise and Hôtel de Rohan—a pair of spectacular buildings constructed in 1705 as private homes. Fans of the decorative arts will appreciate a visit to the former, where the well-preserved private apartments of the Prince and Princess de Soubise are among the first examples of the rococo style, which preceded the more somber Baroque opulence of Louis XIV. The Hôtel de Soubise also has a museum that displays documents dating from 625 to the 20th century. Highlights include the Edict of Nantes (1598), the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), the wills of Louis XIV and Napoléon, and the Declaration of Human Rights (1789). Louis XVI's diary is also here, containing his sadly clueless entry for July 14, 1789—the day the Bastille was stormed and the French Revolution was launched. The Hôtel de Rohan, open to the public only during Patrimony Weekend in September, was built for Soubise's son, Cardinal Rohan. Before you leave, notice the medieval turrets in the courtyard: this is the Porte de Clisson, all that remains of a stately 14th-century mansion.

The Arènes (often called the Amphithéâtre) can seat up to 5,000 and is still used for concerts and other events. Back down on the coast, a big French naval base occupies the spot where ancient Roman galleys once set out to defeat Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium.

This Roman amphitheater, designed as a theater and circus, was almost completely destroyed by barbarians in AD 280. The site was rediscovered in 1869, and you can still see part of the stage and tiered seating. Along with the remains of the baths at Cluny, the arena constitutes rare evidence of the powerful Roman city of Lutetia that flourished on the Rive Gauche in the 3rd century. Today it's a favorite spot for picnicking, pickup soccer, or boules.

This striking movie theater has a circular screen—actually nine curved screens synchronized to show a 20-minute film titled The 100 Days of the Battle of Normandy, which tells the story of the D-Day landings through previously unseen archival footage; the presentation comes courtesy of the team behind a popular French television series on the war, Apocalypse. The film is screened every 20 or 30 minutes, depending on attendance.

Though there are no actual Millet works, the Atelier Jean-François Millet is cluttered with photographs and mementos evoking his career. It was here that the painter produced some of his most renowned pieces, including The Gleaners.

Not far from the palace, a breadth of 120 yards makes Avenue de Paris wider than the Champs-Élysées, and its buildings are just as grand and even more historic. The avenue leads down to Place d'Armes, a vast sloping plaza usually filled with tour buses. Facing the château are the Trojan-size royal stables. Recently added bike lanes along the length of the avenue allow for a scenic cycling tour that leads to the historic neighborhoods that flank Versailles: the Quartier St-Louis to the south (to the left when facing the château) and the Quartier Notre-Dame to the north (to the right when facing the château).

Marcel Proust lovingly described the genteel elegance of the storied Champs-Élysées (pronounced chahnz-el-ee-zay, with an n sound instead of m, and no p) during its Belle Époque heyday, when its cobblestones resounded with the clatter of horses and carriages. Today, despite unrelenting traffic and the intrusion of chain stores and fast-food franchises, the avenue still sparkles. There's always something happening here: stores are open late (and many are open on Sunday, a rarity in Paris); nightclubs remain top destinations; and cafés offer prime people-watching, though you'll pay for the privilege. Ater all, this is Europe's most expensive piece of real estate. Along the 2-km (1¼-mile) stretch, you can find marquee names in French luxury, like Cartier, Guerlain, and Louis Vuitton. Car manufacturers lure international visitors with space-age showrooms. Old stalwarts, meanwhile, are still going strong—including the Lido cabaret and Fouquet's, whose celebrity clientele extends back to James Joyce. The avenue is also the setting for the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race (the third or fourth Sunday in July), as well as Bastille Day (July 14) and Armistice Day (November 11) ceremonies. The Champs-Élysées, which translates to "Elysian Fields" (the resting place of the blessed in Greek mythology), began life as a cow pasture and in 1666 was transformed into a park by the royal landscape architect André Le Nôtre. Traces of its green origins are visible toward the Concorde, where elegant 19th-century park pavilions house the historic restaurants Ledoyen and Laurent. The celebrated avenue has undergone positive changes in recent years—including a widening of pedestrian walks and the addition of cycling lanes—with more improvements planned for the future.

This busy boulevard lined with mansions was laid out for Nancy's affluent 19th- and early-20th-century middle class. At No. 69, built in 1902 by Émile André, the occasional pinnacle suggests Gothic influence; André designed the neighboring No. 71 two years later. Number 41, built by Paul Charbonnier in 1905, bears ironwork by Louis Majorelle.

Even if you've never read or seen Marcel Pagnol's trilogy of plays and films Marius, Fanny, and César (think of it as a three-part French Casablanca), you can still get a sense of its earthy, Old Marseille feeling at the bar in which it was set. The walls are blanketed with murals, and comfortable café chairs fill the place—all in an effort to faithfully reproduce the bar as it was in the days when the bartender César, his son Marius, and Fanny, the shellfish girl, lived out their salty drama of love, honor, and the call of the sea.

Just beyond the Ponts Couverts is the grass-roofed Vauban Dam, built by its namesake in 1685 to unleash floods against assilants. Climb to the top for wide-angle views of the Ponts Couverts and, on the other side, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Then meander through its echoing galleries, where magnificent cathedral statuary lies scattered among pigeon droppings.

Built by the Nazis during World War II, this submarine base is the world's largest 20th-century fort. Thirty submarines could be comfortably housed in the squat concrete bunker—and its 27-foot-thick roof withstood intensive Allied bombing virtually intact. Ninety-minute tours begin at noon and 3 pm daily in summer and during school vacations; they run at the same time on Sunday year-round. Call to find out when tours in English are scheduled.

Tiny L'Épine is dominated by its twin-tower church, the Flamboyant Gothic Basilique de Notre-Dame de l'Épine. Decorated with a multitude of leering gargoyles, the facade is a magnificent creation of intricate patterns and spires. The interior, conversely, exudes elegance and restraint; note the sculptures depicting the Entombment of Christ and the stone rood screen, carved in the late 15th century.

The rather pompous late-19th-century basilica, at the top of the ficelle (funicular railway), is—for better or worse—the symbol of Lyon. Its mock-Byzantine architecture and hilltop site make it a close relative of Paris's Sacré-Coeur. Both were built to underline the might of the Roman Catholic Church after the Prussian defeat of France in 1870 gave rise to the birth of the anticlerical Third Republic. The excessive gilt, marble, and mosaics in the interior underscore the Church's wealth, although they masked its lack of political clout at that time. One of the few places in Lyon where you can't see the basilica is the adjacent terrace, whose panorama reveals the city—with the cathedral of St-Jean in the foreground and the glass towers of the reconstructed Part-Dieu business complex glistening behind. For a more sweeping view still, climb the 287 steps to the basilica observatory.

This fortified church dates back to a 10th-century Benedictine abbey and a 9th-century sanctuary before that. The millenary energy field is palpable around the hulking structure, especially near the rear of the apse where the stained glass windows glow richly in the twilight. In 1844 it became one of the first buildings in France to be classified a national monument; its interior murals and frescoes, though, are disappointingly plain and austere compared to the quirky, rough exterior.

Lourdes celebrated the centenary of Bernadette Soubirous's visions by building the world's largest underground church, the Basilique Souterraine St-Pie X, with space for 20,000 people—more than the town's permanent population. The Basilique Supérieure (1871), tall and white, hulks nearby.

The town's Basilique St-Andoche, one of Burgundy's finest Romanesque churches, is almost as old as the one in Vézelay, though less imposing and much restored. Note the impressive Romanesque nave with 12th-century carved capitals. Inside, there is an exhibition with digital displays and a short film explaining the history of the basilica.