1176 Best Sights in France

During World War II, Lyon played an important role in the Resistance movement against the German occupation of France. Displays include equipment, such as radios and printing presses, photographs, and exhibits re-creating the clandestine lives and heroic exploits of Resistance fighters.

At the easternmost point of the Etang du Vaccarès, La Capeliére has a good visitor center with maps as well as exhibits on wildlife. There are three sentiers de découverte (discovery trails) radiating from its pond-side position, each leading to a small observatory.

You can pick up maps and get other information at this center, just up the D570 from the Parc Ornithologique at Pont de Gau. To explore this area, you'll have to strike out on foot, bicycle, or horseback (the park's website has a downloadable English-language brochure with stables clearly marked on a map). Note that you are not allowed to diverge from marked trails.

Set in a former presbytery in the heart of the village, this municipal photography museum looks "to support artistic creation through exhibitions, publications, and artist residencies." There's a bookshop on the main floor and two stories for temporary exhibitions.

Contemporary art enthusiasts should check out the Centre National d'Art Contemporain. Behind the train station in an out-of-the-way district, it's noted for its distinctive warehouse space and avant-garde collection.

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Landscaped at the start of the 20th century and restored in the two years leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the park is a centerpiece of current mayor Anne Hildago's plan to reduce pollution and increase the city's pedestrian and green spaces. The park's grassy lawns and gardens have already been expanded to 4 acres and dozens of new trees have been planted (many more are to come). Parts of the ambitious project—which extends across the Seine to the gardens, fountains, and green spaces leading to the Trocadéro esplanade—are on hold until city officials, environmentalists, and Parisians can agree on a plan.

This eccentric chapel was the last designed by Jean Cocteau as part of an artists' colony that never came to be. It's an octagon built around a glass atrium and is embellished with stained glass and frescoes depicting the mythology of the first Crusades. Above the front door, note the tongue-in-cheek painting of the apostles—it features the faces of Coco Chanel, Jean Marais, and poet Max Jacob.

Just above Basilique St-Michel, the smaller Chapelle de l'Immaculée-Conception (aka Pénitents Blancs) answers the main church's grand gesture with its own pure baroque beauty. The sanctuary, dating from 1687, is typically closed to the public; however, on Wednesday between 2:30 pm and 3:15 pm, you can try and slip in to see the graceful trompe l'oeil over the altar and the ornate gilt lanterns early penitents carried in processions.

A superbly balanced pièce-montée (wedding cake) of half-domes and cupolas, this chapel is decorated within an inch of its life with frescoes, faux marble, gilt, and crystal chandeliers. A magnificent altarpiece by Renaissance painter Ludivico Brea crowns the ensemble. Visits are limited to 2:30 to 5:30 pm on Tuesday.

All that remains of the Carmelite convent that once stood here is its chapel, begun in 1622 by King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Look up to admire the remarkable painted vaulted ceiling.

Jean-Michel Folon had a deep affection for the town of St-Paul-de-Vence, where he befriended artists such as César, so it seems fitting that the decoration of its 17th-century Chapelle des Pénitents Blanc was one of the Belgian artist's last projects before his death in 2005. The overwhelming sensations as you enter the chapel are of peace and clarity: eight oil paintings in pastel colors by Folon collaborator Michel Lefebvre line the walls on either side and four stained-glass windows reinforce the themes of generosity and freedom. Sculptures take the place of the traditional altar and font, and the back wall is covered with a mosaic of the town made up of more than 1 million pieces. The chapel demonstrates the versatility of this artist and reflects the town's ability to celebrate its past while keeping an eye on the future. The tourist office can arrange for a 50-minute visite of the chapel in English (€8.50) from Tuesday to Friday, but you'll need to reserve in advance.

Commissioned in 1815, this neoclassical temple marks the original burial site of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. After the deposed monarchs took their turns at the guillotine on Place de la Concorde, their bodies were taken to a nearby mass grave. A loyalist marked their place, and their remains were eventually retrieved by the dead king's brother, Louis XVIII, who moved them to the Basilica of Saint-Denis. He then ordered the monument (which translates to Expiatory, or Atonement, Chapel) built on this spot, in what is now the leafy Square Louis XVI off Boulevard Haussmann. Two massive white-marble sculptures by François Joseph Bosio show the king and queen being succored by angels, while stone tablets below are inscribed with the last missives of the doomed royals, including pleas to God to forgive their Revolutionary enemies.

In the south wing of the Palais Fesch, the neo-Renaissance-style Imperial Chapel was built in 1857 by Napoléon's nephew, Napoléon III, to accommodate the tombs of the Bonaparte family (Napoléon Bonaparte himself is buried in the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris). The Coptic crucifix over the altar was taken from Egypt during the general's 1798 campaign. The somber chapel, which is officially classified as a historical monument, is constructed from the white calcified stone of St-Florent and worth a visit to view its neoclassical cupola and ecclesiastical iconography.

Moustiers was founded as a monastery in the 5th century, but it was in the Middle Ages that the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir (first known as d'Entreroches, or "between rocks") became an important pilgrimage site. You and other pilgrims can still climb the steep cobbled switchbacks, passing modern stations-of-the-cross panels in Moustiers faience. From the porch of the 12th-century church, remodeled in the 16th century, you can look over the roofs of the village to the green valley, a patchwork of olive groves and red-tiled farmhouse roofs. The forerunner of the star that swings in the wind over the village was first hung, it is said, by a crusader grateful for his release from Saracen prison. It takes about 20 minutes to climb the 262 steps, but remember, what goes up must come down—these worn stone steps yield little traction, so be careful.

Nearly hidden in the hillside and entered by an obscure side door, the grand Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Protection, with its Italianate bell tower, was first built in the 14th century after the fortress had been destroyed; as a hedge against further invasion, they placed this plea for Mary's protection at the village edge. In 1936, the curé (priest) discovered traces of fresco under the bubbling plaster; a full stripping revealed that every inch of the apse had been decorated with scenes of the life of the Virgin and Jesus, roughly executed late in the 16th century. From the chapel's porch are sweeping sea views. Even if it's closed when you stop by (renovations are ongoing), be sure to note the trompe-l'oeil "shadows" delightfully painted on the bell tower portal.

Officially known as the Église de l'Annonciation, this 17th-century Carmelite chapel is a classic example of pure Niçoise Baroque, from its sculpted door to its extravagant marble work and the florid symmetry of its arches and cupolas.

So enamored was Jean Cocteau of this painterly fishing port that he decorated the 14th-century Chapelle St-Pierre with images from the life of St. Peter and dedicated it to the village's fishermen.

The sumptuous rococo style of the Chapelle Ste-Croix, behind the cathedral, makes it look more like a theater than a church. The chapel owes its name to a blackened oak crucifix, dubbed \"Christ of the Miracles,\" discovered by fishermen at sea in 1428 and venerated to this day by Bastia's fishing community. The most ancient church of the town, this chapel has officially been classified as a historic monument since 1931.

If you need an incentive to linger here until dusk, "Chartres en Lumières" (Chartres's festival of lights) provides it: 28 of the city's most revered monuments, including the glorious Notre-Dame Cathedral, are transformed into vivid light canvases. Thematically based on the history and purpose of each specific site, the animated projections are organized into a city walk that covers a wide swath of the Old Town's cobbled streets and bridges. The spectacle is free and occurs nightly from sunset to 1 am from mid-April through early January. A train tour of the illuminated city operates several times a night from May through September.

All that remains of this former charter house—a half-hour walk or a 10-minute bus ride from Dijon's center and now surrounded by a psychiatric hospital—are the exuberant 15th-century church porch and the Puits de Moïse (Well of Moses), one of the greatest examples of late-medieval sculpture. The well was designed by Flemish master Claus Sluter, who also created several other masterpieces during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, including one of the tombs of the dukes of Burgundy. If you closely study Sluter's six large sculptures, you will discover the Middle Ages becoming the Renaissance right before your eyes. Representing Moses and five other prophets, they are set on a hexagonal base in the center of a basin and remain the most compellingly realistic figures ever crafted by a medieval sculptor. The Well of Moses can be visited as part of a guided tour arranged by the tourist office; reservations are required.

The bounty of the cardinals nourished this abbey, whose name translates, literally, to the Charterhouse of the Valley of Blessings. Inside the impressive 5-acre complex are spare cells with panels illuminating monastic life; the vast 14th-century cloître du cimetière (cemetery cloister); a smaller Romanesque cloister; and, within, what remains of the abbey church, its cloister garden, and the Gothic tomb of Pope Innocent VI. The rose and herb gardens are planted as they would have been by the monks. It's worth a visit if only for the delightful indoor-outdoor courtyard café, and the bookstore is fun to peruse. Theatrical events are staged here during Avignon's annual theater festival.

The stolidly built, fortresslike Château, at the end of the Promenade des Petits Fossés, has a two-story tower and a 100-foot, 14th-century donjon (keep) containing a museum with varied displays of medieval effigies and statues, Breton furniture, and locally made lace coiffes (head coverings).

Despite Tarascon's modern-day drawbacks, with the walls of its formidable château plunging straight into the roaring Rhône, this ancient city on the river presents a daunting challenge to Beaucaire, its traditional enemy across the water. Begun in the 15th century by the noble Anjou family on the site of a Roman castellum, the castle grew through the generations into a splendid structure, crowned with both round and square towers and elegantly furnished. René the Good (1409–80) held court here, entertaining luminaries of the age.

The castle owes its superb preservation to its use, through the ensuing centuries, as a prison. It first served as such in the 17th century, and it released its last prisoner in 1926. Complete with a moat, a drawbridge, and a lovely faceted spiral staircase, it retains its beautiful decorative Renaissance stonework and original cross-mullioned windows.

If you're disinclined to spend your vacation sniffing and sipping, climb the hill to the ruins of the château. Though it was destroyed in the Wars of Religion (1562–98) between Catholics and Huguenots and its remaining donjon (keep) blasted by the Germans in World War II, it still commands a magnificent position. From this rise in the rolling vineyards, you can enjoy wraparound views of Avignon, the Luberon, and Mont Ventoux.

Fontaine has its own ruined château, perched romantically on a forested hilltop over the town and illuminated at night. First built around the year 1000 and embellished in the 14th century by the bishops of Cavaillon, the castle was destroyed in the 15th century and forms little more than a sawtooth silhouette against the sky.

Named for the prayer-signaling church bells that can be heard from its vineyards, this fabled château is a premier grand cru property.

Just south of the town walls, Château Ausone is an estate that is ranked with Château Angelus as a producer of St-Émilion's finest wines.